On The Ball

by Susannah McFarlane

  EJ stood still and waited. And waited. Nothing happened. She moved a bit closer to the doors. Perhaps I’m not in the right position, she thought.

  ‘Please don’t move,’ a digital voice instructed. ‘Head recognition test about to commence.’

  There was a whirring noise coming from above and as EJ looked up, she saw the light in the ceiling slide to one side and what looked like a baseball cap descending towards her. As it came closer she could see that it was a baseball cap, black with the SHINE logo on the front. EJ stood still while the cap lowered onto her head. She felt it tighten as it seemed to grip on to the sides of her head. There was a buzzing noise for three seconds before EJ felt the cap loosen and then lift and go back up and into the ceiling.

  ‘Head scan complete. Agent identity confirmed,’ said the digital voice. ‘Access to headquarters granted, EJ12. Enter briefing room.’

  EJ smiled. Head scan for headquarters access. Good one.

  The silver doors slid open, revealing the SHINE operations room. There were workstations and computer screens everywhere and a back wall filled with monitors flashing images from all over the world. In the middle of it all, as always, stood A1, the head of SHINE.

  ‘Welcome back, EJ12,’ said A1 smiling broadly. ‘It is good to see you again.’

  Normally A1 wore a black suit and crisp white shirt but this afternoon she was in distinctly more casual clothes—sports shoes, grey tracksuit pants, white T-shirt and, over the top, a grey hoodie with the SHINE logo across the front. It looked a warm, comfy hoodie and EJ wondered whether she would get a SHINE hoodie as well. She hoped so.

  ‘Your SHINE hoodie and the rest of your training gear is waiting for you in change cubicle 1, EJ,’ said A1 who had a disconcerting ability to know what you were thinking. ‘Leave your school clothes there and we will send them home to your mother, washed and ready for school next week.’

  Mum will love SHINE for that, thought EJ. Her mum didn’t like washing. Actually EJ didn’t know anyone who did.

  ‘Now be as quick as you can please, EJ12, we need to leave soon.’

  EJ went into the first of three changing cubicles at the other end of the room. On the chair inside were some tracksuit pants, a white T-shirt, runners and socks, yellow shorts with an aqua trim and a SHINE hoodie. There was also a SHINE identity card on a cord for EJ to put around her neck and a backpack with a special-issue SHINE water bottle. In next to no time, EJ was out of her school clothes and in her training gear. She came out of the changing rooms and went back to where A1 was waiting for her.

  ‘That was nice and quick, EJ. I think we are ready to go. We will have a full briefing at the camp and our train is ready to leave. We were just waiting on you and one other agent. She is just getting changed as well.’

  EJ looked around and noticed that one of the change cubicle doors was shut.

  ‘Ah yes, here she is,’ continued A1. ‘And I think you two know each other.’

  EJ turned around as a small, reddish-blonde haired girl came out of the middle dressing room. A smile burst onto EJ’s face, and the girl grinned back.

  ‘CC12!’ cried EJ.

  ‘EJ12,’ cried the girl.

  ‘CC, are you going to the training camp too? That’s so cool!’ cried EJ, who had met Agent CC12 when they were both on a mission inside a chocolate cake factory. Any butterflies EJ had had about going to the camp flew away when she saw CC.

  CC gave EJ a big hug.

  ‘Okay girls, I am pleased you are so happy to see each other but we need to keep moving,’ said A1 smiling. ‘There will be plenty of time to talk on the train. Agents EJ12 and CC12, our train is ready.’

  And with that A1 pushed a button under the bench behind her. The wall at the end of the operations room slid back to reveal another Mission Tube and a silver bullet train.

  ‘All aboard the SHINE camp express!’ said A1.

  EJ12 remembered the SHINE bullet train, indeed, she had driven it once on a mission. Today she was a passenger with about twenty other agents of different ages. They were all dressed in the SHINE issue grey track pants and hoodies. Everyone seemed to be talking excitedly at once: it was just like the bus on school camp.

  A1 went up to the front and gave the driver the all clear to depart. As EJ and CC walked towards the back of the train, they saw another girl that looked about their age, sitting alone.

  ‘Can we sit with you?’ EJ asked.

  ‘Sure,’ replied the girl smiling. ‘I’m Agent KM12, under-twelve fast-transport division and general missions.’

  EJ sat next to her. ‘I’m EJ12, under-twelve code-cracking division and general missions.’

  ‘And I’m CC12,’ said CC. ‘Under-twelve surveillance division and general missions.’

  ‘We’ve got most areas covered,’ laughed KM. ‘Between us we should be able to take on anything.’

  The girls giggled and began to talk. As they all had the same security clearance, they could talk about their missions. Sometimes the hardest thing about being a secret agent was having to keep it a secret.

  ‘What’s been your favourite mission so far, EJ?’ asked KM.

  ‘It would have to be the chocolate cake factory one,’ said EJ, smiling at CC. ‘Not only did I finally work out how to bake a cupcake but I met CC. It was fun doing part of a mission with someone else. Although, actually, the Antarctica one was pretty amazing. I saw thousands of baby penguins and rode the SHINE mobile.’

  ‘I love SHINE mobiles,’ cried KM. ‘Have you used them on open seas yet? You can go over 100 kilometres an hour. It is awesome!’

  ‘That sounds pretty fast,’ said CC. ‘I normally have to stay really still and watch things. I wonder what would happen if we switched missions once?’

  ‘I’m not sure that would be a good idea,’ said EJ. ‘I get the feeling KM is not so good at standing still.’

  The girls laughed again.

  ‘What’s your best spy charm?’ asked CC, twisting her charm bracelet.

  Every SHINE agent had a special-issue bracelet of silver charms that were in fact CHARMs, Clever Hidden Accessories with Release Mechanism. SHINE agents often needed special tools and gadgets to help them on their missions but they couldn’t carry a whole lot of equipment around with them all the time. Not only would it be too heavy, but also it would attract attention. The clever team of inventors at the SHINE laboratory had invented a way to shrink gadgets so that they could be worn as charms on a bracelet. Who would ever suspect that on an agents’ wrist was an ice pick, baby penguin food, a camera hidden in a plastic cupcake, a skeleton key and even spider repellent? A simple twist of the charm released the gadget to its proper size. Another twist would re-shrink it back to a charm or, if necessary, there was a small button that could be pushed to make the item decompose to nothing.

  ‘Do you have this one?’ asked CC holding a little torch charm. ‘It looks small but is a really powerful torch.’

  EJ, who wasn’t that keen on night missions, would have loved that charm. ‘I haven’t got that one but I have got glow rope—it is really long and glows in the dark. You can use it to leave a trail at night.’

  ‘I have a rope charm,’ said KM, ‘but it doesn’t glow.’

  ‘My rope charm doesn’t glow either,’ said CC, ‘I wonder if we can upgrade?’

  The girls compared spy charms, then apps on their phones and then swapped music from their spy-pods. It was fun. KM12 reminded EJ a lot of Isi. KM was also enthusiastic about everything and talked excitedly at a hundred miles an hour—no wonder she was in the fast-transport division.

  The girls were talking so much that they didn’t notice that the SHINE bullet train had left the Mission Tube tunnel and was now speeding through bushland and up into the mountains.

  The girls only stopped talking when the train pulled in at a small railway siding. They had arrived. But where were they? There was no railway station and no sign, just a narrow timber platform by the tracks in the middle of the bush.

 
The doors of the train opened and the agents stepped out. The air was fresh and EJ breathed in the sweet smell of the eucalyptus trees as she listened to the chatter of birds and rustle of leaves in the light wind.

  ‘Alright SHINE agents, everyone follow me,’ cried A1. ‘Single file, please and as quick as you can.’

  ‘Where do you think we are EJ?’ asked KM.

  ‘I don’t know,’ replied EJ, ‘but we were in the train for a long time and look across there, there is nothing but trees and hills.’

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ said CC. ‘Don’t you feel like we are the only people for miles?’

  ‘I guess that’s the point,’ said EJ. ‘We can train with noone knowing we are here.’

  EJ, KM and CC followed the other agents and pushed through the bushes and stepped on to a dirt walking track that sloped down the mountain. The agents walked along, with tall straight trees towering over them on either side. After a while, there were fewer trees and the track levelled out as they came to a large natural clearing. In the middle of the clearing, the grass had been cut so it was like a sports field. At the edge of the field was a long wooden cabin with wooden benches and tables outside. Six smaller cabins were next to the long cabin and on the other side of the field, close to all the trees, there was a run of enclosures. EJ wondered what was kept in there.

  A high wire fence surrounded the whole area and there was a double-gate that opened automatically as the group walked towards it. As the agents walked in, some older agents came out of the large cabin. EJ smiled as she recognised C2C, the sea captain, REV1, the SHINE driving ace, CO45, the code scientist and IQ400, SHINE’s chief inventor. There was also a woman coming from the enclosures at the far end. EJ didn’t recognise her but she knew the beautiful husky dog she had on a lead—it was one of the huskies that EJ had rescued on her Antarctica mission. A1 had said that they would be re-trained at a SHINE camp.

  All the senior agents joined A1 as she stood at the front of the group. EJ hoped that she would be able to spend some time with them.

  ‘Welcome everyone,’ cried A1.

  There were some barks and yelps coming from the pens.

  ‘Welcome to both dog and human agents,’ laughed A1. ‘And, of course, we must not forget our puppies.’

  EJ, KM and CC all looked at each other and then squealed in a very non-secret agent way.

  Puppies!

  ‘Welcome to the Mount Globe SHINE training camp,’ repeated A1, ‘SHINE’s top-secret training facility. No one knows we are here.’

  And then, EJ noticed, A1 looked across to IQ400. Was that a worried look on A1’s face or was EJ imagining it?

  ‘Over the next two days,’ continued A1, ‘you will work on some of your special agent skills. The older agents will spend the time hiking and camping on the far side of Mount Globe with Agents CO45, REV1 and C2C. They will leave at nightfall. The under-twelve division will remain here with me, Agents 1Q400 and BRK9, head of our dog division.’

  ‘Oh, that’s disappointing. I was hoping we would be going camping,’ whispered CC.

  ‘The under-twelves should not feel disappointed,’ continued A1.

  ‘How does she do that?’ whispered CC again.

  ‘The under-twelves,’ continued A1, ‘will practise for their dirt bike riding licence and they will also work with BRK9 to assist in puppy training. Some puppies were found abandoned near the camp and we have adopted them. They are training extremely well. And, on the last evening we will have a nighttime drill with our spy-talkers.’

  ‘I totally take that back about being disappointed,’ said CC, smiling broadly. EJ and KM smiled back.

  ‘Finally, you will all have a session with our chief inventor, Agent IQ400 who will show you some new charms we have in development. I need not remind you all how top-secret this work is: SHADOW would do anything to get their hands on these new inventions. They would also like these training charms. Agent IQ400, will you please demonstrate the charms to our agents?’

  ‘Certainly, A1.’

  A tall woman about the same age as EJ’s mum stepped forward. It was Agent IQ400. Tall and dressed in SHINE training gear, Agent IQ400 had brown hair tied back in a sensible ponytail but she also wore some very un-sensible and fun yellow-rimmed glasses. She held a large black briefcase out in front of her. Agent IQ400 pushed a button on its handle and four legs shot out of the case to make, as IQ400 turned it over, a table, a briefcase table.

  ‘That’s cool,’ KM whispered to EJ.

  EJ nodded and wondered if you could get school bags like that. It could be good for homework.

  IQ cleared her throat and began to speak. ‘Thank you A1, and hello, fellow agents. I have here two training charms but in order to demonstrate them, I need a volunteer.’

  Along with every other agent, EJ, KM and CC’s hands shot up. EJ couldn’t hide her smile as IQ picked her.

  ‘Now,’ said IQ, holding up a silver charm in the shape of a sports shoe, ‘with this charm, there is an extra twist. Literally. You twist once to the left and once to the right and wait a few seconds and yes, here they are, one shoe for the left and one shoe for the right.’ IQ was holding a pair of sport shoes. ‘These shoes mould perfectly to fit each agent’s feet,’ she said passing the shoes to EJ, who put them on. As she pulled on the laces, EJ felt the shoes vibrate and push in and around her foot until they fitted snugly.

  ‘Now,’ said IQ, ‘these are, of course, no ordinary training shoes. How high can you jump in the air, Agent EJ12?’ she asked.

  ‘Maybe half a metre,’ replied EJ.

  ‘Let’s see if we can improve on that,’ said IQ. ‘You will see there are three buttons on the side of the left shoe. EJ12, please press the green button with the upward arrow and then jump.’

  EJ pressed the button and jumped.

  BOING!

  EJ shot nearly three metres into the air. It was as if she was wearing springs. The bounce so caught EJ off guard that she nearly fell over when she landed. Everyone gasped. EJ steadied herself then jumped again, this time bouncing even higher and with greater control. For a moment, she could see over the roofs of the camp huts.

  ‘These are awesome!’ cried EJ as she made a perfect landing. Her gymnastics coach would have been happy.

  ‘They are rather, aren’t they?’ said IQ. ‘Thank you, EJ12, you may return to the group. There is also a button for running on water but I really think we should be in our swimming gear to try that one. And, finally, there is a button for increased running speed. Who would like to demonstrate that one?’

  KM’s hand shot up. She looked liked she was going to burst if IQ didn’t pick her.

  A1 noticed the colour KM’s face was turning and smiled as she spoke to IQ. ‘I think you better pick Agent KM12 from our fast-transport division.’

  IQ smiled. ‘KM12?’

  KM bounded forward and took the charm from IQ. She twisted it left and right and then put on her shoes. Once they had adjusted to her feet, she looked up at IQ, waiting.

  ‘Okay,’ said IQ. ‘Now press the pink button with the lightning bolt on it and run to the front gate of the camp please, KM12.’

  KM pressed the button. There was a whirring noise from the shoes, like a small motor. As KM began to run, the shoes seem to propel her forward, faster, much faster. She looked a bit wobbly on the shoes for the first couple of steps but soon found her balance. In what seemed like no time at all, KM had run to the gate and was back standing next to IQ, hardly out of breath at all.

  ‘The SHINE athletic record for that distance is 30 seconds with normal trainers. With these new turbo trainers, Agent KM12 did it in just 7.5 seconds. The shoes give a 30-second burst of motorised speed. After the 30 seconds you have to wait another ten seconds before you can speed again. Thank you KM, you may keep those shoes on.’

  KM beamed. EJ wondered if KM would ever take the shoes off again.

  ‘Now, our final charm is a training whistle.’ IQ took out a charm in the shape of a sports whistle. She twi
sted it and then took something from the side of the whistle and put it in one ear. IQ then held the whistle up to her lips and blew. Nothing happened. There was no sound but EJ did notice that the husky standing with Agent BRK9 suddenly looked up and tilted its head towards IQ400.

  ‘Can anyone hear that?’ she asked.

  Everyone looked blankly at IQ and shook their heads.

  Hear what? wondered EJ.

  ‘Okay, try this. Agent CC, come up here please and activate this whistle charm.’

  CC went up and took the whistle charm from IQ and twisted.

  ‘Now take the small plug from the side and place it in one of your ears. Then tell me what you hear.’

  IQ blew on her whistle again. This time the husky stood up and began barking.

  ‘Wow,’ said CC shaking her head, ‘that’s really high-pitched.’

  ‘It certainly is,’ said IQ, ‘because this is a high-frequency whistle. We know that dogs have much better hearing than humans and can hear more sounds, more frequencies than we can. This whistle makes a higher frequency sound that dogs can hear and, if we use the plug in the whistle, we can hear the noise as well. This charm is very useful when working with our dog agents: different types and numbers of whistles can mean different commands. You might also use it to communicate with another agent—as long as they are wearing the plug, of course. Now, everyone, please come up and collect your charms.’

  The agents filed up and took one of each of the charms from the briefcase. As they were attaching them to their bracelets, A1 started talking.

  ‘Please activate your trainers immediately. You will need them for our first exercise, a cross-country run. “A fit agent is a fine agent” as one of our mottoes says, and the course will make you all familiar with the countryside around the camp. You will run up Mount Globe, around and back again. The track is clearly marked with yellow flags. You will represent your age divisions, and the first team with all members back will be awarded points for the Shining Stars competition.’