Before we start, I remember a few things I should explain. First off, I don't own the Ship or the crew, or the series... [lone wolf howling in the back ground]
Second; if this story becomes confusing, bear this in mind; The only people who are the narrators are those who come from the Official OLS Universe. Any characters I bring in won't have perspectives, or at least not written perspectives.
That done; ON WITH THE STORY!
How do you say Goodbye;
Jim's Family
Aisha- 3:30 AM
The incessant clacking of the keyboard downstairs woke me from a really interesting dream... I don't really remember much about it except for the whole crew was part of it, and they were arguing over a dress? It seems funny now, but it was a serious affair in the dream.
At any rate, I glared fuzzily at the clock beside my bed. I think it said 12:20. I frowned in annoyance, reached over and hit piece of junk, and the clock reset to the proper time. 3:30.
I stumbled out of bed and downstairs, wearing only my nightgown, to find Jim at his desktop computer typing away.
I dragged a chair over by him. "Jim, don't you sleep? It's 3:30 in the morning, and even if you don't, I need to!"
He jumped about a foot and a half.
"Aisha, what are you doing awake?"
"Jim, I have the greatest hearing on the planet, as the only C'tarl-c'tarl on the planet." We were on Sentinel 3 still. They were letting me stay with them as I waited impatiently for a C'tarl-c'tarl vessel to come and pick me up. Gene and Mel got married about a year after we got back form the Galactic Leyline. Suzie had taken her entire collection of cash and invested it, with no real expectation of being paid back, in Starwind and Hawking Incorporated. We were able to pay off Fred, and outfit the Outlaw Star with some decent weapons.
All together, it had been five years since we had left the Leyline behind us. No matter how old Jim got, cute is the only word to really define him, I don't know why. His hair remained in the drooping blonde spikes he had wore five years ago. His sense of style has grown along with the rest of him, standing as he did at five foot nine inches.
"Aisha, go back to sleep."
The same big mouth, too.
"Hey Jim, why are you working at three-thirty in the morning?"
"It's the best time of the day to get some work done."
"You work all day!"
"With you and Gene floating around? Yeah, right!"
"Jim, when was the last twenty-four hour period when you did not glance at anything more technologically advanced, bar Melfina, than a telephone?"
He stopped typing, his mind searching back through his seventeen years in an attempt to prove my challenge wrong.
"That's it Jim, you are taking tomorrow off, and I am going to make sure that you have fun!"
"You? Aisha, our tastes are more than slightly different-"
"Only when it comes to fashion and food. The Carnival is in town, and we are going!"
"Aisha, I can't. I need to get this stuff done by the end of the week!"
"Jim, do you have any other monitors here?"
He paused, this line of questioning so much of a direct tangent, it took him a full ten seconds to dredge an answer out of his sleep clogged brain. "No, but-"
"Good." With that, I shoved my fist through the screen of the computer Jim was sitting at.
"Aisha, what do you think you're doing?!" he yelled.
"The Carnival opens at ten, I plan on us being on our way there by nine thirty, so we have to wake up at eight at the best!" I said as I picked him up by the front of his shirt. "We all know how hard it is to wake you up, but now, I know why!" I said as I carried him into his bedroom. "You need sleep if we are going to the carnival tomorrow, and yes, you are!" I said as I dropped him on his bed.
I looked down at him from all of my slightly enhanced six foot four. "Now, are you going to go to bed nicely, or do I have to chain you down?!" I asked, arms folded over my chest, looking down at Jim from glowing yellow eyes.
He reluctantly pulled his shirt off and got under the covers of his bed (which Melfina usually makes), and closed his eyes. I stood there for a few minutes, and listened as his breathing slowed, and his heartbeat calmed.
I ran my hand through his hair, and then left his room, turned off all the lights downstairs (I left the ruins of the computer alone), and crawled slowly back up to my room. I paused at my door and sent my hearing throughout the building.
Suzuka didn't sleep; she meditated in the room at the end of the hall. It's a state she calls Zanshin, umm... I think it means total awareness, zero focus. Maybe I ought to try to learn it from her?
Gene and Melfina shared the room at the other end, above the Kitchen, they were both sound asleep, and Jim, he was still sleeping his mind away.
I sighed as I went into my room, between Suzuka's room and the upstairs bathroom.
I looked around my room for the moment, and sighed. I picked up my photo album, one of the very few things I was able to retain a hold of since I was first exiled to blue heaven.
There was my was my family... and most importantly, my little brother.
I set the album on the floor, and laid down in my bed, set my alarm for seven fifty, and drifted softly to sleep, to resume the argument over the dress.
Jim- 6:54, later same morning
Of course I was bone tired, but between Aisha and Gene, the only time I could get some work done was past midnight. I'd have to look into getting a quieter keyboard if I wanted to keep it up though, I do NOT need Aisha coming down and scaring the crap outta me again!
"Aisha." I sighed as I lay in my bed about six minutes till seven. I've never been able to sleep past seven o'clock. She really looked good in her nightgown, it was a cream colored and almost reached the floor... I think it's made of satin. It's so unlike what she normally wears that you'd barely be able to tell that she was the same person who crewed the outlaw star with us. I'd've been about half tempted to believe that last night had been a dream... or a nightmare.... but I knew that on the other side of that door there was a computer that had the ruins of a monitor where I had been working last night.
Or was it early this morning?
I yawned, and luxuriously stretched, pulling about seventy percent of my muscular frame taut. In another hour, she'd probably come in and wake me up, but why does she want me to go with her to the fair?
I need to get a new monitor, I need to get the Taxes done, I have so much to do it's not even funny! I might as well start by getting breakfast.
Aisha- 7:10
My nose twitched, as I smelled bacon being cooked to a crisp. I took a deep breath and sighed in longing. I didn't really want to get up, but Bacon is far too good to pass up.
I expected to find Melfina in the kitchen. Instead, I found Jim.
"You can cook?!" I asked without thinking.
"Of course I can," he said, not looking away from the stove. "Who else would make breakfast for Gene?"
"Wow..." I murmured. Jim smiled, then turned to look at me, and abruptly turned back to the stove, his ears bright red.
"Umm, Aisha, I.... if I were you, I'd like... go do something about your clothes before Gene comes down."
I looked down at my nightgown and gasped. Dang, I must have gotten in a fight over that dress, I thought to myself as I blushed from top to toe. Jim, had he been looking, would have seen most of the blush. Without a word, I ran back upstairs.
Jim- 7:12
Hmmm... Poor Aisha. Melfina came down next.
"Jim, what happened to your computer?" she asked as she walked over and got the stuff for coffee for herself and Gene. I never had the taste for the stuff (Though I drink it when I need to wake up.), Suzuka always preferred Tea, and Aisha has more energy than she needs, and always avoids the drink.
"Ummm... I kinda woke up Aisha. She kinda got annoyed that I was working that late, and... Well, she made me go to bed."
"What time did this happen?"
"About three-thirty."
"I see... Will you be going anywhere today?"
"I need a new monitor at the very least, and Aisha has..." I paused, looking for the proper word. Promised doesn't sound right, but neither does threatened. "Well, I guess Aisha and I are going to the carnival."
"Sounds like Fun. I wish Gene would take me sometime."
"Melfina, Aisha and I don't really click the same way."
"Actually you do, just on different beats. You'll have fun." I looked sidelong at Melfina, my eyebrow raised. "Jim, you seem to think if you don't do everything it will never get done. I could do the books twice as well as you in half the time. Aisha is right, Jim, you do need to relax. And I believe that you will have fun today."
"But with Aisha?" Melfina only smiled as Gene came into the room.
"Good morning, Gene!"
"Hey Mel," he said going over to the bio-android, taking his coffee from her hand, and giving her a small... slow kiss.
I sat down, took a drink of my milk, quietly took my Eggs, Bacon, toast, and refilled my milk. I looked back at them, and they were still at it, and as funny as it was, I couldn't stand it anymore, not with my "date" to look forward to. I took another drink and slammed the cup on the table.
"Hardly decorous Jim." Suzuka said as she entered the kitchen, sat down, and poured her tea. I pointedly said nothing about her remark; I didn't want to give Gene any ammo.
"Jim is going to go to the carnival today." Melfina stated, trying to hint that she wanted to go. I closed my eyes.
"Really Jim, who you going with?"
"Gene, Melfina wants you to take her to the Fair, it has nothing to do with me." I said. Melfina looked at me. I looked at her. Without saying a word, we agreed to shut our mouths... at least when it came to the other person. At least for today.
As I ate, I looked at Suzuka. She had her normal knowing look on her face, and I could only wonder what she knew. She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, and got a small smile on her face. She knew I was hiding... she didn't know what.
Aisha burst into the room, wolfed down her breakfast, and was gone again, fast as blink.
I took a deep breath; let it out in a sigh. Then I ate my breakfast and retreated to my room.
Suzuka
It was rather amusing, watching the two. Living as crew to the Outlaw star is very much like watching an interactive soap opera. Gene and Melfina had decided to take the day off, turned on the answering machine, and they were gone by eight. I quietly sat myself in the main room and considered.
Jim had glared machetes at Melfina when she told Gene he was going to the fair. His response to Gene's question was a simple evasion... Gene would never see through something simple, he required a complex evasion to understand the truth, and so he said nothing.
I however...
Well, all I have to do to see what is happening is look at Jim's computer. I heard Aisha talking to Jim last night at about three thirty. They had broken my trance, but I ignored them, and continued my rest.
Then Aisha broke the monitor. Hmmm... Perhaps they will finally see what has been there... for a while... at least since the Ruins. When Mel had said he was going to the fair, I merely lifted my eyebrow. I lowered it just as quickly, however.
The following weeks are indeed going to be amusing. I said to myself as I flicked back the wayward strand of hair that fell across my eye.
Aisha- 8:30
I waited for him outside his door. I wasn't working today, so I decided to wear something OTHER than my normal uniform (Uniforms, rather, between the empire and all the part time jobs I have to get) so today, I wore a white t-shirt that fell down to the knees of my blue jeans. I left my hair braided around the Ring of Strength. I would have taken that off too, but my neck and back are so used to the weight that if I take it off, I end up in pain. Or so I've been told. I've never really tested it. We are told that the ring weighs twenty pounds. But I had increased the weight when I got out of the academy.
Jim came out of his room wearing a bright blue shirt with black jeans. he had that single shoulder backpack holding his laptop.
"Leave that!" I said pointing at the laptop.
"No. You'll be with me all day to make sure I won't use it for work, but you will not make me leave it here."
We stood there for a moment, growling at each other.
"Aisha, he is right. Asking him to leave his computer as like asking you to take off your Ring of Strength." Suzuka said from the couch. We looked over at her. "Physically painful."
"How, it's just a computer?!"
"It's just as much a part of him as your Ring."
"Fine then... Let's go Jim."
Jim- 9:00
Aisha wanted to take my car, but I wasn't about to let Aisha consider driving MY car!
When we got there, Aisha yielded enough to admit I was a good driver. Aisha led me around the grounds, pointing out this and that. Then she asked me what I wanted to do.
"Wanna go take a look at the car show?"
"Why not? Maybe we can find a better car then your Junker!" she said, and then skipped out of reach.
"Aisha!" I yelled, and then took off after her as she skipped away to the Car show, her blue jeans and huge t-shirt flapping past her as fast as she moved. She really looked good in those looser clothes.
Can we focus here?! I yelled at myself as I slid to a stop inside the building that housed the car show. I mean, come on! This is Aisha we are talking about, the same person who has been a real cute pain in the butt for more than five years!
WHAT?! I surprised myself admitting she was cute, but I don't think she'd take such a description as a compliment. I spotted Aisha admiring the latest Prowler, and I looked at her.
Dressed as she was, she didn't look even a third as threatening as she did in her C'tarl-c'tarl uniform, but you still got the impression of, 'back off, I will take you down.'
"Jim, what are you doing?" She had caught me staring at her. "C'm'ere and take a look at this!"
Jim- A couple hours later
We stopped for lunch at a community cafe on the grounds. It was there that Aisha almost ruined the entire day.
"Look at that beast, what the ---- does she think she is doing among normal people?"
Aisha's fists clenched, and her jaw tightened.
I reached over, and put my hand on hers. Her jaw dropped as if I had slapped her. I opened her fist and twined our fingers together. "We're here to have fun, remember?"
"But Jim-"
She couldn't continue. "Look at me Aisha." She did. "People always thought me a freak when I told them I was the adult. Heck, people still do. Not everyone will like you Aisha, but you have to ignore those who don't, and concentrate on those who do."
Aisha
I bowed my head. I wanted so much to go rip the throat out of that blasted idiot... but Jim's hand in mine held me there far better than any rope or chain could have.
I looked back up at him and nodded. He smiled at me. He didn't try and remove his hand until Dinner arrived, then did when he got his cheeseburger.
Once we were done with our dinner, our hands found each other again as we searched the Fair.
Gene and Melfina were spotted on the rides, but they didn't see us. At six o'clock, Jim dragged us to a parts store to find a new monitor. Then, much to my surprise, we went skating. I hadn't been skating for more than fifteen years, but I decided then that I was going to start again.
Melfina
"I haven't seen Jim at all today." Gene stated. I sat up straight in surprise. "Have you seen him at all? I thought he was going to be here."
"Well, he wants to be alone right now, so he'll be fine." I said once I had regained my composer. We were at the diner in the fair. Gene looked around, a little suspicious. "C'mon Gene, is it not rare when he wants to spend some time having fun? He too young to be so serious, and you know it."
"Yeah... I do know. Well, wherever he is, I hope he's having as much fun as we are." he smiled at me. I didn't realize covering for Jim and Aisha was going to be so difficult.
Suzuka - Twilight
Well, Aisha and Jim got home, and hooked up the new monitor, Just as Gene and Melfina walked through the door.
"Hey Mel!" Jim yelled.
"Yes Jim?"
"I'm a calling you out! You say you can do the taxes and records better than I can, let me see ya try, varmint." Jim's ancient west accent was horrendous, but it was funny! Imagine calling Melfina a varmint.
Mel went over to the computer, and set her hand on top of the CPU. She closed her eyes, and they twitched through the lids. She then lifted her hand and turned away. She took two steps towards the kitchen, then looked back over her shoulder, and said "Press F5 Jim." Then retreated to the kitchen. He did so, and while I hadn't been watching them, I did hear Aisha burst into a howling laughter.
Aisha
The look on Jim's face was so priceless! He looked at me, and was torn between screaming at me and laughing as well.
"C'mon Jim, you promised." I said after I had gotten the laughs out of my system. I was still smiling uncontrollably. "I know what your thinking Jim." He was trying to find a way out of this. "Hey Mel!" I yelled.
She came to the door.
"Where's Gene?"
"He's in the shower right now.
"Good. Jim and I are taking off. Don't tell Gene. You either Suzy!"
"I wouldn't dream of it beast."
"Hey!"
"Hey yourself, you don't call me Suzy, and I won't call you a beast, agreed?"
"Fine... Suzuka."
"Very well Aisha."
"Will you be back in time for dinner?" Melfina asked.
"No." Jim said glumly.
"Oh, c'mon, you promised!"
"Fine. Let's just go before Gene comes down."
Jim- Sunday morning, Seven o'clock
It was a two-part bet. First we had to have the monitor hooked up before the other two got home. Then I had to get the taxes done.
MELFINA LIED!!!!!!!!!!!!
It took her less than four minutes where it would have taken me all of eight hours. My loss: Dinner and a movie on me, her choice.
Well, I did agree to it.
Mel was right though. I did have fun yesterday. We hadn't gotten in 'til nigh three o'clock. After the movie, we walked around... a lot. Aisha had a younger brother on her home world; she hadn't had a chance to write to him in almost how long? The postage would have been impossible.
At Seven O'clock, my eyes snapped open.
I dragged myself into the kitchen and started breakfast. I thought sausage would be a nice change.
Aisha- 7:30
I took a deep breath. There were worse ways too wake up then to the beautiful smells of breakfast.
My jaw dropped again as I saw Jim standing at the stove.
Scrambled eggs, sausage, French toast, Tea, Milk or Coffee to your preference. I sat quietly down, and watched him flip the French toast. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out the butter then got the syrup out of the cupboard on the way to the table and set them both down. Suzuka walked in as I was setting the table. She simply sat and enjoyed the spectacle of Jim and I waltzing around the kitchen while Mel and Gene stood waiting outside the kitchen.
We all sat down and ate breakfast, not talking too much.
I personally was still sleeping off yesterday. I looked over at Jim, and saw that he kept blinking. I couldn't help but smile as I poured syrup over my fifth piece of French toast.
"So what are we doing today Gene?"
"You're asking me?"
"Well, you're the captain!" I yelled in Jim's defense.
"Calm down Aisha. Get the phone," he said just before it started ringing. I looked over at him.
"Starwind and Hawking Inc, This is Aisha speaking, how may I help you?"
Jim- Hour Later
"A rescue mission?" Aisha asked as I loaded the coordinates back into Gilliam.
"They are offering fifty hundred thousand Wong." Gene stated from the Captain's seat.
"And how did you know the phone was going to ring when it did?" Gene only shrugged.
"Who cares? We have a mission."
"Outlaw star, you have clearance for take off."
"All right then, let's go!"
With that the Outlaw Star took off into space.
Gilliam- five minutes before exiting sub-ether
Gene was still married to the Melfina, which has never bothered me, but as I watch the cockpit, and every ten to fifteen seconds, Aisha would glance to the front of the cabin. Jim... I couldn't help but think he must have injured his shoulder. He kept twitching to his right. I found it strange.
Suzuka watched over everyone. Her behavior was the strangest of all, I admit.
We made good time to the coordinates Jim had given to me. As was requested of me three years ago whenever we reached within a light year of our destination, I queried Gene to the status of his caster ammo.
"Huh?" Which was his usual response.
"He wants to know how many caster shells you have stocked." Jim stated.
"Are you truly dumb enough to not understand the same question after three years of him asking it?!" Aisha almost howled.
"Aisha, please try to maintain a decibel rating of less than fifty. My bridge has perfect acoustics. A whisper can be heard in every corner." The computer notified me that we were approaching the wreck of a ship.
"The core blew, looks like." Jim said.
"How can you tell?" Aisha asked.
He tapped out a sequence.
The drive of the ship was no longer there... That was not puzzling what was puzzling was the fact that the ship over there was...
"Am I seeing things or is that me?" Gilliam asked.
Melfina- Visual distance of the rescue site
The ship did indeed look like the outlaw star... but was that possible?
We're being hailed! I said through the ships communication system.
"Shall I put it on the screen?" Gilliam asked.
"By all means."
I blinked.
So did I in the screen.
Jim had his customary seat, and Gene sat where Suzuka did, Aisha had her normal spot, and I was, of course in my position.
"This is Hot Ice Hilda and the Outlaw, hailing the Outlaw Star. It took you guys long enough to get here."
"Hilda?!" Almost everyone except Suzuka's jaw was on the floor. On her screen, I flashed a message.
[Do you know who she is?] She imperceptibly shook her head. [Hilda was responsible for giving us this ship, the Outlaw Star. She died five years ago.]
"Who is she?" Hilda asked, her eye looking directly at the former assassin.
"Suzuka Twilight, former gold class assassin."
"Former? Didn't you just get Fred Lou?" Jim (Jim2 perhaps?) asked.
"Not here. He has actually been supporting us for the most part." the former assassin responded.
"Hmmm... Well, at any rate, I wasn't kidding about the reward. Get us back to Sentinel III and it's all yours." Hilda terminated the transmission. Everyone looked at each other.
"Money is money, right?" Gene asked.
"Yeah, but who are they?" Aisha asked.
"Who cares? Jim, what do you think?" Gene asked his partner.
"I think we should help them." I blinked and looked at Jim.
"If it comes from Jim, you know it's a good Idea." Gene said. So between Gillium, Gene and myself, we came along side the Outlaw, set in our anchors, and set course to Sentinel 3.
Jim, an Hour later
I was alone in the galley; everyone else should have been asleep. Casually, he walked in and took a seat next to me.
"So how you doin' Jim?"
It was strange hearing my voice from outside my own body.
"How did you get over here?"
"Call me Jim2, it'll save time and a headache." He said, a smile in his voice. "Gilliam will let me in, after all, I'm crew."
"I know you didn't come over here for the heck of it, so what do you want?"
"I wanted to know if you've told Aisha." I sat up straight. "The only real difference between our two timelines is that Hilda captains the Outlaw, the ship that was once the XGP. We went to the Leyline, Gene and Mel got hitched, we hadn't entered the space race, but then, Starwind and Hawking enterprises don't exist anymore.
"But I want to know if you've told Aisha. You know what I'm talking about." I shook my head.
"What about you?" He shook his head.
"I just can't seem to gather my courage. You know the feeling." I nodded. "Anyway. When we were on our way out to the Leyline, we found something I thought you might like. This." He said, displaying a delicate bracelet.
"What's so special about it?" He turned his palm over and held a light out to me.
"Gilliam, what is in my hand?"
"There isn't anything in you're hand, Jim."
"There isn't a flame in the room, is there Gilliam?" I asked.
"Not that I can see."
"Magic, as far as any of us can tell. It only works for me though. So here," he said, taking the bracelet off, and putting it on my wrist.
"Just focus on your hand." I did so, and a bright red light appeared in it.
I looked at my counter part, and he flashed me a peace sign, then disappeared. I closed my hand on the fireball, and then took a stroll around the ship. I ended up on the bridge, looking out at the darkness.
Aisha- 2:00AM
I couldn't sleep.
I was dead tired, but sleep would not come.
I stumbled out of my bed, wearing my ship nightgown, and stumbled out of my room down the hall to the galley. I fixed myself a cup of tea, and then made a second cup and walked with it to the bridge.
Jim was standing near my workstation, staring silently out the view screen. I placed his cup of tea next to him, and leaned against the screen near him.
We stood there, silently contemplating the stars, quietly sipping our tea. When our tea was finished, we made our silent way back to the personal quarters. His room was first, but he seemed to want to walk me to my room, because he didn't stop when we got to his room. I paused and he looked at me. He held his hand out to me. I took it, and we continued down to my room.
Gene and Mel had the cabin closest to the bridge; Jim's was across from them. There were two empty cabins between Jim's room and the room Suzuka slept in. I slept across from her.
Is this a dream? Went across my mind. I wasn't sure where it had came from, but I agreed completely.
When we got to my door, I turned to him. "Thank you..." I whispered. I leaned into him, and gave him a hug, which he returned with such gentleness, I almost began to cry. He kissed my hair, and then we stepped apart.
I looked around quickly, looking for the rest of our crew, or any of the Gilliam drones, seeing none, I leaned in and kissed Jim, then turned and went into my room, leaving the door open a crack... an Invitation.
Melfina- 8:00, three hours from Sentinel 3
As I had half expected, Jim and Aisha had breakfast set up for everyone... before I entered.
"How much sleep did you two get last night?" I asked my friends.
"Mel, you've been hanging around Gene too much." Jim said.
"Yeah, I mean, what do you think you know about us anyway?!" Aisha exclaimed.
I raised my eyes at being rebuked by such a unique source. "I'm sorry."
"You sh-"
"Aisha." Jim interrupted. They held a motion-based conversation, and Aisha applied herself to her meal. "It's all right Mel, don't worry about it. Hey Gilliam?"
"Yes Jim?"
"Is Gene still asleep?"
"Yes Jim."
"I see. ETA to Sentinel Three?"
"Two hours, fifty minutes and Twelve seconds."
"Thanks Gilliam."
"You're welcome Jim."
"Three more hours? I could have gotten more rest then. You two are amazingly distracting despite the fact that you barely spoke three words last night walking around the ship." Suzuka said as she walked in and got her tea that the two had made for her.
I looked at the two people in question, and for some reason they found this slightly embarrassing.
"Maybe you ought to try SLEEPING some time Suzuka." Aisha said nervously.
"If I did that, I would never have gotten to see that scene outside your door." That shut Aisha up. I looked at Suzuka.
"Let's drop it, shall we?" Jim asked.
"I suppose, but it would be more fun to embarrass you two further."
"Well get it over with now then, and don't pull anything in front of Gene, please?"
"Get what over with now, Jim?"
"Nothing Gene." Suzuka said.
"Why do I get the distinct impression that you are all hiding something from me?"
"Because we are." Aisha said, and began to howl.
"I see. How far are we from Sentinel?"
"A bit less than three hours."
"Any word from the Outlaw?"
"No." Jim said flatly.
I studied Jim for a moment, wondering why he was so closed so suddenly. I ate my breakfast slowly, and then went to my post.
Gene- Half-hour before touch down
"Gilliam, open a channel to the Outlaw."
"It is open."
"Hey Hilda, do you have a minute?"
"Video or audio?"
"Audio is fine. Was there anywhere particular you wanted us to take you on Sentinel?"
"Can you tell us where to find someone who can sell us a new engine section?" Gene2 asked.
"Gene."
"Sorry Hilda."
"We do, however, need an new engine. And if you have any contacts inside the Space forces, I'd appreciate their numbers, and no, they won't know that you gave them to me." Jim looked at me, and I nodded. "Thanks." Hilda said as her Gilliam displayed the data. "Don't get out much, do you guys?"
We try to avoid the space forces. Mel said.
Why? Mel2 asked.
"Bad experience with a Draconian." Jim said.
"A DNA mutant?" Jim2 asked.
"Yeah, and you want to watch that guy. He has a sense of honor, and he will not be blackmailed. His record..." I shrugged.
"He's your basic goody-two-shoes!" Aisha yelled as she looked at her screen.
"Yeah, he's stiff as a board, unless you helped him out." Jim muttered.
"And how did you get his help?" Hilda asked.
We saved his life.
"Do you always carry conversations like this?" Hilda asked. I looked at Jim, Jim looked at Suzuka, She looked at Aisha, and Aisha turned to Melfina.
As one now, in perfect harmony; "Yeah, all the time."
"I see."
"We do have our own berth though, two slots on our property. We can let you rent that slot at a much better price than the space port." Jim said.
"Excellent. Now, if we can get a new engine, we'll be in business." Gene2 said drolly.
Bad news is we don't have any space for a hotel.
"That's all right, we'll probably stay on our ship." Jim2 said.
"Now who's talking about strange conversational behavior?" I muttered.
Aisha; that afternoon
Aisha2 asked me to take her shopping after we landed.
When we met up outside, she was not wearing her uniform.
"You're still in the C'tarl-c'tarl Navy?" 2 asked me as we walked downtown.
"Yeah, your not?"
"No, they sent me my resignation last year after they heard I was still on the Outlaw." she said giggling. "At least it keeps me on board the Outlaw. I can't imagine living without these people; they are more than friends... They are like my family." I knew exactly what she meant.
"Defiantly. Especially Jim. I don't know what I'd do without him to tease."
"Jim? Well I suppose. I have more fun poking at Gene."
"Gene? What's to poke fun at about him? He's not serious even when he is."
"Yeah, but he goes ballistic when I mention his name and Hilda's in the same sentence."
"Why?"
"Because he and Melfina got married two years ago, and he's been faithful to her. Mel has more of a sense of humor than Gene does about it. She knows not to take me too seriously!"
"All right, I can see that. Tell me what you think of Jim, though?"
"Jim?" she asked, giving me a strange look. I looked back at her, completely serious. "Well... He's too serious for being do young."
"Yeah, does Jim2 also stay up till 3:30 doing Taxes?"
"Of course. He says there isn't a better time to do it. It used to keep me up at night, but I soundproofed my room, so now I can sleep. What about you?"
"It only woke me up once."
"Then?"
"I broke his monitor." 2 howled in laughter. "The next day I dragged him to the fair." That made 2 quit laughing. She looked at me with her eyes and ears raised and her jaw scraping the floor. "It's never occurred to you once in the past five plus years that he works too much?" I asked her.
"Well, yeah, but..."
"I made him quit working all day. Well, except for about a half hour, we had to get him a new monitor." I smiled, remembering the rest of that evening.
"What?"
"Uh... Nothing." I said quickly, and smiled. "C'mon, let's go shop!"
We didn't exactly take a shopping spree, because, let's face it, we were neither rich, though I think I was a bit better off then she was. After all, The Outlaw Star still had a functioning drive system. And plus, there was that whole payment from Hilda.
I picked up a new pair of shoes, plus some new Jeans and shirts. The gem that I picked up though was this dress. I saw it, and I envisioned the look on Jims face when he saw me wearing it.
"What you got a boyfriend?" 2 asked me when I bought it.
I blinked. "Maybe. I don't know for sure. Oh, we got to go to the electronics store!"
She smiled, and gave me a sly look, "What, get something for your beau?"
I smiled back in response. "Nah, get something for Jim, a music player."
"Jim is a hacker, he doesn't listen to music."
"Sure he does, everyone listens to music." I said as I led the way to the electronics store Jim had picked up his monitor from.
"Aisha, I didn't hear of a C'tarl-c'tarl vessel landing."
"There wasn't one." I said confused. He looked at 2, and I laughed.
"Mister, you don't even want to know." Jim said from behind a display. "Hey Aisha, Aisha2."
"Aisha...2?" The clerk asked.
"I told you mister, don't ask." Jim repeated.
"Yeah, even if we could explain it, it wouldn't make sense." I said.
2 spent a few long moments looking at first me, then Jim. She walked around the shop until she could see us both without turning her head. I just looked at her, wondering what she was thinking.
Jim; 6:00 pm
Well, I had to find a specific chip, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to find it from a used electronics shop. When I got back, Jim2 was waiting for me.
"Hey Jim, what's up?"
"Not much Jim, and you?"
"I told you, call me Jim2."
"Right Jim." He laughed.
"Hey, you wanna spar?"
"Spar?"
"Yeah, practice hand to hand combat."
"You'll win." I warned him
"I'll take it easy on you, I promise."
Melfina, 6:10
Aisha had left with her double as soon as we had gotten back to Sentinel. Jim had stuck around for a few hours and then went off to look for a part he needed. When Jim got back at six o'clock, Jim2 was waiting for him to practice with him. Gene was talking with Hilda, captain to captain, while Suzuka was dueling with Gene2. I wonder what he said?
Meanwhile, I cooked and cleaned.
I tasted the spaghetti sauce as she walked in. She wore her hair longer, and in a ponytail, not a bad look, but it made her look like a mercenary.
"You're cooking?"
"Yeah, I always do... Well, unless Jim and Aisha beat me to the kitchen, but otherwise, yeah." I said with a smile. "It's fun." She didn't know what to make of me, so I turned to check on the noodles.
Melfina went around to the bar, and sat herself down to watch me.
"You do know that you are state of the art artificial intelligence technology?"
"No, I didn't. Is that important?" She looked at me, disbelieving.
"Have you ever looked at your own programming?"
"Why would I do that?"
"You do know that you are an android, right?"
"A bio-android, yes." She nodded, a worried look on her face. Then she left.
Gene and Hilda walked in next
"Hey Mel, How long 'til dinner?" I sniffed the sauce quickly, and nodded to myself.
"Five minutes. I made enough for both crews... Assuming Hilda doesn't eat more than Suzuka usually does..." I said thoughtfully.
"It's all right Mel." Hilda said. "I won't go hungry. Where's Aisha?"
"Ours or yours?" Gene asked.
"They're together, they went shopping." I replied.
"Speaking of the twin hurricanes..." Hilda said as the walked in, Aisha in her Uniform, Aisha2 in her civilian clothes. Aisha held three bags, Aisha2, five.
"Aisha?" Hilda asked in a bored tone.
"Aisha!" Gene said, annoyed.
"What?" They said together.
"More clothes?" Gene and Hilda said together. They looked at each other and shrugged.
The Aishas nodded.
"But, Gene, I also got something for someone else." I didn't neglect my cooking, but I looked at Aisha.
"Yeah, she got a music player for Jim," Aisha2 said.
"For Jim?" Gene asked.
"They are out back, Aisha," I said, "Tell them that Dinner will be ready five minutes ago, and also Melfina if you see her." Our Aisha left. Aisha2 sat down on one side of the table. Gene sat at one end on the other side.
"What about Gene2 and Suzuka?" Hilda asked. I pointed to the front room as I brought the pot with the noodles to the table. She walked in to get them. Suzuka sat on the opposite end from Gene, Gene2 sat next to Hilda, and Melfina sat by her husband. Once I had everything on the table, I sat next to my own husband. The seven of us started.
Aisha, Jim and Jim2 filled in the remaining seats as quickly as possible, and dug in as well.
Jim, 10:00pm
I was testing Aisha's gift, and looking at the stars. The memory was a little small, only a gig, but it was really nice of her anyway, and I loved it. I stopped the player and just looked at the stars for a few minutes as the door to the house opened.
"So what's going on between you two?" Aisha2 asked.
"I'm sorry?"
"Are you two dating?"
"What two?" I asked.
"You and Aisha Jim, who else would I be talking about?"
I shrugged, "You and Jim?" I said innocently. Aisha2 rolled her eyes at me.
"Don't be obtuse, Jim. What is going on between you and my counterpart?" I looked down at my new player and thought of Aisha. Thought about that kiss the other night...
"I'm not sure." I said, looking back to the stars. She scoffed, and turned back to the door.
"2!" She paused at the door, waiting. "Just as I feel for Aisha, so does Jim2." She stood there for a moment.
"For me?" I said nothing, but put my headphones back on, I lay back on a blanket I had laid on the roof, and drowned in Leanne Rimes.
I had listened to four more songs when I felt another presence on the roof with me. I shut off my music, and looked up into the shadows between the stars
What's...?"What is happening to us Jim?" She asked as she lay down next to me, snuggling into me.
I don't know Aisha... But I don't think I want it to stop... What about you?
She looked at me, and considered me for a while, and finally, she shook her head. "Never."
Aisha- 2:00 pm
We each got our pillows and blankets, met back on the roof, and stayed up until dawn, laying next to each other, staring up at the stars and talking. All night, we spoke. Wandering from subject to subject, just learning from each other. I learned his past as he learned about my family. Dawn knocked Jim into sleep, and I watched him for a few moments, wondering just what was happening to us. Then I slept as well.
I woke just a moment ago. I wondered what had done it.
I yawned and smelled the pavement frying in the midday sun. I reached over to where Jim had slept, but he had waked up a while ago, unless I missed my guess. I took my blankets and pillows down to my room, and curled up on my bed for another few seconds nap.
To be disrupted by a knock on my door.
"What do you want?!" I yelled croakily.
The door opened, and whomever it was walked in and landed on my bed next to me. Gene wasn't stupid enough to actually walk in my room uninvited. Mel waits until the door is open before entering my room, under normal circumstances, Jim never comes near my room, and Suzuka would have sent one of the others after me. These aren't normal circumstances, but if it was Jim, he would not have LANDED on my bed, he would have...
Well, either way, it wasn't Jim.
My mind was foggy as I cracked my eyebrow and looked into a face that was my own.
"It's time to wake UP!!" 2 yelled. I slugged her, and she fell off my bed.
I rolled over and said; "Go away!" The room was silent for a moment, and then 2 left, only to return five minutes later with a bucket of Ice water, which she emptied on me.
I sat up and Glared at 2 out of the corner of my eye, then I snatched the bucket and threw it through my door and downstairs. I picked out some clothes, and went down to the bathroom to take a warm shower... and to plot my revenge.
Jim- 3:00
The crew of the Outlaw had left ten minutes before Aisha had got out of her shower. Gene had gone with them, while Suzuka and Mel went grocery shopping.
I watched her walk to her room from where I sat on the couch downstairs. She still wasn't awake. Could not blame her at all.
I walked up and knocked on her door.
"Who is it?"
"It's just me."
"Did you get enough sleep this morning?"
"No, you?" She snorted.
"You can come in if you'd like." she invited.
Inside, Aisha was sitting on the floor, eyes closed, with her hair unbraided and spread across her bed. Her ring was on the floor next to her.
"Are you all right Aisha?" She shook her head, and then groaned.
"It's amazing what staying up until dawn talking will do to a person."
"Sleep cycles. I know. I was referring to this." I said, picking up the ring. "Whoa. Fifty pounds?"
"Yeah. I just can't move around a lot with it off, and I'm usually recuperating for a few days either way."
"Why'd you take it off then?" She smiled.
"I wanted to re-braid my hair," She then scoffed. "Unfortunately, I miscalculated. Now it's off and undone, I don't have the energy to fix it." We had a small laugh over that.
"Anything I can help with?" She shook her head.
"Just talk with me. Do you like your player?"
"It's wonderful, Aisha, thank you so much. If Mel will take over the records permanently, I'm going to be at ends. It's your fault, you know."
"The books are not the only things you do around here Jim. How can you ever think you'll be lacking something to do?" I couldn't say much to that. "Well, here's something you can do," she said and tossed me a hairbrush.
"Yeah. And in a few years, I might get so good at it... Yeah right."
"Jim, you are our strategist. You keep Gene out of trouble, and you have, on occasion, even stopped me from doing something I probably shouldn't, not something I can easily admit. You are a genius, but you need to quit growing mentally and let your body catch up with your mind."
I knew she was right, but nonetheless...
"Now, how do I braid it?"
"Split it into three roughly even collectives..."
Mel
When Suzuka and I got home, I looked at Suzuka to see if her suspicions were correct. She pointed upstairs, to Aisha's room. Suzuka began to unpack the groceries while I went up to check on them.
Lying next to each other on the floor leaning on the bed, Jim and Aisha slept. I smiled at the sleepers and closed their door. Then I went to put the groceries away and start dinner.
I made dinner that night for everyone, but I took their portions up and left them to wake up and eat their dinner without suffering the slings and arrows of Suzuka, Gene, and all of the second crew.
"Where are Jim and Aisha?" Gene asked when the crews sat down to dinner. I had, however, expected this question.
"Jim was up late last night working on his car. Aisha stayed up to help him."
Gene looked at me in surprise. Aisha2 raised her ears, but otherwise didn't react.
"I see." Hilda, Gene and Gene2 said at the same time. Melfina only looked at me while Suzuka sipped her tea.
Suzuka
Mornings, the second crew floated around while Gene2, Hilda and Aisha2 woke their brains. Then Aisha2 went to work, she had found a part time job that our Aisha had, apparently, missed. Hilda and Jim2 took the afternoons to design the new engine.
Aisha worked at her job, and Jim worked with the Outlaw Star or with Starwind and Hawking Inc.'s customers. They occasionally got a request for an assassin mission. All of those were disregarded.
A mining company asked us to bring an asteroid from a nearby belt, and paid us fifty thousand wong for the mission. Jim still fixed the vehicles on our agenda, and Aisha and I usually worked together on bodyguard missions. We worked quite well together.
We were on such a mission one evening; Aisha drove the limo while I sat just on the other side of the glass window separating the two sections.
"How are things going between you and Jim?" I asked her, ignoring our assignment as he had two people sitting back with him at the other end of the Limo.
She yelped, swerved for a moment, and then yelled out the window.
"You love doing that, don't you?"
"Aisha, you should know by know that very little brings me greater joy than teasing you two. Well?"
"First of all, you are a cold, ruthless Assassin."
"Flattery will get you nowhere." I said, not taking my eyes off the other end of the Limo.
"And second, why do you care?"
"I have my reasons." And I did, though I would not tell them to her.
She could tell I wouldn't say more, so she continued. "I don't know for sure."
If I asked... But I had to. Why the universe cared about these two... I don't know. Whenever I asked, I only knew that they were necessary, but not why.
"Have you slept with him?" She growled, but made no response. I only nodded.
Jim
Jim had set up wards around where we sparred, and he dragged me aside DAILY to spar, so that no one got hurt. He had used the bracelet for so long, he didn't need it to throw fireballs.
I on the other hand seemed to be a slow learner. It took me over a week to learn how to throw the balls of Fire I could summon. On the plus side I was already faster than he was. We raced on the first day; he beat me when I was only half done. The fifth day, we tied, and the tenth day the second crew was hanging around, I beat him by half the track.
"Why do you think it so important that I learn this stuff?" I asked him while his jaw was still dropped from when kicked his butt so badly in the race.
"Don't you dare tell me, Jim Hawking, that you enjoy being Gene's backup? Sure, you pull your own weight with tactics, technology and books; but when you get in a fight; you are always backing Gene. Don't tell me you don't want to be next to Gene in a fight. If you can learn this stuff, that will happen.
"Now, come on. Let's see you hit me," he said, taking a defensive position.
I sighed. He had hit home with some of those remarks, and we both knew it. I set myself and took a deep breath.
Jim's shape seemed to begin to waver, but I couldn't concentrate on that if I was going to try to hit him.
With a feral roar, I charged at him, my feet only barely touching the ground. Three inches from him, he disappeared, only to kick me in the gut. In midair, I flipped over, and swung my right arm directly into my momentum, which, as Jim was setting up to kick me again, happened to be right into his face.
When he landed he was laughing. I heard a few seconds after I had landed. I stood up slowly and looked in the direction I had hit Jim. There was a wide path that led directly to back wall of my crew's home. He left a dent in the wall, had fallen out, and then started laughing.
In a flash I was over by him.
"Hey Jim, you OK?" I asked the laughing child.
"Am I ok?" he said, still laughing. "Daecrou! I've never been hit that hard! Ever!" Mel came out, followed by Melfina, and Gene2.
"Is everyone all right?" Mel asked.
"Jim will be if that's his impression on the wall. His skull is thicker than the Hull of the Outlaw." Gene2 stated.
Melfina only rolled her eyes and walked back inside.
"Yeah Mel, I'm fine," Jim said, still laughing. "I've never had my butt handed to me this badly. Good job Jim! Let's play a new game now," he said, standing up, a slightly Manic grin on his face.
"How do you play this one?"
"I hide, and you stand here and seek me with a fireball."
"How do I do that?" I asked scratching my head.
"All right bro," he began, his smile vanishing to a look of intense focus, "Listen close. There are people, mostly Tao Pirates, who can move faster than you can see. You have to be able to find someone without using your eyes. Maybe we can ask Suzuka to help with this part, she is faster than I am..." he said thoughtfully.
"She's on a job with Aisha right now." I pointed out.
"Daecrou... Well, let's see what you can do for now, and we'll work with a moving target later. Go inside, Ask Melfina what's for dinner, and when she doesn't know, ask Mel, and then come back out. I'll have hidden by then."
Aisha- 7:45 PM
I found Jim standing right outside the back door. As far as I could tell, he was just standing there.
"Are you asleep?" I whispered.
"No, I'm trying to find my counterpart." I scanned the field in front of us.
"He's over there." I said pointing.
"I can't use my eyes." I scratched my hair. Then I looked in the direction I was pointing, and started walking over that way.
"Why is Jim trying to find you?"
"It's a game that he's not winning. I can do this, why can't he?"
"Tell you what. Let him off for the day, and I'll show him how tomorrow."
"You can do this?"
"I found you, didn't I?" That made him pause.
"True. All right, I'll let you try."
"Thank you so much," I said and then ran back to Jim.
"Come on Jim, Lets go, I found something today that was so cool."
"All right, Aisha, just let me take a shower, and I'll meet you in the front room. Gimme a half hour."
"Cool." I leaned in, kissed his cheek, and then made for my room.
Jim
It is much more difficult to try and do something than it is to actually do it... At least once you have the hang of it. Any way, I stumbled to my room, and took a cold shower to wake up a bit.
Aisha took me to the lake, about an hour walk away. She drove this time.
"We were supposed to be watching this lame brain, and he didn't need two bodyguards. He didn't need even one, but he thought he did. Stupid human." Then she looked at me. "No offense, Jim, but this guy-"
"It's all right Aisha." I said around a yawn.
"Cool. But Suzuka got hungry, so she sent me to go get something to eat, and on the way there, I spotted this place."
The river that came off the lake had a bridge over it. You couldn't drive over it, but you could walk under it. High under the bridge, basically out of sight was the cave.
Aisha
It took me the better part of an hour to realize that Jim could pinpoint me anywhere in the city. Anyone else though... It was very annoying! Even if it was very flattering.
"How long have you known Gene?"
"Eight to ten years, I'd guess."
"All right, close your eyes." He did so. "Picture him in your mind... Tell me what he looks like."
"Red hair, cut short, Scars all over his face. Wears a tan weighted poncho, carries a Caster Blaster..."
"What is he like?" I asked softly.
"He's an Outlaw," Jim said quietly, with admiration. "You can count on him to do the right thing, even if that goes against the law. He's been through a lot, his scars are a testament to that, but he still acts like a kid."
"So where is he?" I asked quietly, not interrupting the trance state he was in.
"He's over there..." Jim said pointing. I sent my own mind out and pinpointed him on the way to a mission in his car.
"Where?" I barely whispered.
"In his car... approaching the corner of Eastwood and Newton."
I sighed and smiled.
"What do you know about Jim2?"
"He's me... but he's not. He's like me... but he's different."
"Where is he?"
"He's on the Outlaw, sleeping."
"Excellent. Open your eyes Jim." He did so and looked at me.
"I did it?" I nodded, smiling. "I did it!"
Mel- 2:00
During a late lunch, the second crew spoke among themselves.
"Any clues yet Jim?" My counterpart asked her crewmate.
"... Huh?" he asked, distracted.
"What's he thinking about?" Jim asked Hilda.
"How we got here."
"It's rather annoying. Makes me wish I had gotten to the Leyline. I could have found out what it knows."
"I thought that the engine section was almost done?" Gene asked Hilda.
"It is almost done, but until we can figure out how we got here, we have almost no hope of getting back." Melfina stated.
"Hey Jim..."
"Yes?" Jim2 asked.
"What did happen, how did you end up here?" He looked across the table at our Jim, and smiled.
"Can I try something Guys?" He looked around at his crew, and they nodded, so he continued, "All right, everyone hold hands." Jim closed his eyes and held hands with 2 and Mel, Gene linked with Her and Hilda.
Slowly, a hologram began to take place over the Table. There was the Ether Stream, and the Outlaw was inside of it, surfing as we had done during the space Race. When suddenly, from the front Room, a missile came in to blow up about a hundred yards in front of the outlaw.
Shrapnel from the missile fell around the Outlaw, using it's gravity for a slingshot, right into the Newton reactors, causing the entire Engine Section to disintegrate in a very nasty looking explosion.
At the point where the missile detonated, an interesting phenomenon occurred. Space was... I suppose Bending around one point.
"That's a black whole!" Jim yelled.
"A Micro black whole, actually, hush." Hilda said.
The Outlaw was still going foreword, right into the... Anomaly.
"And then we were where you found us. We did a bit of research before we contacted you." Jim2 said.
"A normal black whole never occurs anywhere near an Ether stream..." Jim said softly to himself.
"Yeah, I know, but when this one did, the two energy... vacuums caused some kind of gate to open around the black whole, between them."
"That was not a fun trip," 2 said, her ears dropping.
"You're not the only one who suffered," Melfina said, cradling her head. Hilda glared at them both before they could start an argument.
I looked down to my fellow crewmate in confusion to find her looking at me. We shrugged and returned to eating. Jim and Jim2 both ate distractedly.
Jim- the next afternoon
2 approached the battle grounds at my request. "I don't see why you think I should be here."
"I want to know if I can beat you, it's that simple." I said as I settled into a fighting stance. The only other C'tarl-c'tarl on the planet, so like Aisha, and yet... so unlike.
I took a deep breath as she settled into her battle stance. "Are you ready?"
She nodded, and before she was done with the first movement, I had buried my fist in her stomach. She landed in the tree behind her. I stood there, powered down, and said, with no small amount of sarcasm, "I thought you were ready."
She growled at me, and I turned to walk away. The door made a huge base sound as it shut behind me.
Three more seconds ought to do it.
I glanced At Jim, sitting in the front room watching a movie, and suddenly smiled, then silently, I dashed up the stairs to the roof. From there, I left the compound, and went to Our cave.
She wasn't there yet, but that did not entirely surprise me, we'd gotten a request for a pair of bodyguards. I pulled up this computer component I was working on for a client. The entire system need upgrading in my mind, but I was paid to make the current system work.
I knelt to the task at hand, and was so focused that I never felt Aisha anywhere near me until the sun had set.
"How do you do that?" she asked from where she lay on the couch she had scrounged from somewhere.
I must have jumped about three feet.
"It's all right Jim, it's just me," she said with a smile. I smiled in response.
"My mind was light years away." She stood up and came over behind me, and rubbed my shoulders.
"Right where it usually is, huh?" We smiled at each other, and then just relaxed.
"Thanks Aisha." I said, glad she was there to rub my shoulders. She moved her arms around me to hug me from behind.
"It's my pleasure Jim," she then licked my cheek. "So what'd you do today?"
"Picked a fight with 2."
Aisha stood straight up at that, "WHAT?!"
"It's all right Aisha, she didn't lay a finger on me. I only got one hit on her, and then walked inside. She followed me, but I think she mistook Jim2 for myself." Aisha gaped at me, trying to figure out why I would want my counterpart from the Outlaw to face off against hers. "Aisha," I said, taking her hands and looking into her eyes. "Jim loves her. I sincerely doubt that she'll hurt him much."
"I don't know, but I think that's calling for a lot of control on her part, and she thinks she's hitting YOU."
"I could be wrong, I admit that... but I doubt it. Shall we go check on them?"
She nodded.
Mel- the next day
They'd both be ok, but Hilda was not pleased with either Jim, Jim2 or Aisha2. Her own Jim and Aisha were excusable, but Our Jim...
"What were you thinking?!" she spat out.
Melfina was supporting her captain, but Gene2 was nowhere to be found. My husband was out right now with Suzuka on a mission.
"It's all right Hilda," Jim2 said from where he was laying down with a black eye, several other bruises, but nothing worse. Aisha2 was sleeping in her room on the Outlaw, Jim had overreacted to 2's assault and broke her arm. She was meditating, urging her arm to heal.
"Like #3!! it is. Aisha's arm is broke-"
"Which it will take her three days to fix."
"-And you won't be seeing straight for a month-"
"Like I use my eyes that much anyway?" he asked rhetorically. "Jim only made a mistake. It was a learning experience, wasn't it Jim?"
Aisha looked thoughtfully at Jim2 as Jim nodded. He knew. Jim2 had known what Jim was going to try. How?
Well, since there wasn't anything that could be done, it was more or less forgotten in two days, though the four would not forget.
Two days later Hilda got a missile delivered to her. It had a micro black hole in the war head. I remember thinking that things were going to move very fast, because the Engine for the outlaw was finished, and needed only installed on it's ship. They were going to do that tomorrow; Jim, Jim2, Hilda, and Melfina, along with Gene and Gene2 providing security. Aisha and her counterpart were standing around to help avoid accidents.
I was providing the catering.
Jim-Mid Morning
"Little Higher! Little more. All right, bring it forward slowly." Naturally, you couldn't make a four ton Engine move THAT slowly, but the Aishas were helping to reduce the swing. Jim2 was calling out the instructions, I was watching on the ground. We wanted to get it a half inch away, and in the right position. Once it was that far, we had rigged a series of winches and ratchets to move the engine that last half inch. The Aishas and the Mercenary Melfina would handle them.
Once it was set in place, my counterpart called a fireball and began to weld the engine to the ship.
"Well, Jim, you going to help or not?" I blinked and then raised my hand and conjured a fireball. It floated up to Jim2. "Not hot enough." I fed it more power, keeping it the same size until Jim finally nodded.
I then brought the ball to one point, and began to weld. I did half of it, while Jim did the other half.
"Do we want to cover the weld with ceramics?"
"Nah, that weld will hold for a LONG time."
"Are you Sure?" Hilda asked her subordinate.
"One Hundred ten percent." Jim said seriously, looking up to Hilda on the ground from his place on the top of the Outlaw.
"We'll be leaving tomorrow then. Be sure to run the checks on the missile once you have it installed in the LEFT Grappler Arm."
"Roger that Hilda."
"Aisha, help him."
"But!" Hilda leveled her one eyed glare at Aisha2, and said nothing. "All right!"
I decided to make myself scarce, before I was drafted to help them. Aisha was right behind me. As we walked into the Kitchen, however, we were recruited by the much less intimidating, though no less dangerous, force of Mel. We were asked to go to the store for food for the farewell party.
"You know there are people who can see things coming so far in advance, they have already started cooking for a party a week and a half beforehand?"
"If you ever meet someone who can, I'd like to meet them Aisha." Mel told her as we were walking out the door.
Melfina- 2:00
Jim and Aisha hadn't gotten back from the store yet, but I was still cooking with what I had. When the knock came from the front door, I wasn't particularly worried... many people don't like conducting business over the phone, even the videophone.
Suzuka and Gene had left on a mission after the engine was welded in place, but I expected them back before Dinner. Basically, I was alone in the house, so I went to answer the door.
When I opened the door and found a C'tarl-c'tarl officer on the other side, I almost shut the door in his face. Strong and proud (My crewmate being a prime example) they won't ask for help, and so this man had no other reason to be standing there...
But to take Aisha home.
"My name is Admiral Veruse. Is this where Planet-potentiary Aisha Clan-clan lives?"
"She won't be back until tomorrow," I lied without blinking.
"Very well, I shall return tomorrow at this hour." He saluted smartly, and then walked back to his ground car.
I went back to the kitchen, and continued to cook for the party tonight. When Jim and Aisha came back, I kept my mouth shut. The bad news could wait.
Suzuka- the next Afternoon.
I answered the door the second time the admiral darkened our door. Aisha was supposedly outback, watching with Jim, the Outlaw's take off into the sky. The other crew had taken off a mere hour ago, everyone ready to go to their OWN home, instead of this half-comfortable place on Sentinel III.
I conducted the Admiral to the front room, and asked him to wait.
I knew what was coming, I could see it clearly... but It hurt. I fulfilled my fate by going outback and telling Aisha she had a guest in the front room. I went back inside before them, and watched the events unfold from the top of the stairs.
Aisha- Just before Suzuka comes out
Jim and I continued to gaze at the sky for a long while until Suzuka came out. We HAD been Enjoying ourselves. But Suzuka just came out, said I had a guest, and then disappeared. Jim and I looked at each other, and finally, gave up and went inside.
Nothing could have possibly prepared me for the man I encountered in the living room, but Jim's influence on me was obvious in the fact that all I did was Glare at him until I saluted, and said with no respect for the man in my voice, "Admiral Veruse Clan-clan. What a surprise." My father. I added to Jim, who only blinked.
"Aisha. How are you?" My father asked as he stood, a smile trying to crease his face. However, I was in no mood to deal with my father.
"May we please cut the fat? I have things that need done."
"Very well, Aisha," He sighed, and then straightened, and set a sheet of paper on the table next to him. "Your orders are on this sheet. I will see you within three days." He stood up and left the room. Moments later, I heard the front door shut. Gritting my teeth, I went over to the table and picked up the sheet of paper.
Jim fled as tears began to sting my eyes. In the past three months, Jim has come to mean more and more to me... but somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew this day was coming.
My Order of Recall had finally made it to Sentinel III and delivered by no less than my own father. Could he have done this on purpose?
I sat heavily on the couch.
Ignore the orders of the C'tarl-c'tarl empire? Too risky. Resign my post as planet-potentiary? Tempting, but expensive; how would I get home? Obey my father, like a docile kitten? NEVER!
"Who was he that he has your fur on end?" Mel asked.
"My Commanding officer... and my father."
"Your father?" she asked innocently.
"Bad memories, Mel, don't ask." I gritted my teeth, and laid back on the couch.
"What will you do?" She asked after a moment.
"What would you do Mel? Leave your family behind for your blood, your people? If a race of Bio Androids came and offered you a place in their world, would you leave this? Gene, and all of us?"
"No. This is my family, Gene, Jim, Suzuka, even you Aisha. I wouldn't leave this for anything. But you are in a slightly different scenario than that. I can't help you make that choice." she said simply, and left.
"Duty..." I said, my hackles raising again. "To what do I owe my people? Do I owe them anything... or everything? Five YEARS have gone by. Why now?" I asked no one, verging on tears.
I knew where Jim was... No, I couldn't face him yet. I looked up and saw Suzuka at the top of the stairs. "What about you?"
"As Mel said, this is a decision that you must make for yourself. I can only tell you that no matter your choice, you will see Jim again." she said, then turned and walked away.
I stood and left. Gene was on the Outlaw Star, and while Gilliam wouldn't help, Gene might.
Gene- an hour before Dinner
"Gene? Can I ask for some advice?" I looked up at Aisha who was standing next to me.
"The Mighty C'tarl-c'tarl asking for advice? How can I refuse?" she smiled nervously at me, and then handed me a sheet of paper. It was from the C'tarl-c'tarl Grand Naval Council; a Notice of Recall. "I see..."
"No you don't. Five years ago, I would not have hesitated in packing my things and walking away from all this. But now, it's not just 'All This.' It's... It's... family, It's HOME."
He studied me for several long moments, and finally said; "Not the least important part of which being your developing relationship with Jim, is it?" Her jaw dropped as she looked at me. "I'll be honest, I've seen it coming for a while. I though you both could use someone to-"
"Don't say it! Please don't say it..." she begged.
"All right. But advice...Well, you could resign from here, couldn't you?"
"Maybe. I'd have to contact someone on the ship." I looked at the paper again, and re-read the officer she was under for the trip back to their home world.
"Clan-clan... isn't that your last name?" she nodded. "Is this Veruse related to you?"
"He's my father. I don't like him much."
"Do I dare ask why?" she shook her head. "All right. What options have you thought of?"
"Well, I could send him back in a long pine box..."
"Not your father Aisha, your job."
"Oh." her ears dropped. "Can't ignore their orders... can't go to the home world and still come back. It would take time... maybe too much." she looked at the floor, worried.
"Go Aisha. Go talk to him. You both need it." She looked at me, her eyes bright with reigned in tears, and she finally nodded. She then walked out of the ship, and made her way to the park.
Jim and Aisha had been falling in love, though little did they realize it. It was difficult for me to miss, though I did for a while. And I am sorry about that Jim... this is going to test that love.
"Gilliam, I want you to start looking for a path to the C'tarl-c'tarl home world. I want to know how long it would take to get there, and how much it would cost in order to do so."
"Yes Gene."
"I'll get the information from you when I ask for it, all right?"
"Yes Gene. Incoming call;"
"Gene? Are you there?" Mel asked.
"Hey Mel, how's it going?" I asked with a smile.
"Has Aisha been there yet?"
"Been and Gone. She and Jim are the ones who really need to talk about this, you know." Mel's jaw dropped, and I smiled brightly at her. "I'm not QUITE as dense as I let people believe, you know." I told my wife.
"I never thought you were dense, I just..." I only smiled, and nodded, waiting for a response that wouldn't come.
"Were trying to protect Jim from my sharp tongue?" Mel nodded, helplessly. "It's all right Mel. Honestly, I've been hoping this would happen... Though this is a bad time for her Recall notice to get here."
"Is there anything we can do for them?"
I licked my lips in thought. "I'm working on it. If you get any ideas, let me know, all right?" She nodded, then asked when I would be home for dinner. I looked at the paper in my hand before telling Mel that I'd be home in an Hour.
Jim- Three hours later
I was curled up on the couch in the farthest corner I could, failing as best I could not to cry. First my family... In a way even Gene, though he's always around, he'd rather hang out with Mel.
But could I really loose Aisha?
The answer came back immediately; Far too easily.
I felt her every move as she went first to the Outlaw Star, and then made her way downtown headed here. She took her time on her way here, but she made a direct route.
When Aisha did get here, she only came over to me and held me, and together, with the only person we could trust on the entire planet, we cried.
I don't want to be alone anymore! We thought together... but we knew that... no matter what happened, we were going to be apart... but not forever. I would not LET it be forever.
So you have three more days? she nodded. Mel will be hard pressed to make YOU a fitting farewell meal. That got a wet laugh from her. I don't think I can be there though...
"Jim?"
"I don't think I can say goodbye..." I said silently. "Not to you..." Not to any of my family, but most of all, not to you.
She nodded, and in her mind and her heart, I knew she understood. She stared at me for a while, and finally sat up.
"There's something you need to know Jim." she began.
"There is something I need you to know Jim..." I sat up next to her, both of us fairly well cried out for the moment, though I was pretty sure what she had to say would start us both off again.
"I stopped and talked to Gene before I came out here, and believe it or not, he had actually noticed us growing closer over these past months. He said that he thought we could both use someone to... But I stopped him from finishing that... I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say, but I didn't want to hear it from him... I wanted to hear it from you... if it were true.
"But either Way, Jim, you have to know, that for me, it is True," She leaned forward and put her arms around me, and touched her forehead to mine, looking into my eyes as deeply as she could.
"I love you Jim Hawking."
We slept together for the first time that night, but when I woke she was gone, out of our Cave, off our planet, and away from our home.
I lay there for a long time, feeling empty. I finally stood and dressed, and went home. Terribly empty it seemed, though Melfina greeted me as cheerfully as she could, which was only about three watts less than her normal self. Suzuka nodded, and Gene said nothing, just pulled out a chair and squeezed my shoulder in support. After breakfast, I ignored the worried looks of my crewmates and went to my room.
There, I found her final farewell to me.
Aisha's Letter to Jim
My Dearest Jim...
I know that there isn't anything to say really and truly. You have my love, and you always will.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT!
I will be gone for awhile, I admit, but it won't be forever. Until I do return, keep this to remind you of me. I had actually bought it so I could SEE your reaction, but I need you to know, you were the reason I had bought it.
Until We see each other again, but never Good Bye.
P.S; I had Mel take the picture, So I hope you like it.
Jim Hawking
It was an Image of Aisha wearing a green, long cut gown with bloused sleeves, and a lower neckline.
It really brings out your eyes Aisha. I thought into the voids, both outer space, and the one Aisha left in my heart...
Narrator- the End
Is this the end?
Have you ever read ANY of my other stories? I prefer happy endings, thank you. but this is the end of the first part.
A preview of things to come? Hmm... [shrugs]
Aisha goes to the home world, hooks up with her younger brother and her best friend, faces off against not only her father, but also the C'tarl-c'tarl naval Council.
Chapter two is complete, and is currently posted on my web page, I have to reedit it in order to post it on , so that may take me a bit of Time. I'll try to get that done this weekend. At the latest, Aisha's Home will be posted as the second chapter by the end of next week.
See you next Story.