Jonathan Rush and the Star Academy

by Gregory Blackman

  Chapter Eight

  They had been traveling for a couple of days now; yet the excitement was still very much alive for Johnny. Lying down in the observation deck, he was watching the starship travel through warp space. Johnny felt like he could stay here all day. In fact, he actually had been there all day, watching the ship travel that fine line between space and time. Billions of blazing white streaks of light dashed across the deck. It made him feel so small and insignificant in a universe so vast.

  He wondered, would he ever shine as bright as some of these stars?

  “There you are, have you been here all day?” Amy asked. Johnny nodded and continued to look up at the stars. “So where are you from, anyway? I’m ossilian, myself.”

  “Earth,” Johnny answered. It had been awhile since he had thought about his home. The craziest thing since arriving aboard the Star Academy, Johnny thought; even crazier than a talking stone golem, was that he actually missed his home. He missed fried bananas. He even missed the fire alarm. However, he missed his mother most of all.

  “What was she like?” Amy inquired. Johnny sat up quickly, and looked at Amy. Her eyes flashed a blazing white, and then quickly returned back to normal, as if it never happened in the first place. Could she already read his mind? “I…I don’t know how I knew that. I think I just read your mind.”

  Johnny was getting used to the mind reading, but that was a new one. Davan’s eyes had never changed like that. Just another thing Johnny wasn’t going to understand, he thought.

  “She was great, in just about every way, a best friend,” Johnny said. “She even managed to make the best burned toast—“

  “I can see burned toast!” Amy said, cutting Johnny off. “Burned toast and the fire alarm, I—I saw all of it.”

  She could see all of that? Now that was definitely something new. If Davan could do that too, he never mentioned it to Johnny before.

  She sat down in front of him, and leaned in close.

  “Uh…uh what are you doing?” Johnny asked, squeamishly. He started to fidget and blush. Visibly uncomfortable, Amy pulled back and smiled.

  “I was just trying to see if I could read your mind, but I got nothing,” Amy responded. She stood up and extended her arms to Johnny, motioning him to get up. “Come here, you’re too nervous all the time. Do you know that?”

  Johnny grabbed Amy’s hands, and pulled himself off the floor.

  “What do you want me to do?” Johnny asked.

  “I want you to shake every bone in your body.” Amy replied. Surely she was joking, he thought. Yet she started shaking, as if to make her body into a noodle. “Do it, mister!”

  He felt foolish, but he did as instructed. The two of them stood there, on an intergalactic starship, shaking and spinning around like the innocent children that they were. They collapsed together, laughing as they fell to the floor.

  “That’s what I wanted to see,” Amy giggled. “I wanted to see you smile, you’re much cuter when you smile.”

  “Thanks,” Johnny said, appreciating her going out of her way to make him feel more comfortable. “So, what about your mother—“

  “Kids, come up to the Bridge” Selene instructed over the intercom, breaking up the conversation. They looked at each other, both beaming with excitement. Their adventure was about to begin.

  Meanwhile, on the Bridge, the three Star Knights were discussing their course of action.

  “The readings are quite out of the ordinary, sir,” Davan said, reading from his terminal. “We’re not picking up communication from the mining outpost on the moon.”

  “Impossible,” Kenzel said, walking over to Davan’s terminal. “There are over ten thousand people down there, and not one is using any form of communication. I don’t like this, not one bit.”

  “Looks like we’re going to get our hands dirty after all,” Selene smirked. She was a warrior, and like all warriors, enjoyed putting her skills to the test.

  “Darn it, Selene,” Kenzel said, smacking his hand down on the console. “There are lives at stake here! Not to mention your student, Amy. We need to do this by the book, so keep your emotions under control.”

  Selene was insulted, but knew he was right. Two of the highest ranking Star Knights, they often traveled the galaxy together. However, while they spent much time together, they did often clash over differing opinions. Much like oil and water, they did not mix.

  Selene was fiery and quick tempered. Kenzel, on the other hand was calm and collected. Whatever their differences may have been, they still managed to remain closest of allies.

  “Over there,” Davan said, pointing to the refinery located at the center of the outpost. “It has completely stopped operating, and still nobody is using any type of communication. It’s like the whole outpost has gone dead.”

  “Are they alive?” Kenzel asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Davan replied. “The sensors are picking up ten thousand one hundred and twenty seven people down there. If the refinery is not operational, the whole outpost would be frantic trying to repair it. Power is up and running, so that isn’t an issue either.”

  “Well, looks like we’re going to have to go down there,” Kenzel said. “Let’s see what we will find.”

  At that moment, Johnny and Amy entered the bridge.

  “Wow,” Johnny exclaimed as he set foot on the starship bridge. It was, after all, the very first time he had been on a bridge.

  It was actually quite small; he imagined something more like the popular starships on television. This was more like a large cockpit, with enough room for three terminals and maybe a few more people. That was enough for Johnny though; all that mattered is that he was there.

  Johnny looked out, upon the grey moon called Nox. It could have doubled for the Earth’s moon, he thought. It was almost exactly the same, even down to all the craters littered along the surface. Well, except for the rather large dome on the ground of course.

  “Take us down, Davan,” Kenzel requested. The Aidos swooped towards the planet; much like a bluebird would fly down towards a branch. Effortless and agile, she homed in on a landing pad inside the small domed city.

  Johnny grabbed Kenzel’s arm in fear as they approached the dome itself. Kenzel looked at him, grinning. He had forgotten how young these children were, and while he worried about their safety, he admired the innocence in their eyes.

  “Do not worry, Johnny. It is called a force field, and we will pass right through it.” Sure enough, they passed right through without a problem, and Johnny loosened his grip, just a little.

  The starship landed on the ground shortly after.

  “Alright,” Kenzel started. “We have our orders, Star Knights. This is recon only. Children, you know that you are not to leave the ship. I cannot stress this enough, it could be dangerous out there.”

  The two young students nodded. Although unhappy to be left behind, they understood that they were just kids, and may get in the way. Or even worse, they could get seriously hurt. They accompanied the Star Knights to the loading bay.

  They walked into a large, empty room. Maybe ten times the size of the bridge, it was completely empty. How were they going to get out? Johnny watched closely as Kenzel walked to a terminal in the wall, and pressed a few buttons on a keypad.

  A large platform began to lower, revealing the outside mining outpost. The platform stopped at an angle, revealing passageway to the streets below.

  The children wished their mentors good luck, and prepared to wait for their return. Well, at least one of them was preparing to wait.