The Adventures Of Ivory Arrow & Jackson Bale

Chapter X p,2

"Space, the final frontier." I laughed to myself while we were being strapped into the ship's seating. "These are the voyages of the Starship..." I thought about the name of our vessel. "Clover. It's continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before!" Valor looked at me in awe, wondering if I just made that up, but I looked at Ivory instead of answering. "Hey." She turned to me.
"Hey yourself." She replied.
"Aren't we suppose to go through therapy and training before we go into the great unknown?" One of the techs that was fixing the controls to the space station we are going to, turned to me.
"No Sir," she answered, "you will only be in space for a small amount of time. You have all the training you need for now. Plus, our best man will help you there and help you home. Gentleman and lady, this is my best man August Brown." We waved to him, he smiled and waved back from the other side of the shuttle.
"I guess we're off then." August smiled at Valor. Then, a sudden burst and intense heat came from the floor. "Give the system a second to adjust and the temp will be back to normal, and we are off the ground." He was staring out the small circular window located above us.
We began approaching a large black ball like structure, floating in Earth's orbit. It was about as big as the great state of Texas. Blended in with the black surroundings, but speckled with the golden glow of civilization inside it's massive body. "Welcome to Whale. The only space station that thrives on vegetation and the peace of our people." August said, as if he was our tour guide. But I think he meant to say, the only space station. No other nation has been to space and stayed for as long as us. But we were slowly changing that. A few dozen small nations have joined the alliance in space.
We docked, and it took us a few minutes to get the hang of being able to jump a few feet further than on Earth. An important looking man came to us while we frolicked. "Welcome to Whale. My name is Alligard Griffinbane. Glad you met my favorite son, August. And I assume you know why we're here." I informed him that I wasn't aware of what I was going there. He was glad to inform. "Our space station has been in orbit for a year now. But I fear it won't be for much longer. The committee on Earth have ruled our station as unfit for life and has ordered us home. But you see, our home is here now, and we have taken care of it in the most cared way. It's kind of offensive. Well, I know what you're thinking. If it's about the committee on Earth, why are you aboard Whale? Well, a mole amongst my ranks has surfaced. I would sniff him out myself, but I am a very busy man, you are professionals, and I have a hundred thirteen thousand crew members. It's a basic needle in the haystack." Ivory looked peeved that this wasn't going to be exciting for her. But we got to see the place while we were here so that was fun. Twenty thousand families and friends live here along with the crew members, it surely was a needle in the haystack, a very very large haystack. August said he had business to attend to, and would be sure to be there when we leave.
We started our search, splitting up. Ivory went to the law enforcement for clues and to see how they work, see if we could copy some of their tactics if they had any. Valor and I walked around public areas to scope out suspicious, misplaced government officials. I found one, a male suit walking into the red light district. "Suspicions?" I asked my sidekick, it was nice having one instead of being one for a change. He nodded sternly at my question and we followed after him, whenever he looked behind him, we'd act like we were happily playing one of the many surrounding carnival games. We were following him into the engineer's corner of the station. Was he was a mechanic? I phoned Ivory and she said she'd be right there.
We decided it best to go directly to the head chief mechanic who was named, Tomi- something. We asked around and found the person laying under a large, smoking pipe. They were cussing loudly, slid out from under it and started to hit it violently with their large metal wrench. It was a lady in a grey tank, and a baggy jump suit that was folded over around her waist and tied in a bow on her back. She flung her long black braid over her shoulder while she tried yanking her wrench from the clutches of the vengeful pipe.
"Damn metal is to hot to try and fix, it'll just bend and break. How the fuck am I suppose to do my job with pipes hotter than the sun at night!" She chucked her wrench at the pipe one last time, for good measure. Then she turned to us. "So, heard you been lookin' for me. Well you found me. Now what do you want, I ain't seen you around here before. I know every face there is to be seen." I covered Valor's ears when she spoke, she began to cuss again. Smiling I asked her to politely knock it off. "The names Tomorrow Elizabeth Kulc. Everybody just calls me Tomi. Word on the street is, you been lookin' fer a no good nark." She narrowed her eyes. "And since you be comin' to me. I guess you think it's one of my men. No biggy. Snoop all ya want, there ain't a soul in here that doesn't like being where he's at. Except maybe Flynn, but he don't belong here anymore den you do, he's an office folk."
"Flynn? Is he an employee of yours?" She chuckled while shaking her head. Making me feel stupid for thinking it. Ivory asked if he was around.
"Flynn don't always come by. Only come to take our report and drop off pay on payday. So we enjoy his being here, don't bite the hand that feeds ya, is I always says. But if you wanna find him, lucky for you. He'd been here for a while in his coop waiting for us to finish our weekly report so as he can leave." She leaned closer to us to whisper. "Any level of radiation to him, and he blows up like a hot air balloon. Allergies, he says." My partner and I shared suspicions glances before asking Tomi where his 'coop' was, and she had her men take us to him.
He was a tall and lanky man with visible, lean muscles. His ginger hair was in a curly mess, and his dark brown eyes were clouded with exhaustion. He was very pale too. "Hello." He greeted, shyly looking at Tomi's appointed escort for answers on our presences.
"Hello Mr," Ivory trailed so he'd finish her sentence for her, he didn't and only smiled. "Alright. Hello Sir. My name is Ivory and this is my friend Jackson and our son Valor is over there playing with those tools. We are here to ask you a few questions if you don't mind." He said he didn't mind at all. "So, we heard you claimed to be allergic to radiation. How do you feel, being on a station that releases radiation at undetectable levels every second?" He sighed and leans back in his chair, resting the back of his head on his arms. His attitude changed from timid to arrogant in a blink.
"Well, I try to get around that by never leaving my radiation proof chamber, in my office. But seems it's not always foolproof, so I may as well enjoy the open space." He smiles. Something behind his lips that I didn't think to much of at the time. Then he had to check his watch, standing up quickly he exclaimed. "Oh my! I'm late!" We got up with him, asking him where he was going, he answered. "I'm meeting my old friend Johnathan G. Would you like to join us. I'm sure you'll just be going to him next anyway for questioning." We were confused at first, but understood once we met, "Mr. Johnathan Fredrick Griffinbane. How nice it is to see you again my old friend. And I use old in every sends of the word." Flynn eyes his buddy, and shook Johnathan's hand. We were inside a small French cafe. Johnathan was standing next to a table for five.
"Please Flynnagin. I asked you a dozen times to just call me Johnny. I don't like being introduced by my full name." Ivory caught it too. That Johnny, was the elder son of Alligard. "Just forget it. Who's this?" He motioned to us. I waved in the manliest way that I could muster and introduced myself in a darkened tone. Ivory punched my arm and sat down at the table, Johnny sat next to her. Valor sat in my lap in between him and Flynn.
"My friends. These three strangers are from the home world, sent up here to investigate the leakage problems." He whispered the last part so the others in the cafe wouldn't wonder the context. Johnny nodded, while looking at us.
"Yeah, we are Earthlings here, to suck your brains and find the mold inside your station." Valor said while munching on a cinnamon roll. The two men laughed.
"I think you mean, mole little one. But if you must suck our brains. I'd prefer you do it after this afternoon, I am terribly busy any other time." Flynn laughed into his slice of bread. Valor was remaining quiet for most of the trip, he claimed he was thinking of who the culprit was. But I think he was just in awe of the place.
Charlie joined us later on. Charlie was Johnny's younger brother, the youngest of the brothers. His hair was blond and eyes of blue. He ended up telling us the chief was about to issue a statement. And of course, right as he finished his sentence, the loud speakers came on in the room and was echoing down the streets of the Whale.
"Excuse me ladies and gentlemen. This is your Captain, Alligard speaking. I can't believe how long we've been together already. We have had a long and prosperous journey," I rolled my eyes at the sugar coating of the situation, Valor was loving the echoes though, "but sadly, a non threatening problem has occurred, so please don't be alarmed. We have people working on it as you are listening to me. But I have to ask you all if you'd please stay in your pods for the time being. Just so our people are more mobile and can easily solve this for all of us. I thank you for your cooperation and patience. On Whale, the Future's calling." The speakers clicked when he ended the announcement.
"Thy Make It Be, On Whale As It Is On Earth." Flynn recited, looking at all of us around the table. Johnny preached, Amen! I was confused. "Whale has been our home since we were boys." Flynn said, staring at the bowl of freshly baked bread in the center of the circular table.
"Yep. Even baby Charlie here was born on this station. He's the only reason my father is fighting to keep this place up and running." Johnny wrapped his arm around his brother's neck and ruffled his hair. Ivory asked what he meant by that. "Well, Charlie was born in the station. Yes, it's only been public for a year, but we all went as a family to live here eighteen years ago. A very long time to be in space, long enough to forget home. But as you know, this station is in space. It has a different gravity than the normal Earth home world. And so he can't come home with us. We however, can leave if needed." Johnny looked sadly as Charlie. "But we'd never do that to him." He grabbed his shoulder. I smiled at their intercourse. Ivory piped in.
"We haven't really been able to deal with this case to much. So, let's get to the information center and see what we can scrounge up." We got up to leave but was stopped by Johnny.
"I'm sorry. That's unavailable. We don't like anyone in there during the time that no nobody uses it." Ivory squinted at him, and it took me a second to reciprocate that. She asked him if a lot of employees worked in there. "No," he replied quickly. "That's absurd. The only ones allowed in that room, are us three, and my father. Plus the occasional Tomi if she needs to check anythi-" he paused. "But she hasn't needed to do anything in several days, many moons before our incident." Johnny looked solemn. Realizing the only people that were suspects, were his baby brother, his best friend, and his father.
We went to go see the captain, accompanied by Charlie and friends. He wasn't happy about our lack of evidence and clues, so he greeted us with a scowl of disappointment and his arms crossed over his chest. "My sons, what brings you here? With our guests? They have a lot of work to get done though."
I stepped into his pod, browsing his pictures of a little girl and his wife, who I have seen other pictures for her memory around the streets. "Have you ever wanted to go home, Captain?" He didn't hesitate to scoff.
"I beg your pardon. This is my home." I couldn't tell if it was guilty defense or if he was just that proud of the station. "This has been home ever since my children have came to love it." Ivory smiled at the thought.
"Who is this girl, in the picture? Daughter?" He looked at the photo, slipping it out of the frame and examined it harshly.
"Yeah," he tossed it elsewhere. "That's her. She's a devil incarnate. I'd suggest never going to her for any reason unless life or death. If she's dying? Leave her to it." The Captain tossed the photo in the trash and left to go to the bathroom.
"What was that?" I looked at the brothers, Flynn was busy making drinks in the corner. "Isn't that his child, and he would do that to her?" Charlie and Johnny shared sympathetic looks.
"Flynn and our sister were in love once. She tried to kill him though, around... Oh, last week! Ever since, she's been locked away and dead to our father. Father won't let us see her. Says her brain is just to far gone." Johnny looked at Charlie. "Dad tells us she was a disgrace and would be dishonorable if we saw her. I guess the breakup crushed her." Without saying a proper goodbye, Ivory shoved Valor into her backpack gently and we ran to the jailhouse.
"Why are we here?" Valor asked, sitting in Ivory's pack comfortably. "Weren't we told by Captain that she's crazy?" He circled the side of his head for emphasis. Ivory pulled him out of her pack when we had our bags temporarily confiscated and we got patted down.
"Her cell pod is number 1824, please no feeding the prisoners and have a good visit." The desk lady said monotonously. We thanked and goodbyed her, finding our way to cell 1824.
She was a short brunette. Her hair was wavy and it fell over her colorless eyes. "Hello." The girl greeted with a smile. "Who're you?" She was the oldest Griffinbane child. But looked like the youngest by many years.
"I am Ivory, this is Jackson and Valor." Ivory introduced us using a voice your head adults use to talk to children. But she was enjoying playing with Valor on the other side of the glass containing her.
"Hi, my name is Susan Griffinbane. I love your son, he's adorable." She left Valor and faced us wearing a serious face. "He reminds me of my brother Charlie. Do you know Charlie?" She came closer to the glass, I stepped back but Ivory stayed in place.
"Yep, we met your brothers today. We're on a mission." I whispered to her, her face lit up with excitement.
"Oh My God, does that mean someone's finally gonna do something about our mole? It's about time. Did you finally figure out who it is?" She rested her hands and forehead on the glass, dropping her face and looking at his only with her eyes. I must admit, it was creepy.
"I guess that means you have an idea." Ivory questioned, Susan smiled again and nodded proudly.
"Duh, I was gonna marry him. He was talking to someone on Earth a dozen times a week. You think I wouldn't notice?" We widened our eyes.
"Flynn?" I had a mini heart attack. Looking at Ivory, I gulped. "Johnny isn't going to like this." Susan nearly jumped on the glass.
"Johnny? You know my brother Johnny too?" We both nodded slowly. "Tell him I'm sorry. And you have to catch Flynn ASAP." We didn't have time to question his motives, just started running to the square, where Flynn said him and his friend were gonna be. He was eating a hot dog when he spotted us raging to him in an all-knowing triumphant walk. He nervously set down his food and smiled slightly.
"H-Hey," he stumbled. "What are you two up to? Find any more clues?" I growled at his and Ivory grabbed a handful of hair, yanking him along to the Captain's office. Coincidentally, both Charlie and Johnny were there as well. (I called them beforehand) They stared at us with confusion swimming in their matching eyes.
Ivory tossed Flynn to the floor with a loud thump. The brothers were staring at him in either hurt, anger or confusion. Alligard was the first to speak. "What is this Arrow? I hired you to solve this case. Not to go around, throwing irrelevant accusations!" He was lifting his arms in the air swung them around and landed them at the sides on his body. "I can't believe this." Flynn was standing now on shaking knees.
"No Sir, you had a daughter who loved this man. Was going to marry him. But found out his plans that would inevitably kill her youngest brother, and decided to tell you. You had the same reaction to her, and due to her lack of proof and urgency she was deemed nuts and was sent to prison for it. But we have proof." I set my boot on Flynn's shoulder and pushed him to the floor.
"He was one of the few, allowed in the information center alone. That much you know, and that's makes only you in the room suspects. But he was taped on a camera, seen talking on the phone while he was messing with the equipment. Last, our witness and informant is your own sister, Sarah." Ivory came to the brothers' side and held their shoulders.
"Sarah loved Flynn with everything she was. When she found out about Flynn's plan that could kill her baby brother. She was torn between her family and her love. Inevitably leading her to madness." Ivory explained careful not to cause tension between anybody.
"How- how can this be Flynn? We must've hired the wrong people right? You wouldn't have done this to him. You wouldn't have killed my baby brother now would you?" Flynn dropped his head, and let it hang. I dug my boot heel into his shoulder blade, which caused him to whimper slightly.
"It's true Johnathan. I couldn't be here any longer. Everyone is so used to being in space now that this isn't how humans are suppose to be. We live on Earth, we live and breath there. What is there in space, that home doesn't have?" Flynn cried, getting to his knees and laying his head down onto the floor. "Don't hate me Brother. For I have made a misdeed. Do not hate me Brother." He cried again, which was nearly inaudible on the floor.
"Don't dare call me brother!" Johnny snapped, he was getting closer to Flynn, but was now stepping away from him. Ivory grabbed a few papers off a desk and handed them to Johnny's dad. We then left.
"This seems like a family matter, best not to interfere partner. Just came to find the culprit." Ivory waved behind her and we were gone. Before we got off the station though, we stopped for ice cream.
"Wow, this tastes nothing from Uncle Dole's cart." Valor scrunched up his nose after licking his ice cream cone. Uncle Dole was a man who came around our neighborhood sometimes to hand out ice cream by by dollar. I had to admit, Uncle Dole's ice cream was one of a kind. But a couple approached us while we sat and enjoyed our frosted treats.
"Excuse us." The girl smiled, looking at all of us. "You guys look so cute, we're in need of a cover picture for a family magazine. Will you three be our models?" The man nodded next to us, approvingly.
Ivory shook her head. "I'm sorry, but we aren't citizens of this station. We're only visiting from home. I think you should get a picture with a real family here." She got up, picked Valor up, and walked away towards the loading bay. I apologized and ran after them.
"What was that? I doubt it would've made a difference if we were citizens or not." I spoke while avoiding the many people walking around the bazar we had to pass through.
"No Jackson, I would rather not be put in the spotlight over this. Now we need to get home before anything else happens."
We got into our shuttle and started to drift from the station. But the entire structure blew up, and we all died...
Ah, I'm kidding. No, actually while we drifted from the station, the station started to spew exhaust from every side. I looked at Ivory with concern, and then to August asking him what was going on. He shrugged. "I'll bet it's just the annual release of used air. Nothing to worry about." But the spewing of the exhaust, was causing it's hull to leave leave orbit. I was hitting August violently to get him to look out the window at it. A shuttle similar to ours flew past us, to Earth, leaving the station to fall apart slowly. Debris surrounded our pod in seconds.
"Just the annual release of oxygen." I smiled grimly at August with hateful eyes and grin. "Oh My God!" I flipped. Ivory put her hand on my knee.
"Relax," she said, "turn this shuttle around we're going back!" But August said that was impossible to accomplish. And we went back to our home only to see the news' headline.
SPACE STATION DESTROYED BY MALFUNCTION.
It was saying that one man survived the incident, he tried his best to fix whatever happened. A hero. Flynnagin Trade, saved as many that could safely fit in his pod. Ms. Tomi Kulc and Mr. Johnathan Griffinbane, son of the captain of the station, Alligard Griffinbane.
"Do you believe this crap?" I yelled. Valor was shocked to see the images of the station's rubble falling to Earth. It's mass caused a mile wide crater somewhere in Canada.
"Does that mean, everything and everyone is,". Valor choked, "Dead?" He looked at me, pleading for me to tell him everything was going to be alright. That nobody was hurt. But I couldn't, even I didn't know what was happening. All I did know, was that Flynn is a devil incarnate, and has killed thousands. First things first.
"We need to go see Johnny." Ivory trapped her coat, threw mine at me, and we were out the door. Valor stayed with our nice neighbors for the time being. He objected indefinitely, but it couldn't be helped.
"What happened after we left?" Ivory leaned over Johnny's desk in his bedroom. We were both noticing his sad facial expressions and sunken body language. He obviously was upset, so he wasn't to blame. We questioned in a kinder tone. "We left when you had him in custody." Johnny tuned in his chair so his back was to us.
"He escaped. We sent him with a few men to the jail house, but ended up escaping and releasing all the air in the station. Tomi and I were dealing with a problem when Flynn met up with us again. We both tried stopping him but he shoved us into his shuttle and we were all going back to Earth." That was his breaking point. He started to snap, sobbing uncontrollably. "Charlie. Dad. Everyone is gone." He was shaking. I stopped Ivory, and went to hug him instead. It was awkward. Very awkward.
Tomi walked in, she stopped dead. Her face was shocked. Then it turned angry and she lunged at us with her over sized wrench. "You did this to us!" She screamed. Ivory dodged, grabbed her tool and put Tomi on the ground.
"We did nothing," Ivory released her and went to sit in a chair in the corner, "you did this to yourself. We caught your mole, you all lost him." Ivory sat back, crossed her arms and put one leg over the other.
"You've some nerve talkin' to me like that girly." Tomi sneered. Standing, she pulled down her top down harshly and glared at us. "You may be right. But that don't excuse the fact that you left him to US. Unsupervised. Knowin' he was slippery to hold on to. I blame you for our home's downfall." Tomi jabbed her finger at Ivory crudely. I walked out of the room to take a breath. Ivory came out a bit later.
"Penny for your thoughts?" She asked. I flipped a coin at her. She smiled when she caught it. "I know, we need to find that traitorous scum. I'll bet he's in some penthouse somewhere, eating caviar with his new celebrity friends. Just was his reputation needed."
"No, we need to find him. Force the truth from him and restore these people's good names. Rest those who have died today." I said. Ivory seemed surprised but we were interrupted by the two figures in the shadows to our back. "What do you want? To blame us for more of your problems?" They walked out into the light of the street lamp.
"If that's your plan to stop dis fool, we're in. But we ain't forgettin' what happened up there. Nor can we forgive just yet." We nodded.
"Then let's get to work. We know where he is, all we need is a way to him." I felt a little accomplished inside when all of them didn't know what I was talking about. After I had that few moments of glory, I pointed to a large electric billboard. Flynn was having a meeting with a news reporter. She was asking him about his future plans.
—
"Well Miss. I would like to first morn for the dead. May they Rest In Peace. But after that," he paused for dramatic effect, "I'm planning one HUGE party at my newly built mansion. Everybody is invited. Let no man be left out. Tomorrow at four o'clock SHARP!" Then the screen went black. (After a few screams from the reporter) We got on the next train to America. The trains have changed a lot since I last rode on one. The cushions were softer, the windows were cleaner, and the train itself floated. Yeah, floated.
"Hm~" I watched the ground get farther away. "You think it's suppose to do that?" I looked at my partner. She wasn't paying attention to me. I flicked her forehead. "What kind of train is this?" I asked her again in shorter words.
She huffed while rubbing her flick mark. "This is a transnational railroad JACKSON!" She hissed, pulling out a book that was far to large for me not to notice in her satchel and started to read from to beginning. When I looked away, and back at her in a minute, she was half way through it. "We should be arriving sooner than I expected."
"The train is not coming to stop in New York City. Next will be Springfield, Illinois." A lady's voice said over the speakers. I looked around for Tomi or Johnny, but they disappeared.
"They left." Ivory grabbed my coat and pulled me back into my seat. "They both had to use the restroom. Now, we're getting off in New York. Flynn's house in at the top of some important building there." She seemed uninterested in her words while she was reading the monster with pages and a hard cover. She was done as closed the book, I finally got to read the cover. It read, How To Read With 2 Font Size. I snatched the book and stared in awe at its tiny print that I cold barely see.
Ivory grabbed it back and stood up. The train came to a complete stop on top of another skyscraper. We were in a forest of them. "Tread lightly Jackson. This is a jungle of misfortune and poverty. We mustn't be swept up into it's ideals and customs that caused this." She referred to those who lived on the streets, sleeping in boxes, bundled up into large balls of clothing.
"Flynn's tower!" Tomi pointed at this magnificent opal tower that had diamond letters down the side that said what she did. I got a bit startled that all of a sudden both Tomi and Johnny appeared behind us.
"Hey!" I scolded before we walked into his building, "next time to plan to run off. Pick your timing!" I stopped into it's revolving doors. Ivory wasn't used to this life so she struggled with the view of marble flooring, gold plated walls. The lady at the front desk asked if she could help us.
"We are here for Flynn. Friends of his. Where would we find him?" Ivory blinked innocently. The lady narrowed her eyes. All of us were wearing street clothes, Ivory and I were in generic Adventurers attire. Johnny was the only one in a vest over a plaid T, and brown pants. She let him know Flynn was on the top floor, if he wouldn't mind letting us stay behind. He shook his head.
"Let them pass. We are all friends." Johnny briefly glanced at Tomi before we were all shoved into the elevator. "Well, this is comfy." Johnny chuckled. The tiny room was fit for at most, three people. Adding an extra muscular lady to our group, made the room smaller. And we were all squished into awkward positions.
What seemed like forever, the lift stopped and the doors opened, not on our floor though. Four more people tried squirming their way in. I pushed all of us out of the stupid contraption and we took the stairs, which all of us beside Johnny was happy with.
"Why did we do that?" He wines once we finally made it to the top floor. I hit him on his back and he tumbled forward.
"It was only four flights of stairs sir. Get it together. We made it after all." We had our nods of approval of Flynn's office and went over to his study. People were gathered in places here and there, trying to get ahead with their friendships with our "hero" but we were rather surprised to have a few fans in the room that wanted Ivory and I's autographs.
"Who let you into my flat!" Flynn demanded, dramatically entering from a flight of stairs in a purple sequined suit and gold eagle cane. He was walking with a spotlight directed to him. "I don't believe I invited you." He hissed, but caught himself a bit when he realized he had guests around listening in. "Let us go to my office shall we? I have something to discuss with you two." He pointed to us. And we both knew something was going to happen. And not a good kind of something.