Space Jackers

by Huw Powell

  Chapter 27

  A Difficult Decision

  Jake slammed on the brakes and slid the hover-bike sideways on to the busy street, tucking it between two large green buses and narrowly avoiding a hover-truck coming the other way. He squeezed the accelerator and rode the old machine through traffic, weaving dangerously around cars and lorries. Kella tightened her grip around his waist.

  ‘I didn’t know you could ride like that,’ she said, as they reached the main road out of Karmadon.

  ‘Neither did I.’ Jake shifted up a gear. ‘Hold on. We’re approaching the city gates.’

  The guards had stopped traffic and were closing the tall iron gates, which looked like huge metal jaws clamping shut. It was the only way out of Karmadon and the walls were too high to jump, even for a hover-bike. Jake pulled hard on the accelerator and raced towards the narrowing gap.

  ‘Halt,’ commanded the guard, standing in the road.

  Jake ignored him and stayed on course, approaching the gates at breakneck speed. The guard dived to the ground at the last second and the hover-bike flew over his head. It scraped through the remaining gap in a shower of sparks, losing both wing mirrors and half its faded paintwork.

  ‘Magnifty,’ cheered Nanoo, as they reached the other side.

  ‘That was close,’ said Jake, steering the hover-bike across a lake and through a cluster of trees. ‘From now on, I’ll avoid the roads.’

  ‘Good idea,’ agreed Kella. ‘But how are we going to find the Dark Horse?’

  ‘Not easy,’ said Nanoo. ‘We need handheld computer to find fastest route.’

  ‘You mean like this one?’ Jake pulled a small package from inside his uniform and passed it back to Nanoo. ‘I grabbed it from the mansion. I’ve had it adjusted to work inside the nebula cloud.’

  Nanoo activated the device and squinted at its bright display. He slid his fingers over the screen, using the device to scan the area and create a map, while Jake did his best to keep the hover-bike steady.

  ‘I just hope we have enough fuel to get there,’ said Kella, tapping the tank with her heel.

  Nanoo guided them through picturesque meadows and patches of woodland, until they reached a narrow river that led back to the farm. Jake couldn’t help but admire the beauty of Altus, even at night, with its swaying grass and giant trees. He followed the course of the river, flying inches above its surface, letting the water spray his face.

  ‘How much further?’ asked Kella.

  Nanoo checked their position. ‘It not long, but there is low bridge ahead.’

  ‘No problem,’ said Jake. ‘We’ll go around it.’

  The hover-bike left the water and soared along the muddy riverbank, sending animals scurrying into the trees and hedgerows. The bridge appeared in the distance, cast in shadows.

  ‘What’s that sitting on top of it?’ asked Kella.

  Jake stared at the large shape. Was it moving? He hit the brakes and brought the hover-bike to a halt, but it was too late. Headlights flooded the riverbank, ensnaring the three of them like startled rabbits. A few metres away a maroon hover-tank floated above the bridge, its hull lined with hexagonal panels and its twin gun barrels pointed directly at them.

  ‘What we do now?’ whispered Nanoo.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Jake, noticing more armoured vehicles lined up and down the road.

  A small hatch popped open on the tank turret and a bearded face emerged.

  ‘Hello, Jake,’ said Rex Kent. ‘I had a feeling the Protectorate wouldn’t hold you for long.’

  ‘You betrayed me,’ said Jake angrily. ‘I thought we were friends.’

  ‘We are,’ insisted Rex, taken aback. ‘I’ve been your friend and faithful servant since the day you were born.’

  ‘Prove it,’ said Jake. ‘Leave the Dark Horse alone.’

  Rex switched to his official tone. ‘I’m sorry, my lord, but I cannot disobey a direct order from the Protectorate, whatever my personal feelings.’

  ‘But it’s not fair. The Space Dogs helped to free Altus from my uncle. Doesn’t that count for anything?’

  Rex climbed down from the hover-tank. ‘If it was up to me, I would give them all medals, but it’s not my decision.’

  ‘And what about Kella and Nanoo?’ asked Jake. ‘They need to find their own people. Are you going to stop them from leaving?’

  Rex shook his head. ‘We’ve only been instructed to detain the space pirates.’

  ‘Well, that includes me,’ said Jake. ‘I’m part of the crew. Keep me and let the others go.’

  Rex watched the old hover-bike cough and splutter on the riverbank. Jake could sense the conflict inside the bearded general, torn between his duty and his heart.

  ‘I was only a cadet when your father left Altus,’ said Rex. ‘He was a great man and a valiant leader.’

  ‘He still is,’ insisted Jake. ‘Andras Cutler is still alive as far as I’m concerned.’

  ‘Listen,’ said Rex quietly. ‘I may not be able to refuse the Protectorate, but they didn’t say how quickly I had to carry out their orders. If you ask me, my troops aren’t used to all this excitement and they could do with a rest.’

  ‘What are you saying?’

  ‘I’ll give you a five minute head start.’ Rex winked at Jake. ‘Now go, before I change my mind.’

  Was this another trick? He edged the hover-bike off the riverbank and on to the bridge. There was no point avoiding the roads now.

  ‘Thank you, Rex. If anything happens to me, I want you to look after Altus until my dad returns.’

  ‘Aye, my lord.’

  Jake saluted his top general and rode off into the night with Kella and Nanoo. His friends weren’t free yet, but at least Rex had bought them some time. Not wasting a second, Jake opened up the throttle and raced towards the nearby farmland.

  A few minutes later, Nanoo tapped him on the shoulder and waved the handheld computer. ‘According to device, we should see Dark Horse now.’

  ‘Where?’ Kella’s head shot from side to side. ‘I can only see fields.’

  Jake slowed the hover-bike and stared into the darkness, unable to spot anything ship-shaped. Had the Space Dogs left already?

  ‘There is it,’ cried Nanoo, pointing.

  Jake recognised the cargo hauler’s familiar silhouette nestled between two farm buildings, its porthole windows glowing with warm amber light. He steered the hover-bike off the road, over a low hedge and across a field towards it. As they drew close, he noticed something resembling a barn roof positioned behind the ship. It looked as though Scargus and Manik had managed to construct a launch pad, with a little help from their farmer friends.

  With no time to park, Jake rode straight up the loading ramp and into the cargo hold, where he ditched the bike. The crew were waiting impatiently in the dining area on the first deck. It was the first time that Jake had seen Callidus in weeks and the fortune seeker appeared rough, as though he had forgotten how to sleep and shave.

  ‘Well?’ demanded Granny Leatherhead, wearing hexagonal moonglasses. ‘What’s all this about? It had better be important, because I was watching the moonset on a beach quite literally made of golden sand.’

  ‘They don’t want you to leave Altus,’ said Jake.

  ‘That’s very flattering,’ she croaked. ‘But we can’t hide here forever waiting for the Interstellar Navy to find us. What would we do? Join the Altian planetary guard? No offence, your rulership, but we’re not used to taking orders and I would look terrible in a maroon uniform. No, I’m afraid we’ll have to face the outside universe sooner or later.’

  ‘You don’t understand,’ said Kella. ‘Troops are on their way to seize the ship.’

  ‘Troops?’ echoed Nichelle.

  ‘Yes and hover-tank,’ said Nanoo.

  ‘Hey, that’s no way to treat their saviours,’ objected Capio. ‘I knew this planet was too good to be true.’

  The other shipmates expressed their disapproval. Nobody wanted to be held ag
ainst their will, not even in paradise.

  ‘We can’t leave yet,’ said Granny Leatherhead, folding her arms. ‘What about our reward?’

  ‘There’s no time,’ insisted Jake.

  ‘But we’ll have nothing without those crystals,’ said Farid.

  ‘We’ll have our freedom.’ Callidus sounded gruff. ‘How much is that worth?’

  Granny Leatherhead let out a tirade of curses and ordered the crew to prepare for launch.

  ‘I’ll delay the troops as long as I can,’ said Jake. ‘When you take off, head straight for the nebula. Altus has a small fleet of ships, which haven’t been used in years, but they’re still armed and spaceworthy.’

  ‘Won’t you get into trouble?’ asked Kella.

  ‘It’s OK.’ Jake stood tall in his Altian uniform. ‘I’m always in trouble. Just promise me that you’ll keep Altus a secret.’

  ‘You’re a good lad, Jake.’ Granny Leatherhead fetched a small piece of cloth from her pocket and stuffed it in his hand. ‘Here, this is for you.’

  It was a pirate patch, like the ones the crew wore on their combat suits, with an illustration of the Dark Horse fighting the ISS Colossus over the black hole. Jake read the words Battle of the Black Hole underneath. It was only a piece of cloth, but it meant more to him than all the crystals in the universe.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘Where in Zerost did you get it?’

  ‘I made it from an old blanket.’

  ‘You?’

  ‘Aye, I have a talent for embroidery,’ she croaked. ‘But if you tell anyone, I’ll cut out your tongue and call you a liar.’

  Jake hugged the old captain and turned to find Callidus blocking his exit.

  ‘I’m sorry it has to end like this,’ said the fortune seeker. ‘But to be honest, I’ll be glad to leave Altus.’

  ‘Why?’ asked Jake. ‘I thought it was just how you imagined.’

  ‘It is,’ said Callidus. ‘And that’s the problem. It’s not easy coming face-to-face with your dreams. I fell in love with the idea of Altus, and this place is a little too real for me. I’ve achieved what I set out to do and now it’s time to move on to a new challenge.’

  ‘Will I ever see you again?’

  ‘I hope so.’ Callidus cracked a smile. ‘You owe me a crate of crystals.’

  ‘Thanks for bringing me home. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t helped me on Remota. You believed in me when it counted and I won’t ever forget that.’

  ‘Good,’ said Callidus, stepping aside. ‘Because none of us will forget purple-eyed Jake Cutler, the ruler of Altus. Just do me a favour, keep an eye on the stars and stay out of trouble.’

  The crew called out their goodbyes as Jake made his way to the hatch, where Kella and Nanoo waited anxiously.

  ‘It doesn’t feel right leaving you like this,’ said Kella. ‘Not after everything we’ve been through together.’

  ‘We stay with Jake,’ said Nanoo. ‘Help you to run planet.’

  Jake hated the thought of Kella and Nanoo leaving, but it would be unfair to keep them on Altus.

  ‘No,’ he said firmly. ‘You have your own people to find. Kella, your parents will be worried sick and your sister needs you. What about your Novu engine, Nanoo? It’s a long way back to Taan-Centaur.’

  ‘So this is goodbye?’ Kella’s voice wavered.

  Jake nodded. ‘Yeah, I guess so.’

  ‘It sad, but mates always,’ said Nanoo, placing a hand on Jake’s shoulder.

  ‘We’ll never forget you.’ Kella embraced him, her emerald green eyes glistening with tears. ‘I hope you find your father.’

  Jake hadn’t realised how much he would miss his friends until that moment. He wanted to tell them what they meant to him and how he wanted to go with them more than anything, but his voice seemed to get stuck in his throat. All he could manage was a few hoarse words.

  ‘I’ll see you around.’

  He hurried down the metal staircase, his feet scuffing the steps for the last time. With less than a minute to go, he stopped in the cargo hold to compose himself. The smell of grease and engine oil reminded him of the first time he had entered the ship. Was that only a few months ago? His eyes drifted to the rusting wall and the names scratched into the metal surface.

  ‘Proud space pirate kin,’ he whispered.

  Unsheathing his cutlass, he used the tip of the blade to carve his name below the others.

  ‘Goodbye, Kid Cutler,’ he said, stepping back. ‘It was fun while it lasted.’

  The engine fired up and Jake headed down the loading ramp to wait for Rex. As he stood beneath the ship, listening to the familiar clunking sounds above him, he started to question his actions. What was he doing? After everything his friends had done for him, he was letting them face the Interstellar Navy alone. Jake didn’t want to abandon his shipmates, but he was duty bound to serve Altus.

  In a moment, the Dark Horse would blast into the sky and disappear through the Tego Nebula, never to be seen again. What had Kella said about Jake finding his father? How could he search for someone if he didn’t go anywhere? And what about the promise he had made to Kella and Nanoo? How could he help them from his mansion?

  Jake held the gold pendant in one hand and the pirate patch in the other, as though trying to weigh up two different futures. Whether he liked it or not, he had to choose between his friends and his home planet.

  Farid appeared at the top of the loading ramp.

  ‘You had better stand clear,’ he shouted. ‘We’re about to take off.’

  At the edge of the field, a row of bright lights floated towards him. Jake could make out the bulky shape of the hover-tank, flanked by four maroon trucks. He wondered if the Protectorate would punish him for helping his shipmates to escape, but then he realised it didn’t matter. In fact, nothing would matter once his friends had left.

  It came down to one question: who did he want to be the most, Jake Cutler the boy ruler, or Kid Cutler the space pirate?

  There was no contest.

  ‘Wait,’ he shouted, leaping on to the closing ramp. ‘I’m coming with you.’

  Jake sprinted past Farid, through the cargo hold, along the corridor and into the guest quarters. He leapt on to his old bunk and strapped himself in.

  ‘Jake?’ exclaimed Capio, sitting up. ‘I thought you were staying behind.’

  ‘Never trust a space pirate,’ said Jake.

  ‘What changed your mind?’ asked Callidus.

  ‘I’ve worked it out, Cal. I know who I am and where I want to be. I’m Kid Cutler and I want to be here, aboard the Dark Horse with my friends, not in some mansion surrounded by advisers and politicians.’

  ‘Good lad,’ said Capio.

  ‘What about Altus?’ asked Callidus.

  ‘It’ll have to survive without me,’ said Jake. ‘What do I know about running a planet? Rex Kent can keep an eye on things until I return with my father, Andras, the true ruler of Altus.’

  Jake lay flat on his bunk, his heart racing. Any second now, the crew would switch the engine to full throttle and release the thrusters. Any second now, the Dark Horse would rise up into the sky. Any second now, they would head into outer space in search of new adventures. Jake didn’t know if his father was waiting for him in the stars, but he was determined to find out.

  Huw Powell was born in August 1976 in Bristol, England, during the hottest summer on record. He grew up in the village of Pill in North Somerset, where he wrote his first stories for friends and family. His best subjects at school were English Literature and Art, which he went on to study at university. Huw started writing novels while working in London for Lloyds Bank. He now lives in Portishead with his wife Beata and their two energetic sons. When he’s not sat at his computer, Huw enjoys watching films and spending time with his family. Spacejackers is his first book for children.

  Bloomsbury Publishing, London, New Delhi, New York and Sydney

  First published in Great Britain in July 2014
by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP

  This electronic edition published in July 2014 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  www.bloomsbury.com

  Bloomsbury is a registered trademark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  Copyright © Huw Powell 2014

  The moral right of the author has been asserted

  All rights reserved

  You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise

  make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means

  (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying,

  printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the

  publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication

  may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  eISBN 978 1 4088 4755 8

  To find out more about our authors and their books please visit

  www.bloomsbury.com where you will find extracts, author interviews

  and details of forthcoming events, and to be the first to hear about latest

  releases and special offers, sign up for our newsletters here.