Chapter 24

Captain Phoenix took his seat in the control room. He considered reworking his “born to do this”

speech he felt good leaders would give at times like this, but his thoughts were interrupted by Marshia. I HAVE THE DESTINATION CO-ORDINATES FOR THE TARGET VESSEL, CAPTAIN. Before Phoenix could digest this information, Sprigs piped up, “According to my auxiliary communications console, sir, Twip’s ship has made a jump, sir.”

“So Marshia ...”

YES, CAPTAIN.

“How do you intend to get to wherever Twip’s going before him?Time travel?”

THAT WILL NOT BE NECESSARY ON THIS OCCASION, CAPTAIN.

“It won’t?”

NO, CAPTAIN. WE ARE ALREADY AT OUR DESTINATION. THE TARGET VESSEL WILL

BE ARRIVING WITHIN CAPTURE RANGE IN FIFTEEN SECONDS.

“I thought all jumps were instantaneous,” said Phoenix.

INSTANTANEOUS WITH RESPECT TO WHAT, CAPTAIN?

“With respect to ...” began Phoenix. “I don’t know. So you’re saying we’re just quicker than him. Is that it?”

QUICKER WITH RESPECT TO WHAT, CAPTAIN?

“Quicker with respect to ...” Phoenix was beginning to feel uncomfortable knowing the conversation had galloped away from him at full tilt and was already cresting the brow of Going-Nowhere Hill. “...with respect to whoever gets there first!”

YOU MAY CARE TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION AT A LATER DATE, CAPTAIN. There was a smirk in Marshia’s tone. Phoenix was positive Marshia was laughing at him!

THE VESSEL IS CLAMPED AND I AM PORTING SECURITY PERSONNEL ABOARD NOW.

“Overlay Parker’s video feed on the main screen, please Marshia,” barked Phoenix. UNDERSTOOD, CAPTAIN.

*

Parker and six other heavily armed troopers materialised in a dingy corridor aboard Twip’s ship. Parker advanced, assault rifle first, towards a narrow door. The ship gave a shudder around them. Placing the side of his helmeted head against the door, he listened intently to muffled voices inside.

“My own favourite was Captain Amazing,” one voice was saying.“More ... human ... than the other heroes.Definitely of a more sensitive persuasion.”

“I know what you mean, brother,” said another voice. “But, the artwork for The Green Desk Light always held a strange fascination for me.”

“I’ll bet,” said the first voice. “If I remember correctly, The Green Desk Light’s girlfriend was definitely of the more well blessed persuasion. And those artists certainly knew how to draw ...”

Parker grabbed the handle, quickly swinging the door open.

Sergeant Arthur and Sergeant George, crammed together chest to chest, looked down the barrels of seven assault rifles.

“Gentlemen.”Parker stood back lowering his weapon and inviting the sergeants to join him. A small avalanche of tools, buckets and cleaning materials followed the two sergeants as they extricated themselves from the confines of the cupboard.

“OK,” said Parker.“Which way to the control room? Can we expect any problems on the way?”

“Sorry, comrade,” apologised Sergeant George. “Not a clue.”

The two sergeants popped out of existence as Marshia’s reassuring voice arrived in the trooper’s ear pieces.

FOLLOW THE ARROWS IN YOUR HEADS UP DISPLAY, COMMANDER.

“Follow me, men,” commanded Parker. “Stay alert.”

The ship shuddered again around them as Parker led the troops along dimly lit corridors arriving at last in front of a heavily studded dark green door.

IT IS SAFE TO ENTER, COMMANDER.

It took most of Parker’s considerable strength to pull back the door. Inside was initially dark but, as Parker stepped over the threshold, ceiling lights flicked on. The huge room was filled with table tennis tables.Hundreds of them.Stretching into the distance.Row on row of table tennis tables.A sea of them.An ocean of them.A jamboree of tables.

But, no nets.

The troopers looked around uncertain what to do next.

Parker’s display was blank. “What now, Marshia?” he asked.

BACK OUT THE DOOR. TURN LEFT. THE ARROW WILL REAPPEAR IN YOUR HEADS UP

DISPLAY.

“What about these tables?” askedParker.

ALL THESE TABLES AND NO NETS, COMMANDER?

“Yes?”

INTERESTING.

“OK. Thanks for that Marshia,” Parker said for the troop’s benefit. Hoping they would think something important had been disclosed to him alone and not that the AI, upon whom their lives depended, had not just had a weird moment it wished to “share” with them.

“Follow me, men,” commanded Parker heading for the corridor. “Stay alert.”

The arrow led the troops - the ship shuddering around them occasionally - through a maze of corridors to a T junction.