"Don't let them get it!"
The old alien shouted in distress. He held out from underneath him a small box, and offered it to Jim. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps was heard on the stairs. Jim's mother burst into the room.
"JIM! OH MY GOD! If you EVER scare me like that again, I swear I will…" She trailed off at the sight of Jade and the large form on the bed.
"Jim…"
Jim moved quickly. "Mom! He's hurt- bad! We have to help him." A resounding ship landing shuddered the foundation of the house, and Jade rushed to the window.
"We've got company."
Outside, voices could be heard, and eerie lights could be seen as unknown shadows marched up to the front of the inn. Then the lump on the bed spoke.
"Quickly! Take it! It's me they're after…" And the alien trailed off into unconsciousness.
Jim opened the small box. Inside was a small round orb, gold with strange markings on the sides. With no time to inspect it, Jim slipped it into his pocket.
"Mom! Jade! To the window! We have to get to Dr. Doppler's. Quickly!" Jim opened the window and grabbed his mother by the waist using one hand, paused, and then grabbed Jade with the other arm. They jumped out into the skiff below, only to see a fire begin to rage in the room they had just jumped out of and voices call in frustrated distress at failing to find what they searched for. Jim steered the ship into the night.
Jade sat stunned in the skiff. She had no idea where she was going or who she was with. She could feel the distressed, yet curious eyes of Jim's mother upon her, and had no idea what to say. She could also feel where Jim had touched her waist, as if it had left a burning impression there. Finally, Sarah Hawkins spoke.
"I'm sorry, but under the present circumstances, I have been rather taken aback at all other occurrences; who are you?"
"Jade. I come from Zintharak. I'm… an independent teenager who needed a break from her everyday suburban Zintharak life."
Jim added, "Meaning she ran away."
Jade turned to glare at him, and he smiled back cheekily. Sarah smiled feebly and collapsed on the ground, asleep.
Jade found herself yawning, and got the same idea. She rested her head down and slept near Jim, who smiled at her and then continued to steer them to a safe place.
In a few hours time they had arrived at Dr. Doppler's. They entered the large house and were ushered to the library of the doctor, who was busy studying astronomy. He resembled a dog, and looked very unkempt, albeit amiable as he rushed around from book pile to book pile, looking for something unknown.
Sarah Hawkins cleared her throat.
"Ahem. Doctor Doppler?"
The doctor turned around with a great smile.
"Sarah! Jim!" His eyes turned upon Jade. "I'm sorry, but…"
"I'm Jade."
"Ah! Jade." He finally took in their tired and dirty appearance. "Good lord! What happened to you three?"
Sarah explained the incident at the inn and how they had only just gotten away. Then Jim remembered the orb. He drew it out of his pocket with a slight aplomb.
"Jade! Remember this?"
Jade looked curiously at it, taking and turning it in her hands. "He said this was important. I wonder how it works."
Dr. Doppler hurried over and took it from her. "By god! Where does this lead, I wonder?" He twisted it and grunted, trying to make it work, but with no success.
"Even with my vast experience and superior intellect it would take me years to unlock its--hey!"
Jim had, with a few twists and switches, activated the small orb, and it had let out a stream of neon green and purple particles which swirled around the room into the shape of a sphere, with the entire universe splayed out within it.
Doppler gasped with astonishment.
"Why, it's a map! This is us, the planet Montressor. That's the Magellanic Cloud! The Coral galaxy! And that's the Cygnus Cross… the Kerian abyss… and what is that?" The professor pointed to the shape of a planet which Jim and Jade knew all too well. They had both read about the stories of Captain Flint and the legend of his treasure. In unison, they answered the doctor's question.
"Treasure planet."
With that they shared a glance, and it seemed as if a beam of thought had passed between them, sharing the same idea.
"Flint's trove? The loot of a thousand worlds?" asked the doctor.
Jade looked at Jim. "Do you know what this means?"
Jim in turn looked at his mother. "This means that all that treasure… is a boat ride away."
Jim turned off the map. "Mom- this is the answer to all our problems. We could rebuild our house a hundred times over with that treasure."
Sarah stared at her son. "No. Jim, there is absolutely no way. Besides, Jade, I don't even know your parents. I have no idea what they would think and I don't want to be held responsible for anything my son gets you into."
Jim cut her off. "Don't you remember, all those stories?"
"But Jim, that's all they were! Stories! Delbert, would you please explain how ridiculous this is?"
Jade and Jim looked at Dr. Doppler with apprehension. "It's totally preposterous, you two traversing the galaxy alone."
Sarah looked at the two. "Now, at last we hear some sense!"
"Which is why I am coming with you." The doctor began to gather up books and random charts.
"WHAT!"
"I've been waiting all my life for this chance and here it is, screaming: "Go Delbert, go Delbert…" The astrophysicist danced around the room in a crude imitation of a modern dance move.
"Ok, ok! You're all grounded!"
Jade had to say something. "Mrs. Hawkins. I know that you barely know me, and I barely know any of you. But I know that Jim and I would be okay. Your son is brave and knows how to take care of himself. And you don't need to worry about me- I'm already running away. I need this. I need this chance. I need to find myself."
"Mom. Look, I know that I keep messing everything up," said Jim, going to his mother and looking at her in the eyes. "And I know… that I let you down. But this is my chance to make it up to you. I'm gonna set things right."
Mr. Doppler moved closer. "Sarah- you said yourself you've tried everything. There are much worse remedies than a few character building months in space."
"Are you saying this because it's the right thing, or because you really want to go?" asked Mrs. Hawkins.
"I really, really, really, really want to go. And it's the right thing," Delbert replied, taking her by the shoulders.
She turned to her son. "Jim, I don't want to lose you."
"Mom, you won't. I'll make you proud."
He moved awkwardly over to his mother and hugged her, with a gasp of astonishment from Mrs. Hawkins.
Jade smiled at them. Mrs. Hawkins turned to her. "Jade, I don't know you. But you helped my son. And you helped me. I trust you. Just be safe." She moved forward and hugged the slim, raven haired teenager. Jade blinked in surprise, and then hugged this woman back. She had never had such an open show of trust in her entire life. It was beautiful. Just before the woman pulled away, she whispered in Jade's ear, "Oh, and try to keep him out of trouble."
She stood back and smiled at the girl, and Jade smiled heartily back, chuckling at her last comment. "Thank you, Mrs. Hawkins. I will. Thank you for trusting me."
The nearby astrophysicist had a tear in his eye. "Oh, this is so wonderful." He sniffed, and then shook himself alert. "We must start making preparations at once!"