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– Chapter 3 –
Mervyn came over all hot and sweaty, he was in trouble and he knew it. His cockiness had put them in danger. His seat tightened its grip as he jerked the sled round the block.
‘We’re clear,’ he said. Except they weren’t.
Another soaring rock confronted them, closer than the last -- this was worse even than Aurora’s meteor simulation. As the sled swept past Mervyn saw shear-sided craters on the rock’s surface, like giant footprints. Finally, he dodged between a tumbling group of three. Only when he cleared these did Mervyn realise he was holding his breath. He released it slowly. His hands were shaking.
He had grown so used to the incessant sound of the proximity alarm that it surprised them when it fell silent -- they were clear.
‘That was fun,’ he said, knowing it had scared him witless.
‘You were right on the border of the red zone there,’ Loren said breathlessly.
‘You mean the sled could have steered its own route through that lot?’
‘Nah, it would have aborted and turned back. Of course the chances of it completing that manoeuvre were about nil.’ Mervyn realised how close he had come to killing them. He took a couple of deep breaths to steady his hands and concentrated on their new course. From here it was a straight run home.
Despite the near disaster, their creative route round NCZ2398 had flung them into the lead, followed closely by Aurora. By Loren’s calculation they had plenty of spare fuel for he home run too. Mervyn piled on the thrust, increasing further their lead over the Raiders. Soon Academy One hove into sight. Victory was assured.
Above Mervyn’s head a small light winked silently. He tried to ignore it, but it demanded attention.
‘Loren, why’s this light flashing?’
Before Loren could investigate the sleds automated voice came to life again, ‘Fuel reserve at two per cent. Switching to auxiliary power. Engine shut down imminent.’ Without warning, the cockpit was plunged into darkness, lit only by the soft glow of emergency lights.
‘What’s going on Loren? We’ve got loads of fuel.’
‘I know, we should have at least a whole fuel rod spare,’ Loren said working frantically at the control station. ‘Oh no, one of our rods is missing -- we should have ten, but we’ve only got nine.’ At that moment the engines cut out.
‘Nine? What the...,’ then realisation dawned. ‘De Monsero!’
‘Hey guys, what’s going on?’ Aurora asked as she and Tarun hurtled past, but before he could explain his head filled with expletives as Aurora’s sled died too.
The sleds glided towards the finish. Without drive engines it was only a matter of time before De Monsero and Hidraba caught up. De Monsero barrelled his sled into a victory role as he powered past, and Mervyn thumped his fist into the consul in frustration. Aurora swore -- shocking the lads with her coarseness. Where did she learn such language? There was nothing they could do except sit back and watch the rest of the pack overtake. In the end they drifted over the line in eighth and ninth places. Mervyn used the time to fill the others in on the conversation he had witnessed in the Stardome.
As they clambered from their sled in the shuttle bay Mervyn wanted to lay in to De Monsero immediately, but the others restrained him.
‘This is exactly what they want,’ Tarun warned. ‘If we accuse the likes of De Monsero and Hidraba of cheating they’ll throw us out of the academy.’
‘But we’ve got proof,’ Mervyn said, determined to see justice done.
‘No Merv, you overheard a conversation,’ Tarun said. ‘It’s your word against theirs, and who do you think the Principal will believe?’
‘So what do we do?’ The Raiders chose that moment to stroll past on their way to the locker rooms.
‘Hard-luck, Misfits,’ De Monsero sneered. ‘Great race -- shame you couldn’t hold it together until the end.’
‘And they were doing so well,’ Hidraba laughed.
Enough was enough, Mervyn launched himself at De Monsero intent on wiping the smile off his arrogant face. De Monsero toppled backwards onto Hidraba in surprise, but Tarun and Loren managed to restrain their friend before he could inflict any damage.
‘No, Mervyn, this is not the way,’ Aurora hissed.
‘You should control your Outworld puppies, Aurora, teach them some manner,’ De Monsero snarled. ‘If you can’t stand the pressure, Bright, get out.’ Mervyn could feel his blood boiling. He struggled to get at De Monsero again, but Tarun and Loren held on tight. ‘Better luck next time, Misfits,’ De Monsero called as he strolled off with the rest of his team, laughing once more.
‘How can you let him do that, Aurora,’ Mervyn demanded. ‘How can you just stand there and let him make a fool of you?’
‘Subtlety, Mervyn. You need to learn subtlety. There are other ways to deal with this,’ then she changed the subject. ‘Loren, can you send an anonymous message?’ Just about everything sent through a biolink contained a brain print, but Loren, of course, knew how to do it. Aurora led her to one side and they were soon deep in conversation, pointing occasionally to the sleds and the ceiling. Mervyn had no idea what they were discussing, but it was clear Aurora had a plan.
Shortly before midnight, Mervyn crouched in the darkness of the star dome. He was not alone: the other Misfits had arranged themselves around the mound; waiting. At midnight, the doors opened and a couple of figures crept in, De Monsero and Hidraba. They were responding to an anonymous message, which said simply. ‘Evidence,’ with a location and time. He watched them climb the mound warily. As they reached the summit Mervyn made his move. De Monsero, looking down into the gloom would only hear approaching footsteps -- four sets.
‘Who’s there?’ De Monsero demanded.
Mervyn climbed in silence. The Misfits all crested the summit together.
‘Oh, you lot, I might have guessed,’ De Monsero said when he identified them. ‘What do you want?’
‘We know you switched our fuel rods,’ Aurora said coming straight to the point.
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘You didn’t think we would leave our sleds unguarded before a race, did you?’
‘Rubbish, you wouldn’t have been caught out if you had.’
Loren held up a data key, ‘Evidence.’
‘You’re bluffing. One of you was scrabbling around here last night, eavesdropping,’ De Monsero said cautiously.
‘So you admit you switched the fuel rods then?’ Aurora accused.
‘I’m not admitting anything. You overheard half a private conversation, put two and two together, and came up with thirteen. You’re just blaming someone else for your own mistakes. I’ve a good mind to complain to the Principal. Your word against mine.’ Now De Monsero was bluffing, Mervyn was sure of it.
‘Show him,’ Aurora said and Loren slotted the data key into a small screen. Mervyn could just make out a sled filling the screen in Loren’s hand. A shadowy figure crept into the frame towing a refuelling rig. The figure removed one fuel rod and replaced it with another. Finally, just as the figure was leaving it looked up at the camera. Loren froze the motion.
She held the screen out to Hidraba, ‘Recognise yourself?’ In the weak starlight of the dome Hidraba looked noticeably paler.
‘That doesn’t prove anything against me,’ De Monsero said coolly.
‘You told me to do it,’ Hidraba said, turning on his team-mate.
‘Besides, it’s fake,’ De Monsero added. Hidraba looked dubious.
‘Suit yourself,’ Aurora shrugged her shoulders. ‘Let’s see what the Principal thinks,’ she turned away.
‘What’s it worth?’
Aurora turned back, ‘Oh, it’s not for sale. We’re keeping this safe -- to ensure you don’t mess with our sleds again. One hint of foul play and this...’ she waved the key in the air, ‘this goes to th
e Principal.’
‘That’s extortion!’ Hidraba cried.
‘No -- this is blackmail.’
‘That’s not fair.’
‘Nor’s cheating,’ Mervyn added.
‘Who’re you calling a cheat, Bright,’ De Monsero snapped, spinning round.
‘You don’t call switching fuel rods cheating?’ Mervyn asked incredulously.
‘It was your fault -- you should have checked your equipment better.’
‘Rubbish. You cheated.’ Mervyn could not believe what he was hearing.
‘Call me a cheat again, Bright, and I’ll have to call for satisfaction.’
‘Merv, be careful--,’ Tarun began.
Aurora pushed him aside, ‘A cheat he called you, and a cheat you are, De Monsero. Now are you going to challenge me to a duel?’
For a moment De Monsero looked as though he might, but Hidraba distracted him with a light touch on his arm, ‘Your father would kill you, Rufus ...’ De Monsero stared angrily at the spot where Hidraba had dared to touch him, ‘... tangling with a member of the ruling house... and all that.’
De Monsero shook off his team-mate, turned on his heals, and stormed down the mound without another glance at the Misfits. Hidraba scurried after him.