“Kraython,” Nix said. “I should have known.” He noticed my puzzled expression. “Kraythons are space pirates who stop at nothing to get their hands on Bluestone artifacts.” He shook his head. “It makes sense now. Only they would be so brazen.”
The Kraython took Matt and the other tourists into the jungle, heading back toward the riverboat ride.
“We have to go there.” I leapt to my feet. “We have to save Matt.”
“I know.” Nix stood up and walked to the cabinet.
My eyebrows rose. I’d expected some resistance, especially after his father had made him promise to stay put and lock the doors.
He noticed my expression. “Yeah, I know, but things have changed.” He gestured at the image of Matt. “Besides, page thirty-six, sub-section C, paragraph three of the ArcadiA employee’s handbook—fourth edition—states: All park cast members must go above and beyond the call of duty at all times, helping guests, and—”
“Putting their needs first,” I finished. “And if you impress your dad, maybe he’ll trust you with a Bluestone of your very own?”
Nix blushed. “We need to get there quickly,” he said. “Because as soon as my father has evacuated Baytopia, they’ll lock down the section with the vault, and move in.” He hesitated as if trying to make his mind up about something. “A jump gate is the quickest way there.” Nix opened a panel in the back of the cabinet, revealing a safe. “This jump gate is extremely powerful; we’ll have to be careful with it. Dad set it up so security personnel can pick any doorway destination in ArcadiA and be there in an instant.” He glanced at me. “But don’t tell him we used it. They’re for emergencies only.”
“This is an emergency,” I pointed out, wanting to get on with it.
Nix typed in the code, opened the safe, and his face fell. “Oh no.”
My stomach tightened. “What’s wrong?”
“The jump gate.” Nix stepped back. “It’s not here.”
I groaned and turned back to the screens, hunting for Matt again.
A loud pop made me jump, and every display went dark. I stepped toward them. “What happened?”
Nix ran to the console and snatched the black device from the desk. He slapped his forehead. “This must have done it. An electromagnetic pulse. I should have tossed it out back.” He swore and threw the device across the room.
“Can you bring the cameras back online?” I asked.
Nix shook his head. “They’ll need serious work. It’ll take hours to sort them out, and that’s with someone experienced repairing them.” He grabbed my hand. “Come on.”
We ran out of the security office and across the foyer. Nix unlocked the front door and we continued down the path, scanning our surroundings, but there was no one else about.
Once at the kerb, Nix said, “I’ll call Dad and tell him to have a security team waiting at the vault.” He glared at his smart watch. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“Let me guess,” I said. “The electromagnetic pulse took it out too?”
Nix raised a hand and a yellow pod slid to a halt. The side swung open and he clambered in.
I held back, hesitant.
Nix peered up at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Is there another way?” I asked.
“Nope.” Nix smiled. “Not unless you want to walk.” Then his expression turned serious. “Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot.” He spoked to the pod’s screen. “How are you feeling?”
The eyes blinked and then said, “I’m fine. Thank you for asking, sir. Yourself?” The voice sounded steady and normal.
Nix looked back at me. “See? This one is good. No issues.”
I hesitated a moment longer, then, thinking of Matt and the time we’d already wasted, I climbed in.
As the side of the pod closed, I faced Nix. “Can’t your dad use these to evacuate guests from the park?”
He shook his head. “Pods are only for behind the scenes staff, not used in the key guest areas.”
“Destination?” the pod asked.
Nix turned to the eyes on the display. “Erm.” He scratched his head. “The vault. Hmm. I think that’s River Run entrance six or seven.”
“Five,” the eyes corrected him.
“You’re right,” Nix said. “River Run entrance five, please. Make it snappy. We’re in a hurry.”
“Of course, sir.” The eyes spun to the front.
I grabbed the edge of my seat, expecting a lurch, but the pod pulled out from the kerb and accelerated smoothly down the road. I let out my breath and relaxed.
Nix faced me as we glided around a corner. “Dad will be busy evacuating Baytopia; guests are the priority. But with the cameras out, he won’t know exactly what the Kraythons are up to, and I have no way to get a message to him.” His brow furrowed, then relaxed. “We can go and see for ourselves, right? If we can manage it, we’ll grab Matt and get him out. Then we’ll report our findings to Dad, and he’ll send in security teams to deal with the Kraythons.”
I nodded, hoping we wouldn’t do anything that put Matt’s life in danger. As the Kraythons were ruthless space pirates, I knew we’d have to tread carefully.
“The bad guys will be breaking into Dad’s vault right now,” Nix continued. “And using the river boats to shift the Bluestone artifacts.” He frowned. “Why do you think they’ve taken hostages?”
“Insurance.” I remembered pretty much every cheesy cop show I’d ever watched. “A way to keep security guards from storming in and disturbing their raid. Putting civilians in harm’s way to protect themselves.”
“I don’t know how they plan on escaping,” Nix said with an incredulous look. “Security here is pretty tight. They’ll surround them soon enough.” He paused, then eyed me. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask . . . where are you from? Are you Antarian?”
I considered my answer, but seeing as there was no way in hell I could maintain a lie, or even know where to start, I decided on the truth. “I’m from Earth.”
Nix goggled at me. “Seriously?”
I nodded, and hoped he didn’t ask how I’d gotten to ArcadiA in the first place. I stared out of the side window as the buildings glided past. Besides, I still hadn’t figured that part out yet. It was either teleportation, or hallucination.
A mystery game, I repeated over and over in my head. That had to be it. But it seemed so real, with real consequences.
“Wow,” said Nix. “What’s it like on Earth? Dad keeps promising to take me to the Grand Newton, but he’s always too busy here.”
I shrugged, trying to get a grip and stay focussed on the task in hand. “It’s got good parts and bad. Mostly good, though.”
“Just think,” Nix said. “The majority of humans have no idea what Bluestone even is, and that’s where—” He went rigid in his seat.
I was about to ask what the problem was when I saw it too—hundreds of alien animals stampeding straight toward us.
The colour drained from Nix’s face. “They must have broken free of the park, and now they’ve gotten behind the scenes.” He gripped the dash and addressed the eyes. “You might want to pick an alternative route.”
“Understood, sir.”
The pod did not deviate from its course.
Nix frowned. “What are you doing?”
“I have optimised a course encompassing all safety factors,” the eyes on the screen said.
I scanned the door, ready to break us out as soon as the pod slowed down enough.
“Watch out,” Nix shouted.
A furry rhino barrelled out of a side road, but our pod swerved away just in time. “All under control, sir,” the eyes said, and we shot down a narrow alleyway.
Some of the animals gave chase, with a blue and green emu covered in spiked feathers in the lead, its clawed feet pounding the tarmac. The pod swerved again, dove down another alley, then slid out onto the main road and accelerated away. When no other animals came after us, I breathed again, and faced forward.
&nb
sp; Our pod glided up a ramp alongside a high wall.
“Dad’s going to flip when he finds out someone left one of the doors open.” Nix whistled. “They’ll be in deep trouble. Number one rule in Baytopia: never leave a door open.”
I was about to point out that he’d left a door propped open when we went behind the scenes, and that’s probably how the animals broke free, but our pod slid to a halt, a hundred feet up.
“Destination reached,” the eyes on the screen said.
Nix and I climbed out and hurried over to a grey door.
“Okay,” Nix said in a low voice. “This will come out opposite the vault. We’ll have to be really quiet and keep low. We can sneak in and see what the Kraythons are up to, right? Then if we can’t reach Matt, we’ll tell Dad what’s going on and the security teams can save him.”
“Sure,” I whispered back, knowing full well that if I spotted a way to reach Matt myself, no matter how risky, I’d leap at the chance.
Nix opened the door and we snuck through, ducking behind a boulder on the other side.
We were on the opposite bank of the river, having opened a secret section of wall blended into the rock face, and as Nix and I peered over the boulder, we had an unobstructed view of the Bluestone temple vault.
Nix frowned. “What the—”
All three grondars were still fast asleep, but there were no signs of any bad guys or their hostages.
No Kraythons.
No Matt.
“Where are they?” Nix said, looking about.
“Inside the vault?” I asked.
Nix shook his head. “Door’s closed. That’s impossible if people are in there. It’s a safety feature.”
Confusion swept over me. “But why did Black Beard go to the trouble of smuggling in a device to knock out the grondars, if they aren’t breaking into the vault?”
An alarm sounded.
The wall slammed shut behind us, and heavy shutters dropped at both ends of the river, sealing us in.
Trapped.
Fourteen
My heart pounding, I looked frantically for an alternative escape route, but steel shutters blocked each end of the river. “How do we get out of here?” I ran my fingers over the rock, searching for the secret door.
“We don’t,” Nix said in a resigned tone. “It’s the lockdown I was telling you about. In an emergency, each section seals off from the next, allowing only security personnel to move between them. Once the team is ready, Dad will send them in. They’ll work systematically through every area of the park.” He crossed his arms. “We’ll have to wait. It could be around ten minutes before they reach us. Maybe longer.”
“That’s all well and good.” I faced him. “But the Kraythons aren’t here.” I glared at the vault building. “I thought they were raiding your dad’s Bluestone artifacts?”
Nix rubbed his chin. “Yeah, I thought that too. It doesn’t make sense.”
I turned back to the rock wall. “One thing’s for sure. No matter what they’re up to, I bet we don’t have ten minutes. I’m sure the Kraythons have done their homework and know all about your security procedures.” I ran my fingers over the craggy surface again, still not finding even a hint of a door. “Besides, if something goes wrong, they could hurt Matt and the hostages. We have to find them quickly.”
Nix nodded, and then his eyes lit up. “I know.” He gestured at the rock wall. “Phase through it.”
I blinked at him. “What?”
“That’s a phase-band.” Nix waggled a finger at my wrist. “You did it before easily enough.”
My eyebrows pulled together. “Did what before?”
“At the ticket barriers,” Nix said. “You’re bonded to the Bluestone crystals in the bracelet. One of them allows you to phase through objects. That’s one of a phase-band’s abilities.”
“I don't know how I did that,” I said, incredulous.
Nix stepped aside. “Try.”
Now it was me who folded my arms. “Why don’t you do it?”
“I’m not allowed a phase-band,” Nix said. “And I told you Dad doesn’t let me anywhere near Bluestone artifacts. So, no.” He waved a hand at the wall. “It’s up to you, Kira. Once you’re on the other side, you can open the door and let me through.”
A low snarling came from across the river, and we both stiffened, then turned in unison.
The grondars got to their feet, shook their heads, and then stared back at us.
“Can they swim?” I asked out of the side of my mouth, eyeing the alien monsters and the river.
Nix let out a high-pitched squeak that might have been a yes.
As if to add extra menace, and demonstrate how lethal they were, each grondar reared up on its hind legs, standing eight feet tall. Thick black fur bristled over their muscular forms. The nearest snarled again, baring a set of large pointed teeth perfect for puncturing flesh.
I faced the wall and took a deep breath. “How do I do it? How do I phase?”
“Not a clue.” Nix held up his hands. “I told you, Dad doesn’t let me anywhere near Bluestone. It’s so rare. You want to know something about standard tech, I’m your guy. Anything Bluestone artifact-related, not your guy.” Nix stared across the river and his shoulders stiffened. “You might want to hurry.”
With dread, I looked behind me and tensed up too.
The grondars entered the river, and they didn’t need to swim because the water level only reached their stomachs. They held their clawed paws high and waded across, yellow eyes locked on to their teenage prey.
I clenched my fists and faced the rock wall, with absolutely no idea how to phase.
“Try running at it,” Nix said.
“Helpful.” I ground my teeth, but with the grondars fast approaching, I knew I didn’t have an alternative. So I took several steps back, choosing not to look at the grondars, hunched low and braced myself.
“Ooh,” Nix said as I was about to spring forward. “Try thinking the word phase over and over in your head.”
I scowled at him. “That’ll work?”
Nix looked past my shoulder, and his eyes almost popped out of his head. “Can’t hurt,” he said in a shrill voice.
Taking the hint that we were out of time, I muttered, “Phase, phase, phase,” and sprang forward. In five strides I was at the wall and instinctively raised my arms to ward it off, but they were practically invisible and I ran straight through.
On the other side I slid to a halt, watching my hands solidify, and I couldn’t help smiling.
There was no other word for it—superhero.
I was a bona fide superhero. No doubt.
A muffled cry snapped me round. I sprinted back to the door, and opened it.
Nix burst through, followed by a set of claws slashing at the air. The grondar reared up, snarling, spittle dripping from its sharp teeth. It lunged for me; I screamed and raised my hands. Energy flowed up my arm, and a split second later the grondar flew backward, roaring as it went.
“Don’t hurt him,” Nix shouted, rushing over and slamming the door closed.
Shaking, I pulled back.
Nix bent double. “That was incredible.” His shirt had a tear down one side, but fortunately there was no sign of blood. “Your Bluestone bracelet?”
“Sorry.” I felt bad and hoped I hadn’t injured the animal, but I had to stop the grondars escaping. Who knew what damage they’d cause if they got loose.
Nix straightened up. “Where do you think the Kraythons and hostages are, then?”
We were back on the access ramp, forty feet above the ground. I thought about the knockout device Black Beard had dropped into the river. If they never intended to break into the vault, why did he—?
I smacked my forehead. “It’s another decoy.” Keeping close to the wall, I strode along, searching for any other doors. “What else is valuable here?”
Nix shrugged as he jogged to keep up. “Nothing. Well, not unless they plan on stealing animals.” He chuck
led. “I doubt they’re doing that, though.”
“Why not?” I asked as we circled a metal utility cupboard and kept following the wall.
“What would be the point?” Nix said. “Alien animals aren’t magical. Bluestone is far more valuable to Kraythons.”
I stopped and faced him. “Right. So what’s here that’s far more valuable than Bluestone?”
Nix scratched his head, and then his eyes widened.
I walked over to him. “What?”
“A crazy idea. I’d almost forgotten about it. Follow me.”
We jogged until we reached a set of metal stairs leading to a door. Nix and I hurried up, and at the top, he turned his ear to the door.
I did the same.
From beyond came muffled voices.
Nix put a finger to his lips, opened the door and slipped through, with me close behind.
On the other side was a balcony. Keeping low, we crept to the solid balustrade and peered over the top.
Below was the laboratory from the boat ride earlier in the day, and toward the far end of the room, huddled on the floor, were thirty park guests. Among them was—
“Matt,” I breathed. He looked unharmed, but pale and glassy-eyed.
I went to stand up, but Nix pulled me back down again, and pointed.
Two Kraythons stood guard, stun weapons strapped to their arms, pacing back and forth in front of the frightened guests.
My brow furrowed. “What are they doing?”
Nix swallowed and pointed in the opposite direction. “That.”
At the other end of the room stood the familiar table with the animal-printing machine. A third Kraython worked the control panel. Only it was not an animal being printed on the table. The printing machine ran backward and forward, putting the finishing touches to a clothed, fully-grown, human man.
I stared.
So did Nix.
Not taking my eyes off the strange sight, I whispered, “Who is he?”
“I don’t know,” Nix said. “But if the Kraythons have gone to all this trouble, he can’t be the next Mary Poppins.”
“You know who Mary Poppins is?” I said, astonished.
“Of course,” Nix said. “One of my dad’s favourite Earth movies. Watches it all the bloody time.” He rolled his eyes.
ArcadiA: A Game Space FastRead Page 6