Chapter 13

            We made it to the ship and Jim gave me a boost before pulling himself up. He then leaned over to help BEN.

 

“Do you know what’s strange,” the robot asked, “I can’t tell you how frustrating it is, Jimmy, ‘cause there’s something just… It’s nagging at the back of my mind.”

 

He fell onto the ship and I turned around to see a skeleton in a chair. Jim saw it too.

 

“Captain Flint,” we both whispered in shock as I walked up to it.

 

“In the flesh,” BEN exclaimed. “Well, s-sort of, except for skin, organs or anything that-that-that resembles flesh… that’s not there.”

 

In Flint’s boney fingers, I saw a piece of metal. I pulled it out of his grasp, breaking his fingers off, and examined it. It looked like some kind of computer chip.

 

“And yet it’s so odd, you know,” BEN continued, “I mean, I remember there was something horrible Flint didn’t want anyone else to know, but I-I just can’t remember what it was.”

 

“What’s that,” Jim asked, referring to the chip in my hand.

 

“Oh, a mind is a terrible thing to lose!”

 

Suddenly, it clicked.

 

“BEN, I think I just found your mind,” I exclaimed, running up to him. “Hold still.”

 

I placed my hand on his head and aimed the chip to the back of it, where all the wires were coming loose.

 

“Aah! Emmie, your hands are very, very cold,” BEN said.

 

“Says the metal robot. Hold still, will ya,” I answered and put the chip in place. BEN jolted and spun around once.

 

“Whoa! Hello. You know, uh, guys, I was just thinking… I was just think- It’s all flooding back! All my memories! Right up until Flit pulled my memory circuits so I could never tell anybody about his booby trap!” There was a huge crash. “Speaking of which…”

 

We looked around to see explosions all over, in the metal spires.

 

“No,” I whispered.

 

“Flint wanted to make sure that nobody could ever steal his treasure so he rigged this whole planet to blow higher than a Kalepsian kite,” BEN explained.

 

“What?!”

 

One of the spires fell, crashing into the planet’s core and cracking it. A laser beam began destroying all of the treasure.

 

“Run! Run for you lives,” BEN yelled to us.

 

“You go back and help the captain and Doc,” Jim ordered, running over to the controls. “If I’m not there in five minutes, leave without me.”

 

He went under the control board and started messing with the wires. I ran over to help. BEN pulled Jim out by his boots.

 

“I am not leaving my buddy Jimmy,” he yelled. Jim glared harshly at him. “Unless he looks at me like that… Bye, Jim!”

 

With that, BEN ran off.

 

“Ember, go with him,” Jim ordered.

 

I reached over and hooked up two wires.

 

“Not happening. I’m making sure you get out of here,” I answered.

 

“It’s not safe for you here.”

 

“Since when have I ever played it safe? Attach those two wires.”

 

Jim gave up talking me out of it and quickly finished hooking up all of the wires. We came up to see that the lasers were completely destroying everything. The ship still wouldn’t work properly, though. I ducked under the control panel and moved a few more wires.

 

“Try it now,” I called

 

Jim started up the ship and it began moving.

 

“Yes,” he yelled, “Morph, Ember, we are so out of here!”

 

I stood back up, a smile on my face. Jim was at the wheel, turning us towards the door.

 

“Ah, Jimbo,” we heard my father call. He had somehow gotten onto the ship. “Aren’t you the seventh wonder of the universe?”

 

Jim grabbed a nearby sword, holding it to my father. I took the wheel and kept us on course for the door.

 

“Get back,” Jim threatened.

 

“I like you, lad, but I’ve come too far to let you, and even me own daughter, stand between me and me treasure,” Dad said, moving forward.

 

Jim backed up and I was pressed to the wheel, unable to move it. A laser hit the ship, causing us to go flying from it. My dad and I landed on a small, slanted platform. Jim, however, flew off and had to grasp onto a ledge jutting out. That ledge was slowly retracting, though, and there was a pit of molten gold at the bottom of the chasm. My dad had somehow managed to hold onto the edge of the ship and refused to let go.

 

“Jim,” I screamed and reached out.

 

I was barely on the platform and nearly slipped off, but my dad grabbed the edge of my jacket. He pulled me back to keep me from falling.

 

“Ember,” Jim called, trying to keep his grip on the ledge.

 

The ship started going into the laser beam and Dad pulled it back. I reached out for Jim again, but he was too far away from me.

 

“Dad! Help me save him,” I cried, a tear falling from my eyes.

 

My dad used the clamp of his mechanical arm to hold onto the ship. He then took my hand and lowered me. Jim was still out of my reach. I just couldn’t get to him. Then, the ledge he was holding onto sank in and he fell, catching a smaller one even farther away.

 

“No,” I screamed, tears flowing down my face.

 

“I can’t hold on,” Jim yelled.

 

“Daddy! Please!”

 

I looked into the struggling eyes of my father, torment in my own.

 

“I… Oh, blast me for a fool,” Dad yelled and let go of the ship, sliding down the platform.

 

I reached out and Jim grabbed my hand at the last second. My dad pulled us up and I hugged Jim tightly, crying on his shoulder. He was alive! The ship floated into the laser beam and was destroyed, along with the treasure on it. Jim pulled me closer to protect me from the explosion.

 

“Let’s get out of here,” Jim yelled and the three of us began running.