Kawasaki gave a small chuckle. ‘I know, but I’m not finished yet.’ He put the fire extinguisher down and picked up a cylindrical canister from the bench, popped open one end and produced some sleek black sunglasses. ‘Try these on,’ he said, with a wink. ‘They’re adapting goggles. They adjust to whatever atmospheric conditions the user is experiencing at the time. Plus, I’ve added a few extra features.’
‘Extra features?’ repeated James, taking the sunglasses. He examined them. Besides being matt black and having a MAL insignia on each side and a special symbol at the end of each arm, they looked pretty normal.
‘I’ll let you discover them for yourself,’ said Kawasaki. ‘It’s more fun that way – for me, that is.’
James slipped the shades on. He could have been born with them on, they fitted so perfectly. He scanned the room, but couldn’t pick up on any special features.
‘Notice that the room still looks bright even though the lenses are dark?’ said Kawasaki.
‘Like your glasses, Doctor.’
‘Yes, just like mine.’
‘Mind if I keep them on for a while?’ asked James. These glasses had to be the coolest things he’d ever owned. He never wanted to take them off.
‘Not at all.’
Cirro’s trouser pocket started emitting a soft bussing noise. ‘Excuse me one moment,’ he said, and then strode into the next room.
~
‘Good work, Agent Feric,’ said Cirro to the head flickering above his Supasmart. Hologram Communication, or “HoloCom”, was a new feature of the Supasmart Z. Unfortunately, because of the constant electrical interference, reception at MAL labs was never great.
‘Thank you, Primary Agent,’ replied Agent Feric’s projection.
‘I will contact the Empyrean immediately,’ said Cirro, terminating the conversation. Agent Feric’s head disappeared and, within moments, was replaced by the Empyrean’s. ‘Your Excellency,’ said Cirro, giving a quick nod.
‘Primary Agent,’ said Nimbus.
‘We were right to surmise that we were searching the wrong databases.’
‘You have found the relevant documents?’
‘Yes, Your Excellency. It appears James’s maternal grandfather, Jet Westerly, was Azurien. He married an Agrarien named Coral O’Brien. It explains why we found nothing in the Agrarien databases. The information was in ours all along. I am forwarding it now.’
Nimbus fell silent for a moment as his eyes scanned the information in front of him. ‘You are with the boy now?’ he said at last.
‘He is in the next room waiting with Kawasaki.’
The Empyrean’s hologram head flickered and his next words came out distorted. Cirro deciphered them as, ‘Bring him to me.’ Just as the connection cut out, an alarm begun blaring not far away. It didn’t take a primary agent to know alarms were not a good sign. Cirro shot back into the next room.
~
‘Do you know what is going on?’ Cirro asked the doctor as soon as he reappeared. Considering that more and more alarms were sounding, James thought he seemed remarkably calm.
Kawasaki, on the other hand, was flustered. He pointed to the intercom. ‘Security. There’s a possible intruder.’
Cirro turned to James. ‘Stay here while we go sort this out.’
James frowned; he didn’t want to be left alone. ‘What happens if there is an intruder and he comes in here?’
‘The door will be locked. You will be okay.’
‘But what happens if the intruder sets fire to the complex?’ James’ eyes widened and he grabbed Cirro’s arm. ‘Or worse still, blows it up. I’ll be trapped!’
‘It is uncertain that there is an intruder,’ said Cirro patiently. ‘But, trust me, this is the safest place for you until the emergency is over.’
‘The labs have undeletable security,’ said Kawasaki. James and Cirro looked at him, puzzled. ‘What? Oh, I mean, undefeatable security.’ His face reddened and he pretended to search for something in his lab coat.
Cirro gave James a reassuring nod. ‘Do not worry. I will be back to get you. Just stay put, no matter what happens.’
And with that, the two men left the room and sealed the door behind them.
TWENTY-TWO
MAL Laboratories, Nebulosity
For a few moments, James stared at the closed door before letting out a deep sigh. He turned and glanced around the room at all the display cases; this must be where the latest MAL technology was kept. He chewed his lip, wondering how much trouble he’d get into if he opened one of the cases and had a look. If he was careful, probably no one would even notice. The alarms, though not as loud with the door closed, weren’t letting up, and it might be ages before Cirro and the doctor returned.
Ten minutes must have passed and there was still no sign of Cirro or the doctor. The temptation to look into one of the cases was almost too much, but then he heard something.
He stood still and listened. There was a whirring noise on the other side of the door. Someone was trying to get in. Was it Cirro? Or the intruder?
‘Cirro?’ James called out.
The whirring stopped and then continued. The door slid open a centimetre and skinny fingers snaked in, gripped the edge of the door and started pushing. They didn’t look like fingers that belonged to Cirro or the doctor. James dived behind the cabinet that had held his new gear, pressed himself against the cold metal and held his breath. The door must have moved, because James heard footsteps and then a click as a display case opened. It shut again and then someone began rummaging in one of the cupboards under the bench. He heard a soft curse and then more rummaging.
James wondered what he should do. Should I confront them? What happens if they’ve got a weapon or something? He swallowed hard, and then sneaked a peek around the corner of the cabinet. A lone figure, wearing a long brown jacket, was squatting in front of a cupboard, its back to him. James held back a gasp. He’d know that hair anywhere. Aureole!
As if sensing that someone was watching, Aureole lifted her head quickly, scanned the room before scooping up what looked like a phone, stowed it in her pocket and hurried out.
‘What’s she doing here?’ whispered James to himself. ‘Surely, she’s not the intruder?’ He jumped up and rushed to the open doorway. When he looked out, Aureole was halfway down the corridor, trying to force her way into another lab. She gained entry and ducked inside. James waited, wondering if he should say something to her. But, before he could move, she was out again and disappearing around the corner of the corridor. James was after her in a flash, abandoning Cirro’s instruction to stay put.
What’s she up to?
James turned the corner and caught a glimpse of long blonde hair whisking through a doorway. He shot a glance behind him and didn’t see anyone coming. When he reached the lab, he found a cloud hopper sitting right in the centre of the room. This one had purple capillaries woven through its jet-black body and seemed smaller than the normal hopper. He cast an eye around the room, couldn’t see Aureole anywhere, but then heard muttering and soft cursing coming from inside the vehicle. He peered in and saw that she was having trouble with some thingy connected to some other thingy.
He mustered up the most authoritative voice he could and said, ‘What are you doing, Aureole?’
She jumped up like a startled gazelle, hitting her head on the hopper ceiling. ‘You!’ she hissed and stepped out of the vehicle, rubbing her head. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I asked you first.’
‘Stay out of my way, or I will . . . I will . . .’
James stuck out his chin. ‘You’ll what?’
Aureole fixed him with an indignant glare. ‘Just stay out of my way.’
‘Tell me why you broke into MAL. Are you looking for the SAFFIRE?’
Aureole gave a short derisive laugh. ‘Do not be so stupid. The SAFFIRE is gone. I am going to get it back.’
‘How?’ said James.
Aureole ignored his question and went
back inside the hopper. The phone James thought he’d seen her with previously was connected to the hopper’s interface. On closer inspection, he saw the words Supasmart ZZ imprinted on its casing. That must be what she took from the display case.
He looked at Aureole and then at the hopper and suddenly realised what she was up to. ‘You’re trying to steal this vehicle, aren’t you?’ he said. ‘You’re going to leave Nebulosity.’
She continued to ignore him, inspecting something inside the hopper’s control panel. James tapped his lower lip, thinking. This could be the opportunity he needed. Now that he knew definitely that his parents were missing, he had to go find them. If he helped Aureole find this SAFFIRE, maybe she would help him find his parents.
‘Let me come with you,’ he said, keeping his voice even.
Aureole snorted from under the console. ‘No way, you are an Agrarien. You should not even be here.’
‘No,’ corrected James. ‘You shouldn’t be here. Remember, you’re the one who’s just broken in; I was invited.’
Aureole straightened up and her eyes narrowed. ‘Not a chance.’
James glared back at her, and neither said anything for a moment. The silence was deafening. Silence!? James suddenly realised the alarms had stopped. Why? What could possibly . . . ? Sounds of distant heavy footsteps echoing through the corridors reached him. Aureole scrambled out of the hopper, barged past James and rushed to the door. She retrieved something from her inside jacket pocket and threw it down the passage. It sounded like marbles scattering across the floor.
‘That should slow them down,’ she muttered and then hurried back inside the hopper and started tinkering under the console again.
‘What was that you just threw?’
‘Wireless taser pellets that stun anyone who gets within five metres of them. They became redundant with the new security, but some of the labs still have them if you know where to look.’
‘That’s why you were poking around in that cupboard.’ He didn’t expect her to answer, and she didn’t, just kept on working. He racked his brain for a convincing argument as to why she should take him with her. ‘Being an Agrarien is an advantage,’ he said at last. ‘I can help you down there.’
‘I do not need your help. I have completed cultural exchanges on every continent. Even yours.’
Her superior tone irked James. ‘A holiday’s one thing,’ he said, ‘being on the run is another.’
‘It was not a holiday, it was work placement.’
‘Well, I’ve lived down there my whole life.’
Aureole didn’t respond immediately. She re-emerged from under the console, seemed to consider him for a moment, then said, ‘You will just get in the way.’
A short way off, voices rang out in sudden confusion. There were a few staccato screams. James guessed security had reached the taser pellets. He didn’t know how much time they had.
‘I’m not the same as all the other Agrariens,’ he said. ‘I can fly, remember?’ She gave no reaction. Maybe she didn’t hear me. ‘I’m not like . . .’ James stopped. He knew by Aureole’s expression that she wasn’t listening. He had seen that look on his mother’s face a thousand times before.
‘Aureole?’
She raised her finger, half closing her eyes.
James saw her other hand holding the Supasmart ZZ, her thumb pressed on its tiny pad. Thought-keying, he guessed.
‘Aureole Welkin,’ she said in a clear voice. After another brief pause, she opened her eyes fully and looked at him. ‘What were you saying?’
‘Um . . . I said: I can fly. Plus, I know my way around down there much better than you.’ James could see she was considering her options and listening for the Security. The guards sounded like they were making progress. He pressed on, ‘Besides, if you don’t let me come, I’ll have no choice but to answer Cirro’s questions. They’ll figure out that it was you who broke in.’
Aureole snorted. ‘Cirro does not frighten me.’
‘It’d be better if they didn’t know it was you.’
Aureole hesitated for a moment and then said, ‘Hop in and shut up.’
He grinned and did as he was told. Aureole inspected the hopper’s display panel, made some final adjustments to the controls and seated herself next to him.
‘Front transparency on,’ she said. A windscreen materialised. ‘Ignition on.’
The vehicle remained silent. James gave her an exasperated glance – the guards would be here any minute.
‘Ignition on,’ barked Aureole a second time.
Still nothing.
‘Maybe it only responds to a certain voice,’ suggested James.
‘I just programmed it to respond to mine,’ said Aureole. She suddenly slapped her forehead. ‘I forgot to put in the fuel cannister.’ She pointed to a small red cylinder lying on its side on a bench. ‘There it is. Quickly, go put it in the slot at the back.’
James shook his head and crossed his arms. ‘No way, I’m not getting out. As soon as I’ve put it in you’ll go without me.’
‘Do not be so stupid. We do not have time for this,’ Aureole hissed.
James refused to budge. The guards sounded closer now, he could hear them shouting instructions to one another. He knew he was going to win this argument. ‘No way, do it yourself.’
Aureole glared at him. ‘Damn you, you . . . obstinate moron!’ With that she reefed herself out of the seat and rushed over to retrieve the cylinder.
As she sat down, James reached out, patted the hopper dash and said, ‘Third time lucky?’
‘Give me your arm,’ she said urgently, pointing to the harmonising bracelet that was now peeping out from under his jacket sleeve.
‘But, I’ll fall through,’ said James.
‘You cannot fall through hoppers, they have inbuilt harmonisers, stupid.’ She had the bracelet off in a few seconds and threw it out of the hopper. ‘The bracelet also has a tracker in it. Doors closed.’
‘Oh,’ said James, rubbing his wrist. That must have been how Cirro had found him so quickly despite James running halfway round the restaurant district. ‘Thanks,’ he muttered.
‘Ignition on,’ commanded Aureole, turning her attention back to the hopper.
The engines roared to life. It was much louder than Cirro’s hopper.
‘What’s in this thing, a V-eight?’ said James.
‘A V-what?’ said Aureole, shooting him a quizzical look. ‘This is the new pursuit hopper. I overheard Dr Kawasaki discussing it with Father a few weeks ago. It goes twice as fast as an ordinary hopper.’ Just then, a guard appeared in the doorway, blocking the only exit.
James gulped. ‘How are we . . . ?’ He didn’t have a chance to complete his question.
The hopper lunged forward, heading straight for the guard, who dived to his left, his eyes bulging, jaw open. They roared into the hallway, where more security guards were closing in.
‘We are going to have to take a slight detour in my escape route,’ said Aureole, swinging the hopper around a hundred and eighty degrees. James’s stomach did one better, completing a three-sixty.
They travelled rapidly down the maze of corridors, pitching from side to side as they turned countless corners. James thought he was going to be sick. He tried closing his eyes, but that just made things worse. This was a big mistake, he thought.
TWENTY-THREE
MAL Laboratories, Nebulosity
The hopper lurched and bucked as Aureole threw it around another corner.
‘Why isn’t the inertial dampener working? I think . . . I’m . . . going to . . . throw up.’ James clasped his hand over his mouth.
‘I do not have it on because it takes up too much power,’ said Aureole, tearing her eyes away from the passageway ahead to look at James. ‘You are going green. Pinch your nose between your fingers.’
‘I haven’t got a nose bleed,’ groaned James, behind his hand.
‘Just do it,’ growled Aureole, leaning into the next corner.
/> James squeezed his nose and the motion sickness subsided. ‘Hey, it worked,’ he said. ‘Thanks.’
‘Of course it worked, but I did not do it for you. I do not want vomit all over the controls.’
The hopper made another violent turn, narrowly missing two security guards, who ducked.
‘Those guards are pretty nimble,’ commented James, turning to see them getting to their feet and shaking their fists.
‘We are nearly there,’ said Aureole. James could hear the excitement in her voice. ‘Just one more t . . .’
The hopper howled to a sudden stop, sending James careening into the dash-pad, the word seatbelts screaming in his mind.
He pushed himself back into his seat, looked out. ‘Dead end!’ he groaned. ‘I thought you knew where you were going.’
Aureole ignored his stare, quickly swung the hopper around and raced back the way they had come. The guards made a hasty retreat as the hopper bore down on them again.
‘Made a wrong turn just . . . here,’ said Aureole, flinging the vehicle around another sharp bend. The hopper scraped against the side of the corridor and shards of ice flew in all directions.
James held his breath. Twenty metres ahead loomed the main entrance.
I can’t believe it. We’re going to make it.
‘Woo-ee!’ screamed Aureole, as she steered the hopper though the glazed ice doors – smashing them into a million pieces – and headed up into free space.
Peering over his shoulder, James could see the security guards at the foot of the stairs near the main entrance, glaring after them, their mouths open, gasping for breath.
Quickly, Aureole merged the hopper into Nebulosity’s busy air traffic.
‘So what now?’ said James, exhaling.
‘Now,’ said Aureole with a mixture of happiness and relief on her face. ‘We go visit a friend of mine.’ This was the first time he’d seen her smile. It made her face appear much softer and he found himself liking it.
Before either of them could say anything else, a siren blared behind them. The security guards hadn’t given up the chase, they were in their own hopper.
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