The Alliance Archive

Stayin' Alive

Something was crushing my chest. I couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, couldn't lift my arms. My body felt like lead, and my head hurt like someone bore a hole through it. Was I dead?

"Hey, you awake?"

No, not dead. I opened my eyes. A dream, or a memory? whatever it was it was terrible. Why couldn't I breathe?

Why CAN'T I breathe!?

Panic kicked in, and I flailed my arms, trying to sit up and failing. I felt like a fly, trussed in a spider's web. It took about a moment to realize I was mummified in a blanket and there was someone trying to get me to calm down.

"Hey! Hey!! HEY!" He yelled. "You're going to rip your muscles!"

I began to calm down as I realized what he was saying. There wasn't anything on my chest, except for a large bandage wrapped around my stomach. My muscles were sore, probably from the plane jumping, but for the most part, I felt perfectly fine. All I didn't know was who this mystery boy was. I felt my eyes close, and I drifted off.

"You know, you don't have to make this decision," A woman was saying. She had a man't short hair, and a sort of futeristic suit on.

"I have to. It's either Opal gets them, or some other grudged fairy does," A boy said. The boy.

"They're not dumb. They'll figure it out sooner rather than later. And you can't keep them in stasis forever without killing them."

"It would be better if they were dead," Said the boy. I could see his silhouette, and he looked grim.

"Don't say that. There is someone after them, but they're not evil."

"How do you know?"

He was mind wiped by Abigale, who was mind wiped by Opal. Even though she's powerless, she managed."

"We might never know how," The boy sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Lack of sleep can't kill you, can it?

"Go sleep. They won't wake up," The woman folded her arms. "I'm positive."

"You know, Holly," The boy said, getting up and yawning. "They won't wake up until  they can free themselves."

"Lets hope they free themselves."

"Butler, sad to say, Is trying too hard to keep them away. I haven't told him of my plan yet, so he doesn't think we should let Stella run free. And that's fine by me, since she'll probably get into loads of trouble anyway. How she got free is beyond me.” The teenager said, giving a knowing glance to his comrade, Holly.

They have Liz!

“They’ll never be the same after this,” She shook her head.

“They’ll never be the same,” Answered the genius boy. And with those cheerful words, they parted.

The second time I woke up, my caretaker was nowhere in sight. I didn’t feel so bad, so I got up and explored the boat.

It was a yacht.

The bow was a huge deck, covered in oxidized copper, with a weathered effect on it. Salty waved pounded the wood, and a rail encircled it all. The only thing I could think of was how cool it was that I was on a yacht!

I stepped inside to a cool, Victorian atmosphere. Antiques were everywhere, giving the appearance of stepping back in time. The wheel to the boat was automatic, so it steered itself. Everything was completely hi-tech.

As I explored the ship, I realized the rooms had time frames, such as medieval, Renaissance, Victorian, Anglo-Saxon, one even prehistoric. Green houses, dining rooms, ballrooms, cottage appearances, and eventually I came to a modern kitchen.

There were delicious-looking, green apples hanging from the ceiling.

My stomach growled like a wild boar, and I reached for the shiny, green fruit. I’m sad to say I was drooling. However, before I could touch it, a voice stopped me.

“Shouldn’t you say hello to your host first?”

I turned around slowly, caught red-handed. I think I looked rabid or something. The kid looked bewildered. Concerned, smiling, and bewildered.

“Um…. Hi?” I said, trying to grin and just baring my teeth.

“Hi. I’m Len. How are your ribs?”

“Not very painful.”

“That’s good. Are you hungry?”

My stomach growled.

“Would you like some eggs an bacon?”

“Yes, please,” I just about begged.

“Alright then!” Len clapped his hands together. “Come down to the renaissance dining room in a half hour. It’s by the front of the boat, by the captain’s cabin. You can’t miss it.”

*     *     *

“So Len, how do you own a yacht?” I asked, shoveling bacon down my throat.

“I built it,” He said simply. “My father had the prints, and I had the materials, so I just made it. But you already know that.”

“No, I don’t,” I raised my eyebrow. When did he tell me that?

“Sorry, It’s a thing with time streams. You met me right when I finished this thing, but you didn’t look like that before,” He said, sipping coffee.

“When was that?”

About three years ago,” He contemplated. I spit apple juice.

“Three years?! How old are you?”

“Fourteen, I suppose. Last time I saw you, you and I were two different ages. Now I'd guess we're the same."

"Just a few more things. First of all, why did you say Zahmat when yoiu first met me?"

Len hesitated. "I didn't say that. You were probably imagining it," He said. I shrugged. Whatever.

"And second, how do you know so much about me?"

"Simple. You and I are-"

Just then something large smashed into the boat. Len swore and ran to the cabin, taking the wheel and spinning it in four full rotations. As the boat rocked back and forth, I struggled to stand as I made my way to the window. There was only one thing I could see, and that was the ocean pounding salty spray on to the plexiglass. As the boat swerved from side to side, I shouted to Len.

"What the hell was that?!" I yelled.

"You wouldn't believe it if I told you!" He shouted back.

"Try me! Crazy stuff has been happening to me all week!"

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you! These waters are infested with Mare Bestiam!"

"What are those?!" I shouted to my newfound friend. He looked grim.

"Sea monsters."