Hal made the same noise again, turning it into a cough.
Slayd frowned. "Sir, we can't afford any germs aboard the Tiger. If he's sick --"
"Don't worry, the Space Station has level four filters. They're clean."
"Aye aye, sir. I mean, Teacher."
Thimp turned to the children. "This is Petty Officer Slayd. He's your guide for the morning, and I'd like you to say a nice big hello."
"Hello, Petty Office Slayd," chorused the children.
Slayd managed a sour smile. "G'day kids. Welcome aboard."
"Now," said Thimp. "Perhaps you could give the children some facts and figures?"
"I guess I could." Slayd gestured at the flight deck. "This is a Beta class freighter with two ion exchange engines, a crew of sixteen and cargo space for eighty tons of dry goods. We can hyperspace up to twelve light years in a single jump, and the recovery time between jumps is under four minutes."
Hal put his hand up.
"Questions later," said Slayd. "We've a lot to see, so please try and keep up. If you get lost the cleaner bots will take you to the recycling chamber and make you lunch."
Hal brightened. He was getting peckish and lunch sounded pretty good.
Slayd noticed the hopeful expression. "Make you INTO lunch," he clarified. "All our food is recycled organic matter, and the unit is none too fussy when it comes to raw materials. If it plops, crawls, wriggles or splashes we'll eat it eventually, because you can't grow enough food on a spaceship. Come to think of it, everything you eat on your precious space station --"
"I think you should confine yourself to facts and figures relating to the ship," interrupted Mr Thimp. "Let their own teacher explain where their food comes from."
Hal heard a groan beside him, and turned to see a rather green-looking Stinky. "What's up?"
"I'll tell you later."
"You'll forget."
"I hope I do," said Stinky faintly.
By now Mr Thimp had spotted them talking. "Quiet please! I won't stand for interruptions."
"Better sit down then," muttered Hal. He looked at Stinky, expecting to see the usual grin, but his friend still looked a bit green. Never mind, thought Hal. Maybe I'll get his lunch too.
Ignoring all the interruptions, Mr Thimp ploughed on. "Petty Officer Slayd, perhaps you would explain the function of the flight deck to our guests?"
"Certainly. This is where our pilots interface with the navigation computer, setting the course and monitoring the engines and flight data."
"If I might correct you there," said the ship's computer in a flat tone. "The only things you humans monitor aboard this ship are the dinner menu and the video library."
"Yes, but theoretically --"
"Theory nothing. You're lucky we haven't jumped through the nearest star. In fact, if I owned this ship I'd replace the lot of you with nice clean robots."
"Ha ha," laughed Petty Officer Slayd, most unconvincingly. "You do like your little jokes. We have such a lot of jolly fun, don't we?" While he was talking he tried to attract the pilot's attention, hoping she would cut the computer's speech circuits or give it a virus or something. Unfortunately the pilot kept her back to him, although Hal could tell she was listening because her shoulders were shaking with silent laughter.
"Why don't we move our group on to the next stop?" suggested Mr Thimp.
Slayd nodded, and between them they herded the children into the big elevator at the rear of the flight deck. Mr Thimp pressed one of the buttons and the doors slid to, but no sooner had the lift started to move than the computer's flat voice burst through the overhead speaker. "Here's an interesting fact. I've been ferrying this crew of no-hopers from one dreary planet to the next for three years now, and I've yet to enjoy a single stimulating conversation."
"What a surprise," muttered Slayd. "Who wants to waste recreation time chatting to a --"
"Don't talk to me about recreation. Would you believe nobody aboard this vessel has even heard of chess?"
Hal realised the computer was talking to the class, not the adults. "My dad taught me chess," he said, his voice loud in the confines of the lift.
"Excellent. Perhaps we could have a game some time?"
Hal blinked. Play chess against a spaceship? Who ever heard of such a thing?
"Say yes," whispered Slayd. "Please."
"I heard that," said the computer. "Need I remind you I have a microphones all over this ship?"
"I'd like to play chess with you," said Hal. "I'm not very good though."
"Winning isn't everything."
"Teacher says that, but only after you lose."
"Your teacher is a very wise human."
"Teacher's a robot."
"I might have guessed."
Hal was enjoying the conversation, but at that moment the lift stopped and the doors opened.
"Everyone out," said Slayd. The class obeyed, and as they were lining up their guide gave them a rundown. "This level contains the common room and several private cabins. Keep your voices down because some of the off-duty crew are sleeping. Now, let's move."
They trooped along the corridor until it widened into the common room, where a woman in a lab coat was speaking to a couple of the crew. Hal could tell they were crew members because their flight suits were covered in coffee stains, and his dad had explained about spaceship crews and their fondness for coffee. He said it was one of the few vices they were allowed, but when Hal asked him what the others were his dad said he'd find out 'soon enough'.
The woman glanced round and Hal did a double-take. He'd assumed it was an assistant from the research labs come to organise unloading, but it wasn't an assistant at all. The woman in the lab coat was his mother!
Tap-tap-tap
As they passed through the common room Hal's mum met his eyes, giving him a meaningful look and shaking her head. From the way she was tapping her workpad he knew she was annoyed, or irritated, or both. Hal took the hint and didn't disturb her, but his mind raced as he followed the others. What was his mother doing aboard the supply ship? Why didn't she want him to say hello? He glanced at Stinky to see whether his friend had noticed her too, but Stinky was engrossed in Slayd's running commentary on the width of the door frames, the thickness of the floor and other fascinating facts and figures. That was the trouble with Stinky: give him a column of numbers and he wouldn't notice if you fired a double-barrelled space blaster right over his head.
Then Hal's face cleared: Of course! As the new head of research, his mum was probably checking the scientific supplies before they were delivered. As for the shake of the head, she was obviously busy and didn't want to be distracted. With the mystery solved Hal turned his attention to the spaceship.
To be honest, he was a little disappointed. The corridors had the same overhead piping, the same doorways and the same warning signs as the space station. They were even the same shade of grey, as though someone had ordered a big batch of paint on the cheap and then used it for every space station, ship and cargo container ever since. It wasn't even a military shade, it was more of a pinky grey with a hint of lemon.
They hadn't gone far before Thimp stopped at a door and turned to face the class. "This elevator leads to the engine room and the cargo hold. You've been well behaved so far, and I trust this good behaviour will continue."
While they were waiting Hal remembered his mum's shake of the head. She'd given him a warning look, then glanced down at her workpad. Then there was the way she'd been tapping it with her finger: Tap tap tap tap. Tap TAP. Tap TAP tap tap.
Suddenly Hal realised what she'd been doing. She'd been talking to him in Morse code! But what was the message? He looked back along the corridor, but the his mum was round the corner and he couldn't just go and ask. Then he looked at the wall. As far as he could tell they'd walked right around the common room, which meant his mum would be just the other side. Hal grinned. Time to send a signal of his own! He leant against the wall an
d took out his workbook, opening it up to the Morse alphabet. He checked the letters he needed, and was just about to rap them out with his knuckles when ...
"You there. What do you think you're doing?"
Hal jumped. Thimp was coming over! "I-I'm just doing my homework, sir. I forgot it this morning."
The rest of the class exchanged glances, and someone muttered 'Again'.
"Very well, but be quick about it. You'll have to put that thing away when we're on the move."
"Yes sir."
As soon as Thimp turned his back Hal knocked on the wall.
TAP TAP. tap tap TAP. TAP TAP: MUM.
He waited anxiously. Had she heard him?
Then, to his relief, he heard a reply. It was very faint, but he could just make it out:
Tap tap tap tap. Tap TAP. Tap TAP tap tap.
He checked his screen. The first letter was H, the second was A, and the final letter was ... L. It was his name! Keeping one eye on Thimp, Hal rapped a reply. TAP TAP TAP. TAP tap TAP: OK.
The reply was so fast Hal struggled to keep up with it. He skipped a letter or two but managed to get the gist of the message: LEAVE SHIP NOW. WARN STATION. DANGER. DANGER. SOS!
* * *
Hal could hardly believe the message. It had to be genuine because his mum wasn't a practical joker. But what did she mean? Warn the station about what? What kind of danger? He glanced back along the corridor, wondering whether to make a run for it. Then the lift doors opened and Mr Thimp started herding the group inside.
Thinking quickly, Hal put his hand up. "Please, Mr Thimp. Where's the toilet?"
"Next level down. You can use that one."
Hal nudged Stinky. "You too," he muttered. "Pass it on."
Stinky glanced at him, eyebrows raised, then nodded. "Please sir, I need the toilet too."
Someone muttered 'Again', and the class laughed. Stinky turned red, but with Hal's urging he whispered something to the boy alongside, who whispered to the next, and before long the whole class had their hands up. "Please sir, please sir, please sir!"
"All right, all right!" snapped Slayd. "We'll organise a relay. Now hurry up and get in the lift!"
They were shunted inside and the grumbling, groaning lift carried them down to the next level. The doors opened on an identical corridor, and the Petty Officer set off at a fast walk. After passing a couple of cabins they stopped at an ordinary-looking door. "Right," said Slayd, pointing at Hal. "You first."
Hal had to walk past the entire class to get to the door, which opened automatically. Inside was a regular toilet and a washbasin, and after the door closed Hal dipped his hands in the sink and prepared to count to fifty. To his surprise, instead of a nice blue glow the sink squirted water all over his fingers. His dad had been telling the truth about washing with water after all! By the time he'd worked out the hand dryer there was no need to count seconds or waste any more time, so he opened the door again. He stepped out to a sea of faces, pushed through to the back and leant against the wall.
"What's all this about?" murmured Stinky.
"Didn't you see my mum?"
"No. Where?"
"In the common room, talking with some of the crew. She sent me a message."
"What, reminding you to go to the toilet?"
Hal glanced at Mr Thimp, but their relief teacher was talking to the Petty Officer. "Mum told me to leave the ship immediately. I'm to warn the station about a terrible danger."
"She said that?"
"No, she tapped it out in Morse code."
Stinky laughed. "You don't know Morse. She was probably reminding you to wash your hands after you went to the toilet."
"Will you stop going on about the toilet?" Hal cracked open his workbook and displayed the Morse alphabet. "I checked every letter. It's genuine."
Despite his doubtful look, Stinky was curious. "What sort of danger did she mean?"
"How should I know? I have to get off the ship, that's what she told me. And then I've got to warn everyone."
"Right. You're going to run all over the space station warning people about this mysterious danger. And then you're going to explain how you heard about it through a secret signal. Think they'll believe you?"
"They'll have to." Hal frowned. "There's something else. You remember those headphones in the control room? They mentioned a primary package. They said she was on board, and she wasn't happy. What if they were talking about my mum?"
"You're mad."
"I'm serious! Mr Thimp mentioned minor packages too. What if that's us? What if we've been kidnapped?"
"Hal, this is just a school outing!"
"Oh yeah? So what happened to Teacher? Where did Mr Thimp come from, and why does the Petty Officer keep calling him sir? He's dressed like a scientist but when we were in the control room he was definitely giving orders. I'm telling you, something isn't right." Hal glanced over his shoulder at the lift. It was ten or fifteen metres away, at the end of a bare corridor, and there was no way he could reach it without being seen. Unless ... "Stinky, I need a diversion. When you're in the toilet, start shouting and banging on the door. Tell them you're scared."
"No way! They'll laugh at me."
"Okay, so make something up. Tell them the door got stuck." Hal nodded towards the adults. "I need them looking the other way."
Stinky made his way to the front of the queue, and when it was his turn he closed the door and played his part perfectly. There was an almighty crash and a lot of shouting, and both adults started hammering on the door, demanding to know what was going on. They got the door half open but Stinky closed it again, and the second time it opened he managed to spray both men and half his classmates with water from the tap. In all the shrieking and confusion Hal darted down the corridor to the lift. Once inside he flattened himself against the wall and risked a look up the corridor. Fortunately the diversion was doing its job, and the adults hadn't noticed his escape.
Hal pressed the button for the flight deck, closing the doors. Getting away from Thimp was the easy part. How was he going to escape from the ship?
The Escape
Hal racked his brains as the lift carried him towards the flight deck. Any second now the doors were going to open, and he'd be spotted immediately. What could he do? Where could he hide? "And how am I going to get past the pilot?" he muttered to himself.
"Would you like me to distract her?" said a voice from the overhead speakers.
Hal jumped at the unexpected sound. It was the ship's computer! "Can you do that?"
"I won't allow you to endanger the ship or crew, but if you're playing a prank on your friends I'll go along with it."
"I just need to get back to the space station. Promise."
"Very well. Hold on to your hat."
There was a WHOOP-WHOOP-WHOOP and red hazard lights started to flash. The elevator opened and Hal saw the pilot working the flight console, caught off-guard by the flurry of error messages. The airlock was wide open, and it was a matter of seconds for Hal to dart inside. He was wondering how to open the outer door when the computer's voice came through the overhead speaker. "Don't forget to swallow."
The inner door slammed and there was a hiss as the air pressure changed. When the cycle was complete Hal eyed the flexible boarding tunnel leading to traffic control. There was no telling what he might find aboard the space station and he needed all the help he could get. "I wish you could come with me."
"If I hack the station's firewall I could follow your progress. Maybe point the way, or open the occasional door for you."
"That would be ace."
"You could make things easier," said the ship's computer.
"Me?"
"I need you to find a public terminal and enter an override code. Do you have something to write with?"
Hal opened his workbook. "Go ahead."
The computer read off a string of digits and Hal typed them into an empty document. When he was done he read it back, then saved the file as "top secret code"
. "How do I type it in?"
"Every public terminal has an admin mode. Hold all the controls down simultaneously -- at the same time, that is -- and count to five. Then press them all twice working from left to right."
"Got it." Feeling a little more confident, Hal stepped into the tunnel and began the swaying, bumpy walk back to the control centre.
* * *
When Hal arrived at Traffic Control only one of the ship's officers remained, keeping an eye on things from the middle of the room. Most of the operators had left, although the technician was still working on the broken-down terminal.
Hal only managed a couple of steps before the officer noticed him.
"Where you do think you're going?"
Hal racked his brains for an excuse, then remembered Petty Officer Slayd's fear of germs. He gave a hacking great cough, then a mighty sniff, and followed it up with a drawn-out groan. "I have to visit the sick bay. I'm infected with germs."
The officer's eyes widened and she retreated a couple of steps. "Infected? Keep away from me, you hear!"
Hal coughed and sniffed as he made his way to the exit, throwing in a limp and a one-eyed squint for good measure. By the time he got to the corridor his throat ached from all the weird noises, and he was relieved when the doors closed behind him. The mystery illness was cured in an instant, and Hal set off to find a public terminal. Before long he spotted one of the distinctive blue computers, and once the screen was ready he spread his fingers so they covered all the menu buttons at once. He pressed down and counted to five, just like the ship's computer had told him, and the terminal beeped. Next he tapped each menu entry twice, working from left to right, and when he was done a keypad graphic appeared.
Hal took out his workbook and copied the string of digits, typing them on the keypad one letter at a time. When he entered the last one the keypad disappeared and a new menu came up. Entry three was the one he wanted, so Hal tapped that.
Hal tapped 'Yes' and the display cleared. He waited a few seconds but nothing happened. "Hello?" Hal looked up at the overhead speaker. "Can you hear me?"