there!’ A Meigwor controller stood in the doorway. ‘What the . . .’ he boomed, seeing the unconscious guard on the ground.
Diesel stuck his blaster in the controller’s face. ‘Don’t move!’
‘Let’s go!’ shouted Peri as he rushed into the nerve centre. Onix and Selene tackled the nearest controller, who had his hand stuck in a bug-o-matic.
Peri aimed his blaster at the others. ‘Step away from the equipment,’ he ordered.
The controllers were short by Meigwor standards. Peri guessed that they had no combat training – they didn’t even try to fight.
‘Move over there.’ Peri pointed towards the door.
Peri looked around the nerve centre. The room was filled with buzzing and beeping. Lights flashed across four different control consoles. Monitors covered every centimetre of the walls, and a massive plasma screen hung in the centre of the room. Peri could see more viper-ships joining the Extractor, more tentacles flying out to suck the life from Xion, and more images of the planet’s people suffocating in the dusty streets.
‘We’ve got to seal the door and work out how to disable the Extractor,’ Peri shouted.
Otto grabbed the controllers and tossed them out before slamming the door shut. ‘We must prepare for a counter-attack,’ he boomed. ‘Help me push this bug-o-matic in front of the door.’
‘Diesel, Onix,’ Peri said, ‘you two help Otto. Selene and I will figure out how to destroy the Extractor.’
As the others took up defensive positions, Peri and Selene studied the Extractor’s controls. But neither of them knew where to start. Selene turned a couple of dials hopefully.
Nothing happened.
Peri hoped his bionic half might know what to do, but he felt no connection with this alien ship.
‘It’s no good,’ Peri said. ‘It’s going to take for ever to work out what half these controls do!’
Bang-Bang-Bang! Explosions shook the door.
‘Hurry up,’ Diesel shouted. ‘It won’t hold for long!’
‘We’re trying,’ Peri yelled, flicking a series of zip-dials. ‘We need a short cut!’
‘That’s it,’ Selene said. ‘Not a shortcut, but a short circuit!’
Peri nodded. ‘Great idea.’ He slid under the main control console and ripped off an access panel. He grabbed the tangle of wires with his fist and yanked them out, shielding his face as hot sparks exploded around him.
He heard Selene sigh. ‘Nothing’s happening.’
‘Hold it,’ Peri said, sliding his head out from under the console. ‘Maybe I can overload the system, rather than pull it apart?’
‘But that would need another source of power,’ she replied.
‘I’m half bionic – I can use my internal batteries as a counter-charge!’ Peri exclaimed.
‘That could kill you!’ she gasped.
‘There’s no other choice.’ Peri grabbed two wires. As they touched together, they sparked.
He took a deep breath, then pushed the wires into his forearm. He gritted his teeth against the pain as he forced them through his nerves and muscles to the circuits underneath. Something like plasma-lightning flashed through him, making his limbs spasm and his circuits burn. It was like fire ripping through his skin.
Alien computer code stormed his head. There was so much information, Peri could feel his brain heating up. He imagined melting grey matter dripping from his ears.
‘I’m not giving up without a fight!’ he muttered as he pushed back against the assault with his mind.
Kaboom! The door to the control room exploded, followed by a dozen smoke grenades.
‘Hurry up, Peri,’ Diesel shouted. ‘We’ve got company!’
Chapter 7
As the smoke cleared, laserfire lit up the nerve centre. Zap-blam-blam-sssizzz!
Pulses of green and red pinged back and forth between the crew and the guards. The bug-o-matic prevented the guards storming further into the room than the doorway. Otto had a blaster in each hand and wasn’t even bothering to take cover. He faced the guards, dodging
Diesel stuck his blaster in the controller’s face. ‘Don’t move!’
‘Let’s go!’ shouted Peri as he rushed into the nerve centre. Onix and Selene tackled the nearest controller, who had his hand stuck in a bug-o-matic.
Peri aimed his blaster at the others. ‘Step away from the equipment,’ he ordered.
The controllers were short by Meigwor standards. Peri guessed that they had no combat training – they didn’t even try to fight.
‘Move over there.’ Peri pointed towards the door.
Peri looked around the nerve centre. The room was filled with buzzing and beeping. Lights flashed across four different control consoles. Monitors covered every centimetre of the walls, and a massive plasma screen hung in the centre of the room. Peri could see more viper-ships joining the Extractor, more tentacles flying out to suck the life from Xion, and more images of the planet’s people suffocating in the dusty streets.
‘We’ve got to seal the door and work out how to disable the Extractor,’ Peri shouted.
Otto grabbed the controllers and tossed them out before slamming the door shut. ‘We must prepare for a counter-attack,’ he boomed. ‘Help me push this bug-o-matic in front of the door.’
‘Diesel, Onix,’ Peri said, ‘you two help Otto. Selene and I will figure out how to destroy the Extractor.’
As the others took up defensive positions, Peri and Selene studied the Extractor’s controls. But neither of them knew where to start. Selene turned a couple of dials hopefully.
Nothing happened.
Peri hoped his bionic half might know what to do, but he felt no connection with this alien ship.
‘It’s no good,’ Peri said. ‘It’s going to take for ever to work out what half these controls do!’
Bang-Bang-Bang! Explosions shook the door.
‘Hurry up,’ Diesel shouted. ‘It won’t hold for long!’
‘We’re trying,’ Peri yelled, flicking a series of zip-dials. ‘We need a short cut!’
‘That’s it,’ Selene said. ‘Not a shortcut, but a short circuit!’
Peri nodded. ‘Great idea.’ He slid under the main control console and ripped off an access panel. He grabbed the tangle of wires with his fist and yanked them out, shielding his face as hot sparks exploded around him.
He heard Selene sigh. ‘Nothing’s happening.’
‘Hold it,’ Peri said, sliding his head out from under the console. ‘Maybe I can overload the system, rather than pull it apart?’
‘But that would need another source of power,’ she replied.
‘I’m half bionic – I can use my internal batteries as a counter-charge!’ Peri exclaimed.
‘That could kill you!’ she gasped.
‘There’s no other choice.’ Peri grabbed two wires. As they touched together, they sparked.
He took a deep breath, then pushed the wires into his forearm. He gritted his teeth against the pain as he forced them through his nerves and muscles to the circuits underneath. Something like plasma-lightning flashed through him, making his limbs spasm and his circuits burn. It was like fire ripping through his skin.
Alien computer code stormed his head. There was so much information, Peri could feel his brain heating up. He imagined melting grey matter dripping from his ears.
‘I’m not giving up without a fight!’ he muttered as he pushed back against the assault with his mind.
Kaboom! The door to the control room exploded, followed by a dozen smoke grenades.
‘Hurry up, Peri,’ Diesel shouted. ‘We’ve got company!’
Chapter 7
As the smoke cleared, laserfire lit up the nerve centre. Zap-blam-blam-sssizzz!
Pulses of green and red pinged back and forth between the crew and the guards. The bug-o-matic prevented the guards storming further into the room than the doorway. Otto had a blaster in each hand and wasn’t even bothering to take cover. He faced the guards, dodging
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