The Girl the World Forgot: But the Galaxy Found

Chapter 8: Bar Fight on Knowhere

By my estimation, it took us a little over five hours to reach Gamora's buyer coordinates, but really who was counting? Me, I was, but you could hardly blame me. I had spent the five-hour ride settled in the captain's chair, curiosity got the best of me about two hours in which led me to check my HWT to find planets we were in route to arrive at. It seemed that every time I found one though Gamora would appear in all her green glory and have me turn the ship in a very specific direction. She wouldn't even give me an ETA when I asked her. It was driving me insane!

The only thing keeping me from killing everybody on the ship was my own effort to slowly unravel the mystery that was Groot. After multiple failed searches, I had finally gotten a solid lead that I hoped would get me some answers. Hopefully.

According to what I had found, Groot, or rather his species, were known as Flora Colossus from a planet that had been given the delightfully unhelpful name Planet X. In other words, Groot was literally a giant flower. That was the literal latin to English translation. I should still probably mention that this was an already translated piece of text, but it wasn't like I used google translate or anything.

Naturally, now that I had this lead I simply had to know more about them. But at the same time it wouldn't do for the pilot of a ship to be reading a paper while cruising at a speed of 27 light-years per hour. That was just screaming for trouble. My device on my wrist was set to automatically go scanning through the available texts, and once again I was reminded that I really needed to develop an AI or at least steal Jarvis to make this thing more efficient.

As for the magically orb, I had briefly looked into it. But at best all I found was a couple conspiracy theories about how it would bring about the end of the universe. So yeah, no leads there. The only thing remotely remarkable about the metal orb seemed to be that strange metallic hum that I was still convinced wasn't real.

It took some convincing and some dirty tricks on the behalf of Rocket and Groot to get me to surrender the pilots seat. That an a promise sworn on the oh-so-important Walkman that not everything downstairs was absolutely disgusting. And that all the chairs were safe to sit on, except for the one that Quill moved out of the way.

Eventually, I did migrate back downstairs, the chair was comfy but not if you sit in it for hours. I wondered if this was what road trips were like, whoa I dodge a bullet.
It took some convincing on the behalf of Quill to finally get me downstairs. That and a promise, sworn on the oh so important Walkman, that not everything downstairs was gross and that all his chairs were safe to sit on... except one that he would be moving away.
Rocket seemed incredibly pleased when I finally allowed him to take the wheel, his smug little smile agitated me. I made sure he knew that the only reason he was driving was because I was hungry!
I didn't know where Gamora and Drax had managed to hide away to, it wasn't that big of a ship, but I found Quill easy enough. Playing with my sniper rifle.

"AH! Hey! What are you doing?" I cried out in shock, surging forward at the sight of my baby in the hands of the crazy untrustworthy outlaw. Gripping my rifle snuggly against my chest-okay maybe I was hugging it-I glared threateningly at Quill silently daring him to try coming for it.

"Oh relax, I was just trying to figure out how the heck you shoot it," Quill announced sounding unbelievably frustrated as he practically glared at the device in my arms throwing up his arms as he demanded baffled, "How the heck do you reload it?!"
I smirked at his frustration a little pleased with myself for being able to drive Quill mad, "I don't have to. It's powered by... well me. I don't need rounds which save time."
"Yeah, the weird glowy stuff in the Kyln." Quill realized nodding now a little pacified... well mostly. He turned away from me while at the same time shooting badly hidden glances my way. The silent question that he was without a doubt asking couldn't be cleared even if he screamed at me.
"Weird glowy stuff? Haven't heard that one yet." I admitted slightly amused by Quill's wording. I hesitated for a moment deciding on whether or not to answer the silent question. In the end, I decided not to open that can of worms today, instead remaining silent as I put away my rifle.
Quill sighed realizing that I wouldn't be sharing any of that backstory with him. He instead pointed me towards the kitchen, offering anything edible I could find, before he headed to check his own guns.
He seemed deadest on avoiding silence though because he set up his tape to play while he worked. I will say that I was a little happy to hear the song Cherry Bomb, not that I would ever admit that out loud.
A little over an hour later Rocket called us up to the cockpit, announcing that there was a planet inbound. I had expected a simple planet, so I was incredibly surprised when I saw the planet.
Even you would be shocked if you found a giant decapitated head the size of Jupiter floating around in space!
"Whoa..." Quill gasped as amazed as I was.
Drax was the one to ask the big question, "What is it?"
"It's called Knowhere," Gamora explained, "The severed head of an ancient celestial being."
"I want one." I whispered my eyes wide as I announced, "Are there more? Can I buy one? I'm buying one."
"Be wary heading in rodent, there are no regulations whatsoever here," Gamora warned Rocket ignoring me once again.
I practically pressed my face against the glass as we rode in, flying in through what had once been the eye of this giant guy, or girl I guess, arriving in were the brain probably was. This was so cool.
Once we landed Gamora decided to fill us in on why there were people basically living in somebodies head, "Hundreds of years ago, the Tivan group sent workers into mind the organic matter in the skull. Brain tissue, spinal fluid, all rare resources. Highly valued in black markets across the galaxy."
"Gross..." I commented as we walked through the dirty streets, "But still totally awesome."
"It's dangerous and illegal work," Gamora informed me, "Only suitable for outlaws."
"Well I come from a planet of outlaws," Quill bragged proudly as if we had great thieves on earth, "Billy the Kid, Bonnie and Clyde, John Stamos."
"John Stamos?" I demanded frowning confused. The only John Stamos I knew was the guy from the old TV show Full House.
"Sounds like a place which I would like to visit," Drax decided convinced by Quill's not so impressive list.
"You should," Quill agreed proudly.
I rolled my eyes at this, it's not like Earth was that great. Last I saw it was boring unless it was in danger of being destroyed or enslaved. I kept my hand in my pocket still looking up at the whole area, Groot fell into place next to me.
My gaze was returned to the area around us when Quill suddenly warned us to watch our wallets as a small group of children swarmed us all asking for units. I slowed to a stop when Groot suddenly did something incredibly unexpected.
One of the kids, a little girl with long blond hair, stopped in front of him. Groot smiled sweetly kneeling down and hoping his hand, I watched in amazement as a small white flower grew from his hands. He plucked it from his hand and handed it to the little girl who responded with a small smile. It warmed my cold heart just a tiny bit, the scene was sweet enough to give me the warm-fuzzies.
Groot moved back to his feet as we continued on after the group who seemed to have missed Groot's caring actions. I think Groot had just become my favorite.
I stopped when I found were we were going.
"Your buyers in there?" Rocket demanded eyeing the bar with disbelief. The warm-fuzzy feeling left being replaced by a sense of loathing, the same I would get whenever I saw a bar or a drink. It was an unconscious thing, something I couldn't stop myself from doing.
I hated alcohol. Hated it with a dying passion, and now it looked like I would be stuck in a bar. Just what I needed.
We are to wait here for his representative," Gamora informed us calmly as if there was no problem with it.
"This is no respectable establishment," Drax noted suspiciously, "What do you expect us to do while we wait?"
I sighed disappointedly, "It's called alcohol."