Chapter 12

            We made our way back to BEN’s home and Jim ran over to where Doppler was sleeping in the shadows.

 

“Doc! Doc, wake up! I got the map,” Jim called.

 

A mechanical hand reached out and took the map from his hand.

 

“Fine work, Jimbo. Fine work indeed,” my father said.

 

“Dad,” I whispered in shock.

Jim and I looked around to see Amelia and Doppler bound and gagged.

 

“Thanks for showing us the way in, boy,” one of the crew members called while five of them surrounded us.

 

We tried to run, splitting up, but someone grabbed my arms and held me to the floor, sharply hitting my head. The scent of iron filled my senses and I was sure my head was bleeding. I glanced up and could see that Grappler was the one holding me there. I looked ahead and saw that. Mr. Fitch and Mr. Turnbuckle had captured Jim. Morph bit Fitch’s tail, resulting in him getting hit and retreating to Jim’s pocket.

 

“What’s the sorry sack of metal,” Mr. Splice asked, grabbing BEN.

 

“Not the face,” the robot yelled.

 

“You’re just like me, Jimbo and Em. Ya hates to lose,” Dad said.

 

I continued to struggle against Grappler’s hold, but he only pushed me down harder. Jim glared at my father, still trying to pull himself free. Dad worked on opening the map, but couldn’t figure out what to do. Jim had a smug look on his face.

 

“Open it,” Dad ordered, thrusting the orb in front of Jim.

 

Fitch and Turnbuckle released him so he could take the map in his hands.

 

“Jim, don’t do what he wants,” I yelled, only to be hit in the head again.

 

Blood trickled in front of my left eye and I shook my head. Jim glared at my dad even harder, a scowl on his lips.

 

“I’d get busy,” my father said, pulling out his gun.

 

Jim opened the map without even looking at it. A green light flew from the orb, making a miniature of the planet.

 

“Oh, the powers at be. Would you look,” Dad mumbled.

 

The green light then formed a beam that led out of the home we were in. My father chuckled.

 

“Tie ‘em up and leave ‘em with the others until we- What,” he asked when the beam disappeared.

 

“You want the map, you’re taking Ember and me, too,” Jim told him in a tone that meant there would be no negotiations.

 

“We’ll take ‘em all,” Dad said after a few seconds of thought.

 

We were soon loaded into the longboat with Jim, Dad and me at the bow. Doppler and Amelia were in the back, at gunpoint. My father had his arm behind Jim to make sure we didn’t try to go anywhere. Jim held the map close to his chest with one hand and used his other arm to hold me close. I pressed my sleeve against my head, trying to stop the bleeding in my head. I knew it wasn’t a serious injury, but it seemed that way because of the fact that head wounds bleed more than any other. Jim had a slightly worried expression on his face and I shook my head. We followed the light beam until it became impossible to go by longboat. We then got out of the boat and started on foot, my father leading the way. Mr. Fitch stayed behind with Amelia and Doppler. Morph came out of Jim’s pocket, making worried noises. I took him in my hands and held him close to my heart.

 

“It’s okay, Morph,” I whispered. “It’s gonna be okay.”

He flew into my jacket pocket and curled up in there. BEN came up from behind us, a concerned expression on his face.

 

“Jimmy, Emmie, I-I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starting to see my life pass in front of my eyes. At least, I think it’s my life… Was I ever dancing with and android named Lupe,” the robot asked, yelling at the end.

 

Jim shushed him and glanced over his shoulder at my father.

 

“This isn’t over yet,” he whispered and we began walking again.

 

“We’re getting’ close, lads. I smell treasure a-waitin’,” Dad yelled and pulled out the sword of his mechanical arm.

 

“Really? Because all I can smell is my blood in the air,” I muttered.

 

The bleeding had finally stopped, but I was sure it had dried into my hair and my head was pounding. Dad grabbed Jim by the shirt and cut through the vegetation. I made sure to stay by Jim’s side. We made it through, but there was nothing to be seen but an empty cliff.

 

“Where is it,” my father asked.

 

“I see nothing. One great, big, stinking hung of nothing,” Mr. Onus yelled.

 

The beam of light disappeared, retracting into the gold sphere in Jim’s hands. He began pressing buttons on it, but nothing happened.

 

“What’s going on, Jimbo,” Dad demanded.

 

“I don’t know. I can’t get it open,” Jim answered, still struggling.

 

“We should’ve never followed this boy,” Mr. Splice yelled, shoving Jim to the ground.

 

I kneeled beside him to make sure he was alright.

 

“I suggest you get that gizmo going again, and fast,” Dad threatened.

 

“He can’t,” I yelled.

 

“Let’s rip his gizzard right out, right now,” Mr. Turnbuckle called.

 

“Throw him over cliff,” Mr. Onus suggested.

 

I stood up and in their way, my arms out to the sides.

 

“You want to kill him, you’ll have to get through me first,” I yelled.

 

Jim then stuck the map in an indent in the ground and a green light poured into the metal beneath our feet. I turned around to see a strange holographic orb come out of the ground, in front of Jim. Seven beams of light all came forward and converged in front of us, forming a large, triangular-shaped door. It opened to reveal the swirling blue clouds of the Lagoon Nebula.

 

“Oh, have mercy,” my dad murmured.

 

“The Lagoon Nebula,” Jim asked in disbelief.

 

“But that’s halfway across the galaxy,” I whispered.

 

“A big door… opening and closing,” Jim mumbled, pressing a space on the green orb. “Let’s see… Kinapis… Montressor spaceport.”

 

He pressed the small crescent and the doors revealed the spaceport we’d left from three months prior.

 

“So that’s how Flint did it,” I whispered, pressing various locations.

 

“He used this portal to roam the universe, stealing treasure.”

 

My father shoved both of us away from the map.

 

“But where’d he stash it all,” he demanded. He began pressing many locations, trying to find it. “Where’s that blasted treasure?!”

 

“Treasure! Treasure! It’s buried in the,” BEN started, sounding as if he was going to malfunction.

 

“Buried in the centroid of the mechanism,” Jim finished.

 

“What,” I asked.

 

“What if the whole planet is the mechanism… and the treasure is buried in the center of this planet?”

 

The crew started digging, but was shot down when Mr. Turnbuckle’s pick ricocheted back at him.

 

“And how in blue blazes are we supposed to get there,” Dad demanded.

 

Jim walked over to the map and pressed a location.

 

“Just open the right door,” he answered and a large, open area with metal spires was shown.

 

Jim reached forward and stuck his hand through the portal before going in. I walked through with him. Before we could go far, my dad put his hands on our shoulders to stop us. The whole crew followed behind him. The sight before us made my jaw drop. There was gold and jewelry as far as the eye could see.

 

“Oh my,” I whispered in chock.

 

The crew all ran forward, cheering wildly.

 

“The loot of a thousand worlds,” my dad whispered and let us go.

 

I took Jim’s hand in mine and he squeezed it tightly.

 

“We are going to need a bigger boat,” Mr. Onus yelled.

 

The entire core of the planet was a sphere of treasure. My lifelong goal was to take this treasure with my father. Now, just seeing it, knowing it existed, was enough.

 

“This is all seeming very familiar,” BEN mumbled.

 

I looked past him and saw an old, run-down ship. I glanced back at my father, only to see him preoccupied with all the treasure around us. I pulled on Jim and pushed BEN forward.

 

“Jim, BEN, come on,” I whispered, leading them to the ship. “We’re getting out of here and I’ll make sure you don’t leave empty-handed.”