Chapter 2: Pirates


The Ant breached the air and entered space. Gravity of the thrust held Jakar and Flint on the walls. When the ship stabilized a brief two and a half seconds of weightlessness until the sim-gravity leveled things out. Flint stood up and proceeded to help Jakar up.
A beeping and clicking sound caught Flint's attention, and he turned to see a glass eye peeking around the corner. Out stepped a machine that walked like a hunched over man, and it stood at three feet tall.
It walked up to Jakar and picked him up quickly.
“Whoa!” cried Jakar as the robot lifted him up with one arm.
It's head looked like a small lamp. It had rust stains all over its humanoid shaped body. Its clamp like hands held Jakar by his left arm, and it inspected his whole gear.
“Flint?”
Jakar was terrified. Flint shrugged in surprise, “What is it doing?”

Before Jakar responded the machine beeped and clicked, and soon other machines like it came piling in and carting Jakar off. Flint started toward Jakar to save him, but was stopped by another robot who grabbed his fake limb.
“Get off!” Flint demanded, but the machine clamped tight and started to take it apart.
Flint smacked it's head and the thing flew off with a screaming buzzing noise. He went to run, but his leg stiffened from the loosening of the screws. Flint limped away toward the direction of where Jakar was taken. Flint turned the corner only to run into Kuusco.
“Whoa there speedy? Where are you going?”
Flint pointed around in a panic, “Jakar! Taken! That way by...robots! Robots try to .....need to get help!”
Kuusco laughed and patted a confused Flint. He tried to catch his breath when the machine from before caught up. Flint got ready to hit it again, but Kuusco stopped him, “Calm down child! It's here to help.”
“Help? It carried off with my friend and tried to dismantle me!”
Kuusco looked down at Flint's leg, “Well I can see. I didn't notice that before.”
The machine cautiously inspected his leg again. Kuusco shook her head, “Go!”
The robot let go of Flint and ran off. Flint looked up at her, “What is that thing?”
“A SCRiD!” Kuusco said with a smile.

Flint stared at her with a confused expression. She rolled her eyes and helped him walk to the mess room. She sat him down at a table, and Flint propped the prosthetic up.
“He broke it!” cried a disgruntled Flint.
Kuusco sat in the chair next to him, “No! He wasn't done.”
“What?”
Kuusco called out, “SCRiD! Mess hall!”
Shortly after a robot came in and immediately lifted Flint's leg. It uncovered the plating and gave it shocks of electricity. The tinkered and moved around with its clamps for five minutes. Then it finished and bounced away to other matters.
Flint moved his leg, “It's...sleeker. I thought it was good enough before.”
Kuusco shrugged, “Thats all they do.”
Flint looked up to her, “Wow.”
She nodded and replied, “I bet you're hungry.”

Before Flint replied, two robots came in with plates of food. Flint's jaw dropped when he recognized it as meat. Only rich and humans ate that. He carefully tasted a bit and it seemed so delicious. Taking larges bites and enjoying every single one. He looked up at Kuusco with a mouth full, “Where'd you get this?”
Kuusco smiled, “That's why I needed you guys.”
Flint swallowed, “Wait. What?”
“I needed a crew. These SCRiD's are good in maintain the ship, but I go out in the field alone. I need a couple of guys to help me out.”
Flint wiped his muzzle with his shirt, “What do we do?”
Kuusco smiled, “We.....salvage things from....shall we say...people who don't need it.”

Flint stood up rapidly, “You mean!....Steal?! YOU”RE A PIRATE?”
Kuusco leaned back in thought, “Pirate is such a strong word. So yeah! I guess I am!.”
“Jakar!” Flint called out as he backed away. From his years in school Flint heard nothing good of the pirates. He never knew he'd be on one of their ships.
Flint bolted out of the room and continued to call for Jakar. He ran down a hallway and turned another and another. They all looked the same metallic greenish-brown. E ran and ran until he found an open door. He went through it only to find Kuusco sitting in the same room he left.
“Oh you're back!” She said casually, “I was getting worried.”

Flint turned to run away, but the strangest feeling ran into his prosthetic. It didn't move. He tried hard, but it was stiff. Then pain ran through his hip as his leg moved of its own will. It thrust him to the ground, and he fell on hands and knees.
“What.....What is this?”
Kuusco stood up, “That little fix up. Was a bit more then expected.”
She held a remote, and with a push of a button Flint's limb turned him on his back to face her.
“Just a precaution. At least until you trust me.”
A tear went down Flint's cheek as he struggled to move. He attempted to drag it but it was magnetized to the floor.
Kuusco pulled up a chair in front of him and sat down, “Right! On to business.”
“Where's Jakar?!” Flint yelled out.
“Look! Your interrupting me! Thats not nice!”
Flint took heavy breaths. Kuusco sighed, “He's fine! He's being repaired as well. I already told him he was going to be fine.”
Flint grunted in agitation, but he realized he had no choice.
Kuusco took a plate of food and put it on his chest.
“Ok Child. You agreed by getting on this ship to help me. You must understand my business. I do what I want for me. I took you guys in for my benefit, but! I am kind! You will be free to chose and all that happy, as long as it doesn't interfere with what I want. Are we clear?”
Flint snorted in agreement.

Kuusco smiled, “Good! Now that the mean part is over, have some more chicken. We are off to Earth and there we shall get some more of this cloned chicken, and other.....things that certain people don't deserve.”
“Isn't Earth the human home world?” Flint grumbled.
“Good! School help you after all.”
“Aren't humans not really fond of us Thropes?”
“Wow! You do amaze me, but we are not at war with Earth so they, though not fond of us as you so politely put it, will let us in.”
Flint nodded sarcastically, “Can I get up now?”
Kuusco pushed the button on the remote, and Flint could move his leg. He stood up and dusted himself off, “Why do you need me?”
Kuusco grinned, “It's just not as fun when you do things by yourself.”
Flint picked up the plate of chicken off of the ground, “Do they have a lot of this stuff?”
Kuusco laughed, “Let me show you to your bunk.”
She proceeded to lead Flint but he stopped and looked her in the eye, “I need to see Jakar first.”
Kuusco shrugged, and led him in a different direction. The doors opened for Kuusco as she walked up to them as she led him to hallways different from before. Finally they made it to a bedroom where Jakar sat with SCRiD. Flint new something different about him. His limbs were shinier.
Jakar stood up, “Hey! Flint! Guess what! They redid my parts, and now they are better then ever!”
Flint cracked a smile. He was happier seeing Jakar was ok,
“Cool!” he said.
Jakar looked at Flint's foot, “Did they do yours too?”
Flint just nodded. Kuusco stepped toward Jakar, “Sorry for the scare. The SCRiD work quicker then I can move.”
Jakar looked back at Flint, “I've only known her for five minutes and already I like her.”
Flint nodded, “Thats good.”
“So where is this ship heading?”
Kuusco was going to reply, but then looked at Flint.
Flint shuffled a bit on his feet, “Earth.”
Jakar's expression dropped, “Wait.....What?”
Flint nodded and Kuusco repeated to confirm.
“Why? Wait....Earth? Why?”
Kuusco looked again at Flint for his response.
Flint sighed, “This is a freelance cargo ship. We are getting supplies from the home planet of Earth, and going back.”
Jakar lowered his head, “I am away from home.....My mom will be worried!”
Flint chuckled, “We'll get you back. Just....in six days if all goes well.”
“If all goes well?!” Jakar stood up in fear, “What could go wrong?!”
Flint glared at Kuusco, “Pirates.”
“PIRATES!!!”
Jakar started panicking. Flint walked to him and held is mechanical shoulders, “JAK!!!! Calm down! Kuusco will keep us out of trouble.”
Kuusco stood, “Got that straight! This ship has better weapons then any pirate. Why...I've taken on three pirate vessels at once before! Nothing to worry about.”
Flint sat Jakar on the bed, “Just get some rest, we'll be back home before you know it.”
Jakar laid down and calmed his breathing, “Maybe....maybe you're right...sleep....good....”
He rolled over and mumbled. Kuusco led Flint out of the room, and the SCRiD followed. Flint leaned against the wall as Kuusco closed the door.
“He is so over reactive.” He said, “I am so sorry.”
Kuusco smirked, “That's ok. You guys are still young.”
Flint looked up at her with a smile, “'Three pirate vessels at once'?”
Kuusco laughed, “Ha! No! In fact this ship doesn't have any guns.”
Flint's expression dropped suddenly, “What?”
Kuusco didn't reply. She walked away and Flint pondered on her words,”Wait! What are you saying? We have no Defense?! KUUSCO!!! ANSWER ME!!!!”

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