Time To Shine

by Susannah McFarlane

  They walked to the lift and, as the door opened, A1 put her hand out to EJ. ‘Congratulations again, EJ10. I know you will do great things with SHINE.’

  EJ blushed. ‘I hope so,’ she said, getting into the lift. ‘I’ll do my best.’

  ‘I know you will,’ said A1.

  EJ pushed the button to go up, her head still swimming with everything she had seen and heard. She walked out of the lift and back into the Light Shop. There were a few people looking at lights and the old lady was helping them. She turned as Emma came out of the lift.

  ‘Oh, don’t forget your prize, dear,’ said the lady passing Emma a pink, dome-shaped bedside light.

  ‘Oh, thank you!’ replied Emma.

  ‘Bye bye then. See you again, I hope.’

  Me too, thought Emma as she pushed open the door and walked out. Everything appeared completely normal outside, was completely normal, but it seemed weird after where she had just been. She saw her mum’s car parked a little down the street and ran over to it. She was almost bursting with excitement but then remembered what A1 had told her. She mustn’t tell anyone. She took a deep breath and tried to put on a calm face as she climbed into the car.

  ‘Hello, darling,’ said her mum cheerily. ‘How was the tour?’

  ‘It was okay,’ replied Emma as casually as she could.

  ‘Hmmm,’ said her mum. ‘Well, I can’t imagine a maths organisation having too many interesting things to see.’

  ‘Yeah, not much,’ said Emma as she did up her seatbelt. ‘But they have an after-school maths club once a month and they asked me to join, you know, as part of the prize. But you don’t do just maths, you do lots of outdoor stuff as well.’

  ‘Yes that nice lady mentioned,’ said her mum, not completely focused on the conversation, as she pulled out into the traffic. ‘That could be fun, couldn’t it?’

  Oh, Mum, thought Emma. You have no idea!

  The next day at school, Emma felt like she was going to burst with excitement and she couldn’t stop smiling.

  ‘Why the big smile, Em?’ asked Hannah at lunch. ‘You’ve been smiling all morning.’

  ‘I’m just happy today,’ said Emma. ‘You know—it’s Tuesday, the sun is shining …’

  ‘Yeah right, Em,’ replied Hannah, laughing. ‘Come on, Miss Happy, let’s go find Elle.’

  ‘Emma! Emma Jacks!’ called a voice from across the playground. ‘Emma!’

  Emma looked across to see Ms Misions, Ms Pleh’s assistant, beckoning her.

  ‘What does Ms Misions want?’ asked Hannah.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Emma, her smile fading. ‘I better go and find out. Wish me luck, Han.’

  ‘Emma,’ said Ms Misions. ‘Please report to Ms Pleh’s office.’

  That wiped the smile completely from Emma’s face. Have I done something wrong? Has something happened? Emma’s mind was racing. She came to Ms Pleh’s door and knocked.

  ‘Come in!’

  Emma tentatively opened the door and poked her head around.

  ‘Emma, do come in,’ said Ms Pleh.

  Emma entered and shut the door behind her.

  ‘Please take a seat, EJ10.’

  Emma started. What should she do now?

  ‘It’s okay, EJ,’ reassured Ms Pleh. ‘I know because I work with A1. As well as running this school I am SHINE Agent AP70.’

  ‘You are?’

  ‘I am,’ replied AP70. ‘A1 also taught here for a while. In fact, she taught your mother too.’

  ‘She did?’ Once again EJ’s head was spinning with new information. She couldn’t quite take it all in. Did that mean her mum was in SHINE?

  ‘As A1 told you,’ continued AP70, ‘SHINE contacts agents on their SHINE-issue phones when they are needed to report to HQ.’

  ‘Yes,’ said EJ, relieved that she finally knew something already. ‘I have it here,’ she said, taking it from her dress pocket.

  ‘Excellent work. Now I will take you through your first SHINE Alert.’

  AP took her phone out of a drawer in her desk and keyed a message. Seconds later, Emma’s phone vibrated and there was a sound.

  Piiingg!

  EJ looked at her phone screen. It was flashing a lovely aqua colour. ‘What does it mean?’ she asked.

  ‘It means it’s time for you to go to the toilet,’ explained AP70.

  EJ looked at her quizzically. ‘Oh, no, I’m fine, really. I went …’

  ‘No, no, EJ10,’ said AP70, smiling. ‘The girls’ toilet block is your Mission Tube access point.’

  ‘Mission Tube?’

  ‘It’s the SHINE underground transport network that allows agents everywhere to get to SHINE HQ,’ explained AP70. ‘Extra access points are created when an agent joins the agency.’

  Oh, so that explains the building work over the holidays, she thought.

  ‘It does indeed,’ continued AP70. ‘So let’s go. Phone in pocket, EJ.’

  EJ put her phone back into her dress pocket and followed AP70 out of the office. She really hoped no one saw her being taken to the toilet by the principal—that would be embarrassing. As AP70 approached the door, she stopped and turned to EJ.

  ‘Stay here a moment,’ she whispered. ‘I’ll check if the coast is clear.’

  AP70 pushed open the door and looked around. One door was closed.

  ‘Yes, the new block looks excellent,’ said Ms Pleh loudly. ‘Oh, Nema Rigl, you should be in class by now,’ said Ms Pleh holding open the door. ‘Quick as you can. Emma, you’re here too? Why don’t you girls go to the toilet at recess?’

  ‘Sorry, Ms Pleh,’ said Nema sullenly.

  ‘Sorry, Ms Pleh,’ said Emma as she smiled at Nema but the girl just glared at her. Why is she so mean to me? Emma wondered, upset by her former friend.

  When Nema had gone, EJ and AP walked in, the door shutting behind them.

  ‘We need to be quick, EJ,’ said AP70. ‘Please turn on the hand-dryers. They are excellent for masking any noise.’

  EJ pushed both dryers and the air roared out.

  ‘Now go to the last cubicle on the right and open the door.’

  EJ did what she was told. ‘It’s just an ordinary toilet,’ she said.

  ‘You’ll see,’ said AP70. ‘Lock the door, EJ, put the seat cover down and sit down. Tell me when you are in position.’

  EJ again did as she was told but she did feel a little silly. ‘In position.’

  ‘Excellent,’ said AP70. ‘Flip open the toilet roll holder on your left. What do you see?’

  ‘Toilet paper,’ said EJ as she lifted up the guard.

  ‘And underneath?’ asked AP70.

  EJ craned her neck and looked under the toilet roll holder. ‘There’s a small socket.’

  ‘Exactly,’ said AP70. ‘Take out your phone and push the top part into that socket. When you have done that tell me what you see.’

  As EJ pushed the top of her phone into the socket, her phone beeped and a message appeared on her screen.

  ‘It’s asking for a code,’ said EJ.

  ‘Very good. Now listen carefully EJ,’ said AP70. ‘After this you won’t be able to hear me anymore. Once you enter your PIN code remove your phone and the Mission Tube activation process will commence. The toilet and the wall behind it will rotate and you will be at the top of your Mission Tube access point. When prompted on your phone, answer “GO” and you will be on your way to SHINE. Any questions?’

  ‘Won’t I get into trouble for missing class?’ asked EJ, who hated getting into trouble for even the slightest thing.

  ‘That’s what I’m here for, EJ10’ said AP70, smiling. ‘Don’t you worry, you’ll be back before the final bell. Now enter your code and hold on tight. Good luck, EJ10. I think you will enjoy the ride.’

  EJ entered her PIN code. There was another beep and another message appeared on her screen.

  EJ quickly removed her phone and put it back in her pocket. She held onto the edge of the toilet seat, tightening her grip nervously
as she felt it begin to move. The wall spun around, with the toilet and EJ still attached, and EJ found herself at the top of what looked like a long, winding stainless-steel super-slide. The toilet tilted downwards and EJ slipped off the seat and onto an aqua beanbag waiting below. The wall spun back around and EJ heard the click of the toilet door unlocking as a protective shield lowered into place at the base of the beanbag. There was another beep on her phone. EJ checked the screen.

  EJ typed the word ‘GO’ into her phone.

  The beanbag and EJ were tilted up and then pushed forward. EJ was off down the Mission Tube.

  ‘Gee whizz, lemonfizz!’ she cried. ‘This is awesome!’

  EJ laughed as the beanbag sped down and around the tube. She held on tight as it swerved around corners and then sped through long sections of straight. After about ten minutes EJ came to a complete stop beside a platform. The protective shield slid back and EJ stood up. She looked around. There was a door with the sign ‘CODE ROOM’ and a keypad and screen on the wall. EJ tried the door but it was locked. She looked at the screen as it flashed and then went black. EJ wondered what was happening. A few seconds later, she jumped a little when she heard a digital voice.

  ‘Welcome to SHINE Code Room. Standby for Agent Security Check.’

  A panel she hadn’t noticed before next to the keypad slid open and a digital note pad and computer stylus slid out.

  ‘Please write the numbers 1 to 10 on the pad, using stylus provided,’ instructed the voice. ‘Replace stylus on pad when finished and return to beanbag.’

  EJ did and watched as the pad withdrew into the hole in the wall and the panel slid back into place. The keypad screen flashed again.

  ‘Number writing matches maths test sample,’ said the voice. ‘Agent identity confirmed. Please drop in, EJ10!’

  Drop in? wondered EJ just as there was a loud beep. Suddenly the floor beneath her opened and both EJ and the beanbag dropped gently down into a small room with nothing in it except a table and chair and, above the table, a clear plastic tube protruding from the ceiling. EJ10 had entered the SHINE Agency Code Room.

  EJ hadn’t been sitting on the chair long when she heard a whizzing noise from above. She watched, open-mouthed, as a small clear capsule popped out of the tube and onto the table.

  What’s this? she wondered as she opened the capsule and took out a small piece of paper and a little pencil. EJ unfolded the paper.

  EJ opened the drawer under the desk. Inside was another piece of paper.

  Again? thought EJ. As she gripped the sides of the chair, a seatbelt-like band ejected from the back of the chair and strapped her in. The large floor tile under the chair began to vibrate and then the tile, the chair and EJ were lowered to the floor below, to another Mission Tube platform.

  A different digital voice spoke. ‘Welcome to Mission Tube 3, EJ10. Please stand up from chair and press button for transport to Uniform Centre.’

  EJ stood up and moved away from the chair, which then returned up to the Code Room floor. An aqua beanbag whizzed down the tube and stopped next to EJ. She climbed on, waited for the protective shield to lower then took out her phone and pressed ‘GO’ again.

  EJ was off again but this time it was only a short trip. A few turns and a straight and the beanbag slowed at another platform where an elderly lady with grey hair and thick black glasses stood holding some clothes.

  ‘Right on time, EJ10,’ said SO60. ‘Excellent! Now, here’s your uniform.’

  SO60 passed EJ a pair of grey tracksuit pants, a white t-shirt with the SHINE logo and the words ‘Agent-in-Training’ underneath, a grey hoodie, also with the agency logo, and a pair of white trainers.

  ‘Pop these on, leave your school uniform on the chair in the cubicle and, when you are ready, just go through the door at the back of the cubicle to the Operations Room.’

  EJ did as she was told and, when she opened the door, found herself in the same room where she had been when she first came to SHINE, the SHINE Operations Room.

  ‘You look good, EJ10,’ said a familiar voice.

  EJ turned around and saw A1. ‘Thank you,’ she replied, blushing slightly.

  ‘And you’re ready for basic training,’ said A1.

  EJ gulped, her tummy tightening. She hoped she was.

  ‘The basic training program is made up of a number of stages, EJ10,’ explained A1. ‘You will complete one stage every month or so then, when all the levels are complete and you have turned ten, you will be able to join the under-twelve division and be mission-ready. The sessions are normally after school but are sometimes during the day, which is why we have introduced you to the Mission Tube. You will use this when you receive a mission alert. But let’s not race ahead of ourselves. Today you will begin at the first training level: fitness.’

  Emma smiled. That should be fun because she loved sport. But then her smile faded a little as EJ had a worrying thought: what if she wasn’t fit enough?

  ‘It is a fitness test,’ continued A1.

  Emma stopped smiling completely and the worrying thought became a really worrying thought, with the butterflies swooping in and soaring all around her tummy. Arrrrgghhh! she thought. Another test!

  ‘There’s a SHINE motto,’ said A1. ‘“Tests Are Our Times to Shine”, to show what we can do.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose so,’ agreed Emma but inside she wasn’t so sure. What if she couldn’t do anything?

  ‘Let’s get going. Follow me please, EJ.’

  The doors to the Operations Room opened and they walked out to the lift. The lift doors opened and EJ and A1 stepped in. A1 pressed a button marked with a T. The lift jolted and began to move up quickly. There was a beep as the lift doors opened again and A1 and EJ stepped out beside a large indoor sports oval. There were girls in SHINE training outfits running laps, another group tackling an obstacle course and another zipping along a flying fox. There were gumtrees around the oval, some of which were being climbed by agents.

  EJ’s eyes were wide with astonishment. ‘You have trees inside the building …’

  ‘We like our training to be realistic,’ said A1. ‘We converted three floors into our basic training area. We have a larger training camp out in the bush but this one works well for daily use. As you can see, our Animal Training Division also uses it.’

  EJ looked to where A1 was pointing to see another group of agents walking with cats on leads, while another was taking some Labradors through large pipes. There were even birds flying from agents’ hands to trees and back again. It was hard to believe that all this was going on underneath an ordinary shop in an ordinary street.

  ‘We also have a sky-diving room,’ said A1. ‘Using the latest green-screen technology, agents can practise their parachuting skills. There is Agent JM12, off to her jump practice now next to another code-cracker agent, IE12.’

  EJ looked across to see an agent with brown hair and wearing glasses, looking so confident as she strode across the oval. EJ wondered if she would ever look that way. Her thoughts were interrupted by A1.

  ‘Do you see Agent CP14 over there?’

  EJ looked, she squinted in the direction A1 was pointing but she couldn’t see anyone. ‘Um, no, I can’t,’ she replied.

  ‘Excellent, she is doing well then,’ said A1. ‘Do you see that tree?’

  ‘Yes,’ said EJ.

  ‘Well, keep watching,’ said A1, picking up a megaphone that was on the bench next to them. ‘Agent CP14,’ called A1. ‘Please wave.’

  As EJ watched, the tree seemed to wave one of its branches.

  ‘But, what?’ she spluttered.

  ‘CP14 is one of our leading camouflage experts,’ explained A1. ‘Look, there she is.’

  EJ saw a tall blonde girl step out from the tree. She also saw a small, red-haired girl perched on CP14’s shoulders. They both waved at A1 and then stepped back ‘into’ the tree.

  ‘And now it’s time to begin your training, EJ,’ said A1. ‘As you can see, there are three activity
stations placed around the oval. There is an obstacle course, a rope course and, at the end, a flying fox. In order to attain your basic fitness badge you need to complete all three courses and run back around the oval to the starting point in fewer than fifteen minutes. You will have to work out what you need to do to complete the course; “Train the body, train the brain”, as we say. Right, are you ready, EJ10?’

  No, thought EJ, clenching her fists. ‘Yes,’ she said out aloud.

  ‘Okay, then, take your place at this white line here,’ said A1, pushing a button on her watch. ‘Timer ready. Agent ready. Go!’

  EJ took off down the first straight of the oval towards the obstacle course. What if I can’t even get through this first stage, EJ thought as she approached the start of the course. She slowed as she approached a series of steps. When she reached the top she saw a long narrow plank, and was a little relieved.

  This is like the beam in gymnastics, she thought. I think I can do this bit.

  She walked, slowly but surely, to the end of the plank and jumped off, running towards a row of large pipes. She got down and crawled through the first pipe and then a second pipe. EJ’s confidence was building now and, scrambling out the other end, she stepped up to a long monkey bar and swung her way across before jumping back to the ground. She ran a few steps before having to jump up to another, this time thinner, longer plank. Again she walked steadily across to the other side. She smiled to herself. Maybe she could do this?

  Next the ropes, she thought as she looked ahead to a rope bridge suspended between two tall gumtrees. EJ paused and swallowed hard as she looked up: the bridge was up high. She took a deep breath and slowly climbed the wooden ladder up the tree, holding each step tightly. She knew she was being slow but she was more worried about falling. Heights always scared her. Finally she reached the top and tentatively tested the rope bridge with her foot. It seems strong, she thought. And I can hold onto the rope sides, but it’s so high up. EJ took a deep breath and grabbed hold of the rope handles and began pulling herself across the bridge. ‘Don’t look down,’ she said aloud. ‘That will make it seem worse.’ The bridge felt strange, unbalancing, as it swung from side to side. I wouldn’t want the bridge to be any higher off the ground, she thought. I couldn’t do that!