by Israel Keats
Oops.
The light dimmed and started spraying sparks. The guards looked up at it and walked closer, staring and speaking rapidly in their language. Lobo darted behind one of them and sprinted down the hall.
As he did words flashed in front of him:
First achievement unlocked: Escaped lockup
Chapter 4
Past the opening was a ramp spiraling around to a lower floor. Lobo pressed against the inside wall and peered around the edge. There was the aerovator dock Spec had told him about: an area with four sets of yellow doors that whooshed open and closed to reveal individual capsules. There were clear panes above the doors, looking out into space. He could see the capsules being whisked off through tubes to other parts of the station.
So they’re like elevators, he realized, but they don’t just go up and down. They go every direction. Why don’t real buildings have those?
Aliens marched out of one set of doors, turned, and entered another. They didn’t glance at phones or make small talk. They always stared straight ahead and marched promptly to their capsules when it was time.
You have cool stuff, but your lives seem pretty boring, he thought. Or maybe I’m just saying that because I can’t seem to go anywhere without being sidetracked.
Past the aerovator tubes he could see an entire side of the space station. It looked like a city block of tall buildings wrapped around a sphere. How much of it would he explore in this game?
“This is cool,” he whispered to Spec. “I’ve always wanted to live on a space station.”
“Solo_Lobo, you do live on a space station. Even before you were captured. An Earth outpost three light-days away.”
“Oh. Right.” I forgot I’m not a high school kid to her—I’m a space explorer. “I meant a space station like this one. It’s amazing.”
“Indeed,” she agreed. “Our progress in space colonization is far ahead of yours. But you should get back to the task at hand and find a data port.”
‘Back to the task at hand’ . . . Maybe she doesn’t know I’m a student, but she sure sounds like a teacher.
He studied the display over the doors. There were rows of cryptic symbols, lighting up and going dark again. He could see which symbols lit up just before a capsule arrived and which lit up just after they zoomed off. He guessed they showed the departure point and destination of each capsule, like floor numbers over an elevator.
There was a rare moment where the dock was empty. An aerovator chimed. Lobo sprinted for the door. Spec yelled something and hurried after him. The door started to open on a capsule full of Orionans.
Lobo flattened his body next to the doorway. As the aliens stepped out, he slipped behind them and into the capsule. Spec flew in as the doors closed.
“That was risky,” she said.
“I knew they wouldn’t see me.”
“It was impressive,” she admitted. “How did you know you would not be seen?”
“Have you noticed those guys are always looking straight ahead? They’re like robots—um, you know what I mean. As long as I don’t get in front of them or make a noise, they don’t notice me.”
“I see,” Spec said, clearly ignoring his remark about robots. “Next time you make a quick decision, it would help if you warn me.”
“Got it.”
“Now, in order to understand the aerovator transport system, I suggest—”
Lobo pushed a button and the aerovator car started to move.
“I was not going to suggest pushing buttons at random.”
“It’s not random,” he said. “I watched the display. Whatever this symbol is—the three vertical lines—nobody ever came from there or went there. So it must be deserted.”
“Also consider the possibility—” Spec started to say, but the capsule lurched as it kicked into high speed. The jolt flung the robot through the air. She made a series of surprised bleeps. A few seconds later, the capsule slowed, and the doors opened on an empty hallway.
“Are you all right?” Lobo asked Spec.
“Yes. I should have anchored myself,” she answered. “I rarely use this transport system and forgot the dangers.”
“It sure got us here fast, though,” Lobo said, peering out into the hall. “And see? I was right. Nobody around.” He stepped out of the car and immediately set off an alarm. Red and yellow lights flashed and a siren wailed.
“I was going to suggest that the less-visited areas might be high-security zones,” Spec blared over the noise.
“Yeah, thanks!” he shouted back. “Are you good for anything?”
The robot answered by humming noisily. A moment later the sirens quieted and the lights stopped flashing.
“I am good for that,” she said. “I can talk to the alarm system using sonic signals. I told it that the alarm was falsely triggered. I also opened the door at the end of the hallway.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
“However, they will send someone to check on the disturbance,” she said.
“All right.” He started down the hall. Like everything else he’d seen, it was a sandy brown color with rounded walls. “Hey, I didn’t mean that about not being good for anything. Actually, you’ve been pretty helpful.”
“Appliances do tend to be helpful,” the robot said, hovering beside him as he walked.
“Yeah. Sorry about that crack too.” Why am I apologizing to an NPC—and a robot to boot?
“It is not accurate to call me an appliance, since I am not designed for specific tasks.”
I said I was sorry. Sheesh.
They entered a large room lined with shelves. They were filled with canister-shaped cases, each labeled in alien writing.
“What is this place?” Lobo asked.
“Perhaps you should have determined that before taking us here,” Spec said. He didn’t think he was imagining the sarcasm in her voice.
He couldn’t hold back a small smile. “I hear you. I just wanted to go somewhere that wasn’t packed with aliens.”
He took a step and almost touched one of the cases, then remembered the alarm. He didn’t want to set it off again.
“To answer your question,” Spec said, “this is a storage facility for processing cores from failed robots.”
“Like a library?”
“More like what you would call a morgue,” Spec said.
He turned to her in confusion. “Huh?”
“Your instincts were correct in one way, however; this is a data center, so I can complete your map. I just need to talk to the database.” Spec made a humming noise, mixed in with beeps and whistles. “Or at least I can almost complete your map.”
“Almost?” He stepped out of the doorway and stood between two shelves to stay hidden, just in case. Looking at the map screen, he saw that a lot of the space station was now diagrammed in detail. But big patches of it were unlabeled. The parts that were labeled were done in alien code. He saw they were now at the very tip of one the station’s longest branches, far away from everything.
“Can you tell me where I can get a ship out of here?” He studied the map. It showed neon blue lines connecting different parts of the station, which he guessed were aerovator routes. There were a dozen places he could go from this area.
“The Orionan ships are closely guarded and take training to pilot. However, you may be able to send signals from the control room. The Orionans have received your signals for a long time. That’s how I was able to learn your language.”
He looked up. “What do you mean, send signals?”
“Arrange for a rescue. There is a loading bay where a craft can dock and get us without being detected.”
Us? He raised his eyebrows. I guess she’s planning on coming with me, if I get out of here.
“Is that control room marked on the map? I don’t read Orionan.”
“Unfortunately, no. It is a secure area and requires additional clearance.”
“Well, in that case, at least I know I need to move toward one of
the unlabeled areas.”
He heard a chime down the hall and quickly looked around the room. “Um, is there any other way out of here?”
“There is not,” Spec answered. Footsteps sounded from the hallway outside. “As I warned, there seem to be Orionan soldiers coming to investigate.”
Chapter 5
Lobo shoved one of the shelves to the ground. As it crashed, he darted to the wall beside the door. The aliens ran into the room, going straight to the wreckage.
Lobo looked up and saw Spec floating in circles over their heads and letting out a high-pitched whirring sound.
What’s wrong with her? he wondered. Is she malfunctioning?
He gestured to her with his head that he was leaving and then slipped out of the room. He sprinted down the hall and punched the button for the aerovator. The door opened immediately.
Glad it’s still here, or we’d be doomed. Wait, what happened to the robot?
He looked back over his shoulder. Spec was just now leaving the room. Take your time. No need to hurry. No, really.
Spec cruised down the hall, and they both entered the capsule.
“I could’ve left without you, but I decided to wait,” he felt the need to point out, pushing the button to close the doors. Spec didn’t let out a single bleep.
“What’s the matter with you?” he asked.
Still nothing.
“That’s fine. Be that way.”
“Why did you tip the shelf at the data center?” Spec finally asked.
“To win the game.”
“What game?”
“I mean, to distract those aliens and get out of there alive,” he said. When I will remember this robot doesn’t know we’re in a game?
“The station will now be on high alert. And they know where we are.”
“Good point, but I didn’t see any other way out of there.”
The robot went back to giving him the silent treatment.
“You know, you’re pretty moody for a flying toaster,” he muttered. “So where should we go? Any hints?”
The robot let out a series of beeps. He heard alien voices and footsteps just outside the aerovator.
“What are you doing?” he asked Spec.
“I was talking to the aerovator,” she explained.
“Nice time for a chat.”
“I was learning its route. Your map now shows all of the aerovator routes so you can get around. I also told it not to open the door if there were Orionans outside.”
“Oh. Awesome . . . thanks.” He glanced at the device, searching for a new location to go to, before hitting a button in the aerovator that matched the symbol on the screen. “Don’t forget to anchor yourself.” The robot attached one of her arms to the wall just before the capsule shot off like a rocket.
“Thank you,” she said.
“No problem.”
The aerovator capsule arrived at the new dock. The doors chimed and opened. Words appeared again:
Second achievement unlocked: Reached astral observatory
If it wasn’t for those alerts, I’d forget I was in a game, he thought. If I’m in here much longer, I might start taking this as seriously as Spec. But he could be trapped in this virtual world forever, so maybe it didn’t matter anyway.
Then he stepped out and saw the most astounding scene of his life.
Chapter 6
They were in an observatory, similar to where he first entered the game. But this view surpassed even that one. It seemed like he could see farther into the depths of space than before, and the stars were clearer.
It looks like they’re really out there, he thought. Not just a background graphic.
But the stars were only part of what amazed him. In the distance were more space stations, bigger than this one, connected by networks of tubes and tunnels. It looked like an entire city floating in outer space. It would take months to explore it all. Maybe years.
But is it really there? Is it part of the game? There might be more missions to complete.
Spec cruised over from the aerovator dock. “We don’t have time to admire the view.”
Story of my life, he thought. “Have you ever been out of this station?”
“Of course,” Spec said. “I was designed for exploration and reconnaissance.”
“That’s cool.” But that doesn’t prove it’s real. You’re just reciting a scripted backstory. “I wish I could see the rest of it.”
“We need to get out of here first,” Spec reminded him.
“I know.”
But it was already too late. Another chime sounded from the aerovator dock. He glanced up and saw a set of doors hissing open.
No place to run. Is there a place to hide?
He saw a garbage can—at least he guessed that’s what it was. It was like a giant vase, skinny at the base and flared at the top. He dove for it, but it was too narrow to conceal him from the Orionans. Alien guards poured out of the aerovator capsule, and a moment later he was frozen.
Chapter 7
I did spend too much time staring out the window, he thought as he plunged back into the darkness.
That’s why I’m a bad student. There are too many interesting things outside the window. My mind wanders during tests; my classes don’t interest me. But now I’m barely passing high school and have no idea what I’ll do with my life.
In the darkness, he saw the same two glowing signs: play game and prologue.
This was his last chance to win the game. Guess it’s time to find out what’s in the prologue. He swam toward the sign.
A scene started to play like a short movie. He no longer had control over his own actions or motions. This is why I hate cut scenes, he thought, but this is my last life. I don’t care so much about being trapped here, but I’m not losing the game without putting up a fight. I’d better find out as much as I can.
First he saw a space station. It was small and shabby compared to the Orionan ship. There was an image of Earth painted across its broad, silver surface. But he wasn’t on the space station. He was drifting away from it, standing at the window of a little ship. I’m leaving the station, he realized. Heading out to explore space.
He turned and faced people he assumed were his crewmates. Their names appeared over their heads like TV credits, then faded: Jalea, a serious-looking woman with hair cropped close to her head, stood by the ship door. Boris, who wore glasses and looked barely older than Lobo in real life, was next to her. At the ship’s controls were Dagney, a very tall, muscular woman, and Chen, a short, stocky man with dark stubble covering most of his face. There was barely enough room for all of them in the tight cockpit.
Jalea was explaining that their mission was to travel through a cloud of space dust and see what was beyond it. Light and sound could not travel through the cloud, so whatever was beyond it was a total mystery to their station’s researchers. The ship would not be able to communicate with the space station once it was immersed in the cloud.
“How long will we be out of touch?” Chen asked uneasily.
“However long it takes to complete our mission,” Jalea answered.
She continued, telling them all about rumors of an intelligent life-form just beyond the dust cloud. She pulled up holographic slides with bad three-dimensional drawings of Orionans.
Lobo found his mind wandering, then shook his head to bring back his focus. This is important, he told himself. Pay attention.
Chen leaned forward in his seat. “Where did we get the drawings?”
“From the last scout to enter the cloud,” Jalea answered.
“And what happened to him?” Dagney wondered.
Jalea was quiet for a moment, glancing away from them. “We don’t know.”
The ship jolted to a stop. The light-up displays dimmed and went black. The lights flickered. Dagney turned her attention to the controls, flipping switches and pounding on buttons.
Then the robots broke into the ship. They looked like Spec—little mechani
cal balls floating in the air, each with four arms. But these robots had laser blasters poking out of their round bodies. Jalea turned to face one and got blasted. She fell to the ground, unconscious.
Lobo tried to bat the robot closest to him out of the air with a fire extinguisher, but the robot turned to him and fired its blaster again. Several aliens pulled Lobo and the other humans out of the ship, and then took them to the cargo bay of a much bigger ship. Lobo saw that their tiny ship had been swallowed whole by the bigger one. The humans were crated like animals and stowed. He could see some of his companions through the slats in his crate: Jalea shouting in frustration; Chen with his hands around his legs, face buried in his knees; Boris examining his cage, as if looking for a way out. Two aliens communicated in hisses and squeals, and they both walked away.
Lobo looked up through the crate and saw a hovering robot watching them. It looked exactly like Spec.
Chapter 8
Lobo opened his eyes and found himself back in the cell—he was back at the beginning of the game.
I’m not just supposed to escape, he realized as he stood up. I’m supposed to rescue my crew. I’m on my last life, and this game is five times harder than I thought it was.
But Spec wasn’t there to help him. The door was locked. He tried it again and again. It didn’t budge.
He groaned. What am I supposed to do? There’s nothing useful in here. No cracks in the wall that might be opened. Nothing on the floor to move and reveal a tunnel. No place for a key to be hidden.
He sat down on the oddly-shaped bed. Spec let me out the first two times. Did she give up on helping me out of here this time?
Another thought troubled him: Was Spec one of the robots that captured me in the first place? They must have hundreds that look exactly the same, but somehow that one seemed more familiar.
There was a click at the door. He jumped up, half-expecting an alien to enter, but it was Spec.
“There you are!” he shouted, forgetting that he should probably keep his voice down.