I'm making the update extra early this week, because I won't be home this Saturday to update. Sorry about the review responses last week, I had to post the chapter really really quick as I was going to see the musical Wicked- it was amazing, by the way. I highly recommend you see it if you have the resources to do so. Anyway, here are the responses:
Angel: Glad you like it! Please continue to read and review!
Abby/Angie: I had no idea there were all those books. I feel really dumb right now, lol. In some cases I had to make up names for things, if you happen to know the correct names for stuff please tell me, because while my names work, they may not be right, haha. Thanks for reading!
Sirius: I hope you did well at your swim meet! Glad you like this chapter, and I promise you'll be getting to see Amelia a lot more, I'm hoping to develop her romance w/ Doppler a little more. Enjoy this chapter too!
Kim: Yes, longer chapters will probably be the norm from here on in, w/ the exception of filler chapters. Enjoy!
Dreaming: If you read between the lines (I mean a lot here), you may notice the romance has already started! But if you don't like searching, it really begins here. The song-montage does a lot in terms of romance too, but nothing will actually *happen* until the very end- sorry. I have to hold off on the romance to stay in canon and not totally mutilate Jim's story, you know? Because it really is about him, I just added a character- I try to avoid crappy Mary-Sue writing, because it really becomes a Mary-Sue when it becomes HER story, and not the main character. But I think getting there will be half the fun, I mean, you already know that they are gonna have a romance eventually, but even in professional writing, it's the process that makes it worth reading, not the outcome, right? (lol, I'll shut up now).
Mermaid Ninja: hmmm...I wasn't sure when I read this just how sarcastic you were being. I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you meant it in the nicest way possible and it was in fact NOT a mini-flame. That's actually not what Skye says at all. She's not even in that scene the way I wrote it. Skye's history with her parents isn't important to the story. Sorry to disappoint.
Tallemera: Haha, I'm glad you said something critical, I was wondering how long it would be before somebody had any problem's with the story. I will definitely keep your comment in mind when I write, but let me say a thing or two in my defense. You're right, it is early- we're about 25 minutes into a movie that's an hour and a half, so this is only the beginning. Also, I don't know how other schools teach this, but as far as I know, every interaction a character has shows characterization. I mean, think of how much we know about Skye- she's Jim's best friend and obviously has a history with him, she's worked at an Inn her whole life, and all the stuff she says and does tells us about her. And I am trying to keep this Jim's story, in canon w/ the movie, so I'm trying to keep Jim basically the same as in the movie. And last, I promise that the song-montage scene does show some MAJOR background into Jim and Skye's past and their relationship, which is a major point in the movie too.
Again, thanks to all who reviewed, and enjoy!
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Up on deck, the crew members were still bustling around to make final preparations for the launch. A strange looking alien above in the crow's nest announced what Captain Amelia had been waiting for.
"We're all clear, Captain!"
Below at the helm, Amelia addressed Arrow standing at her side.
"Well, my friend, are we ready to raise this creaking tub?"
"My pleasure, Captain," Arrow replied, and he yelled loud and clear, "All hands to stations! Smartly now!"
Jim and Skye surfaced from below deck amidst the renewed activity, as crew hands raced up the rigging towards the solar sails above, and at Arrow's command, released them. As they unfurled like white wings, Jim and Skye had to stop and stare.
The RLS Legacy rose through the air, commands being shouted left and right, and Montressor spaceport began to shrink away from view. The two teens raced to watch the sails fill out as they hit the sunlight, almost straining to catch as much light as they could. There was so much to see, the two couldn't take it all in at once. They were actually there, on a ship being launched. Of course they'd seen it dozens of times from the docks, but now, being there, it was so much more different. So breathtaking, so...amazing.
Skye realized something was different. She looked down to see she was floating in midair, and so was Jim. She'd heard about this from spacers at the Inn, the weightlessness before artificial gravity was turned on.
The pink alien they'd run into earlier (whose name was Mr. Snuff) flipped the switch on a large machine next to him, and a purple glow washed over the deck. Skye, Jim, everyone dropped back to the floor. Jim and Skye landed easily, as well as Captain Amelia and Mr. Arrow, but Dr. Doppler wasn't as lucky.
When the clatter ended and the pieces of the suit were collected, Amelia gave the coordinates to the alien at the helm, Mr. Turnbuckle. She next turned to Arrow, who relayed her instructions to the alien below deck.
"Full speed, Mr. Arrow, if you please."
"Take her away!"
Doctor Doppler once again proved that he didn't really know everything- when the captain's warnings to brace himself went unheeded, he crashed into the wall behind him as the ship accelerated at a remarkable speed into open space.
Jim and Skye climbed onto the nearest rigging as the ship headed towards a color-laced cloud of dust floating in space. Manta birds cruised in flocks around the bow of the ship, and even Jim couldn't keep in his amazement at what they saw next.
"Whoa!"
Pods of Galaxias were soaring on the starboard side of the Legacy, making a sound that was almost like singing, a melancholy tune that drifted through space. One flew overhead, and another came right up next to the boat, so close that Jim could touch it. It was enormous, dwarfing Jim and Skye like toys. It blinked an eye the size of a coach wheel, and separated from its path along the ship to rejoin its family.
As it left, Delbert attempted to take a picture, marveling at this specimen of the Orcus galacticus. Unfortunately, the whale spouted a stream of mucus from its blowhole, covering the doctor and plopping onto his instant photograph. Captain Amelia chuckled, when a familiar voice directed her attention to the deck below.
"Ah, 'tis a grand day for sailing, Captain," John Silver remarked, tipping his hat in Captain Amelia's direction. "And look at you! You're as trim and bonny as a sloop with new sails and a fresh coat of paint!" He swept his hat fully off his head with a bow and a mechanical wink in her direction. Amelia, however, paid no attention to this.
"You can keep that kind of flim-flammery for your spaceport floozies, Silver!"
Morph transformed into a miniature replica of the Captain, and began reciting "Spaceport floozy! Spaceport floozy!" at Silver's shoulder. Silver nervously caught Morph up in his hat as he replaced it, and said abashedly, "You cut me to the quick, Captain! I speaks nothin' but me heart at all times." Again, Morph mocked him by yammering "Nothin' but me heart!" as he floated upwards, raising Silver's hat off his head. Silver jammed it back, and gave the Captain another nervous grin.
Amelia eyed him strangely, then said, "Yes, and by the way, aren't those your cabin boys aimlessly footling about in those shrouds?"
Silver turned to see Jim and Skye racing each other up and down the starboard rigging, laughing.
"A momentary aberration, Cap'n, soon to be addressed. Jimbo!" Silver turned and called towards the two teenagers, who both stopped their quiet laughter and looked up, still grinning.
"I've got some new friends I'd like you to meet." Silver said, slyly.
Jim looked around, curious and eager.
"Say hello to Mr. Mop, and Mrs. Bucket!" Silver chortled, and threw each in turn at Jim and Skye, who caught them. Jim's face fell, and he glared, disappointed, at Silver.
"Yippee."
Skye looked from the bucket of water and scrub brushes she held to Jim, scowling at the mop. As they dropped to the deck to begin the chore, she arched an eyebrow after Silver, who was laughing as he left as though it were the joke of the century.
"I don't get it," she said. She dropped the bucket, into which Jim plunged the mop. Then kneeling to the floor, Skye stuck her hand in the bucket, pulled out a scrub brush, and began the familiar task that she had repeated everyday for as long as she could remember. Jim let out a sigh of exasperation as he mopped the floor, and Skye glanced up at his face, which was dark with disappointment. Skye knew exactly how he felt.
We may finally be on an adventure, she thought, but some things never change.