The Time Thieves

by Charlie Carter

  ‘Not a chance,’ the Professor replied. ‘That light is not an Entry Beam. It’s thicker and much more pure.’ She turned white. ‘Oh, no. That’s Battle Energy escaping, concentrated Battle Energy. It must be stopped at once.’ She shouted at Android Tara2: ‘Shut down the casket. Immediately.’

  AT2 tugged at the TrolleyBot controls, but to no effect. ‘Not responding,’ the android reported. ‘Not responding.’

  ‘The Emergency Lever,’ Professor Perdu shouted, pointing to the wall behind them.

  TEX threw himself at the big red lever, yanking it down. A thick metal cap immediately descended on Book 94, clamping over the top and sealing it off. The Battle Book shrieked and groaned like a living beast. It wriggled and shook as if trying to escape, but eventually stopped moving and fell silent.

  ‘Phew. That’s the Battle Book under control,’ said Five. ‘What about the Battle Energy?’

  The escaped energy had formed into a sphere about the size of a large beach ball. It glowed iridescent orange, and flew around the Tome Tower with a long fiery tail like a comet.

  ‘How much energy has escaped?’ Nine asked.

  ‘Difficult to say exactly,’ Professor Perdu replied. ‘But an energy ball that size would certainly contain bits of the Battle of Hastings.’

  ‘What? You mean there could be soldiers in there?’

  ‘Soldiers, weapons, horses, carts, actual fighting, the lot. All in the form of energy, of course, pure compressed energy.’

  ‘But if there are people in that energy ball,’ BA005 said slowly, ‘could 004 be one of them?’

  ‘That is a frightening possibility,’ the professor said.

  They all scoured the ScanoScreen, searching for the telltale red dot that would mean Four was still in the Battle Book. But there was no red dot.

  ‘He must be out there,’ Nine said, pointing at the energy ball that was now whizzing faster than ever around the Tome Tower. ‘In that … thing.’

  ‘There’s only one way to tell,’ the professor replied, grabbing her ScanoGun and locking its beam onto the energy ball.

  ‘Is he there?’ Five asked, trying to get a look at the ScanoGun’s small screen. ‘Can you see him?’

  The professor’s silence seemed to last forever. In the end she groaned and slumped back in her chair. The others caught a glimpse of the red dot as the ScanoGun fell into her lap.

  ‘There’s nothing for it,’ she muttered, and pressed a large red button imprinted with the letter V. ‘We’ll have to try the Vacuumulator.’

  Almost immediately, two more androids entered the Tome Tower hauling a large cannon-like contraption between them. One climbed into a swivel-seat and aimed the big barrel at the energy ball. The other stood at a screen, reading off figures and co-ordinates.

  The androids tried to capture the energy ball, but it was too fast and unpredictable to fix a beam on for more than a second.

  ‘We have to get it back into the Battle Book,’ the professor shouted. ‘It’s sucking power from its surroundings.’

  The energy ball suddenly changed direction. It swerved and headed towards the androids, sweeping down and narrowly missing them.

  ‘Now it’s attacking the droids,’ Five yelled.

  The energy ball spun around and rocketed straight at the androids again. This time they ran. But the ball was far too fast. It hit the slower one and went right through him. He exploded, bursting into bits of metal and burning plastic.

  Everyone was shocked. They all knew that the android was not human, but the professor’s creations were so lifelike it was still terrible to see one obliterated.

  Then the energy ball chased after the other android, only just missing.

  ‘That thing has a mind of its own,’ Nine shouted.

  It seemed to double its speed, at the same time glowing far more brightly. Soon it was hurtling around the Tome Tower like a white hot meteor.

  ‘It’s spinning out of control,’ the professor said. ‘It can’t keep this up. Something has to —’

  Before she could finish, the energy ball crashed into the Tome Tower wall and went straight through it.

  EIGHT

  Where is everyone?

  Battle Agent 004 looked back, searching for his fellow agents. But there was still no sign of them. He was becoming concerned. Take-off was supposed to be a team thing; it was important to enter a Battle Book as close together as possible to avoid being split up and other complications.

  They should have caught up by now. I can’t go much slower.

  He thought-channelled his SimulSkin to back-off his Boot Boosters another kilo-thrust, and peered into the Mists of Time.

  Something must’ve gone wrong. Maybe they’ve shot off on a Time Tangent or been caught in a RetroPause. Those time-warps could cause a lot of problems, sending Battle Agents in all directions.

  Four called into his Battle Watch. ‘What are you lot doing? Having breakfast? Sunbaking?’

  Without warning, he was suddenly knocked sideways by something.

  What was that? A gust of YesterWind? Nuh, more solid than a YW – my shoulder feels bruised.

  He reached around to massage his aching shoulder. But he was hit again, on the other side.

  ‘Sheesh! That really hurt.’

  He was thrown sideways and had to fight to keep flight control. But before he could recover his balance he was struck from underneath by an upthrust force that took his breath away and sent him into a spiralling dive.

  ‘ABC! ABC!’ he screamed.

  His SimulSkin had already analysed the situation and kicked into Automatic Body Control. A milli-second later it activated ShieldField in Cone Mode and pulled 004 out of the deadly spin. He was left dazed and shaken, but otherwise okay … at least for the moment.

  ‘Prof?’ Four yelled into his Battle Watch. ‘Are you there?’

  There was no reply, just a flickering screen filled with multi-coloured static. Four tried to message the others again. But there was nothing from them either.

  Four’s SimulSkin switched his HoverVest to Float Mode. He relaxed a little and began searching for some clues as to where he was on the time scale. He caught a glimpse of the sea, some land appeared briefly, and his Geo-Chron Locator sent through an Info Stream message:

  Flying at 1220 feet above sea level and maintaining height. Senlac Hill, the site for the Battle of Hastings, is directly below. Immediate descent recommended.

  The Mists of Time cleared some more and 004 could now see a flotilla of ships in a bay. Smaller boats were ferrying troops ashore and soldiers were lining up on the beach. Further away, in a wide field sweeping up to a hill, another army was in battle formation.

  Four scanned the scene below for a landing place away from the action, somewhere he wouldn’t be seen. He found what he wanted in a valley behind Senlac Hill and sent his G-C co-ordinates to Professor Perdu and the others, hoping someone would pick up the message.

  Then he started his descent. At least I’ll be on solid ground, he thought. I hope the others are okay.

  * * *

  Professor Perdu, BA005 and BA009 were still gaping at the Tome Tower wall, trying to grasp how that ball of Battle Energy could have passed through it at all, let alone so easily.

  ‘I think I’ve got it,’ Professor Perdu said eventually. ‘That energy ball was being controlled from outside the Tome Tower. It had to be. There’s no other explanation.’

  ‘But who’d be doing that?’ BA009 asked. ‘And how?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said the professor. ‘But it has to be someone with very advanced technology. And look.’ She pointed to the ScanoScreen. What appeared to be a small blue bubble was moving slowly across the screen. ‘That’s the energy ball.’ Inside the blue bubble was a tiny red dot.

  ‘And that’s Four,’ said BA009.

  ‘Yes, but the important point is that the Energy Ball is no longer flying all over the place like it was in the Tome Tower. It has calmed down completely, as if it’s been tamed. O
r even contained.’

  ‘What are you saying, Prof?’ said BA005.

  ‘I’m only guessing, but this looks like a brazen case of high-tech highway robbery. We’ve just been robbed of a chunk of Time and Energy. And the thieves – whoever they are – must have a mobile unit of some sort, a van perhaps. See how the energy ball is moving away from us? It’s travelling at about the speed of a vehicle. Unless I’m very wrong, they’re driving away with BA004 inside the energy ball.’

  ‘So all we need to do is go after them,’ said 005.

  ‘Four’s Battle Watch is transmitting his co-ordinates to us,’ said 009. ‘We just have to follow them.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Professor Perdu, ‘but to do that we need a car and we need it immediately. Administration would take ages to give us one; by which time we might’ve lost track of Four. And then we need a driver. I’m the only one here who can drive, but I have to stay at the control panel so if there’s an opportunity I can operate the Exit Beam to get Four out of there.’

  ‘I see,’ said 009 frowning. ‘So we’re stumped.’

  ‘Exactly,’ cried Professor Perdu. ‘It’s a nightmare. There’s nothing we can do.’

  ‘Oh, yes there is,’ said 005. ‘There’s plenty.’

  ‘What?’ said the professor.

  ‘No time to explain,’ Five shouted, grabbing a mobile G-C Scanner. ‘Relay Four’s movements through to us on this until we can take over.’

  ‘But —’

  ‘Trust me, Prof. There’s no other way. Move it, Nine and TEX. On the double.’

  As the professor shouted warnings, BA005 ran out of the Special Reading Room, the others close behind him. They leapt into the lift and he punched the Down button.

  ‘I hope you know what you’re doing,’ said Nine.

  ‘Me, too,’ Five replied.

  They jumped out at the lower basement level into a busy street. Five sprinted through the crowd to a lane at the back of the library.

  ‘We’re in luck,’ he yelled as he turned in to the lane, pointing to a grey limousine.

  Nine’s eyes widened. ‘Wow. I like.’

  ‘It belongs to Four,’ 005 explained. ‘And it might just save his life. Come on.’

  He ran up to the limousine, pulled open the front passenger door and leapt in. ‘It’s okay, Bernard,’ he said. ‘We’re friends of Winston.’

  Bernard’s jaw dropped. Five and Nine looked like UnderOnes, the people who lived in the sewers and tunnels beneath Futura. And the supersized man whose head hit the roof in the back of the limo was very intimidating.

  ‘You must believe us,’ pleaded Nine. ‘Winston’s life is at stake. We need your help. Now.’

  ‘Okay, then,’ Bernard agreed. ‘What do you want me to do?’

  ‘Drive,’ said Five, clamping the mobile G-C Scanner to the dashboard. ‘Follow that red dot,’ he added, pointing to the screen. ‘And when I say drive, I mean rip the road!’

  ‘As you wish,’ Bernard replied.

  He started the engine and rammed the accelerator to the floor. Everyone was thrown back in their seats as the limousine roared away. It screeched out of the lane, scattering people, and took off down the street, tyres squealing, all twelve cylinders howling.

  * * *

  ‘Prof!’

  BA004 shouted into his Battle Watch as he was thrown about the sky, caught in turbulence worse than he’d ever experienced.

  ‘Five, Nine, TEX! Anyone?’

  Less than a minute ago he was just above the landing site, preparing to glide down the final fifty metres. Everything was calm and peaceful as he set up for a perfect touchdown. But then a strange turbulence swooped in out of the blue. With it came a whopping Time-thermal upthrust that sent him hundreds of metres above the ground in a matter of seconds.

  A disturbing static filled the air around him as well. The sky pulsed between vivid white and blinding black. But far worse than all that, the electrical activity was seriously damaging Four’s gear. His HoverVest was shuddering, his Boot Boosters were spluttering, his G-C Locator was spinning out of sync with Level 9 electro-mag drag, while his Battle Watch was flashing and beeping. And all the time he was being taken further and further up into the sky.

  * * *

  ‘Come in, Omega Squad. Where are you?’

  Professor Perdu’s voice crackled on Five’s Battle Watch.

  ‘We’re driving through the city streets in Four’s limousine, Prof.’

  ‘You do realise that stepping outside the CIS in your Simulation Skins is strictly forbidden, and as for using an unauthorised vehicle —’

  ‘That’s too bad, Prof. This is about Four’s life. Rules come a long way down the scale next to that.’

  ‘Of course. I simply wanted you to be aware of the situation.’

  ‘Okay, Prof. Point taken. But have you got any closer to working out who is behind this yet?’

  ‘No, but they’re not small-time, that’s certain. These time thieves have used sophisticated technology. The Tome Tower wall is designed to be impenetrable. They’ve used an accelerated electro-magnetic beam to send signals through the wall. That research is cutting edge, and the equipment would have cost a fortune.’

  ‘So they’re big players, then,’ said BA009. ‘Organised crime?’

  ‘Your guess is as good as mine. But the main thing right now is that we get BA004 back.’

  ‘Exactly,’ BA005 agreed.

  ‘Excuse me,’ Bernard interrupted, pointing at the G-C Scanner on the dashboard. ‘The red dot appears to have stopped moving.’

  ‘You’re right!’ Professor Perdu gave a cheer. ‘That’s excellent – and it’s only a few kilometres away from where you are. Keep going.’

  As Bernard drove on, the others looked out at the cityscape. They were in a strange part of Futura, a part none of them had ever been in before. It felt like an industrial area – there were no residential buildings – but there weren’t really signs of any industry either – no smoke from chimneys, no heavy vehicles coming and going. The streets were wide and empty, not a person to be seen anywhere. It felt like a kind of no-man’s land. And the further they went, the stranger it became.

  ‘I don’t think I like this place,’ Nine said after a while. The others silently agreed.

  After a kilometre or so, Bernard slowed down because Four’s signal was growing stronger by the second. They were driving down a wide road, lined on either side by windowless concrete structures about three storeys high. They looked like giant building blocks. There appeared to be no doors into them either, only the same large sign at regular intervals stencilled on the walls:

  KEEP OUT

  TRESPASSERS PROSECUTED

  The central road was crossed by narrower roads at frequent intervals. Following the G-C Scanner’s prompts, Bernard turned up one of these, only to find that it was crossed by laneways the width of a single vehicle.

  ‘Steady, Bernard,’ Five said as they passed one lane and then another. ‘We’re close.’ As they approached the third lane, the G-C Scanner flashed wildly and beeped loudly. ‘Left here. We should be right on target soon.’

  The excitement inside the limousine grew as they neared the laneway. But just as they were about to turn in to it, a black van came hurtling out. Bernard slammed his foot on the brakes, throwing everyone forwards, narrowly avoiding a collision. The van shot past, straight across the road and into the lane on the other side.

  Bernard ripped the steering wheel to the right and was about to give chase when Nine stopped him, noticing that the red dot on the scanner was absolutely still.

  ‘We’re close,’ she shouted. ‘According to the G-C Scanner he’s in one of these blocks.’

  ‘It’s time to rescue BA004,’ said TEX. ‘Let’s go.’

  NINE

  When will this stop?

  BA004 had now been sucked so high by the turbulence that the Earth was barely more than a swirl of colours; greens, browns, yellows and blues.

  ‘All I want to
do is get down on the ground,’ he shouted.

  As if he’d been overheard by a malevolent force with a warped sense of humour, Four immediately stopped ascending. He hung in the air for a split second, and then dropped out of the sky. Suddenly he was plummeting towards Earth like a stone, his SimulSkin pumping out multiple malfunction messages, the wind roaring in his ears.

  What’s going on now?

  In no time at all he could clearly see the bay again, then the ships and boats, and the soldiers lined up on the hill. But it was all happening far too fast, the ground screaming closer at a terrifying speed. A fatal speed.

  Far too soon he was less than fifty metres above the ground. He desperately needed to slow his fall. He tried everything, and eventually managed to re-activate his Reverse Boot Boosters in fits and starts, enough to decrease his descent by around fifteen percent. Good but not enough. Then he located a small pocket of gyro-thrust still left in his HoverVest Reserve. Combined with the Boot Boosters he reckoned that would be enough to get him down safely at a pinch, fingers crossed.

  But it wasn’t just how he would land that made Four so uneasy – it was where.

  He’d been blown right off course and was coming down in the worst possible place – over the battlefield itself. He was about to land – or more correctly, crash land – into the very middle of King Harold’s army, and there was nothing he could do about it.

  ‘Oh no!’ he groaned. ‘Why me?’

  Four had a perfect view of the English army as he swooped lower. He had a sound knowledge of the Battle of Hastings, and quickly recognised the professional troops, the Housecarls, with their chain-mail coats, pointy helmets and kite-shaped shields, brandishing their battleaxes. And spread out beyond them he could see the vast mass of the army: the thegns, with javelins, swords and maces, the front rows already lined up behind their shield wall.

  Had this been a simple data collecting mission he would have been delighted. But it wasn’t. At any moment he was about to slam into that sea of Anglo-Saxons. The mere thought made him shudder with dread.

  ‘I wish I had my old SimulSkin,’ he muttered to himself. ‘At least it would be talking to me now, like Five’s Skin talks to him. I need someone, anyone.’