by Zac Harrison
While Ms Vartexia lectured him, John glanced over to a few desks away, where an alien boy with a mane of black hair was sitting. He felt a twinge of envy. Mordant Talliver seemed to absorb lessons without even trying. He always came top in Hyperspace History. Top in almost every class, John reminded himself. Although Mordant was a bully, John wondered if the half-Gargon boy could help with his own studies. It might be worth putting up with him if it means I don’t get chucked out, John thought to himself.
“...So if you wish to pass Hyperspace History this year, I will be looking for much more effort, John Riley.”
John’s wandering attention snapped back to the teacher. “Yes, thanks, Ms Vartexia,” he babbled. “Sorry I fell asleep. I just stayed up too late last night. It’s not because you’re boring or anything—”
John heard a snort of laughter. “What a suck-up,” Mordant Talliver hissed loudly.
A tennis-ball-sized metal sphere bobbed at Mordant’s shoulder, lights blinking across its surface: a Serv-U-Droid called G-Vez that was half servant, half pet. “Indeed, Master Talliver,” the droid said in a snooty voice that sounded ever-so-slightly bored. “The human is obviously trying to escape punishment by using flattery, and as the great Gargon philosopher Huurl once said, ‘Flattery is like the burping of Gorpigs.”
Mordent grinned. “The burping of Gorpigs,” he repeated. “Huurl really knew what he was talking about, didn’t he?”
“That will do, Mordant Talliver,” snapped Ms Vartexia, turning towards the sneering boy. “If your droid does not stay silent, I will confiscate it.”
John rolled his eyes. What was I thinking? he asked himself. Like Mordant would ever help anyone apart from himself.
“Computer,” the Elvian teacher said, returning to the front of the class. “End programme Vartexia-B-Six-Four-Shard.” The screen surrounding the room instantly went blank. “Now, take out your ThinScreens and begin reading about the Goran–Subo war.”
As the students rummaged in their bags, John felt a nudge.
“Sorry about that,” whispered Emmie Tarz on his right. He watched, dazzled as usual by her beauty, as she flicked silvery hair out of her shining eyes and leaned across her desk towards him. “I did try and wake you up. You were snoring.”
“Ha, that wasn’t snoring,” said a deeper voice from the desk to John’s left. “You should try sleeping in the same room as me if you want to hear real snoring. It’d make your brain dribble out of your ears.”
John turned to look at his roommate. Kaal’s leathery wings, green skin, and sharp fangs made him look like some sort of demon. “It’s true,” said John with a sudden grin. “Your snoring is probably the reason I didn’t get any sleep last night.”
“Yeah, right,” replied Kaal. “It was nothing to do with playing Asteroid Avenger until two-thirty at all.”
“Hey,” John replied, looking embarrassed. “Just because I can’t survive on two hours of sleep...”
John’s words trailed off, as a flashing orb of colourful light zipped through a solid wall as if it weren’t there. It hovered next to Ms Vartexia, glittering brilliantly, and then silently changed form in a blaze of light lasting half a second. Where the ball had been stood a tall alien dressed in white robes. Although he was humanoid in shape, he glowed like a neon light. His head was bald and his face lined with age, but his purple eyes sparkled with humour, making him look youthful.
“Good morning,” said Lorem, headmaster of Hyperspace High, in a cheerful voice. “I’m sorry to interrupt you, Ms Vartexia, but I have an important announcement that needs everyone’s full attention.” He glanced at John, raising one eyebrow.
John bit his lip, blushing.
The headmaster’s gaze had already moved on. “Zepp, show the visuals, please.”
“Of course, headmaster,” said the voice of the ship’s computer, which John had named Zepp – short for Zero-Electronic Personality Pattern – soon after arriving on Hyperspace High. The name had caught on quickly. Now, almost everyone aboard used it.
“Thank you,” said the headmaster, as the classroom walls flashed into life again. This time, they showed the surface of a planet. John stared. Across the moving image of the world was a mind-boggling variety of landscapes: mountains, island jungles, deserts, plains of grass, rivers, lakes, and seas, as well as other vistas that were like nothing John had ever seen.
He saw forests that looked as if they had been built from the insides of an old radio, mountains of lacy steel, temples made of gas, and places so strange that he couldn’t begin to guess what they were or what they were made of. Here and there, great stone spires jabbed into the sky, alongside shining glass pyramids, metal domes, spikes of crystal, and buildings that seemed to have been grown rather than built. As scene after scene rolled past, John wondered if the entire planet had been stitched together from a thousand different worlds.
For a few minutes, Lorem allowed the students to watch the strange planet in silence. Then he cleared his throat. “This,” he said, “is the museum planet Archivus Major. These images were taken from orbit, as no photography is allowed on the surface. On Archivus Major there are artefacts from every civilization the galaxy has ever known – from atomic artworks to whole landscapes that have been moved across thousands of light years. It is an extraordinary place to visit.” The headmaster paused for a moment before finishing, “And in two days’ time, myself and Ms Vartexia will be taking you there.”
Read Frozen Enemies to find out what happens next!
Other titles from the Hyperspace High series – Frozen Enemies
John Riley finds out museums in outer space are anything but boring when his class travels to the planet Archivus Major!
But the visit soon starts to go wrong. When two alien armies are accidentally released from cryogenic storage, it’s up to John and his friends to get them back on ice! Can they stop these mortal enemies before an intergalactic war breaks out?
Jump on board the school that’s out of this world!
Robot Warriors
It’s time for the annual Robot Warriors contest!
Earthling John Riley has never made a robot before. Can he ever hope to win against his brainy best friend, Kaal? One thing’s for sure, troublemaker Mordant won’t let anyone get in the way of his victory...
Jump on board the school that’s out of this world!
Warlord’s Revenge
When John Riley’s class is chosen to be inspected by the mysterious scholars of Kerallin, they take an amazing trip to the scholars’ hidden planet!
As if being quizzed by the scholars isn’t stressful enough, the planet is invaded by an intergalactic warlord! Expelled from Hyperspace High long ago, the warlord is out for revenge. Should the class flee while they still can, or can John and his friends save the day?
Jump on board the school that’s out of this world!
Galactic Battle
Hyperspace High is busy getting ready for the annual Space Spectacular!
John and Kaal are on the Galactic Battle team. When the show takes a turn for the worse, John’s team is no longer fighting to impress the audience – but battling to save them!
Jump on board the school that’s out of this world!
Space Plague
It’s the end of term at Hyperspace High and John Riley and his fellow students are in the grip of revision fever.
Suddenly John’s best friend, Kaal, has a fever for real – he’s caught the deadly Zhaldarian flu! Soon the whole school is under threat. The only possible cure lies in a distant nebula. John is determined to save his classmates, but will anybody be brave enough to join him?
Jump on board the school that’s out of this world!
Hyperspace High
Collect them all!
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