SNOW DAY! OH MY GOD! I cannot believe how much it's snowing outside, it hasn't stopped since 7:00am this morning and it's jsut coming up for 12:00pm. WOW! And not only that but my mum had to come and get me at school and she took me out in the middel of a lating lesson and the faces on them as I walked out! Pricless! No news on the current condition of my pal BW but because hs elives about 10 minutes from the school I'm guessing she might still be there if the schools haven't closed by now.
Anyway (this is one long authors note!) I apologise for the technical bit involving Melfina's mind uplink wire, if you don;t understand it, tell me and I'll try and make it a little clearer. Apart from that it should be okay! But I have a really annoying bit at the end that should really peeve a miss BW!
BW: (monotone voice) You do this on purpose don't you.
FB: Yep.
BW: It's not funny y'know (twitch)
FB: Yep.
BW: Okay what's with the yeps?
FB: Yep.
BW: (thinking) Hmmm...give me a tenner?
FB: Nope.
BW: Ha, I got you out!
FB: Yep.
BW: (sighs and rubs temples)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Outlaw Star series or the weathermen that predicted the snow would be to the west instead of here. If I owned the weather station...
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Re-Rout
"All systems green!"
Gene's hands darted over the launch switches. The steady rumble of the propulsion systems shook the cockpit. The monitors before the crew blinkered.
"Come on! Come on!" muttered Aisha under her breath. It was only a matter of time before their pursuers reached the door of the ship.
Jim's eyes were fixed intently on the screens before him, awaiting the signal. The engines were charging.
Aisha couldn't take it anymore.
"What's taking so long!"
Gene's eyes flickered as he spoke. His expression was perfectly calm.
"Patience."
The screen flashed before Jim. Go,go,go.
"Launch!" yelled Jim.
Gene hit the launch button.
Clouds of thick grey smoke erupted over the space port as the Outlaw Star took off. The force of the flames pushed the ship into the air and it hurtled through the sky. The lingering black smoke hung over the space port like a thick fog, the Outlaw Star was a bright yellow pinprick in the universe. And gathered below the launch, the only witnesses, five figures shrouded in smog.
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The moment they had cleared the planet's atmosphere, Jim flopped back in his seat, wiping his hand across his clammy forehead.
"You okay Jim?" Gene asked behind him.
Jim shifted round in the front seat and scowled at Gene as if he'd asked a stupid question.
"Would you mind telling me why you and Melfina are suddenly on the most wanted list?" he questioned in an accusing tone.
"How the hell should I know!" snapped Gene grumpily folding his arms.
"First the Kei Pirates, now these guys, all in one week!" exclaimed Jim. "When will it end!"
Seeing she was needed to navigate for the ship anymore, Melfina cut in.
"I'm coming out of the navigation chamber."
"What's the matter Melfina?" asked Gene warily. He turned back in his seat, eyes judging Melfina's.
Melfina could feel guilt churning her stomach but her voice was firm.
"I need to see to Flynn." she said in a determined voice.
Gene tensed in his seat.
'Of course, Flynn! Damnit!'
When he and Suzuka had crashed through the entrance of the Outlaw Star, they had been confronted with masses of formless machines threatening to swallow the ship. Gene had seen Flynn briefly leaning against Melina's navigation chamber going steadily a worse shade of grey. He had looked Flynn straight in the eye and had said:
"Do you think you can hold on until we've launched?"
Flynn had met him eye for eye. Gene expected nothing else.
"Yeah, get us out of here."
In the hurried tension of the launch, Gene had forgotten about Flynn.
"Obviously it's not a good idea to stay here." Suzuka was saying. "I think the attacks will get progressively worse."
Gene blinked a few times and shook his head bringing himself out of the daze.
"I agree with Suzuka I think." said Jim seriously.
"All those fights are a good work out though." Aisha pointed out, stretching lazily in her seat.
Jim's voice was lined with sarcasm.
"Yeah, you would say something like that."
It was Jim's turn to be scowled at.
Leaning back in his seat, Gene looked thoughtful.
"Gilliam, we have stored co-ordinates to the Heifong system right? We'll go there for now. Hopefully Fred will be up to letting us rent a building again."
Gilliam didn't reply, the cockpit was stilled for a moment.
"Gilliam? Hello?"
"Erm…" Gilliam managed.
"Erm? Erm! What kind of machine says erm!" Gene started in an outraged tone. "What do you mean erm!"
In the background, Gilliam's pink maintenance robot shifted uncomfortably. Gene lost the edge of his outrage, not sure whether to give the evil eye to the robot or the voice projector.
"Calm down Gene." Jim glanced up at the voice projector. "What's going on Gilliam?"
Gilliam reluctantly started to explain.
"Well…it's…"
"Go on." prompted Jim.
"It's Melfina."
Gene was suddenly at rapt attention.
"When she came to the ship she told me to find the co-ordinates for a place known as Mortalis. I obliged, naturally but then she told me that no matter what your orders," his focus was on Gene, "that I re-rout to Mortalis."
Jim's head jolted back hastily, eyes on Gene expecting a blitz of emotions to pass on his face but he looked thoughtful again.
"What exactly is this Mortalis place?"
A monitor blinked to life before the crew showing vast orange dusts and broken remnants of an ancient civilisation under a scorching red sky.
"A wasteland." replied Gilliam simply.
Gene's eyes never left the screen.
"I'm going to go and talk to her."
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The first person Melfina had ever treated was Gene. It was just before Suzuka had joined up on the quest for the Leyline and a pirate had been daring enough to poison Gene through a bullet lodged in his side. To treat him she had somehow made his mind and body compatible with the ship. She had made him data.
After the Leyline she had remembered Gwen Con's words: 'I am data and data is me.' and it had got her thinking. The incident with Gene and Gwen Con's words combined had allowed her and Jim, through painstaking work, to come up with a link like a modem that enabled Melfina to access someone's mind like a computer and make them self heal.
She sighed heavily and disconnected from Flynn's mind. It was so strange, Gene and the few others she had treated using this new technology had all been so clear. Flynn's mind had been up to a point. After that she had drifted in endless white, a fog in the head. It was as though part of his mind just didn't exist.
Her eyes fell on his face, the one black streak falling over his eye as he slept and recuperated.
"Mel?"
Melfina jumped up from her seat in surprise. Gene was a silhouette in the doorway.
"How's he doing?" Gene asked softly, walking over.
"I think he's doing okay, I found the problem. Nothing too serious but…"
She hesitated. Was it really fair on Flynn if she told Gene about the endless white in his head when she didn't know is Flynn even knew himself?
Gene frowned at her.
"I don't think he'll have much fun recovering in a wasteland."
The dull ache in the pit of Melfina's stomach suddenly spiked sharply.
"What's going on Melfina? Why would you want to override my orders!"
"I…"
"Melfina!"
Melfina's sorrowful eyes filled with tears. A lump was settling in his own throat. But…
"TELL ME!"
"Because I can't just sit back and let it play out that way!" Melfina collapsed back onto her chair sobbing uncontrollably.
Gene didn't hesitate to put his arm around her.
"That didn't make much sense." Gene's voice was low.
"Y-you were shot Gene! If that was the future then I can't just let it happen." Melfina was distraught. He crouched down to her level making sure he stayed close.
"Why Mortalis?"
Melfina explained. She told him how Vega had caught her outside the Outlaw Star and had told her that if she wanted information on Leyline Project: Phase 2 she would go to Mortalis.
"I thought that because it was information from an enemy you wouldn't let me go but I have to know. I have to do something before…" She trailed off.
Gene didn't or couldn't say anything. When he didn't speak Melfina rested her head against his shoulder and her tears died.
"When I sit like this, I feel like I can dream."
Gene looked at her raven hair in the half light before speaking again.
"Maybe we'll finally know the real reason you were created."
Melfina raised her head.
"You're right, I wouldn't've trusted this guy's information but then again the only people I trust to give me any information are you, Suzuka and Jim. I don't even trust Fred and I get a lot of information from him."
Melfina looked at little bewildered.
"What I'm trying to say is I would have gone anyway because it's so important to you. You can tell me anything Melfina. We'll find the answers together."
Melfina looked into his earnest face and knew she's made a mistake.
"I'm sorry Gene, I was-"
" Don't worry about it Mel! To err is human right?"
Melfina smiled at that.
" You were panicked, I get it. If there's anything at this place, we'll find it."
Melfina beamed. A huge depression lifted itself away from her chest. She felt as if she could breathe again.
"Thank you Gene."
To Gene, Melfina seemed to light the dark. Naturally they moved in to kiss, drawn to each other. Melfina's eyes closed.
"Would you mind! Still here y'know!" grumbled Flynn tossing over.
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Tee hee, I'm so mean aren't I! Ruining Gene and Mel's kiss like that...(BW holds up sledge hammer threateningly)...So in this chapter...OH MY GOD NOW THERE'S THUNDER AND LIGHTENING!...Sorry about that, I'm fearing that we'll be snowed in for months and by the time they dig us out of the frozwn tundra we shall be perfectly preserved like in forever young. Must panic buy thermal socks. Anyway...we found out why Mel hid their destination from Gene and we've seen the first footage of Mortalis. Questions: What exactly does this Vega guy know? What is that white fog in Flynn's mind? What the hell was the author going on about in the technical bit? Find out next time if I'm still alive to write chapter 13...
