The first thing your felt was your whole body was trembling. Something was rumbling beneath your bottom as you sat, making your legs feel numb. A familiar smell of dill and sweat reached your nostrils and you wrinkled your nose in disgust. Your mouth hurt from something rough tied around it and the inside of your lips were raw and tasted of metal.
You finally opened your eyes and was met with the backs of various creatures that obscured the view in front of them. It took you a moment to realize from the moving scenery that you were on a longboat and next to you was Silver and the familiar smell was coming from him. Your heart immediately hammered in your chest and in a panic, you let out a scream, but it was muffled by the gag. You tried to remove the gag but your hands couldn't move far enough to untie the pressing knot behind your head.
Your scream caught the attention of some pirates and they turned their faces to jeer at you. You recognized most of their faces and counted six of them. Only six. There was more than double that number. They must have stayed on the ship or the pirates killed the unloyal off...
"Calm down, lassie," Silver said. "Couldn't leave you on the ship cause we couldn't let you steer it away when you came to. We know how ye ain't a quitter."
You opened your eyes just as they began to water with tears. You were scared to die, no doubt, and possibly by the man you and Jim were close to. You tearfully kept silent, your throat hurting as a lump formed inside. You looked up at the blue sky and widened your eyes when you saw smoke billowing from above the mushroom trees.
Jim.
Your mouth tasted more metal as you fought hard not to cry out. It made you anxious once the longboat landed and everyone but you and one other pirate jumped off the longboat to look for survivors. You wanted to be among them.
When Silver hopped of the boat, you cried out through your gag to get his attention. You wanted to go with him. Not to run away, but to see for yourself if Jim was alive. Silver turned around and saw your terrified gaze, and a small flicker of emotion you caught and recognized as pity passed his face before he turned again and hopped off.
"Keep an eye on her, Mr. Onus," Silver said roughly, his voice sounded harsh and sadness dripped from it.
Mr. Onus, the short green creature with multiple eyes nodded his eyes and hopped back on the boat and took a seat in front of you with his back facing you. Then Silver cocked a gun on his automail arm and silently gave orders to the rest of his crew.
Your heart began to palpitate as you closed your eyes and heaved in large breathfuls of air. This can't be happening. This is all a dream--a bad nightmare. It has to be. One of your fears coming true. You didn't crash into a planet called Montressor and wake up from a coma and therefore there was no way Jim is gone--or Stygian and Delbert and Captain Amelia because you've never met them. This is all just a figment of your imagination. A distraction inside your coma as time flies in the real world.
Or maybe you're already dead and you're being punished by reliving this memory.
You shut your eyes tighter and clawed your thighs, hoping the pain would wake you, nothing happened when you reopened them. It only made the feeling that you were dreaming much worse. You calmed yourself and reopened your eyes and looked all around you.
It is all real.
This is really happening.
Jim is in danger.
You let out a muffled wail and sobbed. Everyone is gone. Jim didn't survive the crash. He couldn't have.
But then why are they taking so long to find them? The smoke is just ahead so the ship must be. Relief bubbled in your chest when you realized it was possible they have escaped long before you arrived. You just need to know for sure and then look for the locations where they would have gone to.
"Oh shut up will you?" Mr. Onus said behind his shoulder, his eyes simultaneously glaring at you.
You raised your head, finally recognizing that voice. It was the same pitch tone as that creature who stalked you in town more than a week ago. He looked the same height, too. You pinched your brows and then decided this could be an advantage. You looked around yourself; your weapons were most likely confiscated and you needed something sharp to cut the rope on your wrists. You found nothing, and you don't want to waste anymore time.
You formulated a small plan to escape in your head as you roughly pulled the gag from your lips. Your mouth burned and the corner of your lips stung, but you wouldn't let this unphase you. "You've been to Montressor, haven't you?" You asked casually, licking the raw skin on the corners of your lips, then grimacing.
Onus didn't answer, he just raised his cutlass and began sharpening it. You grinned.
"Shorty, I'm talking to you," you tried again.
This time, he turned around with glares, "What?"
"You heard me the first time. You were stalking me last week weren't you. In town?"
He scowled, but before he could respond, rustling was heard from ahead and a few moments later, Silver popped out. Immediately, Onus stood up.
"Found them, Captain?"
Silver's eyes landed on yours, it was discreet, and they held an emotion you couldn't comprehend. Then he looked at your ungagged mouth. He looked back at Onus. "No. They're gone. We're gonna search the area before taking off."
Your eyes widened and hope fluttered in your heart. You almost sighed with relief.
"Aye aye, Captain," Onus said.
"Stay here and keep an eye in here, ya hear me?"
"Aye, captain."
Silver left, and Onus turned around with an evil grin. "Well, then, looks like yer friends survived," he said in his high pitched voice. "Good thing, too. I would like to see them die in front of you. Dying this way was boring." He grinned maliciously before turning his back to you and sitting down.
Is this guy really that confident or just plain stupid to have left you facing his back? Doesn't matter, it is now or never. You need to find everyone and formulate a plan to escape this planet. You have a strange feeling you know where to look.
You leaned forward, eyeing Onus' cutlass as he stupidly leaned the hilt against the wooden seat. "Hey, Shorty, does your ass still hurt from that fireblast? I guess you can't get your head out of your ass anymore and you'll be stubborn forever."
Onus turned around angrily, but before he could speak or raise himself, you stood up fast and kicked his eyes. He grunted and then stumbled backward and fell out the longboat. You snatched his small cutlass and stood on the edge of the boat and nearly stumbled. The drop was about ten feet, a plain sand clearing wad below. Without hesitating, you dropped the cutlass first and watched as it clattered below. Then you quickly dropped down and, at the right time, you put yourself in a ducking position and rolled on the ground and landed on your stomach. You gasped, the breath knocked out of your lungs.
"Hey, get back here!"
You scrambled to your feet--which was difficult with your hands tied--and turned around and snatched the cutlass from the ground and fled to the forest. Your bound wrists made it difficult to run, but you refused to stop and break them with the cutlass for you would lose too much time.
Running around the jungle seemed to open something in your mind. You knew which direction to go, no matter how many deliberate wrong turns you made to confuse the pirates as they maybe chasing you. You used the cutlass with both hands to cut vines and eventually the rope around your wrists. You ran much faster after that.
You sprint for a while longer and focused on breathing. Sweat drenched your shirt and you took off your sweater and wrapped it around ypur waist as you took a short break underneath short bushes and vines. You heard nothing but the sound of you labored breathing.
You pinched your eyebrows when you heard not a single footstep or longboat looming overhead. Not even yells or jeers. You didn't want to stay standing like a sitting duck and wait for them to find you, so continued on your way. You sprinted more casually, so as to hear for anything ahead and behind you.
As you jogged for about another five minutes, you heard a strange yell and you to stop in your tracks and ran for cover underneath a large tree root and branches. You listened for a few seconds and heard nothing.
Absolutely nothing except your breathing, once again.
No birds, insects, not even the sound of the wind rustling the leaves. You remembered that terrifying dream of Flint where he told you of creatures who used to live in this planet and were killed off by your weapons. Could it be true? Why else would you have dreamt about it?
You heard another rustle, this time it came from behind you. You leapt from your hiding spot and sprinted harder in a panic. Adrenaline pumped in your veins and allowed you to sprint faster and longer. You don't know what that was, but you didn't want to find out. Maybe the pirates have caught up to you, or maybe Flint was wrong about the whole planet wiped out of living creatures. Doesn't matter, you needed to find everyone else. Maybe you're far enough now that you could call one of their names.
The area around you suddenly grew marshier and denser with round and dark plant objects. It gave you the creeps, especially with the sun beginning to go down and all, it made them look terrifying in the shadows.
You heard voices ahead, and slowly trudged ahead and peered through the shrubs. You couldn't contain a gasp when you saw the back of Jim and Morph and a strange new addition. He was a robot with thingblimbs and a huge oval shaped head and he was parting some leaves from a bush and looking at Jim with an uneasy smile. Where are the others? Where's Stygian?
Your heart dropped when you realized they may be dead and Silver was half telling the truth when he said Jim and the others were gone. Did he mean dead? You covered your mouth to cover a small sob as you thought of your long time companion being dead.
You leaned in farther to call Jim's attention, but your foot landed on soft sand and soon you tumbled out of the bushes and rolled around the dirt until you landed on your stomach on a small clearing.
You groaned and slid your arms up and readied to raised yourself when your name was called from ahead. You looked up and saw Jim standing frozen still with a surprised look. The robot behind him turned and saw you.
"Oh! Another friend of yours?" He asked in a chipper tone.
Jim didn't answer and ran after you, tripping on a rock but he kneeled in front of you and grabbed your arms and raised you up.
Then he bunched you up in is arms for the longest time before pulling back to look at your face. "I-I can't believe you're alive," he said.
You embraced Jim again and hissed painfully when you put pressure on your ankle. You wanted to cry both from the pain and joy from seeing Jim again.
It wasn't long when their longboat departed without you, leaving you devastated, but it has been long since last night that you and Jim had really seen each other. You were terrified that that would be your last time together--but you were also partially relieved that you could experience something new and memorable with him...
Looking at him brought tears in your eyes as you remembered Silver's cruel words about you and Jim and later when you almost could have lost Jim in the crash. Jim's eyes watered as well as you two stared at each other in a moment of silent tenderness.
Finally, you let out a sob and collapsed in his arms. It's only been less than a day, but after all that's happened, you missed him. "Silver...he-" you said in between a hiccup.
Jim hugged you tight and gripped your jacket as if afraid of letting go would cause you to disappear. "I know. I saw the whole thing."
You pulled back, tears spilling from your face and causing a trail to clean the dirt on your face. "You saw the whole thing? When?"
Jim nodded and then carressed a thumb over your cheek. Unbeknownst to you, he found you more charming despite your unappealing appearance.
"I'll explain later. I have to find a hiding place for everyone." He turned his head, but then he did a double take on your face. He grabbed your chin and looked at your swollen lips. He scowled. "Did they tie you up?"
You pushed his hand away. "That's not important now. Did everyone make it? Even Stygian?"
Jim's brows pinched as he stared at the redness on your lips, but before he could say anything, the new companion interrupted.
"Um, HELLO? Remember me? Robot with the missing mind and desperately has to go wiz?"
You looked over at the robot. His short, bronze cylindrical face and giant grid eyes felt familiar. The compass on his chest did too.
"Oh, uh, this is-" Jim began.
"B.E.N.," you said as a crack in your mind allowed the name to slip through as well as a few more other things. "You're B.E.N. The Bio-Electronic Navigator from The Walrus."
"Uh, YEAH. And you are...." he said and narrowed his strange green eyes.
You looked at Jim who had his brows pinched at you. You told B.E.N. your name and he raised his eyebrows. "Oh, you mean like the pirate?"
"Yes, I am her. I remember fixing you."
"Are you sure? You don't really look like her. You know, she was a strange one. Very helpful indeed, but she suffered from depression or something because she looked sad all the time. She and this other boy always had it going on, you know? They thought no one was looking, but oh, were they looking."
"Okay!" You jumped forward with your hands in front of you. "Nice meeting you again and all. And yes, that was me. I am her. I just...lived longer, okay?"
A small shuffling in the bushes caused you to remember the true issue that your secrets being blabbed out by a loquacious robot.
You turned around to look at Jim. "Silver. They have to be close by. We need to leave now."
Jim nodded. "B.E.N. said he found us a place. Let's go check it out and then we'll get everyone else."
You looled at B.E.N as he doing the potty dance.
"Why did I have to program you with a bladder?" You groaned. You looked at Jim. "How far are the others?"
"Not far. But we have to hurry. How far was your boat deployed?"
"Not far enough. Let's go." You bent down and picked up your cutlass and followed B.E.N. out the dark marshy area and climbed down a large root and trudged towards a large, steep mountain-shaped dome.
"So!" BEN said during the short journey. "Are you and Jimmy you know, a thing?"
"Yes," you answered quickly and pursed your lips in annoyance. "Now shut up. Your voice is too loud. You could attract unwanted attention." You glanced nervously behind you.
But he didnt listen. "You two remind me so much of this one couple I knew years before. Im talking a LOOOOONG time ago, you know. A hundred years back on The Walrus."
You continued walking beside Jim and paused only when a giant root and cliff stood in your way. Looking at Jim, you said, "Hoist me up?"
He nodded and bent to a squat and interlocked his fingers, palm facing upwards, in front of him.
"They always were together; laughing and telling jokes. Flint disapproved of that, but as long as she worked for him, he was okay. "
You took a few steps back and crouched halfway in a sprint stance.
"Of course, then that guy whats his name? Oh--EDWARD. Yes, that dude really wanted to leave and he wanted that girl to go with him."
"B.E.N, shut up." You said and sprint toward Jim and at the right moment, you planted your foot on Jim's palms and he pushed you up. Using your hands, you pulled yourself up and stood.
"But then Flint found out and i think he threatened to harm them both or something because then edward left without saying goodbge to anyone--"
"Okay, B.E.N. your turn," Jim said and lead BEN toward the cliff and positioned himself in crouch.
BEN clumsily placed a foot on Jim's hands and was hoisted up, but his hand slipped on the cliff before ypu could catch him and he began kicking dirt on Jim's face. You then lay on your stomach and pulled Jim up with along with B.E.N's weak arm strength.
You continued to follow B.E.N. and havent forgotten what he said about Edward. Could it be true? Was Edward threatened to leave without you? The thought of Flint doing that sort of thing didn't seem unlikely to be true, and you grit your teeth. "Fucking bastard," you muttered under your breath.
Jim turned his head, having heard you. "What?"
You looked at him with you angry look. "Flint. That bastard had a lot of secrets he never told me. He kept me as a slave and did whatever he could to keep me. To think I used to admire him."
Jim took your hand and gave you a gentle squeeze. You returned the gesture.
Finally, you all reached the hill where the large dome stood and began to climb up the tall threshold. Once inside, you awed at the arched cieling. It was at least 40 feet high and many strange markings similar to that on the Map's surface were carved all around, including the floor. The floor was covered in moss and the inside was practically a metal junkyard.
Ben rushed inside and cleared a mess on a small table. "Sorry for the mess. You'd think in a hundred years I would've dusted a little more often, but, you know, when you're batchin' it you tend to, uh, let things go."
Jim looked out the archway and said, "I have to go get the others, you wait here with B.E.N. who knows what crazy thing he'll do to attract anyone's attention."
You turned around. "What? You can't go alone. What if Silver is already near? Let me go with you. Besides, you're unarmed."
Jim stepped forward and touched your elbows, sending a tingling sensation up your arms and a queasy feeling of anxiety in your stomach. "Ill be fine. Besides, the captain gave me this--" he pulled out a solar berretta from his back pocket.
You frowned. "Is that mine?"
Jim nodded. "I was going to give it to you if--when I saw you again. You can have it back."
You shook your head. "No, you need it right now. Keep it for now."
Jim nodded and shoved the Berretta into his pants. You looked into each others eyes. A thousand words passed then. You stepped forward and pressed your lips onto Jim's and leaned forward and deepened the kiss. For a moment, you two were alone and if you could trade your forgotten memories just to be with Jim, you would. They weren't good memories anyways.
You pulled back slowly and cupped a hand on his cheek where his scar was. "Hurry back."
Jim grinned and nodded. Then he hopped over the threshold and ran down the sloping hill to retrieve his friends.
You looked at BEN as his back faced you. He was shoving and kicking metal junk aside in poor attempts to tidy up his place, but it created some clamor and made the dome look messier. Your eyes met his wires sticking out of his head where his memory circuit should be and envied him.
At least he is able remember by just finding the circuit and slapping it on his head. Unlike you, your memories could never return. But for the better, you believe. But it is still frustrating to come across random things that trigger your memory and still not recover them all.
So far, you knew about where you were born, how you became a pirate, how you know the crewmates, rescuing Stygian, and some bit on how you met Silver. It was still hazy, but you distinctly remember a bar, a boy covered in stitches, and that's it. But now how you became immortal was beyond you.
You recoiled. That was the first time you've ever considered yourself by that name.
Immortal.
You're sure it had something to do with Flint. Everytime something happens to you, Flint is always there.
You sat on the moss covered ground with your back against the threshold and lay the cutlass by your side. Then about a few minutes later, you heard soft footsteps outside. Grabbing the cutlass, you peeked over the threshold carefully and stood up immediately when you saw Delbert carrying Captain Amelia.
"What happened to her?" You asked as he paused momentarily in shock. You glanced back outside and widened your eyes as Jim carried Stygian who had one unfolded wing look bent.
Delbert seemed speechless when he saw you. He stuttered ypur name. "How did you--when did you get here?"
"I'll explain later. Get inside before they catch you."
You dropped the cutlass to usher everyone inside and then joined Delbert as he lay Captain Amelia against a metal tube. Jim lay a softly bleeting Stygian beside her. Ypu bent down and carressed his scaly face.
"Aww. Isnt that sweet? I just find old romance so touching, don't you think?" B.E.N. said. Then he whipped around and produced a platter with all assortments of gasoline and drinks no human could consume. "How about some drinks for the happy couple?"
Delbert grimaced. "Ooh. No thanks. We don't drink. And we are not a couple." He looked down at the hurt Captain with some tenderness in his eyes. You noticed she did the same
"What happened to her? She is going to be all right, right? She's got nine lives. And what happened to Stygian?" You asked aloud.
Jim rushed to your side and placed a hand on your elbow. "The Captain's fine. Just a few broken ribs. As for Stygian, he broke a wing during the crash."
Your eyes widened. "You didn't tell me you had crashed!"
Jim's brows pinched. "I thought you knew. Didn't you see when the laser ball hit us?"
Your mouth dropped open. "No! I was in the emergency exit when you left. Silver knocked me out before taking me with him."
"Did they hurt you at all?"
"This is not about me!"
"Okay! Enough you two," Delbert said and spread his arms out between you.
Beside him, the Captain began to stir. "Is that MS. Hawkins i hear?" She mumbled.
"You mean Ms. Read?" Delbert corrected.
"Ms. Read, what are you doing here?" She asked and opened her eyes." How did you find us? Were you followed?"
You pursed your lips. "I was brought with them and escaped. It is certain they did follow me, but only one man was stationed at the boat with me when I escaped. It would have taken a minute to round the rest of the pirates and chase me. So, I ran in many different directions to throw them off my path kept in shadows."
"How many?"
"At least six."
"How long ago?"
"I think about twenty minutes ago. I didn't go too far."
The Captain exhaled painfully and grabbed her side. She straightened and leaned forward. "In that case, we've already been found. Listen to me, stop anyone who tries to approach--gah!" She grabbed her side and fell back into Delbert's arm.
Delbert knelt beside her. "Stop giving orders for a few milliseconds and lay still!"
While he tended to her, you looked at Jim. "Where's the map? Did you lose it in the crash?"
Jim glanced away. "Uh. No."
"'No' what? Did you lose it or not?" You asked forcefully and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Answer me, Jim."
"We, uh, we did not lose it in the crash because it was never with us?" Jim smiled sheepishly.
You let go of Jim and took a step back in shock. "Again, what do you mean? Where the hell is it?"
Jim bit his bottom lip, which in different circumstances you would have found attractive, but you were tired, having exerted yourself while running; and angry at Jim for taking too long in his answer.
Jim fidgeted with his fingers. "It's, uh, back on the ship."
Your jaw clenched. You were silent, waiting.
"In the emergency exit in a bundle of rope. Morph took it," he added quickly.
You covered your face in your hands and groaned. "Jim! How could you let this happen?"
"Hey, it's not my fault! Morph took it from me and thought it was a toy! Because of him, I almost died getting on the boat."
Before you could retort, B.E.N. called out from the threshold. He was pointing outside when he spoke, a maniac grin on his face. "Hey look! There's some more of your buddies!"
Before you could shout at him to stop, he had captured the attention of the pirates outside the dome and soon lasers began firing in his direction. You and Jim rushed forward. You pulled B.E.N. back inside the dome while Jim fired back at them from outside. You picked up the cutlass instinctively, knowing it would be of no use right now.
The only thing in your mind for that brief time was that they've found you. Could you have really led them here? Would it have been safer if you had stayed?
The firing ceased, and Jim hid behind the corner of the dome, awaiting more firing. But instead, Silver's voice broke through.
"Hello up there! Jimbo? I know yer other friend is there too. Tell her to come see me with you."
You peered over and saw Silver waving a white handkerchief in surrender with a friendly smile on his lips. You would have approached him, if it weren't for the fact that he tried to kill Jim and possibly you.
Silver climbed up the uproot and hollered. "If it's all right with the captain, I'd like to have a few words with the both of ya. No tricks. Just a friendly palaver."
Behind you, the Captain hissed. "Come to bargain with the map, doubtless...how pestilential." She widened her eyes and groaned deeply. Delbert pulled her back in a seating position against the metal tube.
Your eyes met Jims and a similar thought was shared between the two of you. Then Jim broke out in a grin.
"Then that means he thinks we still have it."