Chpt 4 - Words of a Guardian
Oh Serenity...
Someone...
Please...
Tell...
Me...
Jim wandered aimlessly down a hall aboard the Outlaw Star that would eventually, after many twists and turns, lead him to his room. His body moved in such a direction purely out of instinct, as his mind could only be found elsewhere. The source of his recent thoughts could be found revolving around Gene Starwind and what a predicament the young boy had gotten himself into.
'Just a few short months ago he had been no more to you that best friend, role model, and at times, temporary father figure, but look at what you've made him into now. Sure you may feel for him this way but what reason in Hell does he have to even give you a second glance. I mean, isn't this supposed to be wrong in the first place. How could I have ever...'
Jim's thoughts were suddenly cut short as all the lights in the ship flicked once, then twice, then died altogether. Sighing, Jim came to a halt and appeared to be awaiting something when Gilliam approached quickly on his guide-rail, a small beam of light emitting from his mechanical body.
"It is certainly a good thing that you installed that emergency battery into the Gillium system Jim, otherwise no one would be able to find anything in this darkness."
The little machine then turned back to the direction from wence it had come and began to slowly backtrack it's steps, leading the blonde boy to the source of the ships power, and thus, hopefully, the problem. As the two moved swiftly toward their destination Jim came to an abrupt halt, causing the small robotic unit to wonder at his companion's situation.
"Jim, is something the matter?"
"No, Gillium, I'm fine, let's get going."
It was no lie that he was fine, but something did not seem right to the young boy. Before he had stopped, he had heard a sudden gust of wind, a sudden gust that seemed more like a wiser.
'Speak...'
That was all the voice in the wind had said, but what could that have meant. The two continued on their way, uninterrupted until yet another gust of wind rushed past Jim's ears. He did not stop this time, as Gillium appeared to hear nothing, but this time there was more.
'Speak...to him...'
What was this voice in the wind and who could it possibly want him to talk to. Not Gene, why would it want him to talk to Gene, or even better, how would it know he should. Things were starting to get creepier by the second, and the darkness that they were shrouded in did nothing to help Jim's constant feeling of being watched. Feeling as if he were the prey to some carnivorous beast, Jim picked up the pace of his walking. Following suit Gillium hummed along at a slightly faster pace along his guide-rail. But then it happened again.
'Speak...to him...and learn...'
"Jim, we are at the power core"
This time the voice did not belong to some sort of mysterious shadowy figure in the wind, but to Gillium. Glancing before him Jim could just barely make out the generator in the dim light cast by his pink, robot friend. Beginning to work idly on the generator there were more that a few moments that Jim glanced back over his shoulder to watch for any mysterious figures. Finally finishing his repairs, Jim stood up and closed the main cover on the generator. As he turned back around the lighting in the ships halls flicked gently and then brightened to full force. Squinting in the newly found light, Jim looked down at his watch to find that it was far past the normal hours for him and all the others to be in bed. No wonder he had heard no commotion when the lights went out, all the others were most likely asleep. Stepping out into the hall, forgetting altogether about the voice from before, Jim was startled to find the lightening quick Twilight Sazuka suddenly appearing before his very eyes. With a glint in her own eyes she stared him down until finally the mysterious voice in the wind found a mouth from which to speak, and the words that she spoke, he may never forget.
"You are not alone in what you face. Speak to him and learn the truth..."
Sliding across the five or so yards between them was Jim's laptop, open and on. He realized then that he must have left it in the electronics room when he had finished his programming. Stooping down to pick up his lost article. It did not see as much of a surprise to him as it would to those who don't know her to find that when he stood up, but a second later, Twilight Sazuka had vanished. Glancing down at his laptop his mouth fell open in shock. There, displayed plainly on the screen for all to see, was the file he had been typing earlier, the file he had zoned out during while typing, the file he obviously had forgotten to delete. The words that Sazuka had spoken now rattled in his brain.
"Speak to him...and learn the truth..."