Secret Weapon (6 page)

He felt a tingling in his arms and legs. There was a surge of power within him. He could feel his strength increasing, his reflexes sharpening. His bionic powers were firing, at just the right moment!

‘Let’s do it,’ Peri said.

He bent his knees and leapt into space with all his strength. At the same time he hit the ‘Boost’ button on the rocket pack control.

The safety cable came past at impossible speed.

Peri knew he had only one chance. His outstretched hand
just
caught the cable.

He fumbled with the end of the safety cable, holding on with one hand, while he tried to attach it to the harness on his Expedition Wear. At last there was a click. ‘Got it!’

Now they were safely attached and travelling at the same speed as the ship, Peri could use the rocket pack to speed up their progress.

They jetted towards the
Phoenix
. But then they started slowing down.

‘What’s happening?’ demanded Diesel.

Peri glanced at the fuel gauge on the control. The needle pointed to zero. They must have used up all their fuel ploughing through the horrible snotty goo, and making their rocket-powered leap off the Trojan Crab.

‘We’ll have to haul ourselves up the cable,’ Peri said.

Slowly, hand over hand, Peri pulled them both up. Diesel clung to Peri’s neck with one arm, while his free hand clutched the lead cylinder.

He was no help at all.

For a long time, the silver egg shape of the
Phoenix
seemed to get no closer. Peri kept a slow and steady pace and soon they were nearly there.

Peri flicked the com-switch and called the Bridge again.

There was still no reply.

Peri knocked and called out: ‘If anyone on the
Phoenix
can hear this, open the air-lock.’

Nothing happened.

Diesel growled with frustration. ‘How are we going to get in?’

The sleek, gleaming underside of the
Phoenix
was right above them now. Peri reached out to touch it.

‘It’s no good stroking the hull!’ Diesel said. He banged on the
Phoenix
with the lead cylinder. ‘Let us in!’

‘Hey, there’s no need for that,’ Peri said, feeling suddenly protective towards the vessel. ‘Leave it alone. Let me see if I can –’

‘What? What are you going to do?’

Peri’s bionic side had a special connection to the
Phoenix
, an instinctive understanding of the ship’s computer-brain. He laid his head against the smooth hull.

Can you hear me, Phoenix?

Deep inside, he felt a tingle in his bionic circuits that told him he had made contact with the ship.

Request permission to come aboard.

Again, he felt that tingling. He sensed the ship telling him:
Permission granted.

Phoenix
,
Peri thought,
we need to be hidden from the sensors. It is very important to the safety of our friends.

The air-lock slid silently open. Peri and Diesel hauled themselves on board.

‘Wow!’ Diesel said. ‘What did you do?’

‘We just had a little chat, me and the ship,’ Peri said.

The outer door closed behind them. The air-lock flooded with oxygen. Arms shot from the walls and removed their Expedition Wear.

Peri felt a whisper in his mind. He screwed up his face in concentration as he listened to the
Phoenix
.

‘What’s wrong with your face?’ Diesel asked.

‘We have to go to the Bridge,’ Peri said. ‘Right now.’

Chapter 7

Peri and Diesel cautiously made their way along the silent corridors of the
Phoenix
, phasers in hand.

‘What do you think’s happened?’ Diesel whispered.

‘I don’t know,’ Peri whispered back. ‘I only know there’s some kind of danger. Maybe an intruder.’

They approached the Bridge. Peri touched the wall. It slid open. He and Diesel leapt in, holding their phasers out in front of them.

Jaxx was alone on the Bridge, standing by the control panel. He smiled. ‘Hello. I trust the mission was a success?’

Peri and Diesel looked at each other in bewilderment. Jaxx seemed calm and relaxed. There was no evidence of any danger or any intruders.

‘What happened?’ Peri asked. ‘Why didn’t anyone answer when I tried to get through?’

‘Sorry – we’ve been a little bit busy here,’ Jaxx said.

‘Busy doing what?’ Diesel demanded.

‘Oh, this and that,’ Jaxx said casually. ‘Did you get the Heart of Mars?’

‘Yes,’ Peri said. ‘Eventually.’

‘May I see it?’ Jaxx held out his hand.

Diesel clutched the lead cylinder to his chest. ‘No one touches this except me!’

Jaxx squared his shoulders. ‘You’d better hand it over,’ he said, a hint of steel in his voice now.

‘Hey,’ Peri said as he noticed something else. ‘Where are Selene and Otto?’

‘They’re safe,’ Jaxx said, ‘for now. However, they will be in great danger if you don’t give me the Heart!’

‘What are you saying?’ Peri asked.

‘You’re not very bright for a Star Fighter, are you?’ Jaxx said, shaking his head. ‘I can see I’m going to have to spell this out in small words: Give. Me. The. Heart. Of. Mars. Or. Your. Two. Friends. Will . . .’ His hand hovered over a touchpad on the control panel. ‘Die. All I have to do is press this and they will be ejected into space. Ice-cold, pitch-dark, air-free space, where they will die in about, ooh, 3.5 seconds, I should say.’

Peri could not believe what he was hearing. ‘Are you crazy? How can you do this to your own daughter?’

Jaxx ignored him. He glared at Diesel. ‘I don’t like asking twice, Martian boy.’

Diesel held on tight to the cylinder. He shook his head. His strip of hair had turned black. ‘You’re not getting the Heart of Mars!’ Diesel said. He raised his phaser and pointed it at Jaxx. ‘I’ve set this to “Stuns” and “Really Hurts”. Step away from the control panel.’

‘Oh, that’s a good idea,’ Jaxx said brightly. ‘Go on then. Zap me!’

‘You asked for it!’ Diesel pressed the firing button. Nothing happened except that the phaser gave out a low farting noise.

Jaxx clapped sarcastically. ‘It didn’t occur to you that I’d make Selene disable all on-board weapons systems, did it? Now, I’ve had enough of messing around with you children.’ He snapped his fingers. The other hand moved closer to the touchpad. ‘Heart of Mars. Now.’

‘Where are Selene and Otto?’ Peri demanded. He was playing for time. ‘We only have your word that you’ve got them. We’re not trading the Heart for them until we know they’re safe.’

Jaxx sighed. ‘If you insist . . .’

He touched some buttons on the control panel. A second later, Selene and Otto materialised on the floor of the Bridge. They were kneeling on the the floor. Both were bound and gagged with Shrink-to-Fit Astro-Gaffer-Tape.

‘Mmmmmfff!’ said Selene.

‘Ggggrmmmllfsh!’ said Otto.

‘Happy now?’ Jaxx said.

‘Selene!’ Peri said. ‘Are you OK?’

‘She won’t be OK,’ Jaxx said, ‘unless I get the Heart of Mars. So hand it over or else!’

Peri looked at Diesel. ‘We have no choice,’ he said.

For a few moments, Diesel was perfectly motionless. Peri felt an electric prickle in his chest.
Surely Diesel won’t let Selene and Otto to die?
he thought.
But then Diesel nodded and knelt down on the deck.

Peri breathed out in relief.

‘No tricks, Martian boy,’ Jaxx warned. ‘You just stay where you are and roll that cylinder to me – nice and gently.’

Diesel rolled the cylinder to Jaxx.

‘A wise decision,’ Jaxx said and trapped the cylinder beneath his boot.

As Jaxx bent to pick it up, Diesel suddenly ran straight at the wall. He touched it, making it slide open to reveal the Emergency Escape Mini-Pod. This was a sort of space lifeboat, containing only a radio and enough oxygen to last twenty-four hours.

Diesel threw back the glass bubble roof and jumped in. The wall slid closed behind him. A moment later, the Mini-Pod was visible on the 360-monitor – a tiny white speck flying away from them.

What in space is Diesel doing?
Peri wondered.