Chapter Twenty-Five: Life on the Ship

"All clear Captain!" a multiple eye alien at the crow's nest yelled.

"Well my friend are we ready to raise to creaking tub?" Amelia asked.

"My pleasure Captain" Mr. Arrow said as he cleared his voice, "ALL HANDS TO STATIONS!"

Upon walking on deck Jason, Jim and Max looked around at all the aliens getting to their stations preparing for launch.

"Lose all Solar Sails!" Mr. Arrow yelled as they watched all the sails get lose and opened up as the ship began to lift as Jim and the others looked over the edge to the Space Sport slowly moving away.

"Whoa!" Jason yelled as they began to lift off the deck.

"Who turned off the gravity!" Max yelled.

"Mr. Snuff engage artificial gravity!" Amelia said as the slug alien made a solute and made several noses as it pushed down a switch as the floor glowed purple as everyone but, Delbert landed on their feet.

"South but Southwest Mr. Turnbuckle heading to one zero zero" Amelia said.

"Ey captain! To one zero zero!" the alien at the steering wheel said turning it.

"Full Speed Mr. Arrow if you please" Amelia said as he moved to an intercom.

"Take her away!" Mr. Arrow yelled.

"Brace yourself doctor" Amelia warned as he got up from the ground and began to brush himself off as they took off fast and he was sent flying back and crashing into a wall.

"Cool!" Jason said as they climbed up on the net and looked out to lanes between they were entering as space sting rays began to fly passed the ship.

"Whoa!" Jim said as they saw a pack of space whales all making whale calls.

"I had no idea any life could breathe in the lanes between, how are we breathing?" Max asked.

"The ship probably as an oxygen shield around it so we can breathe making it safe for us to be here" Jason said.

"Upon my word! An Orcas Galacticus!" Delbert said pulling out a camera, "smile."

"Uh doctor I wouldn't stand clear from-" she began as a green ooze shot out from the blow hole and all over Delbert.

"Ew" Jason said.

"It is a grand day for sailing captain and look at you majestic as new ship with new sails and a coat of paint" Silver said.

"You can keep that flimflammerey to yourself to the space sport please Silver" Amelia said as Morph turned into a version of her and began to repeat over and over what she said very fast till Silver grabbed him and hid him under his hat.

"You caught me to the quick captain but I speak nothing but from me heart that is all."

"And um by the way isn't that your Cabin Boys aimlessly smoothing around on those shrouds" she said as Jim, Jason and Max climbed of the net.

"Momentary aspiration captain soon to be addressed" he said.

"Hmm mmmm."

"Jimbo! Maxy, Jason! I got two new friends I'd like you three to meet" he said.

"Where are they?" Jason asked.

"Say hello to Mr. Mop and Mrs. Bucket" he said tossing them the two items as he laughed.

"Yippe" Jim said sarcastically.

"How the hell did we end up mopping the deck!" Jason said as they all mopped and cleaned the deck.

"Yeah I got your Mr. Mop" Jim said bitterly.

"Cleaning the ship, isn't this the whole crew job?" Max said as they glanced at the alien whispering to each other by some barrels.

"What are you looking at weirdoes?" an alien said as he was nothing but a head with tentacles and moved off the body and onto the barrel as the body with arm got eyes and mouth on the chest.

"Yeah weirdoes."

"Eh" Jason said.

"Yeah this ship is fill of odd balls" Max said as they heard a hissing as they looked up to see a red spider like alien coming down the ropes.

"Cabin boys should learn to mind their own business" Scroop said.

"Why? You got something to hide bright eyes?" Jim said as the bug growled and grabbed Jim by the collar.

"Maybe your ears don't work so well" Scroop hissed.

"Yeah too bad my nose works just fine" Jim grunted.

"Why you impatient little!" He yelled slamming him against a post as the crew began to cheer.

"Ya!" Jason yelled kicking Scroop away from Jim as the bug crashed into a barrel, "Pick on someone your own size you over grown pest, or" Jason said summoning his two keyblades, "pick a fight with someone who can easily beat you."

"Why you little!" Scroop growled as Silver grabbed Scroop pincher.

"Mr. Scroop ever see what happens to a fresh Perp when you squeeze real hard?" he said squeezing the alien arm with his mechanical one.

"What's all this then?!" Mr. Arrow said walking onto the deck, "you know the rules there will be no brawling on this ship, any furfure offenders will be confined to the brig for the remainder of the voyage, am I clear? Mr. Scroop?"

The bug then growled as a light glowed on him from Silver eye, "transparently."

"Hmph" Jason said as the crew began to go back to their business.

"Well done Mr. Arrow sir, a tight ship is a happy ship" Silver said as he glared in the three teen's direction, "boys! A gave you a job."

"Hey we were doing it until that bug thing-!" Jim growled till Silver interrupted him.

"ENOUGH OF THAT! Now I want this deck swabbed spotless and heaven help ya if I come back and it's not done, Morph keep an eye on these pups and let me know if there are any more distractions" Silver said walking away.

"This is ridiculous!" Max said as Jason got to thinking and looked to his two keyblades.

"I think I know how to get this job done faster" Jason smirked.

Later that night they were finishing up as Jason spun his two keyblades.

"Aerora!" he yelled using the wind spell to quickly dry the floor.

"There we go! This section done, how's up there!" Jason yelled.

"Almost done" Max said as he and Jim mopped the last section while Morph was a mini mop and mopping the floor too.

"Well this has been a fun day huh? Making new friends like that spider psycho" Jim said as Morph changed into a mini Scroop.

"Spider Psycho! Spider Psycho!"

"Ah ha, a little uglier" Jim said as Morphed did just that and laughed evilly.

"Pretty close" Jim said.

"Well thank heavens for little miracles" Silver said walking up deck holding a giant pot full of waste and tossed it over bored.

"You had one hour and the deck is still in one piece" Silver said.

"Look I uh, what you did you and Jason, thanks" Jim said.

"Did your pa ever teach you to pick your fights a bit more carefully?" Silver said as Jim looked away.

"Your father not the teachen sort?" Silver said.

"No, he was more of the taking off and never coming back sort" Jim said.

"Oh it's like that, looks like we have something in common Jim, my dad couldn't be around either mine was dead" Jason said.

"Oh sorry lads" Silver said.

"Hey no big deal I'm doing just fine" Jim said.

"Is that so?" Silver said.

"Yep" Max said.

"Well since the captain put you three in my charge like it or not I'll be pounding a few skills into that thick head of yours to keep you out of trouble" Silver said.

"What?" Jim said.

"For now on I'm not letting you out of me sight" Silver said.

"You can't do that!" Jim yelled.

"You won't so much as eat, sleep or scratch your bums without my say so!" Silver said.

"Don't do me any favors!" Jim growled.

"Oh you can be sure of that my lads! You can be sure of that" Silver said.

"Oh great" Jason said sarcastically.

So they learned the difficulties of living as a Cabin Boy on the ship from scrapping sea barnacles from the side of the ship all one thousands of them, peeling all the potatoes, to all the proper rope tying for the ropes in the sail, scrubbing the deck on their heads and feet, washing the endless piles of dishes, how to quickly get the emergency escape boats ready and how to use the controls for the boats.

Soon after flying around on the escape boat they pulled the roped to load the boat back onto the ship hull as Silver laughed.

"Having a little trouble there?" Jim asked.

"Oh get away from me" Silver laughed.

"I am so letting you drive next time Jim! That was fun!" Max said.

"Jimbo if I could maneuver a Skid like that at your age they'd be bowing in the streets that I'd die today" Silver said typing the rope onto the ship.

"I don't know that weren't exactly singing my praises when I left home" Jim said as they all sat down.

"Yeah I didn't get party when I left home either" Jason said.

"I'm going to change all that" Jim said.

"Are ya? How so?" Silver asked.

"Uh I got some plans going to make people see me a little different" Jim said.

"Oh sometimes plans go astray" Silver said.

"Not this time" Jim smiled.

"Hm" Silver said probing his metal peg leg as Morph turned into a wrench as he began to tighten a screw.

"So uh how that happen anyway?" Jim asked.

"You give up a few things chasing a dream" Silver said.

"Was it worth it?" Jim asked.

"Ha I'm hoping it is boys, I most surely am" he smiled as they heard a loud roared that hit the ship and shook the ship.

"What the devil!" Silver said walking onto deck with the others.

"Good heavens!" Delbert said running to the side of the ship and pulled out a telescope, "the star! IT'S GONE SUPER NOVA!" he yelled as in the distance they saw the star releasing waves of energy.

"Whoa!" Jason yelled.

"Evasive actions Mr. Turnbukle!" Amelia yelled running up the deck.

"Ey! Captain!"

"All hands fasten your life lines!" Mr. Arrow yelled as all on deck took ropes from around the giant beam of the ship and tied life lines around their waists.

"The wave coming at us!" Jason yelled seeing the fiery heat wave coming directly at them as balls of fire began to shoot onto deck and through the sails.

"Mr. Arrow! Secure those sails!" Amelia yelled.

"Secure all sails! Bring them down men!" Mr. Arrow yelled.

"Jason!" Max yelled as they saw a massive heat rock coming at them then get pulled back as they saw a massive forming black hole.

"It's dissolving into a black hole!" Delbert yelled.

"Were being pulled in!" Mr. Turnbuckle yelled trying to hold the wheel then getting knocked off.

"Oh no we don't!" Amelia yelled taking the wheel a wave of energy then hit them again knocking everyone on deck over.

"Ah!" Jason grunted.

"Blast these waves! They're uselessly erratic!" Amelia yelled.

"No Captain! They're not erratic at all! There will be one more in precisely 47.2 seconds! Followed by the biggest magella of them all!" Delbert yelled reading the data on a screen.

"Of course! Brilliant doctor! We'll ride that blast megellian out of here!" Amelia said.

"All sails secured captain!" Mr. Arrow yelled.

"Good man! Now release them immediately!" she yelled.

"Ey captain" he said in confusion, "You heard her men! Release those sails!"

"What!"

"But we just finished tying them done!"

"Why can't you make your bloomin minds!"

"Mr. Hawkins! Mr. Everhart! Mr. Goof!"

"Yes ma'am?!" they yelled.

"Make sure all life lines are secured and tight!"

"Eye y captain!" they yelled running to the life lines tied to the beam while the sails above were being released.

"There!" Jason yelled as they tugged on the ropes making sure they were secured.

"Life lines secured captain!" Jim yelled.

"Very good!" Amelia yelled as a wave knocked them over.

"Captain! The last wave! Here it comes!" Delbert yelled.

"Hold onto your life lines gents it's going to be a bumpy ride!" Amelia yelled as the ship began to fall into the black hole as everyone hanged onto what they could as the final wave sent them flying back onto their course as the crew began to cheer.

"Thank god!" Jason said.

"Captain! That oh my goodness that was absolutely-" Delbert began.

"Oh tis toss actually doctor your astronomical advice was most helpful" Amelia said.

"Well uh thank you thank you very much well I have a lot to help astronomically" Delbert said.

"Well uh I must congratulate you Mr. Silver it seems your Cabin Boys did a bang up job with those life lines" Amelia said.

"Thank you ma'am" the boys said.

"All hands accounted for Mr. Arrow?" Amelia said as they did not hear the man response, "Mr. Arrow?" she said as Scroop approached with Mr. Arrow hat.

"I'm afraid Mr. Arrow has been lost" he said handing her Arrow hat, "his life line was not secured" he said as all eyes fell on Jim, Jason and Max.

"No we checked them all!" Jim yelled.

"They were all secured!" Jason yelled as they ran to check the lines and saw Arrow rope gone.

"I did we checked them all they were secured, I swear!" Jim said.

"This is not right" Jason said looking over and saw Scroop smirk.

'THAT BUG! He had something to do with this I just know it!' he thought.

"Mr. Arrow was a ahem a fine spacer, finer than most of us could ever hope to be but he knew the risks as do we all, resume your posts we carry on" Amelia said walking away as Jim ran.

"Jim wait!" Jason yelled as he and Max ran after him.

Later that night Jim sat on the shroud with Jason and Max as Silver approached below.

"It weren't your fault you know, why half the crew would be spinning around in the black abyss without your-"

"LOOK!" Jim yelled as he jumped down, "Don't you get it! I screwed up! For two seconds I thought I could do something right but AGH! I just-just forget it! Forget it" Jim said as Jason and Max watched from above with pained expression as Jim leaned on the beam.

"No! You listen to me James Hawkins" Silver said turning Jim around as they saw the tears in Jim eyes, "you got the making of greatness in you but you got to take the helm and charge your own course! Stick to it no matter the squalls! And when the time comes you got the reel the test of your sails and show them what your made of! Well I hope I'm there catching some of the light coming off you that day"

"Couldn't said it better myself" Jason said as Jim put his face in Silver chest to cry as Silver patted his back.

"There there that's alright Jimbo, it's alright" he said hugging Jim.

"Ah" Jason and Max said.

"Now ahem Jim I uh I best getting about my watch and you three best be getting some shut eye" Silver said as Jason and Max jumped off the Shroud and followed Jim to below deck as Jim looked back and smiled as Silver waved as they headed below unaware of Scroop watching the whole thing from above.

A.N. Please Review.