by Jon Ireland
‘Shut out from the front door,’ Hoppy said. ‘But I bet there’s a back door.’
‘What back door?’
‘The underground tunnels by the old dock. There used to be a back door for deliveries.’
‘No chance. Those tunnels were flooded years ago. You won’t be able to get through there.’
‘You could if you swam underwater,’ said Hoppy confidently.
‘Liftoff can’t swim,’ said Rocket. He covered his mouth so only Hoppy could hear the next part. ‘You know he has to wear inflatable arm bands, right? And that’s for bath time too.’
‘I heard that!’ huffed Liftoff. ‘I can swim! I just choose not to.’
‘You two could try up there instead,’ suggested Hoppy, glancing up the mountain. ‘They’ve got air vents. I’ve seen smoke rise out from up there before. You might be able to get in that way.’
‘I ain’t going in no vents,’ said Liftoff, crossing his arms. ‘And I ain’t going in no mountain neither. How many times do I have to tell you!’
‘Suit yourself. Come on, Tinysaur, we’re going this way. We’ve got an island to save.’
Tinysaur yapped and followed Hoppy’s lead, heading round the foot of the mountain towards the coastline.
Rocket patted Liftoff on the shoulder.
‘Normally, I’m with you, pal. Going inside that mountain brings back bad memories for me too. And any other day, I’d say, let’s forget about it and go home. But I’ve got a bad feeling that if we don’t get in there and help Hoppy our whole life on this island could come to a tragic end.’
‘That’s a very brave thing to say,’ said Liftoff, ‘and I’m going to be right behind you.’ Liftoff turned and walked back towards the forest. ‘Right behind you on the other side of the island!’
‘What? You can’t just leave me on my own!’
‘I told you. I ain’t going in there. Nothing but bad news in that place.’
‘That was a long time ago,’ said Rocket. ‘It’s just Mischief and the robots now. Nothing that a big strong bear like you couldn’t handle.’
‘What if there’s all kinds of terrible things in there we know nothing about. Nothing good happens in there.’
‘This is hard for me to say, but I’m going to have to say it anyway.’
Rocket swallowed hard and choked out the next few words.
‘I ...’
He coughed.
‘Need ...’
Cough! Cough!
‘You.’
Rocket sighed with total relief.
‘There I said it.’
‘Said what?’
‘You heard me! Don’t play games.’
Liftoff pondered his options and Rocket waited for an answer.
Liftoff took his bunny out from his leather satchel and put its little black nose close to his ear.
‘Bunny says we’ll climb the mountain with you – but that’s all! The rest is up to you.’
Rocket frowned. But at least he’d persuaded Liftoff to climb the mountain.
* * *
Hoppy and Tinysaur had raced around the bottom of the mountain and after about half an hour they could see the ocean.
‘Let’s follow the track along the top of the cliff,’ said Hoppy. ‘We should reach the old dock within the hour. Just watch where you step – it’s dangerous along here.’
Tinysaur gave a nod of the head and a yap. Her little tail waggled in excitement.
The coastal path had eroded over many years. An overgrown, rocky and meandering track, only used these days by wild animals. There were signs of a former life, a few rusted metal safety chains, old iron rivets and the occasional broken pipe sticking from the rocks.
Hoppy stopped a moment to catch her breath. She looked out across the ocean.
‘Isn’t it beautiful,’ she said. ‘Out there ... that’s where we want to be ... that’s where we’ll find our freedom.’
Tinysaur looked at Hoppy and simply panted.
Hoppy shook her head and thought for a moment. She sighed.
‘We’ll get off this island one day. You’ll see.’
She turned and stared up at the coastal track.
‘Look, there it is – the old dock. We’re not far now.’
* * *
In the meantime, Rocket and Liftoff had been slowly making their way up the easiest part of the mountain. It was a little frustrating for Rocket knowing he could have made it this far on his own in a matter of seconds rather than the hour or so it had taken.
‘Come on, pal,’ Rocket said. ‘Not much further.’
Liftoff puffed heavily.
‘I am not enjoying this.’
The first part of their journey up the mountain had been fairly pleasant with views over the forest and the ocean. But since then it had grown foggier and everything had become obscured by cloud. The temperature had dropped sharply and the terrain was getting steeper.
Rocket scrambled over some loose rocks until he stopped in front of a steep rise surrounded by cliffs on either side.
Liftoff stared at the steep rock face.
‘I can’t get up there!’ Liftoff said, partly deflated and partly happy that he wouldn’t be going any further.
‘Sure you can!’ Rocket clasped both hands together. ‘I’ll give you a step up, see. Just put your foot on here.’
‘It’s too high.’
‘Come on. Give it a go. We’ve come too far to stop now.’
Liftoff reluctantly put his large left foot on Rocket’s hands and leveraged himself up against the rock wall.
Rocket grimaced in pain.
‘Argh! My back, my back!’
‘Go back, did you say?’
‘Just get up there, you big great lump. I can’t hold you much longer.’
‘I’m trying!’ Liftoff grabbed at the top of the ledge and using all his arm strength, heaved himself ungracefully over to the other side.
Rocket fell exhausted in a heap.
‘I think I’ve twisted something.’
Liftoff’s head appeared over the side of the edge.
‘Hey, what are you doing resting down there?’ he asked, feeling cheered up by his success over the rock wall.
Rocket growled under his breath. He rose on to his feet, arched and clicked his back, and then speedily clambered up to meet Liftoff.
‘We better find a way in soon,’ puffed Rocket. ‘I’m not doing that again.’
‘I dunno,’ said Liftoff. ‘That last bit was pretty easy.’ And with that Liftoff began to whistle as he climbed up the next bit of the mountain. ‘Are you coming or what?’
Rocket rolled his eyes and followed after.
* * *
Hoppy and Tinysaur had made it to the old dock. Hoppy was leaning over a rusted and battered railing and peered down at the choppy waters below.
The dock was in a shabby condition and barely recognisable as an old port. The remaining brick walls that hadn’t crumbled into the sea were covered in green seaweed and algae. There was an old ladder bolted to one side – many of the rungs were either broken or missing.
‘We should be able to get in to the mountain from here,’ said Hoppy.
Tinysaur looked bemused. She couldn’t see any visible doors or holes into the mountain.
‘Not up here. Down there!’ Hoppy pointed into the grey murky waters that splashed and echoed against the dock walls. ‘I think there’s a way in under the water!’
Tinysaur gave a little whimper.
‘We’ll need to hold our breath, of course. Maybe a minute or two. Do you think you can do that? Just stay close to me and you’ll be fine. Ready to jump in?’
Tinysaur’s eyes looked worried but she nodded anyway. Hoppy picked her up and held her over the railings.
‘On the count of three.... one... two ... three!’ She let Tinysaur drop into the water and a moment later she dived in after.
SPLASH.
They both popped up out of the water, gasping for breath, tread
ing water and trying to get used to the freezing water. Hoppy’s pink fur was matted and wet while Tinysaur’s reptilian skin looked glossier than usual.
‘Deep breath, Tinysaur.’
And with that last instruction, Hoppy sucked in as much air as she could and dived beneath the surface. Tinysaur kicked down and swam close behind.
Straining to keep their eyes open in the salty water, there was just enough light to see the opening of the hidden underwater tunnel.
Hoppy swam hard and Tinysaur, who was also a good swimmer, tailed closely. Inside the dark underwater tunnel was a small red light several feet further along. Hoppy signalled to Tinysaur and they swam further into the opening.
Hoppy remembered the last time she’d been there. A long, long time ago. And that time was to escape out, not to go back inside.
She felt fearful.
Summoning up her courage, and knowing Tinysaur was behind her, Hoppy swam further into the tunnel towards the red light.
There it was! An air-hole. Hoppy’s head burst from the water’s surface and she gasped for air. Tinysaur came up after her, puffing and panting.
‘I see it,’ said Hoppy breathlessly. There before them was a rusted iron door on a platform above the water. ‘We’re in.’
Chapter 15 – Underground and undercover
Liftoff bent over and clutched his knees.
‘That’s it. I’m done!’ he said, puffing out his cheeks. ‘I can’t go any higher.’
‘You may not have to,’ said Rocket. ‘Look –’ he pointed to a slither of rising smoke, barely visible against the surrounding fog, ‘– that’s one of the chimneys we’ve been looking for.’
‘I don’t see nothing,’ Liftoff said glumly. He shivered a little and rubbed the fur on his arms. ‘It’s too cold to go on. This is as far as I go.’
‘I’m going for a closer look.’
Two seconds later, Rocket was back.
‘I was right. It’s an old brick chimney. It must lead somewhere inside the mountain.’
‘So I can go back down now, right?’
‘Not yet – I need you to pull the chimney out first. I’m not strong enough.’
Liftoff sighed and nodded his head.
‘I’ll break if off but don’t for one second think I’m following you in there. You hear me? I am not going inside that mountain. Never!’
* * *
Tinysaur spluttered and coughed as Hoppy took her paw and lifted her from the cold sea water. They were both shivering.
‘We’ll warm up once we get inside,’ she said. Lifting up a heavy latch, she pushed the underground door ajar and a gust of hot air blasted from the doorway. ‘Well that was faster than I expected.’
The warm wind was like a hairdryer and it immediately began to dry Hoppy’s soaked pink fur. Tinysaur’s smooth skin was dry in seconds.
‘I wonder what’s making all that heat?’
They entered into a dimly lit rock passageway that lead to a stone spiral stairway. Steam rose up from the floor, and the damp stairwell grew drier and hotter with every step up.
‘I guess we’ll find out soon enough,’ puffed Hoppy.
* * *
The chimney was a couple of feet in diameter, made of old red bricks and protruding from the surface of the rock. Some of the bricks had crumbled and fallen loose.
Liftoff crouched and embraced the chimney with both arms.
‘Boy, does it stink round here!’ said Liftoff, wrinkling his nose.
‘Yuk!’ said Rocket, giving it a sniff. ‘What are they making down there? It smells like rotten eggs and old socks.’
‘The sooner I get away from here the better!’
Liftoff tugged the chimney back and forth to try and break it off. It cracked a little and a couple of the bricks crumbled.
‘Try pulling it up at the same time,’ said Rocket.
Liftoff lent back and there was the sound of rocks cracking.
‘I think I’ve got it. I can feel it coming loose.’
Rocket felt the ground beneath his feet wobble.
‘Er, Liftoff, I think you better stop a second –’
‘Almost done...’
‘But the ground is breaking apart –’
‘Here it comes!’
Liftoff ripped the chimney out from the rock but as he did so wide cracks appeared all beneath their feet.
‘The floor is collapsing!’ shouted Rocket.
Liftoff dropped the chimney to the ground with a crash but that only made it worse.
The earth disintegrated around them, sucking them down. Rocket scrambled to hold on to an edge but everything crumbled in his hands. Liftoff slipped in first, dropping with a scream and falling into the darkness. Rocket followed after him, sliding out of control. They kept dropping until they slipped into a wide metal tunnel that curved and caught their fall. Now instead of falling they were sliding, sliding in darkness, groping at the side of the slippery walls.
‘Waaaaaaaaah!’ cried Liftoff.
‘Weeeeeeeeeh!’ shouted Rocket.
Liftoff saw a light beneath him but before he could say anything –
SMASH!
Liftoff went feet first through a metal grate, blown of its hinges, and he shot out from the tunnel and landed with not with a thud but with a sloppy –
SQUELCH!
Seconds later, Rocket flew out and landed with a mushy splat.
‘What a rush!’ said Rocket excitedly.
‘What a pong!’ cried Liftoff. ‘And what is all this soggy goo?’
As their eyes slowly adjusted to the dimly lit room, Rocket scooped up a piece of the junk they had fallen into.
‘What is this?’ said Rocket, holding out the soggy object. ‘It looks like an old sock, covered in –’
‘Eggs! Rotten eggs!’ shrieked Liftoff.
‘I told you at the top it stunk of old socks and eggs!’
‘I’ve got to get out of here!’ said Liftoff frantically. ‘This place is crazy. I’ve got to get back to the surface!’
‘You’ll never get out that way,’ said Rocket as a pile of rocks and soil fell down the chimney tunnel, blocking it up.
‘I’m so mad at you right now!’ said Liftoff all red-faced.
‘What did I do?’
‘I told you I never wanted to come down here. And now look at me!’ Liftoff held up a stinking sock and threw it at Rocket. ‘We’re trapped!’
‘No we’re not. Look over there – it’s a door. We can get out that way.’
Rocket clambered over the gooey mess to the metal door and tried the handle.
‘It’s stuck!’ coughed Rocket. ‘And these fumes are killing me!’
Liftoff pushed himself up from the old socks and climbed over to Rocket.
‘Out of my way!’
And with that the giant bear shoulder barged into the locked door, knocking it wide open and then jumping through to the other side.
Liftoff took a deep breath of air.
Rocket stepped out the door and wiped an egg shell off his shoulders.
‘That wasn’t so bad ...’ he said cooly.
Liftoff growled.
‘I told you I didn’t want to be here. This place is nothing but trouble.’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll find you an exit and you can leave right away.’ Rocket looked up and down what seemed like an endless passageway. The walls were a dull white and lined with hundreds and hundreds of doors, all closed and signed with with a unique number. ‘We just need to figure out which door is the exit that’s all.’
* * *
At the top of the stone stairwell, Hoppy and Tinysaur reached a door marked:
COMPUTER WAREHOUSE.
She turned the door handle and it opened out into a magnificent underground, windowless chamber, some sixty feet high and with no end in sight. Spread across the tiled floor were rows of computer servers, machines, flashing lights, cables of all kinds – all buzzing and humming in unison. Every row of computer se
rvers seemed identical.
After the long climb up the stairwell and now into this intense heat, Hoppy was sweating.
‘Goodness, it’s hot,’ she said, wiping her brow.
Tinysaur panted and waited for instructions.
‘Doctor Mischief’s command centre is at the top of the mountain and it’s a very, very long way up. We’ll have to take a lift up. There must be one here somewhere.’
They jogged round the outer wall of the computer warehouse, past line after line of humming machines, until finally they found what they were looking for.
‘Let’s hope the lifts are working,’ said Hoppy, pushing a button with an upward pointing arrow.
A few seconds later the lift doors pinged and swooshed open, and the two of them entered. In front of Hoppy was a massive board of numbers from one all the way to six hundred. She pushed the button marked one.
‘No turning back now ...’
The doors shut, and the lift groaned as they felt it begin the long journey up the interior of the mountain. A display above the door gave the current floor number. It was reading five hundred and ninety-nine. A few seconds later, it turned to five hundred and ninety-eight.
‘This may take a while,’ said Hoppy.
Tinysaur sighed and rested on the cold lift floor.
* * *
‘This may take a while,’ said Rocket, after opening the hundredth door along the long, long passageway. ‘Not this one either. That room’s just full of mouldy old cheese.’
Liftoff opened and then immediately slammed shut the next door along. ‘You don’t want to go in there. That one’s Brussels sprouts, ear wigs and worms!’
‘Disgusting!’ said Rocket. ‘Who’d want to fill a room with Brussels sprouts?’
‘Mischief is bonkers,’ said Liftoff tapping the side of his head.
‘All these rooms are full of mad experiments. I don’t think we’ll find an exit in one of these.’
‘I’m feeling claustrophobic,’ moaned Liftoff. ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’
‘There must be some stairs somewhere along here,’ said Rocket hopefully.
‘Or an escalator,’ added Liftoff. ‘Or even a lift would be nice.’
* * *
Hoppy could feel the lift grinding to a halt.
‘Something’s wrong,’ she whispered. ‘We’re stopping too soon.’
The display above the door read ‘166’.
The lift jolted and Tinysaur leapt to her feet.
Hoppy took a fighting stance. ‘Stay behind me. It could be one of the robots.’
