Space Hopper

Chapter 1.3 - The end is just beginning

Gabriel regained from the shock. He looked around and saw Captain on the ground with the beast over him. He need to help her. He though. As he was trying to quickly though of something he saw Captain's sword in front of him. He picked it up and run fast to her. Before could the monster do anything further, Gabriel raised his sword and with his cry he stab the beast. The sword pierced its skin, it then fell down unmoved. Gabriel pulled out the sword. It was fully covered with blood. He looked down at Captain who was now laying calmly on ground, breathing heavily. "Thank... you..." she said between her breaths. Gabriel offered her a hand which she took and stood up. They looked at the dead creature at ground and Captain sighed. "I'm sorry." said Gabriel. "It's fine. I said we would have to to kill it if there wasn't another way, didn't I?" she chuckled. She looked deeply into his eyes and smiled. "Thank you." He just nodded and didn't said anything. "I guess you could say we are now even." Gabriel's corners of his mouth turned up and he shook his head in disbelieve.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence Captain took her sword from Gabriel and wiped it against the leaves on ground before she put it in the scabbard. "It was just scared It never meant to hurt intentionally." said Captain. "And what about the sacrifices?" asked Gabriel. "The whole thing must've been Stewart's idea. That way he could keep the creature around. That is also why he always put the blood on the victim which also mixed with some herbs for stronger aroma." she sighed again and together they walked from the corpse until Captain's leg stumbled upon something. She tilted her head down. It was a staff, she picked it up. "That was Stewart. He always chose the next victim with that." Captain started to laugh. "It's just a normal crystal. The choice was always random." At this Gabriel stopped in his tracks. "You mean it didn't matter who was chosen?" She shook her head. "No." she said with grin which immediately fell when she saw Gabriel. Tears were streaming down his face. "That means I could've go instead of my brother?"

"Hey, hey, don't cry," hugged Captain Gabriel, "it's not your fault." she tried to soothe him. "If you haven't been here I would not make it. You saved my life and also of the whole village." She put her chin on his head and held him closer, he hugged back.

When they broke apart, Gabriel wiped his tears and Captain raised the staff. "You know what? We could give this to the boy we met earlier. Do you think he is going to like it?" Gabriel chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure"

People thanked them and Gabriel gave the boy the staff who was extremely happy.

As the sun was setting down Gabriel found Captain standing at the end of the village. He walked to her and stopped near. He then give her a glance. She was clearly in thought and wasn't paying much attention to her surroundings. Gabriel cleared his throat. "So." he started. "So." she said back. "This is goodbye I guess." she now turned her head towards him. "Why do you think?"
"You said you are traveling. That means this is probably the last time I would ever see you." he looked at the ground. His eyes flickered with sadness. "I doesn't need to be." she smirked as he looked back at her. "What do you mean?"
"You can come with me." He smiled at that. "Really?"
"Yes. I thought about it. People like you are hard to find." she smiled back and offered him her left hand. He took it. Captain then rolled up her sleeve. Gabriel saw she had some different device on her wrist. It was in a leather wristband. With her right hand she opened it and pressed some buttons. "Are you ready?" she asked and he nodded with determined expression. She then proceeded to press the last button and after it Gabriel felt being sucked through hole and back. It was definitely the weirdest experience he ever had.
After everything calmed down and he could feel ground under his feet again, he opened his eyes. They were in some kind of alley between two high buildings but it looked totally different that would in normal city he knew. "Where are we?" He asked as he longingly looked around. "It's were I have my base and for you it's like two hundred years in the future." answered Captain and started walking in some direction. Gabriel quickly followed. "Are you serious? This is amazing!" he said excitedly. "I know right." she smiled and looked at him with same expression. She was now walking down the street and stopped at the end of the block. Gabriel was amazed all time they were walking. He saw people with totally different clothes, some of them talked to nothing and the most interesting thing was the metal carriages without horses. Gabriel make a mental note to ask about them later.
Captain stopped in front of some doors and when she tried to pull the handle nothing happened. "I think the door is locked." said Gabriel who wasn't looking around anymore. "Yeah now I know too." she said obviously uninterested as she was trying to find something in her black coat. She then pulled out her sonic pen and with buzzing the door opened. "You don't have a keys?" asked Gabriel following Captain again through the door. "If I had them I would used them." she rolled her eyes. They were now inside the house where Captain went upstairs and opened another door. These weren't locked. When Gabriel got inside the room he was surprised at the mess around. "What is this?" asked Gabriel. Captain stretched out her hands. "Behold! My stuff." Gabriel chuckled at her dramatic introduction and looked around. There was so many things that Gabriel never seen. He assumed that many of it was souvenirs from her travels. There were masks, books, paintings, boxes full of objects, some devices, which few of them moved, there was lot of weapons too. However the thing that captured Gabriel's interest the most was a wall with shells where on each shelf was number and a different type hat, the only thing common between them was they all where hat that would wear someone with rank of a captain. "What it this?" he asked pointing at the shelves. Captain looked at his direction and smiled. "Oh this? These are my previous hat I had in the regenerations before."

"Regenerations?" asked Gabriel again. Captain was now rummaging through wardrobes with different types of clothes. "You see," she suddenly tossed something at his direction which he caught. I was a dark green shirt. "Like I said before, I'm a alien. A Timelord to be precise which means when I die I regenerate into a totally different person. And it's only a second time I'm a woman." she chuckled. "So you always wear a different hat?" he asked as she tossed him another type of clothing. "Yes! Isn't it cool?" smiled Captain. "Cool? What does it mean?"

"Oh right, you aren't familiar with these expressions. It means like amazing or swell." he nodded even that she didn't saw it. He tilted his head back at the shelves and saw that the numbers under each hat probably meant what regeneration was it. The last hat had a number eleven which meant she has a twelfth body. "Were you ever traveling with someone else?" he then asked after a while. "No, not really I usually traveled alone. This is why I offered you this. My need body doesn't like to be alone. Or maybe it was because I was always too stubborn to admit that I was alone." Gabriel's smile now faded. I was kind of sad really. He was now happy that thanks to him she isn't alone anymore. Captain threw a last thing at him and closed the wardrobe. "Why were you trowing this at me again?" he asked clearly confused. "It is for you to change. You really need better clothes and these could be your size." he thanked her and went to change behind a wall. He decided not to question her about that and just go with it which seemed like the most pleasant solution. "Why do you have this much clothes anyway?" Gabriel asked from the other side. "Because I never knew what I will wear next when I regenerate. I'm always totally different person. My tastes changes too." when she finished her sentence Gabriel went back to her and show himself to her. "It fits thank you, except this brown coat." he turned around and Captain saw that the coat was seriously a little long. The ends were touching the ground. It was actually cute. He then took it of and hand it back to Captain who put it inside the wardrobe. Suddenly she grinned and run to a corner of the room and back. She had in her hands a red leather jacket. "Here try this. It's one of my favorites, I had it in my third regeneration actually." he thanked her again. "Are you sure? I didn't want you to..." but before he could continue she cut him off. "Oh don't worry. You will like it I promise." and she was right. The jacket was really comfortable. "And now put your hands in the pockets inside the jacket." Captain suggested. He did as he was told and then he stared amazed. They were bigger on the inside! "They are bigger on the inside." he exclaimed. "I know isn't it cool?" she smiled. "Yeah, cool." Gabriel laugh and soon Captain joined him. "Now the last thing you need are boots!" she said. "Unfortunately I don't had one your size so we are going to buy some. Come along, Gabriel." Captain walked out of the room getting around him. He simply nodded and followed her outside.