"You're just saying that 'cause you're locked up." Jim scoffed.
"Well, yeah, that's a part of it. Why can't you release me!" Carolyne exclaimed. "It's hard, and there's no bed. No nothing! Just Morph, and you took him away!"
Morph gave a small mumble as an apology.
"You're just jealous!" Jim said.
"You think? I'm stuck in here while you get released!" Carolyne retorted.
Jim felt a bit of satisfaction, knowing he was right about Carolyne's jealousy. He deserved to be out of the prison. He was the captain's son after all. He always wanted it. He was good enough to serve under a wonderful captain like his father.
"Ah, Jim!" Max found Jim, and took him away from Carolyne. "Yer a smart lad, ya know that? Gettin' yer little morph out there!"
Jim swelled with pride from the compliment.
"Now, here's the plan. We use yer morph again to lour the monster back and then we'll catch 'em!" Max said.
"Sounds good." Jim said. Morph made worried squeals beside Jim's ear, but Jim brushed him away.
"Very good." Max nodded and left Jim and Morph.
Morph divided himself into two. One part turned into a small monster, the other a very small Morph. He had the monster eat the small Morph. When the scene was finished, Morph gave a worried look to Jim.
"Stop worrying. What's the worst that could happen?" Jim asked, not really paying attention to Morph.
Morph's worried face turned to anger, and he started to turn bright red. He stormed away from Jim, then went back to prison with Carolyne.
"Oh, what? You'd rather be with her than with me?" Jim exclaimed at the ridge in the ground from the galley lid.
Jim stormed off to his cabin. He couldn't figure out what came over Morph. Morph was fast and small and could squeeze through anything. He shouldn't worry about the monster. He could easily slip through its closed teeth.
Jim constantly told himself everyone was jealous. He couldn't help being the son of the captain. He saved an entire ship from an exploding planet. He deserved a cozy cabin and top quality food. He stormed around his room, kicking whatever he could find on the floor. He couldn't believe himself. He always wanted to be with his father, and now he was, and he was angry.
It took some time for Jim to cool down. Once he did, he realized how stupid it was of him to make Morph live bait. He would have to apologize to him sometime.
Jim heard a knock on his door, and he went to open it. Max stood in the doorway.
"Now, Jim. The monster's been spotted. Where's that morph of yers?" Max asked.
"Actually..." Jim found it hard to turn his father down. "I've changed my mind. It's too dangerous for him...and he doesn't really want to anyway."
Max slapped a hand to Jim's shoulder. "Yer a loyal lad. I can respect that."
Jim smiled, and Max left. He couldn't believe it. His own father was actually proud of him. It was something he had always longed for.
Jim's satisfaction ended when he heard a high-pitched scream coming from the main deck. He followed his ears to see a few aliens going into the galley and drag out Carolyne.
"What's going on?" Jim inquired.
"Live bait for the monster." An alien stated.
"Live bait?" Carolyne exclaimed. She began squirming, but one alien had four arms, making it easy to hold Carolyne.
Jim found Max waiting for Carolyne to be tossed into a net then thrown overboard.
"When I said I didn't want Morph to be used as bait, I didn't mean use someone else." Jim said. He glanced around the deck, hoping to find some sort of other bait. "What does the cook have? I'm sure some stale stuff will be good."
"Ah, Jim. Yer new to this. The monster wants fresh meat. Very fresh meat." Max said.
"But...but you just can't-"
"I'm the captain of this ship, ain't I? What I says goes."
Max pushed Jim aside. He grabbed onto Carolyne whens he was close enough. "Fetch me a net!"
Jim darted to the longboats. He soon untied one, then opened the hatch. Before he released it, he ran back on deck, then up the stairs to his father's cabin. He quickly found a laser pistol. Now that he was armed, he went back to the longboat.
Carolyne was forced into the net, then the net was tossed overboard, but it was tied onto the ratlines. Carolyne was screaming and protesting, but no one told her to quiet down. The screaming probably attracted the monster.
Before the monster could even come, Jim managed to shoot down the rope holding Carolyne's net, causing her to fall into the longboat. With Carolyne saved, he put the longboat back, then untangled Carolyne. The two walked back to the main deck. Jim expected a big cheer from the crew for his heroic efforts, but he didn't get it. Instead, he received blank stares coming from the crew.
"What was that?"
Jim turned to see his father. He looked completely outraged. Jim had a feeling the father-son bond they shared would quickly end.
"I saved her." Jim said. "I couldn't just let someone be killed by a monster."
"I'm the captain of this ship." Max said angrily. "Are ya daft?" Max raised his hand, and it came hard against his face.
Jim reached for his pistol he was still carrying and pointed it to his father. He should have known from the beginning what his father was. He should have known he wouldn't have changed.
Max scoffed at the pistol. "Ya wouldn't. Yer just like yer mother. Can't do anything right."
Max slapped the pistol out of Jim's hand. "Jim and the girl will make for good bait."
Just like that, Jim's rank suddenly went back to nothing. He was nothing but a prisoner, just like the way he started.
Okay, so I'll admit, it is a bit cliché, but on the other hand, how will Jim get out of this one? Please review!