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*`*`*`*`*`*
Chapter Four:
And so the Curse Continues
*`*`*`*`*`*
After a long bout of laughing, Kain and Kate sat in complete silence on the bridge watching the stars float by slowly.
The young man still could not forget the story just told. It was by far the most ridiculous introduction he had ever heard.
Kain tried to rub the drowsiness from his eyes. Though the story was entertaining enough, the lack of sleep was starting
to get to him and so was the silence. "Well that's sort of a strange way to recruit someone."
The redheaded captain turned at the sudden remark. "Yes it is, but don't tell Beth that I said anything. If she ever
found out shed probably..." Kate's face turned very pale at the thought of what might happen.
"I get the picture." Kain gave her a wink. They sat in silence for a while longer, thinking about the wrath
of Beth.
"Little man!" A loud voice came from the doorway to the bridge causing the two occupants of the room to turn
around in surprise. Kate's face went even paler then before, and her heart skipped a beat. Even if she was stronger then Beth,
she feared the unsteady trigger finger on this winged time bomb.
"The next time you see that girl trying to make her "juice", stop her. If I have to clean up after one
more mess because of your carelessness, I swear..." The blue haired vixen traipsed over to the innocent looking brunette,
who had gotten up from his seat and was trying to make a run for the door behind her.
"I said I was sorry." Kain but his arms up to cover his face in case the angry woman decided to use him as a
punching bag as he passed. "I guess milk would be a better choice of beverage for her."
"And what is that suppose to mean?" Beth got a very strange glimmer in her eyes. Over in the captain's chair
Kate slapped her forehead.
"Oh nothing. It was just a suggestion." Kain quickly made his way around the angry obstacle and out the door,
letting a sigh of relief.
"You don't have to be so violent, the guy doesn't know any better." Kate shook her head in disappointment for
her friend's behavior. After Kain's little joke Kate had to watch what she said.
The violet-eyed girl turned to her captain. "I know, but for some reason I don't trust him. He's too nosey."
Kate started to sweat. "Had she heard me?"
"What are you talking about?" Beth eyed her suspiciously.
"Were you reading my thoughts again?" The red head fumed, trying to take the pressure off of her self.
"Uh..." It was now Beth's turn to get nervous; though she tried to act tough she knew she was no match for her
captain.
"It doesn't matter, but what makes you think he's being nosey?"
"Lets just say Jamie talks too much for her own good. Not to mention ours."
It didn't take Kate long to understand what her friend had meant. This was interesting. Now that Beth mentioned it, it
was kind of odd that Kain was asking all these questions. But until the danger of telling Kain anything presented itself they
would just have to deal with the questions.
"Just don't worry about it right now. At this moment we have other things to attend to, like this Airison guy."
"Right, but one more thing," Beth looked at the red head. "Why are you so paranoid about me hearing what
you and Kain were talking about?"
Kate gave a nervous laugh and tried to look as innocent as she could. "No reason."
*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*
"Such sport." A scruffy man eyed the ship that was on his view screen. "You can run away all you want,
but you'll never lose me. It's kind of ingenious of you to figure out that my ship only works when following another ships
particle trail."
A shadowy figure walked up behind the scruffy man. "Why don't you just give up? How long have you been chasing them?"
"Seven years since they took my prize from me..."
"You're sad brother. Just let them alone." The shadow's voice faded out as it left the room as suddenly as it
came.
"You're too weak brother. I'm never letting them go."
*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*
"It"s about time." Beth noted as Jamie entered the bridge.
"Sorry, I had to take ten showers before my skin color went back to normal." Jamie nervously rubbed the back
of her head as she headed towards her station.
She still had one or two purple spots on her face. "So whats our status?"
Beth turned around to talk to Jamie. She let out a loud giggle, the bright shade of purple did go well with her green
outfit. "This Airison guy is still floating nearby. Can you do a scan and see if there is a habitable planet nearby that
we could hide out on?"
"I'm on it!" Jamie went right to work at her consul, pressing buttons so fast that it was hard to see what she
was doing.
"And?" Kate immediately inquired hoping for some positive news for once.
"Got one!" Jamie shouted in triumph. "There's a place only five light-years from here and we can get there
in about two hours, I've sent the coordinates to Beth's consul."
"Good, you know what to do." Kate gave her the okay as she walked out of the bridge.
Beth nodded and confirmed the coordinates and the ship roared to life. They were on their way with the bounty hunter in
tow.
*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*
"I thought that you said this was a habitable planet?" Kate glared at her engineer. As far as the eye could
see, there was nothing but rocks and dirt. A dry wind swirled the dust in the air and into their eyes.
"Well we are able to breath the atmosphere." Jamie answered sheepishly.
"Quit saying 'well', 'well' is bad, I don't like to hear 'well'" The captain started to search the barren landscape
for some kind of shelter. "Besides, when I said habitable, I meant populated."
"And you consider yourselves normal enough to blend in?" Kain added.
Beth went over to him and slapped him over the head.
"OW! What was that for?"
"For being you."
Kain glared at Beth while rubbing the back of his head. He soon turned his attention to the sky overhead, watching a ship
descend. "Whatever, but I think you better save your strength for that guy." He pointed at their new company.
"Great." Kate messaged her temples. "Now what do we do? We're sitting ducks and I have too much of a headache
to think. Too much has happened, only one more thing can make this whole situation much more worse and that would be"
As soon as those words left her mouth a figure appeared on the sand dune to their left.
"HEY GUYS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"
"IT'S THE DEVIL! RUN!" Beth shouted pointing in the direction of the sweaty, stinky creature named Mindy.
"OH YOURE SO FUNNY BETH!" Mindy ran up and hugged the frightened pilot. "IT'S GREAT THAT YOU GUYS CAME
WHEN YOU DID, BECAUSE I WAS JUST ABOUT READY TO DIE SINCE I CRASHED ON THIS PLANET THREE DAYS AGO WITH NO FOOD!"
"I hate you Jamie." Beth gasped for air as Mindy squeezed her to the point that the entire company could hear
her back pop.
"WAIT! ISN'T THAT THE GUY THAT RAN INTO ME JUST BEFORE I LEFT?" Mindy walked over to the man who was obviously
trying to stay as far away from her as possible.
"Wasn't it you who ran into me?"
"NO! I WOULD HAVE MISSED YOU BY A MILE IF YOU HADN'T SWERVED RIGHT INTO ME!"
"My," Kain looked around nervously. "Don't we have a lack in depth perception."
Mindy continued to look over the brunette man with great curiosity, occasionally poking him. "Will you cut that out?
We have a problem on our hands and youre not quiet helping."
Mindy blinked at him and continued to poke. "YOURE VERY WELL BUILT! HOW DO YOU SPELL RRRRRRRAR!" Kain's eyes
went wide with extreme fright looked at the others for help but unfortunately, he would receive no help from either Beth or
Kate. For they were on the ground laughing themselves to tears. Jamie on the other hand was clenching her fists and had an
unreadable expression was on her face, one Kain had never seen before.
"Someone, please! A little help here?" Mindy then latched herself to the poor man. Squeezing the life out of
him, as she had done moments before to Beth.
"ITS BEEN A WHILE SINCE IVE BEEN AROUND A REAL MAN!"
"Let go of him." Jamie growled under her breath.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY JAMIE?" Mindy turned her head in surprise in Jamie's direction.
"I said unhand him and let us GROWNUPS work."
Kate and Beth stopped laughing and gawked at Jamie's sudden temperament change. Surprisingly Mindy backed away from Kain
in fear.
"Now before I hurt you, go back to the ship." Mindy, again to the other's complete surprise, made her way to
the ship.
Jamie gave a sigh after the creature had vanished and turned to her friends with a bright smile on her face. Looking out
of the corner of her eye she could see
Kain's face. The sudden change of character seemed to agree with him. His smile made Jamie blush a little till she came
back to reality, where everyone was looking at her. "Okay then, lets go kick some bounty hunter butt!"
The others numbly nodded and they turned their attention to the navy blue ship not too far off.
Not too their surprise the ship already had its ramp down, indicating that someone had possibly already disembarked.
Beth but a hand on the gun at her hip and mumbled, "Great, our 'friend' just gave this Airison guy the advantage."
"You're the one with the good senses and the telepathy, why don't you make yourself useful." Kain retorted.
Beth gave the young man another glare and reluctantly did what he suggested. In the cliffs just above them Beth could
hear the sand shuffle from weighted footsteps, but she was sensing the thoughts of three different people outside of their
area radius.
"That's weird." Beth tried to think of who else could be out in the wasteland other than Airison.
"What?" Questioned Kate, seeing the confusion that was obvious on Beth's face .
The echo of a guns rapport floated in the air as everyone turned their attention to the hole in the ground just left of
Jamie's foot. Beth had her gun out and was searching for a target.
"Up there!" Kain pointed to the cloaked figure above them holding a large double-barreled gun and a struggling
Mindy.
"What do you want with us?" Kate yelled up to the scruffy figure.
"That's a stupid question." Beth sneered.
"You know very well what I'm after Miss Fibratore!" Airison shouted down to them. "I'm after that bounty
on your beautiful head. Now be good girls and give up
before I shoot your little friend here in the head."
"There's a bounty on our heads?" Kate and Jamie shouted in unison and started to dance around after giving each
other a high five.
Kain looked on in utter disbelief as Beth shook her head mumbling something incoherent under her breath. Airison up on
the cliff was more than surprised and muttered. "This will be easier than I thought."
The two suddenly remembered the situation and stopped dancing to compose themselves.
"Go ahead! It'll save us the trouble of doing it ourselves. That way we can conserve food and air." Kate smiled,
she was glad to hear no objections from Jamie.
Airison was not expecting such an answer from the red head and threw the struggling 'girl' off to the side. "Well
in that case we'll have to do this the hard way."
Airison took aim and began to shoot.
Beths magnificent blue wings fluttered, causing her to rise into the air. Jamie had disappeared then reappeared behind
a rock a few yards away. The red haired woman floated in the air beside Beth. Kain on the other hand stayed put. His gun was
out and aimed at the scruffy man on the cliff.
"You can't have them. The bounty is mine."
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