The Incredible Space Raiders from Space!

by Wesley King

  She gave him a lopsided grin. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. You are full of surprises, Jonah the Now Incredible. The space opera continues.”

  She turned back to the glass, chuckling and shaking her head.

  Jonah sighed. Of all the problems he might have on the Fantastic Flying Squirrel, having two girls like him was far and away the most unexpected.

  • • •

  There was no day and night in space, of course, so the Space Raiders just woke and slept whenever they felt like it. They had breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which were organized under the watchful eye of Lyana the Forgotten, but other than that they just sat around and talked and slept and stared out the window. Hours felt like days.

  Martin volunteered to take a message to the commander telling her where they were, and though Jonah tried to take his place, he refused.

  “We need you here, Jonah,” he said. “Just in case something happens. We need to use our special recruit wisely.”

  With that, he crept out and vanished down the hallway. He returned some time later and proudly boasted that he hadn’t been detected by the crew or the Shrieker. He’d found the commander and the others by quietly calling out through the second-floor shafts. A small tunnel door had opened, and he’d been escorted by Erna the Strong to a very secret room where some power lines met at a small grid. Apparently they were very safe there, and the commander had sent a message for them to stay strong and be ready for the Dark Zone. This was met by smiles and purposeful nods in the Bubble.

  The Space Raiders would be ready for their true mission.

  Sally Malik came and went fairly regularly, sometimes disappearing for hours at a time. Whenever Jonah asked where she was going, she would just say that the Bubble was only her second-most secret lair and that she had business to attend to elsewhere.

  Then she would give him a mock salute and disappear. Jonah just stopped asking.

  He spent most of his time with Jemma. Victoria seemed too embarrassed to speak with him again, and Willona was deliberately avoiding him, though she did occasionally give him a dirty look. Jonah didn’t mind. Jemma had a way of making him feel better, even if he was always half expecting Red Eye and Space Witch to burst through the door and arrest them all.

  He also had several meetings with Lieutenant Gordon, who seemed at a loss as to what to do now. He didn’t like waiting here without guard duties and food schedules and official meetings with the commander. But Jonah didn’t have any answers for him.

  He was just as lost.

  At one point he wandered over to Ben the Brilliant, who was sitting with a group of his friends. He looked at Jonah in surprise.

  “Yes?” he said.

  “I just wanted to say thanks,” Jonah said. “For saving my life. That was pretty brave. You’re good with a bonker.”

  Ben’s cheeks flushed just a little. “Well, it was nothing. Duty.” He paused. “Next time move faster, curtain rod.”

  “See, I don’t think that’s an insult,” Jonah said.

  “Of course it is, you floating space rock.”

  Jonah shrugged. “All right. Well, thanks again.”

  “Yeah,” he said, turning back to his friends. “Any time.” He paused. “I mean last time. I mean I won’t save you again. You owe me now.”

  Jonah just smiled and walked away.

  The hours continued to roll by. The fourth-level hallway had bathrooms, so the only break anyone got from the Bubble was when they crept out in twos and threes to use them. The sleep shifts started becoming a little less restless in the Bubble as the Space Raiders got used to their new home, and even Jonah started to get a little sleep. His dreams were mostly filled with the Shrieker and EETs and Captain White Shark, but it was a start.

  He was having a dream about shrieking monsters when Sally woke him.

  “Jonah,” she whispered. “Jonah!”

  “What?” he said groggily.

  “We have a problem,” she said. “I was just in the Haunted Passage. I heard shouts. Not the Shrieker. Space Raiders. Shouts for help.”

  Jonah quickly sat up. Most of the other Space Raiders were asleep. Lyana the Forgotten was watching them curiously from where she sat by the glass.

  “Do you think—”

  “They found them,” she said grimly. “Definitely. I ran up here as fast as I could. I don’t think we’ll be able to save them this time, but if they found them, they’re going to close in on the rest. Some might even talk. We need to tell the others before—”

  She was interrupted by the loud crackling of the PA system. The Space Raiders all jerked awake, looking around in confusion. A commanding voice spoke.

  It was Captain White Shark. And he sounded very pleased.

  “Attention, passengers of my ship. Things have gone too far. You have shot a crew member. Destroyed a power line. Freed my prisoners. When I went to find the guilty parties, I learned that you had all run off and hidden on my ship. I was not impressed. My crew has been searching for you unsuccessfully, until now.”

  Jonah could almost hear him gloating.

  “We have just captured forty-two of your little friends. I was only interested in my prisoners and in the fools who rescued them, Jonah Hillcrest in particular.”

  Everyone in the Bubble looked at Jonah. He tried to look brave.

  “But now I’ve taken all of them. The brig will be very full,” Captain White Shark said. “It will be very, very unpleasant. So here’s the new plan. Bring me all my prisoners, and the leaders of your groups. All of them. At that time, I will release the others. I assure you, we will find all of you soon. But if you do not, and we do not find you, I will start eliminating prisoners one at a time. I want order on my ship. If that means blasting a few troublesome children into space to get it, then that’s what I’ll do.”

  Terrified murmurs filtered around the room. Even Sally looked afraid.

  “And to my crew,” the captain continued, “if you see Jonah Hillcrest, shoot him on sight. I repeat: Shoot him on sight. Make a choice, children. You have one day.”

  The announcement ended. Everyone was looking at Jonah again. Some looked like they might cry. Others were trembling. Some just looked like they couldn’t move at all.

  Jonah wasn’t sure which one he was. He had been afraid. But this was different. Now the captain had ordered his crew to kill Jonah. He felt his hands shaking. But looking around, he knew they were waiting for him. Not Lieutenant Gordon. Jonah had been called out, and if he broke down, they all would. Jonah Hillcrest would have.

  But not Jonah the Now Incredible.

  He slowly stood up and looked over the room. His eyes fell on the lieutenant.

  “Send a message to the commander,” Jonah said quietly. “It’s time to take over this ship.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  * * *

  * * *

  THE BUBBLE FELL SILENT. JONAH looked around, expecting a swell of pumping fists and salutes and cries of challenge. Instead he saw disbelief. Fear. Even scorn.

  “That’s impossible,” Lieutenant Gordon said, shaking his head.

  Jonah looked around the room. “Why? Has anyone tried?”

  Ben snorted in derision. “His one little rescue has gone right to his head.” He stood, staring at Jonah from across the Bubble. “How would we take over the ship? The crew has guns. You told us yourself: They’re pirates. Criminals. They’d kill us all and ruin our mission. We have a job to do. And it’s not get killed by space pirates, pig stink.”

  “Why do Space Raiders have to answer to a bunch of pirates?” Jonah asked, meeting his gaze. “We were sent to save the universe from the Entirely Evil Things from the Dark Zone. The crew has now threatened to kill us. Us. Space Raiders. They’re the ones who declared war. We’re just going to fight back. We don’t need them.”

  Lieutenant Gordon was still shaking his head. He stood up and started pacing around the room, clearly agitated. “We don’t even know how to pilot the ship.” />
  “We’ll learn,” Jonah said. “If pirates can do it, so can we.”

  Ben threw his hands up in the air. “So, what . . . we just ask them to hand over the bridge? To lock themselves up and give us the ship?”

  “No,” Jonah said. “We take over the bridge and lock them up ourselves.”

  “He’s crazy,” Ben said. “He’s got space madness!”

  “I thought it was sadness?” Jonah asked, frowning.

  “There’s both,” Willona murmured.

  Jonah looked at his friends. Willona and Jemma looked uncertain. Afraid. Victoria was glancing at her brother uncertainly, though Matty looked determined. Martin the Marvelous looked like he was ready to go off to war that instant. He gave Jonah a grim nod.

  And in the far corner, Sally Malik was just grinning and shaking her head, her arms folded across her chest. If anyone knew their chances, it was Sally Malik.

  “Can it be done?” Jonah asked her.

  Sally hesitated. “By me? No. By any Space Raider I’ve ever seen? No. But by Jonah the Now Incredible? Nothing surprises me anymore.”

  Everyone turned from her to Lieutenant Gordon. He was still pacing. “It can’t be done,” he said finally. “If it could have, the commander would have done it already.” He hesitated. “I think.”

  “Well, this is her chance,” Jonah said. “Just call a meeting. I’ll do the rest.”

  Martin stepped forward. “I’m with Jonah.”

  “Me too,” Willona said, “even though I hate him.”

  One by one, Space Raiders stepped forward. Victoria and Matty. Daniel the Ninja and Kyla the Courageous. Ria the Smart and even Eric the Excellent. Soon more than half had stepped forward. Lyana the Forgotten even joined him, though she refused to look Jonah in the eye. Ben looked around in shock as his friends stepped forward.

  Jonah turned to Sally. She gave him a fleeting smile.

  “Sorry, Jonah,” she said. “I’m a space rat. I just survive.”

  Jonah nodded. He was disappointed, but he understood.

  Lieutenant Gordon scanned over the room, counting the Space Raiders who had backed Jonah. When he finished, he met Jonah’s eyes and nodded.

  “Then there’s no point in waiting. Martin the Marvelous . . . show us the way.”

  • • •

  Jonah crawled through the cramped tunnel, led by Erna the Strong. Her dirty white sneakers were perilously close to his face. Behind him were Lieutenant Gordon, Martin, and Willona. She’d asked to come along in case they needed an official announcement when they entered. He had a feeling she’d started to regret it as they snuck through the shadowy service shafts, following the fleet-footed Martin.

  But they made it without incident, and now he had his chance.

  Of course, now that he was crawling through the tunnel he had no idea what he was going to say. It was a little different from speaking with his sector. The commander terrified him, and he didn’t have any friends in Sector One. They might just dismiss him, or even hand him over to the crew for being so foolish.

  But he had to try.

  Erna the Strong crawled out of the tunnel and stood up, though she didn’t have a lot of headroom. A large, boxy power grid stood in the middle of the room, and power lines streamed into one side and poured out the other before continuing through a small opening to an adjoining room that looked identical to this one. But even with two rooms, it was packed and very warm.

  Space Raiders were crammed into every square inch of the room, enough so that it must have been hard to lie down. With seventy members, Sector One was much bigger than the third sector, and they all looked very uncomfortable.

  Jonah wondered if he might succeed after all.

  His eyes fell on the commander. She was perched at the back of the room, surrounded by a tiny ring of personal space. Samantha was close by, and she gave Jonah a questioning smile as he walked in.

  “Jonah the Now Incredible, Lieutenant Gordon,” Erna the Strong started, and then paused. “And . . .”

  Willona stepped forward. “Martin the Marvelous and Willona the Awesome.”

  The commander didn’t stand up. Her hair looked a little clumpy and frayed, and her probing eyes were tired, with dark circles around them and heavy bags below.

  “Why are you here?” she asked coolly. There was still authority in her voice.

  Lieutenant Gordon stepped forward. “We would like to request a meeting.”

  Her green eyes flicked to him. “It seems you’ve already called one.”

  He paused, looking uncertain. “I didn’t want to waste time.”

  The other Space Raiders were all watching very closely. Jonah saw some crawling through the opening from the other room, trying to get a look.

  “Why do you want a meeting?” she asked.

  “Actually, I do,” Jonah said, stepping forward.

  He had to avoid one Space Raider’s leg.

  The commander smiled, but it wasn’t from amusement. “I should have known,” she said. “What is it now, Jonah? What have you done this time?”

  He met her eyes. “I want to take over the ship.”

  Just like the first time, the room fell into silence. Only the moaning, groaning engine could be heard, along with the buzzing of the power grid. He saw disbelief. Fear. But he only saw scorn on one face. It just happened to be the commander’s.

  She stared at him for a very long, very uncomfortable few seconds. Her finger tapped the metal floor beside her. “What is it you want, Jonah?” she asked finally.

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Are you trying to destroy us?” she said. “Is that your goal? Why? Why do you not want us to get to the Dark Zone? Why do you want to stop our mission?”

  Jonah was taken aback. “I don’t want to stop our mission.”

  The commander slowly stood up. “I think you do,” she said. “You break every rule. You steal Lists. Attack crew members. Rescue prisoners. And now this.”

  Jonah saw Erna the Strong shifting beside him. She was ready to take him prisoner at a word from the commander. Martin took a small step beside him, putting himself between Erna and Jonah. Jonah bit back a smile. Martin barely came up to Erna’s elbows. But Martin the Marvelous was a real Space Raider. And so was he.

  Then it hit him. He knew how to win the crowd.

  “Do you know why I did all that?” he said, looking around the room.

  Everyone was looking at him. He had their attention.

  “I did that because I’m a Space Raider,” he continued, turning back to the commander. “I was chosen—like all of you—from the entire solar system to travel to the Dark Zone and save the universe. We didn’t have a choice. We just woke up here with a mission, and we were all brave enough to accept it. We’re all special. The most special kids in the solar system. And if I’m risking my life to save the universe, there’s no way I’m taking orders from a bunch of smelly, miserable pirates. We’re Space Raiders. We answer to no one.”

  As soon as he said it, Jonah knew he’d won. Lieutenant Gordon stood up a little straighter. Martin broke into a wide grin. Even Erna the Strong looked at him in amazement. But it was the crowd that showed the greatest change. Like a ripple in a pond, smiles and proud looks and hope filtered across the small, cramped room.

  Samantha gave him a nod.

  The commander saw it too. For the second time, she’d been bested by Jonah the Now Incredible. A strange look came over her face. It wasn’t anger or resentment or even fear. It was sadness. A deep, tangible sadness.

  “We’ve always done it this way,” she said quietly.

  “Then they won’t expect it now,” Jonah replied.

  She still didn’t want to agree. He could tell. She hesitated and looked around the room and hesitated some more. But she knew they all wanted to fight. Jonah suspected she could still stop it. If she gave the order, they would follow her. But maybe he’d stirred something in her as well. Something the commander had kept hidden behind th
ose old eyes and tapping fingers and sweeping lightning-streaked locks. Because when she looked at him again, the sadness was gone. In its place was a grim determination.

  “What’s the plan, Jonah the Now Incredible?”

  He smiled. “We act like Space Raiders. We march.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  * * *

  * * *

  A FEW HOURS LATER, JONAH was sitting in the Bubble again, staring out into space. The plans were set. They weren’t perfect, but it was the best they could do. He knew Space Raiders could be hurt. Maybe even killed. But he also knew they had to act. Something was wrong on the Fantastic Flying Squirrel, and he had a feeling they were all running out of time.

  The deadline for Captain White Shark’s ultimatum was the following morning, and that was when the Space Raiders would make their triumphant march on the crew’s quarters. That meant they all had a long night ahead of them, waiting for a battle they hadn’t expected.

  He thought of the stars at home. He used to sit in his backyard sometimes with the patio lights off and stare up at space, wondering what secrets lay in the darkness. Now he was here, floating through them, and he still had no answers. Everything was big and dark and scary and lonely, and now all he wanted to see was the back door of his house, the light washing out from the windows, his parents sitting on the couch watching TV.

  He wondered what they were doing now. If they missed him. He hoped so.

  Jonah heard footsteps and turned to see Jemma sit down beside him. Most of the others were sleeping or talking quietly. Sally Malik was gone again.

  “Hey,” she said, smiling. Her bird’s nest of straw-colored hair was even messier than usual, with strands falling out on all sides like she’d gone through a clothes dryer. “Just wanted to say congratulations.”

  Before they’d left, the commander had named him an official adventurer. The other assembled Space Raiders had all saluted happily as she said, “I give you Jonah the Now Incredible, Special Recruit and Adventurer of the Highest Order.”