With this, the announcement concluded and the train departed the station, quickly reaching its high-speed capacity.
‘Excellent, we’re off,’ Morgan said. He glanced at Carrol and gave a roguish wink to Chris, who cracked a smile.
Martin looked away, running his hand through his hair. He thought the passengers seemed more content on this second leg of their travels; perhaps they were looking forward to the next stage of their expedition, knowing there was no going back now. The sounds of laughter and talking filled the carriages. Some passengers played games, while others wore earplugs and slept peacefully – including some of Martin’s friends who fell in and out of sleep because they had been up all night.
As for Carrol, she appeared to be in a lighter mood after her turmoil that morning. Maybe she’d taken to heart what Mrs Tate had said about everyone putting on a brave face. She was calm, watching programmes on the TV. Martin kept looking over at her, wishing he could console her because she still reminded him of his sister Carlan.
As they travelled, he looked outside. There was nothing in sight: no homes or people, no trees or shrubs, not even a blade of grass. The landscape was bare and covered with the same red soil they’d seen near the hotel. His eyes drifted over to Mr and Mrs Tate, across the aisle. They were talking quietly.
Mr Tate took Mrs Tate’s hand in his. ‘Tell me, what have you missed the most during the past six months?’ he asked.
Mrs Tate looked out of the window for a few seconds before answering. ‘Everything. You know, everything. The life we once had – including the trees and grasses,’ she said, pointing outside.
‘I know, but what do you miss the most?’ he asked again softly.
‘Ah, do you remember our holiday in paradise? In the Spanish Pyrenees? The beach cove and the warm blue sea, not to mention the sheer cliffs over that lonely private beach. I really miss that. We’ll never see anything as beautiful as that, will we?’ she said, sounding a bit teary.
Martin felt a surge of softness, thinking about what she’d said and knowing it was the truth. He remembered his home and started thinking of his mother and Carlan. He even missed his father and his two older brothers and all their rough play. His eyes filled with tears; he looked around quickly to make sure nobody had seen him and composed himself.
‘Yes, that island was breath-taking, but I’m confident we will encounter other wonders that we would not see anywhere else in the world,’ Mr Tate said to his wife, pulling her close.
Hearing that, Martin drew some comfort from his words.
The three-hour journey was coming to an end; they were approaching the Channel of Exchange.
‘Attention, all passengers of Space Train 0100912. Thank you for travelling with us; we hope you enjoyed your journey. Please follow the signposts marked “All Human Passengers to Mars Only” and take the connecting corridor to spacecraft number GKSC110X towards your final destination.’
CHAPTER 10
ARRIVING AT THE CHANNEL OF EXCHANGE
Martin looked ahead as the train neared the station. The Channel of Exchange was like a regular international airport – except this was an interplanetary portal for all kinds of creatures. Now he was starting to understand what was written in the handbook. He pulled it out and turned to that page. It said: ‘This place is controlled and operated by Earth security personnel, the security hired by this programme organiser, some supernatural beings that worked with the Universal Gatekeepers (also known as paranormal detectives), and some mythical and cosmic creatures.’ So, Zebe was right about everything, including the Gatekeepers, he said to himself.
Martin could see the most extraordinary futuristic and artistic buildings but his view was somewhat obscured by other structures, which he thought might have been built to look and feel dilapidated – which could be considered an art form in itself. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Martin was not particularly into architecture but he could appreciate a good construction if he saw one. Some of these building didn’t look like anything he’d ever seen on Earth.
I could get lost here, just admiring these beauties, he thought as the train slowed. His eyes flashed from one side of the skyline to the other. He saw the enormous station, which had a domed roof, and other smaller buildings in the same style. There were a few houses dotted around, some bucket-shaped, some standing tall on stilts, and others shaped like mushrooms. Some of the skyscrapers were suspended in mid-air and had no stairs to reach them. Others resembled rows of stacked dominos.
There were floating rail tracks, suspended bridges and regular tarred roads, all criss-crossing the urban centre. A cable-car track ran almost vertically, starting from the ground and reaching up to the sky as far as the eye could see. The streets were full of unusual vehicles. The roads near the Channel of Exchange appeared organised but the odd shapes, sizes and placement of the structures made the place look like a jungle.
Martin’s friends were still sleeping. He didn’t want to disturb them, although he wished he could share this sight with them. He comforted himself by feasting his eyes on the unique buildings.
More people were now awake and they heard departing spacecraft emitting zapping noises and beaming light from their portals. They saw flashes of different coloured lights from the various flying cars, motorbikes, buses, flying boats and high-speed electric trains that were constantly taking off and landing.
Martin could tell that many of the passengers’ stomachs were fluttering with excitement. They glanced around happily; perhaps they’d been anticipating a futuristic display like this because of all the space movies they’d seen. A sense of wonder permeated the cabin. From the expressions on people’s faces, most of them were experiencing the thrill of actually seeing and being a part of this. At the same time, Martin could see that not everyone shared the excitement. By the looks on the faces of some of the faint-hearted, it was obvious they were not energised by any of this; they were whimpering in their seats, dreading the unexpected dangers that might be lurking ahead. These sights signified that they were leaving planet Earth.
Martin glanced gleefully around his coach and his eyes met James’s; surprisingly, James returned his smile. Martin’s group had now woken up and he could tell that these scenes were everything they’d hoped for and more – if anything, it was even more overwhelming because they weren’t yet on their new planet. They rubbed the sleep from their eyes and sat up eagerly.
‘Man, this is really awesome. Look at this place: the lights, the bridge, the transport, not to mention the odd-looking houses. This journey couldn’t get any better. The way I see it, the further we go, the more amazing it becomes,’ Martin said.
Monica smiled along with them, but she looked down while running her hand though her long hair. As they high-fived each other, Martin remembered Carrol and looked over at her.
She was sitting stiffly on the edge of her seat, maybe feeling flustered and vulnerable as usual. Martin heard her mutter under her breath, ‘Gosh, I’m so thirsty.’ She sat up, as though to go and fetch some water, but soon sank back into her seat. Perhaps fear had set in, or seeing all the people awake had scared her. Or maybe she thinks the trip to the refreshment coach would be too much for her to make and decided to wait it out, Martin concluded. He saw her moisten her mouth with saliva, draw a long, deep breath and sigh heavily.
After the train came to a complete stop, the doors swung open. The passengers walked out in groups and followed the signs as directed.
James was by the train door. Martin wasn’t sure why he was staying behind until he saw him reach out and tap Mr Stevens on the shoulder. He turned his six-foot frame and lowered his head to hear James’s whisper.
Martin heard James say, ‘I’m staying behind to make sure everybody has vacated the train so we don’t have a repeat of what happened this morning. Will you help me make sure no one is missing and delays our take-off?’
Martin nudged the boys, drawing their attention to James and Mr Stevens. They watched them a
s they continued to talk.
‘Of course, I’m happy to help. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it,’ replied Mr Stevens cheerfully as he stepped forward. He rested his beady eyes on James like a lieutenant awaiting instruction from his commanding officer. It was as though he’d finally found his life’s purpose.
James smiled and said quickly, ‘You don’t have to do anything. Just stand back and watch the door to make sure everyone leaves and goes the right way.’
‘Oh, right, I’ll watch out,’ Mr Stevens replied, stepping back a little. The two of them took on the task of monitoring the whole group to ensure a smooth departure.
When everyone had reached a long corridor, a passenger shuttle bus approached and its doors glided open. There was a sign on the vehicle that read ‘Earth Passengers Only’. The migrants boarded quickly and took their seats. The bus was running on a truss-style bridge suspended in mid-air.
‘Look!’ Chris said nervously to Monica, pointing to the bridge’s criss-crossed black metal bars.
Monica looked and turned back to Chris, who had a vacant look on his face. ‘What is it? I can’t see anything except the nuts and bolts.’
‘Exactly. If you look closely, it seems like they have eyes. I could have sworn that I saw a few of them looking at me,’ Chris whispered, still peering at the bridge.
Martin, who’d overheard them, started scanning the bridge intently. He remembered Zebe’s advice to be careful about everything. He wondered if the Biddatals could be hiding in disguise.
‘Where? I can’t see anything,’ Monica asked.
‘Didn’t you see them? Look, I just saw another one.’ Chris pointed through the window.
‘I’m sure you’re just imagining things. This place is weird enough to capture anyone’s imagination,’ Monica said before kissing him on the cheek.
‘Maybe you’re right,’ Chris said resignedly.
Before Martin could investigate further, they arrived in front of a huge structure made of glass. The migrants got off the bus and filed into the large elevators that were waiting for them; these descended into a tube-like corridor enclosed by a glass wall. When they stepped out of the lifts, it seemed as if there was no exit except back the way they’d come.
Inside the hall were many cylindrical corridors that teemed with creatures – large, small, organic, robotic. Martin and his friends were excited but he could see that some of the migrants were terrified to death as they gaped open-mouthed in horror. The handbook had explained that they would encounter some creatures but Martin was sure they were not prepared for this. He did not scare easily but even he was surprised when he saw the variety of creatures.
The middle of the hall was bisected by a long glass corridor that stretched as far as the eye could see. It branched off to corridors leading to other gates. Some creatures were using this middle corridor to get to their gates. Martin was not one to show emotion, but this sinister environment sent shivers down his fellow migrants’ spines.
The whole place smelled slightly, yet it looked spotless. Some of the corridors were fitted with metal bars for added security to stop the creatures from breaking through the glass and wreaking havoc on the people in the hall. Martin realised that the only thing separating the creatures from him and the other travellers were these reinforced glass walls.
Some of the corridors were extremely tall, depending on the height of the creatures using them. At the far end on the side of the migrants’ corridor was another one for moderate-sized creatures. Because these two corridors did not reach the roof, a suspended balcony was built above them. It had a long line of windows into what looked like offices. Martin wondered what was in them and concluded that this was where the controllers – the Gatekeepers – sat and watched. The hall itself was enormous.
The migrants faced a large doorway, almost the same height as the hall, through which they could see the continuation of the suspended bridge. Martin remembered Chris and Monica’s conversation and stretched his neck to get a closer look at the bridge but it was too far away. He leaned in close to Chris and asked, ‘What did you see on the bridge?’
‘I don’t know. They looked like eyes. Perhaps it’s nothing,’ Chris replied.
‘Yeah, Monica was right; this place is enough to make anyone’s imagination run wild.’
Martin’s eyes darted around his fellow migrants. Some were talking, whispering and clustering together; others leaned in casually to listen to their friends’ conversation but their eyes were fixed steadily on the creatures. The sound of the migrants’ shuffling feet and their quiet whispers were quickly overshadowed by the creatures’ noise.
‘Dear!’ Mrs Geraldine Tate called out. ‘Look at all this. How come no one told us about this place?’
‘What do you mean, dear? We were told about the Channel of Exchange. This is where we’ll change into our spacesuits,’ replied her husband.
‘I know that. That’s not what I meant,’ she said. Her eyes twinkled as she gazed inquisitively down the corridors that hosted the most horrific creatures she’d ever seen.
‘Then what do you mean?’ Mr Tate asked patiently. The confusion was obvious in his weathered, suntanned face. He stroked his white beard, giving her all his attention.
‘I know the Channel of Exchange is the place where we’ll be processed before going forth to our new planet, but I think we’ve been grossly misinformed. No one mentioned anything about seeing this variety of creatures. In the handbook they only said we would see some odd creatures, but this is way too much,’ she said.
‘Oh, I see. You’re right, they shouldn’t keep such a significant part of the journey a secret,’ her husband replied, showing no expression.
Martin quickly pulled his handbook from his pocket. He flipped through it, searching for information about the Channel of Exchange. He realised that Mrs Tate was right about the lack of explanation and he looked up at her. Their eyes met and Martin smiled to suggest he agreed with her. Mrs Tate was so nervous she barely smiled back, then she looked away.
Martin wondered why the programme organisers had kept the types of creature they’d encounter a secret. Maybe the organisers didn’t want to scare the migrants. Besides, the handbook stated that we have nothing to worry about and that it’s safe, he thought.
The migrants, having slowly established their relative safety from the creatures, were chatting again. The queue in the glass corridor was not in any particular order; people were standing in every available space, filing through the glass tube. Martin and his group were visibly excited, bursting with delight at the bizarre scene. Right in front of them was Carrol.
‘This is all so exciting. It’s like paying to go and watch the freakiest show in a circus. Like borderline horror and excitement, except this is beyond that and it's all free. Man, I feel like I’m dreaming,’ Morgan explained, beaming.
‘Indescribably fascinating, I agree,’ Martin said, nodding.
‘Wow, that’s just the best word to describe this place.’ Morgan was looking all around.
‘I knew it was going to be exhilarating going to Mars but, man, this journey may turn out to be even better than I expected.’ Martin grinned from ear to ear.
‘Tell me, Martin, do you think we humans stand a chance of surviving if these creatures break loose?’ Morgan asked, throwing his arm across Martin’s shoulder.
‘They’re never going to break loose. The programme organisers would never let that happen. They have a duty to protect us,’ Martin replied.
‘I know that. But hypothetically, suppose they escaped. Would we make it?’
‘Gosh, no, not a chance. They’ll just eat us raw,’ Martin said.
‘Ha-ha, man, that’s funny. Is there any other way? It’s not like we’re going to be a roast dinner, except if the dragons joined the party. But you never know, maybe a hero among us would rise and slay them all,’ Morgan said dramatically.
‘What if there’s no hero among us?’ Martin asked.
As he finished
speaking, the boys heard the lumbering footsteps of gigantic creatures strolling along the corridors. Some passengers started tapping the glass walls to test their strength as the noises got louder. They had a false sense of security, but anything was better than losing hope in such a situation.
Sounds reverberated around them: roars, buzzing, high-pitched squeals, screaming and, inexplicably, husky laughter. They could hear some of the creatures whimpering in the background. All of the commotion died down immediately when a ferocious-looking creature started strumming its long, blackened fingernails along the metal bars, creating an ear-piercing noise. The creature’s body was covered with fur, including its fingers. Its large, vivid eyes were bloodshot and it looked angry as it stared at the migrants.
Martin wondered whether it might be injured. It continued to strum its fingernails, and everyone fell silent. Some migrants started panicking and hyperventilating. Their sense of security quickly vanished, and they were overwhelmed by feelings of danger and entrapment.
Just then, a line of creatures filed along the middle corridor towards them. Martin figured they were zombies and vampires because blood was gushing from them, as though they’d indulged in a blood bath. Whose blood is it? Hopefully not humans, Martin thought. He looked on in amazement.
‘What are those? Don’t tell me they’re human,’ Mrs Tate whispered.
Her husband turned and saw the creatures with blood splattered on their bodies and crusted around their mouths. ‘No, dear. Judging by the way they walk and drag their bodies, I think they’re vampires and zombies,’ he answered.
‘Did they bring us here as food for these bloodsuckers and flesh-eaters?’ his wife responded. As she finished her sentence, she slumped towards the ground, pulling the people standing nearby down with her. In turn, they reached out and pulled others to the ground, too. Everyone seems nearly crippled with fear and the slightest touch can pull them off-balance, Martin thought.
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