Okay, that's where the reviews went! Thanks, everyone...
I'm kinda tired. Spent the whole day writing this. I'm so hungry...
I'm taking my time here, as I'm certainly in no rush. I promise not to keep you waiting for too long, though! You'll have some major character revelations in the next few chapters. A few surprises on the way, too.
Rated for a little swearing (again). Only the bad guys, of course!
Keep up the reviews!
I don't own Captain Planet.
Alternate Destination
Chapter Eight
"Where's the damn boat? We need to go!" Looten Plunder was pacing the bridge nervously, looking out over the deck as the sun descended, spilling orange rays of light across the water. He had summoned his crew to the disembarkation doors fifteen minutes ago, fully expecting to see Argos Bleak waiting with the transportation.
The suave man felt slightly uneasy when his usually reliable assistant was nowhere to be found. Dr Blight had stepped out onto the metal docking platform, but was unable to glimpse any approaching vehicles along the port-side of the ship.
Slightly perturbed, Plunder and Sly Sludge doubled back to where Bleak was meant to be working. They walked at a brisk pace, since they had already been delayed by this unexpected development. The ship had been in plain view of the coast line for about an hour and a half now, and it was only a matter of time before the authorities became suspicious.
"He'd better have a good excuse, ya' know. We're sitting ducks out here." Sly Sludge was out of breath, struggling to keep up. Plunder merely nodded, a strange but familiar feeling brewing in the pit of his stomach. Something didn't feel right, a notion which was confirmed as soon as the pair rounded the corner of the sun-deck bar.
Sludge stopped in his tracks, immediately reaching for his radio as Plunder jogged the remaining distance between himself and the bound man.
"What in the hell happened to you?" Plunder bellowed, scanning the deck for those responsible, however they appeared to be long gone. Sludge approached and stood over them both, a troubled look apparent on his face.
The bindings were removed as Plunder again demanded an explanation, but Argos Bleak could only shake his head, disbelief still pulsing through his body. He shook off the bindings and tore the mint cardigan from his mouth, before scrambling to his feet and stumbling away from his companions. Bleak lurched forward towards the exit, his face a pale and clammy complexion. Dr Blight and Hoggish Greedly soon rounded the bar, but Bleak was oblivious to their obnoxious stares. Dr Blight laughed with contempt when she saw him, reaching out with her palm in order to stop him from passing.
"Argos, where's the god-damned boat," she seethed, her face inches from his as she finally registered his haggard appearance. "Oh, poor diddums. Did a lone, pathetic passenger scare our little tinkly-winkly?" Sarcasm was positively dripping from her statement as she pushed forcibly past him, sending him stumbling to the side.
Blight glared at her frozen comrades, fragments of her famous temper beginning to show through. "Are we leaving this dump? So what, some got loose. Let's get the damn lifeboat and escape before they bring the police back here. Do I have to think of..."
Zarm materialized on the upper deck, observing the commotion below him. Argos Bleak eventually registered the spirit's watchful presence and turned to face him accusingly. He pointed at Zarm, anger and fury evident in his expression.
"You said you'd killed her!"
The deck fell silent as Bleak repeated the statement in booming tones.
"You said that you'd taken are of her! You said that she was dead!"
"To whom are you referring? I have dispatched many." Zarm's voice was low and menacing. The spirit turned and began floating towards the interior of the ship. "This is a waste of time. We must make our move tonight, or..."
"The Russian! She was here on this ship, damn-it!"
Zarm turned and covered the distance between them like lightning. The entity's aura was pulsing red, as he rounded on his unprepared accuser. Bleak didn't even have time to flinch- he was lifted into the air and thrown across the deck, narrowly missing Verminous Skumm who had come to see what the commotion was about.
Bleak landed heavily and crashed into a pile of deck-chairs. Wincing in pain, the man stumbled to his feet and rounded again on the entity, incurring shocked stares from his partners.
"Hey, I'm talking to you! She was here, with Rigger and three others! You didn't do your job right, Zarm." Bleak had stopped shouting, but approached Zarm cautiously, not wanting a repeat of the spirit's last reaction.
"Rigger? What was Rigger doing out of..." Greedly looked confused as he turned and waddled towards the sick bay, ready to disengage the fire-doors and check on his prior assistant.
Zarm held up his hand for calm. "What you are saying is impossible. The girl's life-force has been extinguished. I would know if it were otherwise. I watched them drag her body from the ruins. She is dead."
Bleak shook his head in frustration as he turned to his boss, imploring him to listen. "Looten, I'm telling you that it was her. But she wasn't blond, she'd died her hair brown. Same accent, same face, and she's pretty pissed of with us."
Plunder moved to reply, but Zarm interrupted. The entity was beginning to unravel: red sparks were flying in all directions. "This is impossible! How would she escape my detection for so long on board? I would have sensed her presence, you all know this."
"What if she did s-s-survive, s-somehow? Could there be a way?" Verminous Skumm joined the heated discussion, hovering behind Plunder's tense shoulders.
Zarm now looked uncertain, an expression unbecoming of the powerful entity. "I don't know. Maybe Gaia's responsible, but it would mean interfering with her precious ..."
The former spirit of Earth stopped in mid sentence. His aura changed from bright red to blue as he considered the possibility.
Could she? Would Gaia have had the knowledge (or conscience) to meddle with the space/time continuum?
Zarm contemplated this idea: the only explanation for Bleak's ramblings.
Dr Blight caught on to Zarm's train of thought before anyone else. She approached the spirit tentatively, hoping that she wouldn't be the next candidate for an impromptu flying lesson.
"It's Gaia, isn't it? Gaia's brought her back, somehow. How could this happen?"
"The girl must have traveled on the same surge as us," Zarm surmised, as he realized the implications of this discovery. He looked at both Blight and Plunder as the knowledge sunk in. "She was brought back with our time jump...the same one which originally killed her."
"That's irony, for ya," spat Dr Blight, easing her frustration by kicking a errant coke can across the deck. It scuttled across the deck towards Hoggish Greedly, who had just returned from checking on his sidekick. The looming figure of Duke Nukem followed, casting a shadow that extended several meters along the wooden flooring.
"Bleak's right, no sign of Rigger. He really went with the Russian? Why would he do that?" Greedly's memory had obviously short-circuited, the mistreatment of his assistant was all but forgotten.
"I don't wanna' interrupt your little PTA meeting, but we're gonna' have company soon..." Nukem pointed towards the port-side of the ship: a lone, small boat with flashing red lights was approaching the ship at a steady pace.
"I'll take care of them. Drop the life-boats and pack the cargo." With that, Zarm disappeared, leaving only the imprint of his boots until they, too had faded from sight.
As Nukem forcibly snapped several cables attaching the emergency craft to the pulley's, Argos Bleak grabbed Plunder as he followed the others towards the disembarkation area for the second time today.
"There's something that the girl said to me... I think she... she might..."
"Spit it out, Bleak. We gotta go."
"She said that your mother called."
Plunder stared back at Bleak in silent shock. His lips moved, but no sound was evident. "WHAT?"
Bleak repeated what he had said, including the fact that it was a cell phone which had alerted him to their presence in the first place.
Plunder could hear a high-pitched ringing permeating his ear-drums. He stared blindly in the direction of the shore as his worst fears became apparent. He pushed recklessly past the eco-villains descending the stair-case, nearly causing Sludge to trip and fall. Ignoring the curses coming from behind him, Plunder ran to where the cargo was stored and dived for his brief-case. He frantically fumbled with the latch before prising it open and tossing the contents onto the floor.
NO. NO. NO. NO.
He repeated the mantra over and over, replacing the objects back into the briefcase with agonizing precision, mentally reviewing the items in sequence.
The satchel was missing, as was his phone.
"GOD DAMN IT! I'LL KILL HER!"
"She's already dead, remember." Blight's smart reply was neither wanted nor appreciated. The scientist stood beside the dismayed Plunder, curious as to the extent of his anger.
"What's missing?
"Everything of value. She's taken the diary, our identification, the stock papers. Everything."
Dr Blight shrugged and smacked him several times on the back, in what she probably perceived as a comforting gesture.
The strange, familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach returned as it had earlier. Plunder now knew the reason for it.
Plunder had last experienced it many years ago. It usually effected him when a great plan or scheme was smashed to smithereens... by a Planet-Brat.
Linka had always hated hospitals. The strong smell of disinfectant made her feel queasy, although she supposed it had something to do with her father's final months in the cancer ward in St Petersburg Public. She sat quietly in an uncomfortable, plastic bucket-seat, staring at the cracks in the floor tiles and watching the patients wheeled past her on trolleys or in wheelchairs.
Mary sat beside her in the sparse corridor, experiencing difficulties of her own with the folliage of an unruly, fake pot plant. The leaves would brush against her face every time the swinging doors opened, driving her to the point of distraction.
Linka stood and peeked around the corner into the examination room, trying to catch Amy and Matt's attention.
I have to go, she mouthed silently, not wishing to disrupt the doctor. Linka knew that the police would be here soon: she needed to leave now before she was detained for questioning. Besides, she'd kept her promise to Rigger. There was no need to stay.
It was time to find Gi.
Amy nodded and gave her the thumbs up, repeating the "call me" gesture from earlier in the afternoon. Linka smiled and waved goodbye, before turning towards Mary and embracing her.
"Good luck," the Canadian whispered, hugging her back fiercely. " We'll take care of everyone on the ship. Go get em'."
With that, Linka grabbed the back-pack from underneath her seat and strode through the swinging doors. Finding herself in the waiting room, she turned left and negotiated her way successfully out of the hospital. A blast of warm air greeted her upon her exit, as she found herself at the emergency area designated for ambulances and their precious charges. The red and blue strobe lights continued their chaotic revolutions on top of the emergency vehicles, even after the patient and staff had been rushed through the hospital doors.
Linka sat on the kerb for a moment, gathering her bearings. She reached into the bag and pulled out the diary, reading Gi's information out loud. Gi's address wasn't actually located in Manila, but a place called Batangas, which Linka assumed to be nearby. Dark, wavy locks of hair dangled over the page as she concentrated on Gi's name in particular.
Gi Shang-Liu
An awestruck thought popped into her head as she made sense of the addition of the third, unfamiliar syllable.
Bozhe moi, she is married!
Fear tightened around her heart, it's vice grip causing her to double over.
She had moved on with her life. She probably has a home and family of her own, now.
Linka immediately began to panic. Perhaps they had all moved on. Maybe her sudden appearance would bring up bad memories.
Maybe they will not want to see me?
It didn't matter. Plunder and his cohorts were coming, intent on finding her best friend. She snapped the diary closed and jumped to her feet, intending to find a taxi back at the wharf. Linka crossed the road and walked the footpath opposite the hospital, passed only by the occasional bicycle. It was becoming darker as she left the well-lit hospital grounds. The Russian found herself looking at her watch again: despite the fact that it had stopped working a while ago, she found it a comforting presence, nonetheless.
She increased her pace as several bicycles were approached her from behind, the sound of clicking gears punctuating the air. Linka watched as they passed her and continued, before turning left and disappearing into an alley on the other side of the road. A bent, shrouded figure stood on the alley corner, unnaturally still and watching Linka intently. The hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention as Linka looked down and pressed forward relentlessly, a little worried by the unwanted attention. The figure stepped out and stood on the kerb, head thrown forward and straining for a glimpse of the attractive woman on the other side.
Just keep walking. It is a homeless person, they are harmless.
She passed the odd figure and risked a glance at the bundle of rags opposite her. On closer inspection, Linka saw that it was an elderly woman. A lone streetlight illuminated her features: a mass of wrinkles, deep-set eyes and gnarled, arthritic hands that reached out towards her. The old woman was propping herself up with a stick and trying to dismount the kerb, however the attempt was unsuccessful: she stumbled and fell hard, crashing to the pavement.
Still, the elderly woman refused to give up. Her eyes searched imploringly for Linka, who had cautiously crossed the road to assist. As the gray hood slid down, Linka observed matted, white hair cascading across the womans face, and startling blue eyes staring beseechingly at her.
The Russian kneeled down beside the wide-eyed figure and propped her into a seated position. The old woman seemed unperturbed . Relief flooded her features as she reached out with stiff fingers and touched Linka's hair.
"Are you all... "
"You changed your hair. Clever girl." The voice was a whisper. Parched lips formed the hint of a knowing smile.
Linka drew back suddenly and fell back onto the pavement, a jolt of recognition causing the adrenaline in her body to rapidly rise in response. She quickly recovered her senses enough to grab the woman under her arms and lift her to her bare feet. She weighed nothing, skin and bone.
"I wasn't certain that it was you. I had to be sure. You look so different, honey."
Linka's eyes filled with tears as she stood and regarded the malnourished figure with more affection and love than she ever thought was possible. Her heart skipped several beats as the haggard appearance finally sunk in...
"Gaia, what happened to you?"
Gaia grimaced, unsteady on her feet and swaying slightly in the warm breeze.
Linka's arm encircled the former Earth Spirit's tiny waist, as they made their way towards the busy wharf.
"I got really old, really quickly, Linka. I owe you an explanation, but you will have to wait. We need to find the others."
"I know where they are, Gaia!" With her free hand, the Russian pulled out the diary and opened up to the various Planeteer entries. "Everyone is here but the Yankee, anyway."
Gaia appeared shocked. "How did you...do I even want to know?"
Linka shook her head mischievously. "It is probably best not to ask," she replied with a concerned smile. Gaia looked exhausted.
They had hobbled for about 50 meters before Gaia had no choice but to sit down and rest. Dizziness and heart palpitations had engulfed the withered former entity. She persevered with the symptoms for a few minutes as Linka sat beside her, bewildered at Gaia's shocking physical condition.
"I don't have much time left. I've lived too far beyond the life expectancy they bestowed upon me." Gaia was struggling for breath as Linka bit her tongue, silencing the questions that were forming.
The Planeteer instinctively knew that she couldn't expect her former boss to walk any further. Gaia knew this too. She clutched the girl's hand, struggling to annunciate her thoughts.
"You... you need to go to the wharf and find transport for us. We'll go to see Gi together... she needs... needs to know the truth. They all do."
Linka immediately sprung into action. Her own hunger took a back seat as she sprinted towards the brightly lit wharf, the Pacific Sky still visible on the horizon. Linka hoped that by now, help had been sent to the poor souls still trapped in the theater. A public taxi drove past, it's exhaust pipe rattling noisily as Linka flagged it down and showed the driver her destination. After reading the diary, he nodded and pointed in the direction she had just came from.
"Two hour. Two hour," was the reply and Linka nodded, patting the wallet of cash that Mary had given her in the hospital. She hoped that it would be enough for the journey.
In broken English, she indicated that there would be one stop, and the driver seemed to have understood her request. Relief and anticipation washed over her as they approached Gaia. The taxi stopped and Linka jumped out to help the hooded woman into the vehicle. Safely inside, Linka leaned back into the front passenger seat, registering the time from the clock on the dashboard. It was now 5am in morning as the car coughed and spluttered its way through the winding streets.
Linka checked on Gaia's progress in the rear-vision mirror. The older woman was fast asleep, her cheek resting on the curve of the seatbelt. More bicycles passed the little taxi, probably on their way to work and Linka observed them sleepily. Some carried various produce in their front wicker baskets. Some had young, sleeping children strapped to their bodies as they pedaled towards their destination, weaving their way expertly through the cars and obstacles.
The traffic thinned considerably as they headed out of the city, large mountains looming in every direction. The tar roads turned to dirt as the taxi bounced along, lulling Linka into a fitful sleep.
Next chapter in in a few days!