by Felice Arena
Reggie grinned. ‘I’m guessing your cells communicate with the bionic parts of you, like all those sensor chips.’ Reggie was excited now. He was in his element. ‘But maybe they’re not making a connection, maybe they need to be charged.’
‘Dude, you need to get out a lot more,’ Judd said, shaking his head, and wandering off.
‘Make fun of me if you want, but I reckon a shock to Andy’s system might at least get the basic functions up and running.’ Reggie pointed to the fence that ran along the road. ‘That’s an electric fence around that paddock,’ he said to Andy. ‘A jolt from that might be enough to do it.’
‘Reggie, I’m glad you’re here to help me out,’ said Andy. ‘But seriously, the last time I checked you didn’t have a degree in biorobotics.’
‘What have you got to lose?’ Reggie pressed.
‘Um, let me think…My life?’ Andy replied. ‘You don’t know what it might do to the rest of my wiring or to the human parts of me. I’m not your racer – I’m not an after-school fix-up project.’
‘I’m not saying that you are…’ Reggie broke off mid-sentence. ‘NO, JUDD!’ he yelled. ‘Don’t pee on the fence! It’s live!’
‘ARRRRGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!’
It was too late. Reggie and Judd rushed over as Judd fell on his backside. ‘Whoa! That was crazy painful!’ he groaned.
Andy started to laugh once he saw Judd was okay.
‘Yeah, yeah, hilarious,’ Judd muttered.
‘That’s what I want Andy to do,’ Reggie said, trying to keep a smile off his face. ‘Sort of!’
‘There’s no way I’m peeing on it,’ Andy said.
‘Of course not. Just touch it,’ said Reggie. ‘Wouldn’t you do anything to help your dad?’
Andy knew Reggie was right. He had to try. ‘Okay, here goes,’ he said as he stepped towards the electric fence and gripped it with his right hand.
Andy was knocked off his feet.
‘WOAAAAHHHH!’ he cried. He felt a crackling sensation in his ears and his eyeballs seemed to bulge as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.
Andy picked himself up and shuffled over to the Ducati. His palms were slowly starting to glow again. He took a deep breath and gripped the front fork of the bike.
Reggie and Judd started to cheer as Andy slowly but surely lifted the 270-kilo bike off the ground.
With one clean-and-jerk action, Andy raised the Ducati above his head. His friends whooped and clapped as he gently lowered it onto the ground.
‘It worked, Reggie! It worked!’ Andy cried excitedly, checking his palm screen. ‘Right, it looks like my laser, night vision, sound mimicry, photographic memory and holographic imaging are all back on. But my hotplate, GPS, video-chat functions, and language and mathematical logic apps are still down.’
‘That’s better than nothing, right?’ said Reggie.
‘Definitely!’ said Andy. ‘Seriously, Reggie, you’re a genius.’
‘I am,’ said Reggie matter-of-factly. ‘But you’re the marvel in all this.’
‘Okay, okay, enough of the love-fest, Genius and Marvel,’ Judd said, hopping on the Ducati and roaring the engine. ‘We’ve gotta get going. The General’s expecting us, and we’re in enough trouble as it is.’
Before long, they cruised into a city Andy had never visited before. They were riding down a shaded avenue, lined with sleek dark-glass buildings.
Judd stopped at a red light, and a dry-cleaning van pulled up beside them. The van driver was wriggling his fingers as if he was trying to signal to them.
‘Judd, are you seeing this?’
Judd glanced over at the driver. ‘He’s one of us,’ he said as the light turned green.
The van pulled out in front of the boys and turned down an alley. Judd followed. While they were still moving, the back doors of the van opened and a ramp was lowered.
Judd rode the bike up the ramp and right into the van. He switched the engine off.
‘Agent Buddy, we thought you’d never get here,’ said a thin man in a grey suit waiting inside the van. ‘We were expecting you at least an hour ago.’
‘We got a little caught up,’ Judd answered as he helped the man pull up the ramp.
The van driver pulled out of the alley and back into traffic. Or at least that was what Andy thought was happening. The back of the van had no windows.
‘You know the drill,’ said the man in the suit. ‘We have to blindfold all of you.’
‘Blindfold us?’ said Reggie. ‘Why?’
‘Just standard procedure,’ said Judd. ‘We have a number of stations scattered all over the place. Only the host agents know where they are. We’re always rotating host agents and changing the locations.’
‘Host agents?’ asked Andy.
‘Guys like Agent Gatekeeper here and Agent Shadow driving the van. They’ll escort us to the General.’
Agent Gatekeeper opened an aluminium suitcase, took out three sets of headphones and blacked-out goggles and asked the boys to put them on.
‘What are these?’ said Andy, ‘I can’t see a thing.’
‘It’s a modern blindfold,’ said Reggie. ‘What are we going to watch?’
‘A message,’ replied Agent Gatekeeper. ‘I’m initiating the video now.’
Within seconds the boys saw an image of the General pop up in front of them.
‘Well, boys, you should be on your way to one of our stations,’ said the General, his deep raspy voice coming through in the headphones. ‘I have some bad news to pass on. We’ve discovered that we have a double agent in the ranks. It’s the agent we assigned to protect your father, Andy. He works for Baffi and has abducted your dad. We also have confirmation that the Triple S have taken Molly hostage.’
Andy’s stomach sank. He felt scared, upset and angry all at the same time. The General continued:
‘The agency is on high alert. Andy, your mother is safe in a secure location. I’m going to show you a video just received from Baffi and the Triple S. I’m warning you, Andy, that this is distressing, but I think you need to see it.’
The video screen flickered and switched to Andy’s dad and Molly sitting on wooden chairs with their hands tied and their mouths taped shut. Andy gasped. They looked dishevelled and terrified. Andy’s father’s cheek was heavily bruised. Molly was pale and shaking with fear and her eyes were bloodshot. Beside them stood a masked man with a gun pointing directly at them. The man ripped the tape from Andy’s dad’s mouth.
‘M-my name is Richard Reid,’ stammered Andy’s dad, staring at the camera. ‘I’m being held hostage by the organisation that we call the Triple S. They’ve assured us that we will not be hurt if Andy gives himself over to them. But, Andy…I’m saying don’t! Don’t do it! Run! Run!’
‘That’s enough,’ a posh-sounding voice echoed in the background. ‘Take him back to his cell.’
Andy’s father was pulled off the chair by the masked man. As he was dragged away he shouted, his voice cracking with desperation: ‘Sylvester, you’re better than this! I beg you, release this poor girl! She has nothing to do with us – nothing!’
The voice in the background must be Sylvester Baffi’s, thought Andy.
‘Okay, your turn, Molly. NOW!’ Dr Baffi’s voice ordered from behind the camera as another guard stepped forward to remove the tape.
‘My…my name is Molly Robinson,’ she said. ‘I’ve been told that I will only be released if Andy Reid gives himself up. Please, Andy, I want to go home and…’
‘No “and”!’ said Dr Baffi. ‘No more talking!’
But Molly ignored him. ‘I miss you, Andy,’ she said, ‘Remember when we were at the zoo and snuck away from our class? You were worried that you were going to miss out on seeing the –’
‘Switch off the camera,’ said Baffi.
The image went black.
Andy’s heart was racing. He was fighting hard to hold back tears. He felt utterly useless and afraid.
‘I’m sorry that you had
to see that, Andy.’ The General’s image had reappeared. ‘But it’s important that you take your father’s warning seriously. Do not do anything to jeopardise their lives – or yours. For your own safety you will be placed under supervision indefinitely. As for you, Judd, Andy’s cover and his personal security were compromised while he was in your care. I’m afraid I’m suspending your license immediately.’
‘No way!’ said Judd. ‘Grandpa! You can’t do that to me.’
‘Reggie, your parents have been contacted. You’ll be detained until you sign the official secrets act. It is a federal offence to share this information with anyone.’
The General’s image flickered off.
‘Right, we’re here,’ said Agent Gatekeeper. ‘Leave your blindfolds on as I lead you to your digs.’
With his goggles still firmly in place, Andy was led a short distance and then felt an elevator going up…and up…
‘Okay, watch your step,’ said Agent Gatekeeper. ‘This way.’
The boys were led only a few short steps to their left and through another door.
‘Okay, you can take your blindfolds off now,’ Agent Shadow instructed.
Andy looked around. They were in an open-plan room with a bird’s-eye view of the city and beyond. It was furnished with everything you’d expect to find in a city hotel suite.
‘Whoa,’ gasped Reggie as he moved to the floor-to-ceiling windows. They could see the late-afternoon sun dipping beneath the horizon. It was early evening, possibly even later. Reggie took Brad out of his pocket and placed him on the floor to let him stretch his legs. ‘How high are we anyway? What floor is this?’
‘The fifty-first floor,’ said Agent Gatekeeper. ‘This will be your home for a while, boys. Get used to it.’
‘So we’re prisoners now?’ said Judd. ‘Nice!’
The two agents exchanged awkward looks. ‘We’ll be just outside if you need anything else. I’m sorry, Agent Buddy.’
‘What are we going to do?’ asked Andy as the door was locked behind the agents. He circled the apartment, looking for a way out.
‘Nothing!’ said Judd, slumping into one of the sofas and switching on the TV. ‘Don’t you get it? We’ve been naughty and we’ve been sent to our room.’
‘Nothing?’ snapped Andy. ‘You can’t be serious?’
‘Yeah,’ said Judd. ‘You heard your dad, he wants you to stay in hiding. Besides, there’s nothing I can do now. I’ve basically been fired.’
‘Stop feeling sorry for yourself.’ Andy was getting increasingly annoyed by Judd’s ‘whatever’ attitude. ‘This isn’t about you.’
Andy felt a wave of anger wash over him. Why couldn’t Judd see how worried he was? Why did they have to be in this nightmare at all? Why wasn’t his life like it used to be? What were the technical glitches? Could they kill him? It was all too much. He didn’t know what to feel.
‘Off you go then.’ Judd shrugged. ‘Bust down those doors, knock out the agents and go save them. But where will you go? No one knows where the Triple S is hiding out. I reckon the General doesn’t even know…’
Andy rushed over to Judd and grabbed him by his jacket. He lifted him off the sofa and shook him. Judd yelled angrily, his arms thrashing and his legs kicking, but Andy was so much stronger than him.
Brad squeaked and scurried under the couch.
‘Andy! What are you doing?’ cried Reggie. ‘You’re going to hurt him!’
Andy tossed Judd back onto the couch. ‘I – I don’t know what came over me,’ he stuttered. He was startled by the terrified look on Judd’s face.
Reggie rushed over to check that Judd was okay. The look on his face when he turned made Andy feel sad – Reggie was scared of him too.
Andy couldn’t blame them. I’m made to hurt people, he thought. I’m designed as a weapon. I can be used for good, or evil.
Judd put his head in his hands. ‘It’s fine, Reggie,’ he said. ‘I deserve it. Even my own grandfather thinks I’m a total loser. I have no idea what I’m going to do if I’m not an agent and I have no one – no friends or family outside the service.’ Judd’s voice went quiet. ‘No one could save my mum and dad. And I don’t know how to save yours.’
Andy now felt deeply sorry for him. Emotions were running high. It had been an overwhelming day for all of them. ‘I don’t want to fight with you,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry if I hurt you.’
‘Look!’ cried Reggie, pointing out the window. ‘It’s a helicopter. There must be a heliport on the roof.’
‘Probably coming in with a new shift of agents,’ said Judd.
‘Do you really think the General has no idea where my father and Molly are being held hostage?’ Andy asked.
‘I really don’t know…’ Judd muttered.
‘Because there’s something Molly said in that video that might be a clue.’
‘What?’ asked Reggie. ‘Was it the bit about the zoo? I wondered about that as well. What did you want to see?’
Andy recalled what their class was walking to see that day. ‘It was the butterfly house,’ he said. ‘I was nervous about asking Molly on a date and I babbled something about wanting to see the Scarlet Coral butterfly. It wasn’t exactly my finest pick-up line. I read about the butterfly on the worksheets before we went to the zoo. But all I can remember is that it’s only found in one place. Could that be where they’re being held hostage?’
Andy looked at his left palm. ‘My connection is still down. I wish I could look it up…Hey! There’s a new icon on my menu screen. It looks like a new app. Maybe it was initiated by the electric fence zap. It says IRS.’
Reggie rushed over to look. ‘Image Recognition Search! So cool,’ he said. ‘You take a photograph of an image, and it gives you all the details stored in its files.’
When Andy tapped on the icon, a small area, just at the base of the middle finger on his right-hand palm, slid open to reveal what looked like a tiny camera lens.
‘Now what?’ asked Andy, just as the camera shutter clicked and snapped an image of his face, which – to their amazement – popped up on the screen on his left palm with Andy’s full name, age and place of birth flashing below it. A few seconds later a barrage of images flickered one after the other, all showing video of Andy’s parents, with scraps of voices and sound.
‘It’s linked to your memories,’ said Reggie. ‘Even unconscious memories, just like your sound-mimicry app.’
It was a flashback slideshow in over-drive. Andy quickly tapped the IRS icon again on his right palm to stop it. It was too many memories to handle at once – it was too sad. Seeing his parents’ faces made him miss them desperately.
He sighed. ‘Whoa – that was full on.’
‘If you could take a photo of the Scarlet Coral butterfly, your app would give you anything you’ve ever known about it,’ exclaimed Reggie.
‘We don’t have a butterfly to take a picture of,’ Judd said.
The boys fell silent.
‘I’ve got it,’ said Reggie. ‘Andy draws a picture of the butterfly. He uses his photographic-memory application, the one that allows him to reproduce pictures in exact detail. Then he can take a photo of it with his IRS camera.’
Andy nodded. ‘It could work.’ He picked up a pad of paper and a pen from the coffee table and started sketching. Within minutes Andy had drawn an incredibly detailed image. He took a snap of it.
‘It’s working! Look!’ Andy said. The field trip worksheet appeared on the screen.
The Scarlet Coral Butterfly
(Coralius Buccenera)
Distinct scarlet and sky-blue wing markings spanning 38 mm. The Scarlet Coral butterfly is endemic to the Coral Ridge Isles, but is found predominately on Buccaneer Island – once the location of a military training complex, but now a national fauna park.
‘Buccaneer Island!’ said Andy. ‘That’s where my dad and Molly must be. Where’s Buccaneer Island?’ Andy and Judd whipped their heads round to Reggie.
‘Well, I’m very fl
attered that you think I know everything.’
‘Stop being modest,’ snapped Judd. ‘And just tell us.’
‘The Buccaneer Islands are off the coast…about three hundred ks south of this city. You’re going to tell the agents, so they can tell the General, right?’ Reggie’s smile faded when he saw Andy’s face. ‘You’re not? Seriously?’
Judd looked doubtful. ‘How could we possibly get there and pull off a rescue without backup?’ he asked.
‘Once they know, they won’t let us be involved,’ said Andy. ‘If my dad’s life is at risk, I’m not leaving it to someone else to save him. Eventually they’ll contact Mum and she’ll be able to track me with the Turbo Dashboard, but by then we’ll have a head start. We’ve both got something to prove here, Judd. Don’t you want your old job back?’
Judd thought for a moment, then he nodded. ‘All right,’ he said. ‘Let’s do this. We can steal the helicopter, but how are we going to get out of here without hurting the agents out the front?’
‘Can I help?’ Reggie said.
‘Sorry, dude, this is for the pros only,’ Judd said. ‘We can’t risk taking you. You’re going back to your olds soon.’
Andy was expecting Reggie to be upset. Being left out wasn’t a good feeling, but Reggie wasn’t trained in combat like Judd and he didn’t have powers like Andy.
Reggie just rolled his eyes. ‘That’s fine,’ he said. ‘I guess you don’t need me, do you? I guess you don’t need to know how to get out of here.’ And he grinned from ear to ear.
‘FIRE! FIRE!’ cried the boys, crouching as low as they could under the smoke as the fire-alarms in the apartment screamed.
Agent Gatekeeper, Agent Shadow, the pilot of the helicopter and two other agents burst through the door. They were hit by a wall of smoke.
Reggie had soaked couch pillows with water and put them in the oven. He had seen it on one of his favourite TV shows – Curious Experiments or Just Plain Dumb?
‘Boys?’ Agent Shadow cried out, struggling to see where they were. ‘Run to the door!’
‘Find the extinguishers!’ cried Agent Gatekeeper as he covered his mouth and nose.