The Lost Child (Morganville Vampires)

Chapter 21

Sarah Jane Point of View

Only halfway through space and I was already missing everyone. I used the mirror in the floor to check how they were doing.

A couple of months had passed, since I left them and Mom was shifting through stuff and doing her work but she seemed restless.

Myrnin was doing his experiments with Claire, but he presumably kept shouting and just sat down in a chair, sad. Maybe nostalgic I wasn't there.

Shane, Eve and Michael were going about their daily business looking like they didn't miss me at all. The mirror rippled to Oliver who had on his expressionless mask, pouring coffee and taking orders. Then the image went. I sighed. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, when I got to my planet. I had reprogrammed the Mainframe to use its defensive mechanisms as offensive when it arrives, but that was about it. I had explored every inch of the ship, the only part I hadn't got in, were the rooms of the people who had tried to take me. The Mainframe had no entertainment, when I asked it, it just provided food and water and my own bed to sleep on. Very nice bed actually.

I looked out of the window into the blackness of space. We had passed plenty of stars, but I loved seeing the Sun and looking back on Earth. Earth is so beautiful. We had passed, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus and Neptune. I had read books about the last four planets that they were gas giants with no solid surface. I had asked the Mainframe if we could go there, but the ship had said we couldn't detour. Lastly, we passed Pluto which was given the name of a planet but now is a moon. But I still like to call Pluto a dwarf planet.

I sat back on my bed and read the few hundred books I had with me. Then I fell into a restful sleep.

Amelie's point of view

I couldn't concentrate. It had been like that, ever since Sarah Jane had left. With her kidnappers stuck on Earth I put them to work, helping Oliver and a few other shops around town. I found it quite easy the first couple of days but then I kept thinking of her and I just couldn't concentrate. Even in meetings Oliver or Myrnin had to get my attention several times.

I paced around the room and the door knocked. I sat back down.

"Come in." The guards opened the door and in walked little Claire. She seemed to be getting the brunt of Myrnins frustrations. She wasn't as good as Sarah Jane.

"Um... Myrnin said I'm fired." She said.

"Your not. Go back." I said and went back to work.

"I tried going back... I think he also tried to kill me." She said. I sighed.

"Fine, take the day off, I will go... And see him." My mind wandered back to the 9 almost 10 year old leaving in the ship. I kept having these flashes that maybe the ship would blow or she couldn't keep it on course...

"Amelie!" Claire said. I glanced back up at her.

"What?"

"I was, uh, saying... Myrnin doesn't want to see you and he says I'm not good enough anymore." She said.

"He will see me. Now if that's all, please leave." I said. She nodded and went back out of the room. I picked up my coat and drank the rest of my drink and opened a portal to Myrnins. I was never going to be able to continue my work. Stepping through, I saw Myrnin reading. It was one of the books Sarah Jane liked to read. It is about space and everything in it.

"Myrnin, why did you fire Claire?" I asked. Myrnin shrugged.

"She's been here long enough. Also, she kept getting the formula wrong." Myrnin said.

"You never had trouble with her, earlier." I said.

"Of course I didn't. She wasn't here and Sarah Jane was absolutely marvellous."

"Yes, well. Take her back because she isn't coming home anytime soon." Myrnin glared at me.

"Of course she is! She is probably coming back right now. Don't act like you don't care, Amelie, I have seen you in the meeting room. You can hardly keep your mind off her." He said. I crossed her arms.

"Of course. But it will take a long time to get there and back she will probably be old by the time she gets back. Or maybe she isn't coming back." I said. The amount of time it takes to get to her planet and back she might well be. Myrnin smashed a table full of beakers and held me against the wall. His eyes were crimson.

"Don't ever say that! She was your daughter, Amelie!" He shouted at me. I felt my own eyes going red.

"Release me, now, Myrnin." I ordered. He let go, but only to pace around the room.

"How could you say that? When she was with you, I haven't seen you like that in hundreds in years. Now you acting like she's died." Myrnin said.

"It does take a long time, Myrnin to travel across space. And the way she ages, she could be dead by the time she gets back." I said. Myrnin shook her head.

"She was talking to me and she lives much, much longer than humans. Almost as long as vampires. She will get back and she will look like a teenager. Like young Claire. She won't be dead." He said.

"And what if this plan fails? She gets taken and can't get back to the ship. Or it blows up or something and kills her? Anything that could prevent her from returning." I said. These problems had raced through my mind, never leaving.

"She is more intelligent than that, Amelie. You know this. She won't allow herself to be captured." Myrnin said.

"And what if she likes the planet? She stays there?" I asked. Myrnin touched my arms, I stiffened but he didn't squeeze any tighter.

"She will come back. I know her. She loved this planet. She won't let anything stand in her way of getting back to us." He said.

"Something could happen. She's just a little girl, who rapidly ages. Those on the other world are much stronger." I said, unable to get the horrible image of her staying or being captured out of my mind.

"You know she is more than that. She has those amazing powers. Just stop fretting about her. She can take care of herself." Myrnin said. I sighed and nodded then took Myrnins hands off me.

"Yes. I guess your right. I want you to do something for me."

"Claire is absolutely fine without me. There is no way I can teach her everything in her tiny lifespan." Myrnin said, obviously catching into what I was about to say.

"You have to, Myrnin. She helps you. You haven't had anyone like her. Don't make me have to make it an order."

"Claire is staying fired. She's not coming back here." Myrnin said going back to reading.

"Fine. But she is coming here and you will not try to kill her. Understood?" I asked. Myrnin waved his hand dismissively. "Myrnin."

"Yes, yes alright. Leave now." He said. I glared at him, then opened the portal and stepped back through.

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