"Ready," Ani said.
"Wait," Daniel said setting his end down. He looked around the area where they had constructed the bridge examining the ground and the rocks. Finally, he selected a rock the size of his fist and slipped it into a pocket on the Kappaquillian robe.
"Okay, let's go!"
They lifted, dragged, and pulled the bridge through the underbrush and dense foliage. Daniel was not as concerned about being noticed as he was about getting there quickly. He did not know how much time was left. Branches bent and snapped along the way, but the bridge held together.
Daniel stopped abruptly at the edge of the clearing. Directly ahead of him was the Ambassador's compound. The gate was shut, and the noise inside had died down. To his right, Dad and his XO continued their unsuccessful efforts to break free of their restraints.
Daniel set down his end of the bridge. "Wait here," he whispered.
He did not wait for a response. Daniel stepped into the clearing again, head down, and shuffled toward his father. He did not look up until he stood at the edge of the crevasse. He raised his head and faced his Dad, who looked back at him.
"You should be on that shuttle," Dad said matter-of-factly.
"We couldn't just leave you here and let the Ambassador run his experiment," Daniel replied, looking around for Kappaquillians. He reached into the pocket of his robe and removed the rock he collected earlier. "Here try this," he tossed the rock across the chasm.
It landed at Dad's feet. Dad immediately knew why Daniel had thrown that particular rock to him. It was jagged and sharp and might cut through their restraints.
"Come here, XO," Dad said as he knelt awkwardly to pick up the rock with his hands still tied behind his back.
"I'll be right back," Daniel said. He turned and walked quickly back to Ernie and Ani. Together, they pulled the bridge clear of the trees and across the clearing.
"Did you build that?" Lieutenant Commander Hondak asked, watching the three children carry the large bridge out of the woods while Dad cut through the restraints on her wrists. As soon as she was free, she took the sharp rock from him and cut through the ropes holding Dad's hands behind his back.
"Just a little something we learned in school," Ernie said with a smile. He began to push the bridge across the crevasse. Ani and Daniel quickly grabbed the sides to help. The bridge was more than long enough to span the crevasse, but it was difficult to get across.
The bridge was nearly halfway across the span when the ground shook again. Pieces of Kappaquillian soil broke from underneath the XO's feet and tumbled into the bottom of the crevice. Thinking quickly, Dad grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. A ball of fire shot out of the deep crevice with a roar.
Daniel and Ani looked away as the heat from the fireball stung their skin, but all three held tight to the bridge. Ernie peered through the smoke, wondering if the flames had damaged their wooden construction. As the smoke cleared, they saw that their bridge was marred by black soot, but was otherwise fine.
"We have to keep going," Ernie said.
"Easy," Daniel ordered. Bit by bit, they slid the bridge across the crevasse.
"It's tipping," Ernie yelled when it was nearly to the other side. The front of the bridge began to tip down, into the chasm. Ernie leaned on his end as it tipped up like a see-saw. Dad and the XO stood helplessly waiting for the bridge to get within reach.
"We have to lift the front as it goes across," Daniel instructed. "Ernie, when Ani and I pick it up, lean down on your end."
Daniel and Ani acted like a fulcrum, and the bridge pivoted up and down on their hands, making the teetering bridge feel much heavier than when they carried it through the woods. Ernie leaned down on his end, tilting the seesawing bridge up at the other end, which added his weight to the weight of the bridge. Daniel and Ani shuffled sideways under the weight, slowing approaching the edge of the crevasse.
"Almost there," Dad shouted. He stretched his arms toward the bridge. "Just another meter."
"I...I can't hold it much longer. It's too heavy," Ani said.
"We should switch places," Ernie shouted. "Daniel, let's back up so Ani and I can switch."
"No, there isn't time," Daniel said sternly. "Ani, you can do this. Just another minute more."
Ani grimaced in pain.
"Ani, look at me," Daniel ordered. She looked him in the eyes. "Remember when we were sitting up on the ship, and you told me that people underestimate you because of your size? But you picked that big old tuba to prove them wrong? You can do this!"
Daniel could see the look on Ani's face change from struggle to determination. She nodded and bit her bottom lip.
"Okay," Daniel said quickly. "On three. One... Two... Three!"
Crossing the Flames
With a final push, they moved the bridge far enough for Dad to grab. Then with a thud, they dropped it to the ground. The bridge was more than long enough to span the fiery crevice. Daniel, Ani, and Ernie pushed the bridge as Dad and his XO pulled until it was nearly centered. Dad stood back and admired the children's work as his XO tested its strength. It was not perfect, but it had all of the supporting structure needed to hold weight and it was exceptionally sturdy.
"Impressive," the XO said.
"Yes. Nice job kids," Dad shouted across the crevice. "Okay XO, you first."
Lieutenant Commander Hondak climbed onto the bridge without hesitation. To cross, the XO held on to the overhead supports and stepped carefully from one angled crossbeam to the next.
The ground rumbled and another piece of their island fell into the canyon nearby. Smoke, sparks, and a ball of fire surged into the sky next to the bridge. Flames snaked up the side of the plateau and into the air high above them, then died down again.
"Hurry up, XO," Dad said nervously, but she was already stretching from beam to beam as quickly as she could. As soon as she reached the other side, she stepped off of the bridge and turned around.
"Okay, Captain," the XO said. "My recommendation is...do not look down."
More flames snaked into the air.
"Hurry up, Dad," Daniel and Ernie yelled.
"Come on Captain Parker," Ani encouraged.
Dad did not waste any time. He was nearly to the middle of the bridge when the next ball of fire swirled into the air. This time it was so close that the wooden bridge caught on fire.
"Dad!"
"I know, I see it!" Dad said. He shifted his weight to the side of the bridge farthest from the flames and continued to cross.
"The flames spread so quickly," the XO said.
"That's because of the shortened photosynthesis cycle," Daniel explained as they held tight to the bridge. "Everything holds more oxygen. Oxygen is flammable, so everything burns more quickly."
Lieutenant Commander Hondak was too worried about her Captain to realize how impressed she should have been with the seventh grader's knowledge of an alien planet.
Dad scampered across the last few feet and on to the safety of the ground.
"Thanks, guys!" Dad said hugging the kids. "Now, let's go stop this experiment."
They knew there was no time to lose. From inside the Ambassador's compound, the deep humming sound of his plasma generator began. An odd glow of blue light filtered over the wall. The low hum of the plasma injector was beginning to vibrate the walls of the compound. The pitch of the plasma accelerator began rising until it reached an almost deafening level.
"Okay," Dad said. "You kids go back into the woods and hide behind the rocks until we are done."
The XO looked skeptical.
"Sir, ordinarily I would agree with you. Get the children to safety," she began. "But we need all the help we can get if we are going to stop the Ambassador. He has ten armed Kappaquillians in there by my count, and he is minutes away from streaming MHO4 into the plasma accelerator."
Ernie and Daniel smiled. They did not want to be out of the action now.
"You're right, XO," Dad agreed. He looked at the stack of glue can
isters that stood next to the compound gate.
"You guys used this to put the bridge together?"
"Yes," Daniel said.
"It's strong glue," Ernie added.
"And it dries fast," Ani said.
"Okay, we will need a way to draw the guards out of the compound," Dad said.
"If only we had a diversion," the XO said agreeing.
"If only we had some explosives," Ernie said a little too eagerly.
"Explosives would be good..."
"The glue!" Daniel exclaimed suddenly.
Dad looked at his oldest son closely and waited for him to explain.
"I noticed when you were climbing over the bridge that the glued areas burned faster than the rest," he explained.
"You think it will burn?" Dad asked.
"I don't know if it will explode but I think it will burn."
Dad looked at the three children again. They were still wearing their Kappaquillian robes and hats. "Do you think you can get close enough to dump some glue on the accelerator platform?"
All three nodded confidently.
"Okay, I think I have a plan..."
Glue on fire
Daniel's palms were sweaty as he shifted the small canister of glue back and forth in his hands. He slowly pulled the gate open and shuffled inside the Ambassador's compound. Behind him, Ernie and Ani followed with their own canisters of glue. They looked down, letting their big hats cover their faces, and did their best not to bump into anyone. No one seemed to notice them.
Kappaquillians in their work uniforms were busy constructing sections of the walled compound, while others worked on the roof of the house itself. Still more Kappaquillians, some dressed in colorful robes instead of work uniforms stood in small groups whistling to each other while they and the armed guards watched the activity in front of them. The Ambassador and Mr. Mann huddled over the computer controls for the injector and ignored their alien audience.
The accelerator was now at full speed. It vibrated violently as it spun the plasma, shaking the platform that held it in place.
Inside the gate, Daniel turned right and slipped behind the real Kappaquillians, keeping close to the fence. Ernie and Ani turned left and followed the fence around the platform to the back. As inconspicuously as they could, they walked to the platform's base and began to pour their glue onto the ground in and around the large posts holding the accelerator platform in the air. Daniel waited until Ani and Ernie were almost done. Then he dumped half of his canister against the fence, making sure that some of the glue leaked underneath the wall to the other side. Then he carefully poured a continuous stream of glue across the ashy soil to the platform, joining the puddle of glue left by Ani and Ernie. There was just enough.
With their work complete, Daniel began to shuffle out of the compound with his brother and Ani close behind.
Daniel was anxious to get out of the compound. He knew that it would only be a few seconds before his father ignited the glue. In his rush to get out, Daniel walked right into one of the security guards. The impact sent the alien's hat flying.
The Kappaquillian security guard seemed surprised at first, then angry. He whistled a series of tones at Daniel, but Daniel ignored him. Daniel continued toward the gate, but the security guard followed. His calls were becoming louder and more persistent. Daniel glanced up and saw that some of the fellow security guards were walking toward them.
Dad lit the glue just in time. Daniel had poured enough glue at the base of the wooden wall that it began to burn immediately. The flames and smoke added to the chaotic scene in the compound.
"Yes, yes! Fire! Fire!" Mr. Mann said before whistling urgently at the workers nearby.
The Ambassador watched helplessly as the flames crawled up the fence, the first billows of black smoke rising into the air. The distraction angered him, but he assumed it was just another nuisance. Fires were a common occurrence in the oxygen-enriched environment of Kappaqilla, so he returned to his computer calculations.
The fire followed the path of glue that Daniel had poured moments earlier. Before anyone knew what had happened, two more fires broke out, exactly where Ani and Ernie had poured the glue from their canisters.
The Ambassador's insistence on building his residence outside of the city meant that the Kappaquillian fire crews would be slower to react to the fire. Kappaquillians ran in every direction in response to the flames. Some ran away, some tried to fight the fires, and some just watched the chaos.
Daniel did not wait to see what happened. The angry security guard had moved toward the fire, so Daniel quickly opened the gate and led Ani and Ernie to safety. Dad and the XO were waiting outside.
"Great work!! Now wait here," Dad exclaimed. He and the XO rushed through the gate, maximizing their advantage in the chaos of the fires. Daniel, Ernie, and Ani peeked around the partially open gate.
Dad and the XO were at full speed as they collided directly with two of the yellow-robed security guards. The much smaller Kappaquillians were not expecting to be tackled by two humans. They went flying, and so did their weapons. In an instant, Dad and the XO were back on their feet each holding a Kappaquillian gun. The other security guards were busy fighting the fire, leaving their weapons hanging from straps on their backs.
Daniel watched through the gate as his father knocked over more Kappaquillian security guards. Dad snatched another gun from one of the small beings that he knocked to the ground, while the XO collected weapons from three more. Dad dashed across the compound. Mr. Mann was oblivious to the attack behind him as he continued to direct the firefighters with whistles and hand gestures.
The Ambassador finally stopped his work and stared at the flames, realizing the danger for the first time. Dad reached the Ambassador, knocked him to the ground and pointed the strange Kappaquillian gun directly at his chest.
The fire grew more fierce and attacked the platform which held the plasma accelerator, weakening the supports. With a loud crash, the platform collapsed in a heap as the fire continued to both the equipment and the platform. The Ambassador screamed in anger, a scream so loud he was heard above the cacophony of whistles coming from the Kappaquillians.
"It's over, Ambassador," Dad said.
Shocked and angry, the Ambassador's face twisted with emotions.
"Do you realize what you have done," he yelled at Dad. "Years of calculations! All of the political capital it took me to get this job. Dealing with these--" the Ambassador motioned to the Kappaquillians around him-- "these creatures and this stupid planet."
Mr. Mann continued to direct efforts to put out the fire until he saw the XO's gun pointed at him. The other Kappaquillians were not ready for a fight, and they quickly surrendered with their hands in the air. The XO moved Mr. Mann and the other security guards closer to the Ambassador, easier to keep an eye on everyone at once.
Daniel, Ernie, and Ani exchanged high-fives with triumphant smiles on their faces. The ground trembled again and a ball of flames rose in the distance. A series of whistles from behind them took the three kids by surprise. Daniel turned to see five Kappaquillian guns pointed directly at them.
Daniel was crestfallen. He has been so excited watching his father in action, that he had let his guard down. He did not know where these security guards had come from, but it didn't matter. They whistled angrily at the three kids, shoving them through the gate at gunpoint.
The Ambassador jumped to his feet when he saw the new prisoners.
"Ah-ha! I see now," he exclaimed. "I cannot believe that ESA allows you to use children, but now I can see how you escaped. I admit I could not figure out how you spread the fire in here. But I recognize those robes."
"I don't know who those children are," Dad lied trying to protect them. "There are no children on my crew – "
"Save it, Captain," the Ambassador shouted. "Your sabotage has set me back by months! But it will not stop me. You two, I mean you five, are the only ones who know about my experiment. And you will not be ar
ound to warn anybody else."
The Kappaquillian security guards snatched their weapons back from the ESA officers. Soon Dad, his XO, and the three children were surrounded again.
The Ambassador glared at Dad for a few seconds. "Mr. Mann, take them into the wilderness. Ensure they do not return."
"Yes, yes. We will be rid of these meddlers once and for all."
The security guards aimed their weapons at the humans as they prodded them along. Daniel and Ernie each looked at their father with the same question: Now, what were they going to do?
They were only a few feet from the compound when two bright beams of light came down from the sky above. Dad and the Ambassador both looked up in confusion. But Ernie, Ani, and Daniel broke into smiles. The ESA shuttles descended rapidly, pulling into a threatening hover, only a few meters above the ground.
Whistles began blaring from the shuttle. Kappaquillians fled, running in a panic in every direction.
"This is an ESA shuttle enforcing Earth Space Alliance statute 09-18," Mildred's voice blared from the shuttle. Simultaneously, a team of crew members from the ESAS Glenn, armed with their own weapons, came running from the woods. The Kappaquillian security guards gave up without a fight. The human security team disarmed the smaller creatures and stood guard around them, while a young officer handcuffed the Ambassador.
Above them, the shuttle door opened and Nathan waved at his brothers and his shocked father with a huge smile.
"I am sorry it took so long to return, Captain," the officer said. "We had to verify your son's story." She motioned to Nathan in the shuttle above.
"Your timing couldn't have been better," Dad assured her.
"Sir," she said hesitantly. "The Admiral has a lot of questions."
"I'm sure he does, Ensign Paige. I'm sure he does."
Stowaways Page 12