So this week is going to be a little different. This writing group I'm a part of had a prompt one month about finding something lost. I took that prompt and decided to write a little story about Emma searching the Kharon for Sparky. I actually thought it turned out pretty good and decided to post it here on the blog. It doesn't really have any bearing on the Kharon saga but I thought it would a nice breather to kind of check in with the characters during some down time. It will also give people time to catch up on the Kharon saga before we visit the next island.
So here is the side tale of
Where's Sparky? This will be the only post this week. I will resume normal posts next week(April 29th). I hope you enjoy this fun little story involving the cast of Kharon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emma wakes up in her room and stretches and yawns. She has felt a little weird since her experience inside The Colony. Even that short amount of time in the pod has thrown off her rhythms. At least that’s what she tells herself. She prefers that explanation over it being caused by what happened between her and Jacob. That would be much worse.
Regardless last night was the first night she got a decent sleep since they left that island so whatever it was is hopefully wearing off. She rubs the sleep from her face and begins looking around for Sparky who usually curls up at the foot of the bed at night. Her brow furrows as she sees he is not anywhere to be seen. ‘Odd’, she thinks to herself, ‘Maybe he's playing with something under the bed.’ She lifts the sheets but sees nothing other than her repeating crossbow. “Sparky!”, she calls out. She calls out his name several more times as her head turns from corner to corner of the room.
She springs out of bed and flings open the bedroom door. She strides down the narrow corridors of the Kharon. As she turns the bend in her haste she bumps into Kiarah. “Have you seen Sparky?”, Emma asks. “He wasn’t in my bedroom when I woke up!”
“My pledge to protect him was only until you returned.”
Emma rolls her eyes. “I’m just asking if you’ve seen him this morning.”
“I have not.”
Emma brushes past Kiarah and heads up to the top deck. The light of the three suns shines on her through the hazy, murky sky. She sees Jacob at the rails looking out onto the vast water all around them. Emma hesitates for a moment then calls out to Jacob.
Jacob turns to her and snaps out of his trance. “Oh hey…I mean good morning.”
“Have you seen Sparky today? I can’t find him.”
“I think Luke might have grumbled something about him when I passed him earlier.”
“Great! Where's Luke?”
“I try to stay out of his way, so no clue.”
“Right. I’ll find him. Thanks.” Emma turns and hurries off to find Luke before Jacob can say anything else.
Emma finally finds Luke on the bridge cursing up a storm and slamming the sensor panel. “Luke, did you see Sparky this morning?”
“He was making noises at the door so I let him out but the little shit shocked me and then ran off.”
“Hey! That ‘little shit’ has saved your ass by helping get our ship back from the Sloons.”
“I would have been able to do it if Kiarah didn’t get my ass captured by them! Speaking of that Quarsian bitch, if you see her tell her to get the fuck up here. All the sensors are acting up again this morning.”
“You know I thought after what you did on The Colony you’d changed. But you're still a bastard.” Emma storms out of the bridge.
“I’m trying to get us all to The Gardens, a fucking paradise, but everyone on this ship has their head in their asses when it comes to remembering that”, Luke yells after her.
Emma continues wandering the ship and is starting to get concerned. She keeps calling out for Sparky with no luck. Sparky has gone exploring before but he always comes when she calls him no matter where he is. He and her have developed some kind of connection or at least she thought they did. She heads to the bowels of the ship. She hates the engine room. It reminds her of her childhood but it’s the only place she hasn’t looked.
As she is about to enter the engine room her head whips around when she hears her name. “What are you doing down here? You never come down here.”, Simone asks.
“I’m looking for Sparky. What are you doing down here?”
“Luke said he’s having trouble with the sensors and asked me to check it out.”
“You could have told him to shove it, you know.”
Simone shrugs. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.” Simone opens the door to the engine room and Emma follows her inside. “So when did you last see Sparky?”
“Last night when I went to sleep. He was on my bed but Luke let him out this morning. I’ve been looking for him since I woke up but he hasn’t come when I called and I’m starting to get worried.”
“Oh wow. I hope he is okay.” No sooner does Simone finish saying this when both women hear a clanking noise and an electrical buzz coming from the back corner of the engine room. Simone instinctively unsheathes her fire sword and ignites the blade. The sounds continue as both women slowly follow the noises to their origin.
“Sparky!”, exclaims Emma as she spies him electrifying the tangle of wires he is caught up in spilling out of the metal alloy box in the corner of the room.
“That explains the sensor problems.”
“It’s okay little fella. We’ll help you.” As Emma untangles Sparky he stops shooting out electrical currents and allows her to aid him. “Poor guy is really tangled.”
“I’ll cut him out.”
Emma shoots Simone a horrified expression. “Not with that thing!”
“Relax.” Simone turns off her fire sword and takes out a switch blade. She walks over to Sparky and Emma and begins cutting Sparky free. “He must have shimmied into one of the vents and got lost and ended up down here.”
“Oh no his back leg came off!”, exclaims Emma.
“Don’t worry that’s easily fixable. I’ll grab the toolkit.”
As soon as Sparky is free he crawls into Emma’s arms. Simone is walking to the shelves to get the toolkit when Luke’s voice comes over the intercom. “Hey Simone! You down there yet?”
“Shit! Luke is going to flip on Sparky”, says Emma.
Simone winks at Emma. “I got it.” She walks over to the intercom and presses the button. “Yea I’m here. One of the fuse boxes overheated and exploded.”
“Fuck!”, comes back over the intercom. “Why does everything go to shit on this fucking ship!” A smile creeps over Emma’s face at Luke blowing yet another gasket.
“I can rig something up. Hot wired enough ships in my day. Just give me a cycle”, says Simone.
“Damn piece of junk”, is the response that comes over the intercom.
Simone goes and grabs the toolkit off the shelf and then walks back to Emma and Sparky to begin repairs. “Thanks”, says Emma.
“I owe you.”
“No you don’t.”
Simone gives a little nod at Emma. “Alright little guy let's get that leg bolted back on and then I’ll clean up this mess you made.”
