Fantasy Vs Reality | The Tear

17: Time To Recruit! Part 3

I followed Coal and Dun out of the casino after the hare had collected his winnings. Orion followed closely behind me, he seemed a bit on edge, and it wasn't a secret that Orion didn't care for Dun. I couldn't help but feel like someone was watching us in the huge casino, and Orion must've been feeling the same. As his ears were twitching almost maniacally and his eyes were shifting in different shades of blue.

Dun looked ecstatic. He seemed to be pretty happy to be a part of the crew again-

Again? Where did that thought come from? Something suddenly told me Dun used to be a part of the crew but... a long time ago? I shook my head. I was just glad we managed to snag another potential crew member.

I pulled out the list again, and marked off Dun's name with a pen that I had hooked to a belt I snatched on the way out of the ship in my room. Now the crew would have a Navigator to help us, well... navigate better.

I looked farther down the list for more important looking roles and the name Sylvia caught my eyes. 

A scientist... that would definitely come in handy, I was starting to wonder what caused the crew to get to the point where they were barely getting by with so few members. What had happened? Had the Neon Empire just simply refused to fund the crew with proper members? Or where they simply making this project independent and solely up to the captain? Or did something happen to cause a sickness? Or maybe it had something to do with... what happened on the planet when Storm... I was there.

I shook my head slightly and noticed that I was falling behind Dun and Coal, who were in deep conversation. I squeezed past a few people who began crowding around and we all burst out of the casino into the semi-fresh air. Semi-fresh as in as fresh as artificial air can be... how did I know it was artificial air? I could only guess because there were no trees, and the place was holding together like one large, glass dome. 

"Hey, Dun?" I asked, standing next to him and looking up. "What is your knowledge on navigation?"

Dun smiled and patted my shoulder. "Hon, I'm the best there is. I know everything there is to know about navigating. Good ole Lanky McLong came to the right guy."

I stared for a moment, trying to figure out who Lanky McLong was... then I realized it must've been Marcus who was obviously the lankiest out of the entire crew. "I never got your name." Dun said jerking me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, it's Ha- Storm." I said, correcting myself quickly. That was the first time I've introduced myself as 'Storm', but it felt oddly normal... if oddly normal was a thing.

Coal made a face like he was about to get into a huge conversation about how I had been in a coma for the past few months, so I took action and nearly shoved the list into Coal's face. "Coal, before we head back to the craft, we need to get a few more people. Otherwise we'll be wasting err... fuel."

Coal closed his mouth and nodded. "A story that will have to wait." He told Dun, then he turned to face me. "Who is next on the list?"

I read the list, through deciding that the scientist would be best. "Sill-vee-ah." I sounded out, making sure I read the name right. Dun nodded.

"Ah, Sylvia. Haven't seen her in a while." He said glancing at Coal. "Remember when you last saw her?"

Coal looked slightly thoughtful but began hesitating, then he said, a bit loudly. "I err... no I don't remember." I frowned. This guy... as much as he was cute he was definitely hiding something... LIKE THE FACT HE DRAGGED ME INTO THIS MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Coal seemed to have read my mind because he looked at me and frowned too. "You ought to get that expression on your face checked." He began.

"Oh no..." I breathed, here comes a pickup line.

Coal then turned his frown into a stupid grin. "Because I think the doctor misdiagnosed the face of an angel."

"Terrible." Was all Orion said out of the blue.

I shook my head. "Men... I'll never understand them." I paused for a moment, then continued. "Does anyone know where we could find this Sylvia?"

Coal furrowed his cat brow and crossed his arms. He looked around as if he expected her to just waltz up to us like it was nothing.

"She'll be somewhere that's full of interesting knowledge that's for certain." Orion said with his usual blank expression on his face. Out in the cool and artificial air, Orion's face looked much more exhausted than before. I wondered when he last had time to get a decent nights sleep.

"Oh sure, stereotype the scientist." Coal teased. But he stopped when Orion gave him a look that could kill.

Dun's face went blank and his blue eyes looked like they lost their sparkle for a split second. The tension between Dun and Orion was blatant and thick in the air. Whenever one of them spoke, the other fell dead silent and their faces looked like they were turning into stone.

Dun locked eyes with Orion for a moment then broke away, a smile growing on his face, it looked fake. "Sylvia would no doubt be near the science district or the research center. Last time I talked with her she said she was making herself at home there." He gave a small glance at me.

I rubbed my arm unconsciously. "Well, let's get a move on then." I began walking back to where the craft was parked and everyone followed in an odd silence.

I walked into the spacecraft and sat down, waiting. Orion took his seat in the pilots chair, while Dun and Coal sat in seats behind me, talking in whispers. I rolled my eyes at them and crossed my arms, crumpling the list a little bit. 

The ride didn't take very long and we were flying over even taller buildings (if they could get taller, they were taller than the Eiffel Tower in France), and large animated objects were moving about and hovering over buildings. Some were named in different, unknown languages, but I was able to understand and read them. One said "Neon Riguesa" which made me think of a planetarium, and the words became clear and I pointed and read it aloud.

"The Neon Planetarium looks really cool." I said, everyone stared at me.

Coal sighed. "I keep forgetting that you can speak Penwisk."

I turned in my seat and looked at him and Dun. "Penwisk...?"

Coal gave me a surprised look. "Don't you remember that you studied for it in the Neon Space University? To learn Penwisk was your dream, that's like the language that everything and everyone outside Neon Empire uses. You joined the crew so that you could join the Mission Specialists to help translate in case we ran into an alien species. I swear Storm, what you remember and forget boggles me sometimes."

"Oh, right... now I err, remember." I stammered, trying to think. It came so natural to me or... Storm or... whoever I was. I forced a smile and faced towards the front. Orion landed the craft and we got out. We were staring at the building for a moment in it's size and wonder. "How are we going to find Sylvia in there? She could be anywhere..." I asked.

Dun shrugged. "Not sure, but it's definitely a good place to start looking."

We all nodded, except for Orion who seemed to suddenly be busy with his phone. As we walked in, I thought about this Penwisk language. If I had learned it... then that means my role is a translator more than a combat person... that's a good thing, because I don't know how to fight at all...