THIRTEEN
Simon wasted no time in heading back out the theatre and to a flight of stairs that led up to where they could see neon lights. They could hear faint street noises and they crowded behind Simon but he stopped them and went up the last few steps alone, peering over the top of the wall cautiously. After a moment he waved them up and they hurried up the last few steps on to a deserted side street.
They paused for a moment, searching the area around them for anyone that might stop them. Both ends of this little side street opened up onto another street that had only a few pedestrians on each.
“Can you remember where you came up on the lift?” Simon asked them.
Troy turned to Ziggy with a slight frown as he tried to remember the name of the street. A sigh behind them had them turning to look at Lena. “Osaka Street,” she told them in exasperation, “honestly, you never remember anything.”
“Osaka Street?” Simon repeated then stood thinking for a moment. “This way would be better I think!”
He took off at a trot, holding his sister’s hand, while the others ran along behind them. They paused at the corner to the next street and did a furtive sweep with their eyes to make sure the coast was clear before heading along at a slightly slower pace.
“Osaka Street is on the other side of the Station,” Simon informed them, “But it shouldn’t take long to get there!”
The little group moved quickly through the streets, not too fast that they would draw attention.
They hadn’t gone far when Troy suddenly stopped, grabbing Simon and Grace by the shoulders to halt them. He quickly shoved them into a narrow alley, making sure the others followed him.
“What is it?” Ziggy asked, looking at him worriedly.
They huddled against the wall of the alley, all looking at Troy expectantly.
“It’s Calhoun,” Troy told them, hardly believing it themselves.
“What!” Lena exclaimed then sighed in annoyance. “I suppose if bill and Bob are here it only makes sense that Calhoun would be too.”
Troy cautiously peered around the corner of the building to see where their pursuers were doing. He had only managed to spot them before because Calhoun had been standing on something to raise him above the crowd. When Troy had seen him he had been looking the other way but he couldn’t be sure about Bill and Bob whose pale heads he’d only managed to get a glimpse of.
As he searched the street he could see that Bob was heading their way, scanning the crowds with his dark, shark eyes.
“One of them’s coming this way,” Troy explained looking desperately behind his friends but couldn’t see any other way out of the little alley they were in.
“What will we do?” Ziggy asked, slightly worried.
Troy thought furiously for a moment, peering around the corner again to see where the older boy was. Ducking back in again he turned to his friends and said, “I think we’re going to have to ambush him and drag him down the back here to hide him. Anybody got anything we could tie him up with?”
The other children shook their heads but Ziggy had his hand in his pocket and was feeling around inside it. With a triumphant smile he pulled out a small ball of rolled up string.
“Umm,” Troy began, “I don’t think that is going to be enough.”
Ziggy gave him an amused look and unrolled some of the string. Troy looked closer at it and noticed the slight metallic shimmer it had and reached out a hand to touch it.
“Is that Venus String?” Lena asked as she too reached out to touch it.
“Yep,” Ziggy said with a little pride in his voice, “I traded for it back at the home.”
Troy grinned at his friend then peered out again. He flattened himself back against the wall and waved the others back too, mouthing the words ‘he’s coming’ as he did so.
It was only a moment more when Bob appeared and Troy grabbed his arm and hauled him into the small alley. Bob was so startled to be yanked sideways that he lost his footing and fell heavily to the ground where the rest of them piled on top of him to hold him down.
Before their victim could cry out Lena had stuffed an old cloth into his mouth and only muffled words could be heard. It took Troy a little longer to get a hold of the boy’s arms from amongst the tangle of limbs from his friends but eventually he managed to get Ziggy’s string tied around both wrists.
They all stood back to observe their handiwork with triumphant smiles on their faces, which slowly faded as Bob struggled to get to his feet with an very angry look on his face. Before Troy could do anything Lena had stepped forward and punched him on the jaw.
They didn’t catch him as he fell but stood motionless as he slumped to the ground unconscious then looked at Lena.
“What?” she asked them, shaking her hand.
Troy told them to grab the unconscious boy and they carried him down to the back of the alley and tucked him into the corner so it would look like he was just sleeping in the hope no one would notice him for a while or at least until he woke up.
“Come on!” Troy said, “We’ve got to get to the ship! If they already looking for us I don’t see the point of hiding, we need to get there as quickly as possible!”
The others nodded and followed him out of the alley and back into the street that was thankfully quiet as no one had seen their little ambush and assault incident. Troy hurried along the street and the others jogged to keep up.
“What about Calhoun?” Lena asked behind him.
Troy hesitated for a moment then stopped to turn to face the others. “We’re going to have to run.” he turned to Simon when she nodded, “How about Grace? Will she manage?” Simon hesitated as he looked at his young sister so Troy added. “Tell you what, how about I carry her and you lead?”
Simon grinned and turned to his sister, persuading her to climb on to Troy’s back and to hold on tightly. Looking back he noted that Lena and Ziggy were on either side of Orla just to make sure the younger girl kept up.
“Let’s go!” he cried and took off after Simon as the smaller boy began to run.
The pace was hard but they managed to settle into a comfortable rhythm after a few steps. They carried along the street, ducking around the few other pedestrians they came across until they could see Bill up ahead, obviously looking for his brother but there was no sign of Calhoun..
So far, he hadn’t heard them and Troy hoped they might be able to get past him without that happening but the sound of running feet had caused the boy to turn around curiously. Troy swore under his breath and told Grace to hold on tightly as Bill grinned when he saw them and stopped in the middle of the street.
Before Troy could think of anything Ziggy went hurtling past him, straight at the older boy who stood in their path. Bill smirked as Ziggy ran at him but that quickly changed when Ziggy lowered his head and with a sudden burst of speed rammed him in the stomach. He fell heavily with Ziggy on top of him and lay on the street clutching his stomach and groaning.
Ziggy jumped up with a grin and started running again as the others ran past. They continued along this same street for a bit longer and then Simon took them along a series of small alleyways and side streets until they came out at a much larger street.
“This is Cherry Blossom Boulevard, “ Simon told them as they paused for a moment, “This should lead you to Tokyo Square.”
Troy looked in the direction Simon was pointing and nodded. He turned back to the small boy and said, “Why don’t you come with us?”
Simon shook his head and helped his sister down off Troy’s back. “Our parents will be back for us and we need to be here when they do.”
Troy was about to argue further but could tell it wouldn’t be any use, so instead he said, “Well, thanks for getting us here. Good luck, I hope you get home soon!”
Simon and Grace smiled in thanks and Troy reluctantly said goodbye to them, as did the others but Orla spoke to them again in that strange language that had both Shee’an children nodding happily.
/> When the two Shee’an children ran off and disappeared into the crowd Troy looked at Orla and asked, “What were you saying to them?”
Orla smiled but didn’t say anything so with an annoyed sigh Troy led them off down the street before Calhoun could find them.
They hurried along the street trying not to draw too much attention to themselves on this busier street. Dodging around the other pedestrians they tried to keep an eye out for Calhoun but so far they hadn’t seen him, which Troy found a little worrying.
“Do you think Tristan has been looking for us?” Ziggy asked, panting slightly.
“Probably,” Troy replied without turning around, “we were supposed to be back three hours ago! It’s not like he can go to the authorities!”
Ziggy and Lena cast anxious looks at his back and to each other but stayed silent, concentrating on getting to the ship safely.
They had to slow down when they once again encountered the malfunctioning robot from the pet shop that they had seen before. This time a crowd of people had gathered around it as it gyrated and beeped wildly while loudly declaring a one hundred percent sale of everything. Troy and his friends slowly made their way through the crowd that was spread across the whole street. Suddenly Troy stopped as he saw Calhoun on the other side of the crowd watching them with angry eyes.
The press of the crowd meant they couldn’t move quickly and Calhoun was between them and their way back to the ship. However, between Calhoun and them was a malfunctioning robot.
Troy turned to the others and said quietly, “Get ready to run!”
He turned to face Calhoun who he realised was restricted by the crowd just like they were. Stepping forward he kept his eyes on Calhoun, something that was hard to do with the robot flailing its arms in erratic circles. Just as he’d hoped though, Calhoun also stepped forward and before he could think about it Troy rushed forward, shoving the robot.
Calhoun went down in a tangle of metal and limbs as Troy staggered backwards. He waved to his friends to start running and they took off through the crowd.
The people that had been watching the robot were now laughing even harder at the infuriated man that had become entangled with it. Troy grinned at the spectacle before darting off after his friends, Calhoun’s enraged shouts sounding behind him.
It didn’t take him long to reach Tokyo Square and he frantically searched as he ran across it, trying to see anything familiar. He caught a flash of pale hair amongst the crowd and ran for it, hoping it was his friends.
Just as he thought he had lost them again Ziggy appeared, waving him on frantically. He sprinted toward his friend, ignoring the angry cries of those he jostled on the way past and only slowed down when he rejoined Ziggy and the girls.
“It’s here!” Lena cried, pointing to the opening of Osaka Street.
They barely slowed down as they darted into this smaller street. Troy led the way frantically looking for the Ramen Noodles sign while Lena and Ziggy came behind with Orla.
“There!” Troy cried as he saw the familiar sign and the doors across from it.
They slowed down as the crowds got denser here and went through the doors to the corridor beyond that took them to the lifts. The lift doors were just opening on one and the occupants spilled out while the children waited anxiously. Troy watched the end of the corridor as the lift emptied catching sight of Calhoun as he stepped through the doors but luckily the crowd of people hid them and as soon as they had room they slipped around them and into the lift.
There was an agonising wait as others entered the lift also, seeming to take forever to walk the few paces it took to get through the door. Troy could feel a knot in his stomach as he watched the corridor beyond and could see Calhoun getting closer and closer. The man hadn’t yet seen them but it was only a matter of time as there was only one way in and out of this corridor.
Suddenly there was a shout from Calhoun as he saw them in the lift and he began to run. But he was too late. Troy and the others heard a bang on the other side of the doors just as they closed in time.
Troy sagged back against the wall, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. A nudge in his ribs had him standing up properly and looking curiously at Ziggy who was staring in alarm at someone in the lift. Curious, Troy looked to where Ziggy was staring and almost cried out in shock. On the other side of the lift was a man in an official looking uniform with an embroidered patch on the shoulder of his sleeve that said ISF.
“Stop staring!” Troy hissed at Ziggy.
“Is he police?” Ziggy asked him in a choked voice.
“No,” Troy replied, “he’s Interstellar Security Force. It’s a bit like the army but for space stations and the like.”
Troy could tell that this did not comfort Ziggy at all and he just hoped they could get back to the ship without drawing any more attention to themselves. Just as he was thinking this the man in the uniform turned his head slightly and looked directly at them. Ducking back slightly he managed to get out of his line of sight.
It seemed to take the lift forever to get to their floor as it had to stop to let other passengers off on their floors. The ISF officer was still there and when they eventually got to their floor he also stepped out behind them.
Trying not to hurry they made their way along the corridor to where their ship was docked but before they could step through the door a voice behind them stopped them.
Troy’s heart sank as he turned to face the ISF officer. The man was smiling pleasantly at them but Troy could tell his eyes were taking in every detail he could see about them.
“Excuse me children,” the man repeated, “Forgive my intrusion but I was led to believe there was a Class 3 Blue Dragon docked here.”
Troy licked his lips nervously before he answered, “That’s right, she’s called Star Chaser.”
The man nodded in encouragement when Troy said no more then he asked, “I would very much like to see it, if I may?”
Troy looked at his friends in desperation but they only looked at him mutely so he nodded slightly and led the way through the door to where Star Chaser was. The ISF officer followed closely behind and then past them so he could walk along the side while studying the ship with a small smile on his face.
“She’s in good shape for her age,” he remarked, not taking his eyes off the ship.
“She’s just had some work done to her recently,” Troy explained hoping it would be enough information.
“Where?” the ISF officer asked.
Troy pointed out several places on the ship that had been replaced or repaired and the ISF man laughed in genuine amusement before saying, “I meant on what planet or station was the work done?”
“Oh,” Troy stammered a little, flushing at his mistake.
Before Troy could think of an answer the cargo bay door began to open and Krista stood just inside. “Come on you lot,” she said, waving them on the ship, “We have to get going!”
With smiles of relief they began to make their way up the ramp and into the ship when the ISF officer stopped them. “Are you children alone on this ship?” he asked them, his voice calm and official sounding.
“Of course not!” Krista exclaimed with a slight laugh, “Troy’s father is the captain! We all have our parents’ permission to be here! It’s all in the ship’s records.”
The officer nodded thoughtfully for a moment then stepped forward on to the ramp and asked, “I’d like to speak to your captain if I may?”
Troy looked in panic towards Krista but she merely stood shaking her head, “I’m sorry, we’re in the middle of preparing to leave – our time is up. But you could speak to him through our intercom?”
The officer nodded and stepped into the cargo bay where Krista was pressing buttons on the computer monitor to contact the bridge. Peering through the gap between the two Troy could see the brown-haired, brown-eyed image of the Holo Hoop looking out of the screen and almost laughed aloud.
“Captain Atlas here, officer,” Trist
an spoke in his normal voice which was deeper than Troy’s so sounded more natural for an adult.
“Captain Atlas,” the officer said, “Sorry to bother you when you are in the process of getting ready to leave. I just needed to verify that the children were under supervision!”
“Of course,” Tristan replied, smiling in understanding, “You’re just doing your job. Well, if that’s all?”
“It is, thank you Captain,” the officer said and then turned to the children behind him. “Thank you for letting me look at your ship,” he said with a smile, “she really is beautiful. I wish you a safe journey wherever you’re going.” He paused a moment to reach into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small disc, handing it to Troy. “Take this. If you ever come back here maybe you could contact me and give me a tour of the inside? I actually grew up on a ship just like her and I’m curious to see if the inside is the same.”
Troy smiled and took the disc, thanking the officer and watching with relief as he went back down the ramp and Krista closed the door. There were groans of relief all round when they finally felt safe.
“Where have you been?” Krista demanded angrily, “We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
Troy was so relieved to be back on the ship he wasn’t the slightest bit bothered about Krista shouting at them. “We’ll tell you later!” he told her while heading for the bridge, “let’s just get out of here!”
His brother was not so easily put off, however, and when they reached the bridge he was already shouting and demanding to know where they had been.
“It wasn’t our fault!” Troy protested.
“Oh really,” Tristan scoffed, “who’s fault was it?”
Troy took a deep breath and told his brother about Calhoun being on the station. Being found by Bill and Bob and the children who helped them.
Although Tristan was surprised at his news Troy got the feeling there was something bothering his brother and then a thought struck him.
Wait,” he looked around in confusion, “Why are we leaving so soon? W e have another day.”
Tristan eyed the others who were talking to Krista and not paying much attention to them before steering him out into the corridor.
“Remember the weird guy with the tattoo on his neck? Well, he was here. He approached me and Krista when we were checking the damage to the ship.”
“What did he want?” Troy whispered.
Tristan shook his head, “I don’t know. He was asking what cargo we took; what planets we had been to and then he was asking if we had picked up any unusual rocks.”
“Rocks?” Troy repeated, baffled.
“I don’t know what he was going on about but one thing I know for sure – he works for Red Raven!”
Troy sighed, not at all surprised. “I just don’t understand, Tristan! First he kills our parents and then he saves us from Calhoun! What does he want with us?”
Tristan hugged his brother, unable to answer as he didn’t know either. He pushed Troy away but left his hands on his shoulders saying, “We have to leave now and try to get as far away as possible. We can talk about this later.”
Troy nodded and turned back into the bridge while his brother went to the engine room.
“Everybody get in their seats!” he told the others as he sat down.
“Wait,” Ziggy said with a frown, “Are the repairs done already?”
Krista turned from her computer and said, “Tristan said there wasn’t much damage after all. He replaced a panel and it was done!”
They all quickly seated themselves and Troy started the exit procedure with the little robot guide back to help them navigate the way out.
Getting off the Station was almost as complicated as being allowed to get on in the first place. They had to answer questions while checks on their ship records were made again then finally they were allowed to leave with a ‘Thank you for your visit and come back soon’.
When they were far enough away that they could relax Troy took the disc the ISF officer had given him and studied it. The disc was the same dark blue as the officer’s uniform and in gold lettering it said ‘Captain David Lin’ and had a contact number beneath that. Not sure why he would ever need it Troy put it away in one of the drawers beside him and turned to Krista who was still doing some checks on the computer but turned to Troy when he spoke.
“Krista, back on the base there were two children that helped us escape. They said they were waiting for their parents to come back and get them. Could you check?”
“Sure, I could do that,” Krista replied, “What are their names?”
“That’s the thing,” Troy said with a slight frown, “we don’t know. They were called Simon and Grace but that wasn’t their real names. They were Shee’an if that helps?”
Krista turned in surprise to Troy and the others, “Shee’an? Really? You really saw two Shee’an children?”
Troy was surprised at the eager look on her face but nodded in answer. “Wow,” Krista breathed, “you are so lucky! Shee’ans usually avoid other races!”
“So, do you think you can help them?”
Krista turned back to her computer and began to tap on the panel before her. “I should be able to,” she assured them, “Shee’an children are even less seen than the adults. It’s rather surprising that they were there on their own at all!”
While Krista worked Troy chewed his lip in thought then reached back into the drawer for the disc. Handing it to Krista he asked, “Could you send an anonymous message to this officer?”
“Easily,” Krista replied then asked curiously, “Why would I want to?”
“Tell him that there are a bunch of kids living underneath an old abandoned theatre and that maybe they could use some help.”
Krista watched him a moment then turned back to her computer after taking the disc.
Troy turned to Lena and Ziggy who were smiling at him in obvious agreement with what he had asked Krista to do. He didn’t know if the children they had met would appreciate his interference but he was sure some of them would.
Space Rats Page 13