Chapter 3
Where is the Amega Astrospeed?
Astorm broke out after Inspector Jazelle delivered her message. She promised to get back to them with more information as soon as possible. Meanwhile, they argued urgently amongst themselves over what to.
“I say we get the Saffyre Starlight and go look for them!” said Zavier.
“And I say we should wait to hear back from Inspector Jazelle,” disagreed Amega.
“I agree with Zavier,” said Saffyre. “Let’s just go!”
“Well, you would wouldn’t you?” said Lazar. “You’re both so reckless. We need to think carefully about this and discuss it with Inspector Jazelle. For one thing, you know it’s completely against intergalactic space rules to travel without first issuing a flight plan. We’ll have the ISP (Intergalactic Space Patrol) onto us in no time.”
“You would think of that,” said Zavier with disgust. “Our parents have disappeared, we need to act now!”
“Well, excuse me for actually using my brain and pointing out what obstacles we’ll face, before we rush off into space unprepared,” Lazar replied.
At that moment the plasma screen flickered back on and Inspector Jazelle appeared again. “There is no doubt that the Amega Astrospeed has gone,” she told them. “It was travelling according to its detailed flight plan until 4.05am. Then the ISP informs us, it veered completely off its course in the Jatax Galaxy. Your parents have not responded to any signals and nor have they reported any problem with the starship, which is very strange. Of course we suspect that Quartz may be behind the starship’s disappearance and we’re sending a patrol unit out to look for the Astrospeed right now. We’ll keep you fully informed of the unit’s progress. We have also dispatched the support team to take care of you.”
Lazar looked at Zavier who was frowning at him. “Inspector is there any chance that we could file a flight plan with ISP, and look for our parents ourselves?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” said Inspector Jazelle. “You’ll only make a bad situation far worse. I promised your parents that I would look after you and I intend to keep that promise. Anyway Lazar, you and Amega have only just got your intergalactic trainee licences and you’ll need a fully licenced pilot with you.”
“Could one of your team come with us?” asked Saffyre.
“Discuss it with them and report back to me. However, I believe that IPU will regard it as too risky. Besides, we are dispatching a unit right now to find your parents. You’ll only endanger its mission.”
“Please Inspector Jazelle.” Amega was begging now, her eyes filled with tears. “You’ve simply got to find them!”
“We’ll put our best people onto it; now sit tight until the support team arrives. I’ll keep you informed of any developments. You have my word!”
After Inspector Jazelle had gone the teens sat down and waited despondently. Zavier paced up and down, Lazar checked the space monitor to see if he could locate the missing starship.
Saffyre and Amega huddled together trying to keep each other’s spirits up. They were sipping on steaming hot chocolate, when Topaz informed them that they had visitors.
“How will we know if it’s the team?” asked Zavier. “It could be anyone.”
“Inspector Jazelle sent us a picture of them and Topaz is preparing the eye and hand scanners as we speak,” answered Lazar.
Lazar turned on the plasma screen. Four people were standing at the main door to the apartment. There were two men and two women and Lazar checked their faces against the picture that Inspector Jazelle had forwarded to them. The two men had dark hair, one with blue eyes, the other with brown; they also appeared to be roughly the correct height. Lazar then scanned the faces of the two women. They were both of medium height and one had red hair and green eyes. She also matched perfectly. Finally Lazar looked over the last woman; she had shoulder length wavy golden hair with the brightest, bluest eyes he had ever seen. She was also a match.
Each then stepped up to the security sensor in the door and held up his or her right hand, close to the scanner. The same procedure then followed with the eye scanner. Lazar quickly checked the results against Inspector Jazelle’s information. “It’s okay Topaz, they all match.”
Topaz showed the support team through to the lounge area. “Do you want me to bring some refreshments Lazar?”
“Yes Topaz, thank you,” he turned to the four team members who were now seated comfortably. “You’ve probably been told about us but I’ll just quickly introduce my siblings. The tall girl seated on the sofa with long, brown hair is my twin sister Amega. We are both sixteen. Seated next to her, is my younger sister Saffyre. Over on the other chair is Zavier, he and Saffyre are also twins and are fourteen years old.”
One of the team members stood up and shook hands with each of them. “I’m your team leader, Detective Aaryn Duplex.” He pointed to the other man, “this is Kendal Chang, and seated next to him is Nova Ling and next to her is Krystal Roze.”
After the introductions, Topaz returned with refreshments. “Okay, now to business,” said Duplex. “Inspector Jazelle has a team dispatched to find your parents and as you know we’re here to protect you from Quartz…”
Lazar cut in. “Detective, can I be perfectly blunt here? We’re more concerned about finding our parents than hiding from Quartz. We want to take the Saffyre Starlight to look for them, and we need you to come with us.”
Duplex looked shocked. “And you spoke to Inspector Jazelle about this?”
“Yes,” continued Lazar. “She promised to consider it, if we had someone accompany us. My sister and I are still trainee pilots.”
“Please consider it,” broke in Saffyre. “We’re desperate to find our parents.”
Duplex shook his head. “I’m sorry kids, I understand that you want to find your parents, but I have to say that I think this idea of going after them is sheer lunacy. You’d be playing right into Quartz’s hands; this may be just what he wants you to do!”
“We don’t care,” said Zavier. “We owe it to our parents to look for them, just as they would, if the situation was reversed.”
“Zavier is right,” agreed Amega. “Our parents would literally search all through space to find us.”
“That’s different,” replied Duplex. “They’re adults and naturally they’d search for their children. But we promised to look after you; we promised them we’d keep you safe. If we follow your plan we’d be letting your parents down.”
“Can’t you at least talk to Inspector Jazelle about this Detective?” asked Lazar.
“Call me Duplex,” he replied. “I certainly will speak to the Inspector. But if she wants my opinion, I think the idea’s crazy and I’ll tell her so.”
Duplex turned on the plasma screen and sent a message to Inspector Jazelle. “It appears that she’s still in a meeting,” he said finally. “She may be the head of IPU but for a decision like this, she still needs the approval of the panel,” he told them.
“We understand that,” said Lazar. “We’ll go along with whatever they decide.” He looked warningly at Zavier who looked like he was about to hit the roof.
They sat down and waited. Krystal picked up a bowl of fruit and offered it around. She smiled reassuringly at Lazar, “We’ll do what’s best for everyone,” she promised.
Lazar thanked her and offered around cold drinks. By this time the screen saver had disappeared off the screen and Inspector Jazelle appeared.
“I’m pleased to see that the support team has arrived safely,” she told them. “I’ve spoken to my panel at IPU and like me; they are opposed to you going after the Professors. They believe we owe it to your parents to keep you safe and that the unit we’ve already dispatched is more than capable of finding them. However, they’re prepared to leave the final decision with Duplex.”
“Well that settles it,” said Duplex. “I’m also against the idea.”
“But your unit haven’t found out anything!” cried Saf-fyre. “I don’t understand why you haven’t been able to make any contact with the Astrospeed at all. Surely with all of your technology you should be able to send them a message or locate their position?”
“We’re trying all of that, and we don’t understand why we haven’t made contact either,” replied Inspector Jazelle. “I’m sure we will hear something very soon, meanwhile we ask that you stay at the apartment and obey Duplex, okay?”
The teens nodded miserably. Inspector Jazelle said she’d be in touch soon and disappeared off the screen.
“I hate this sit around and wait thing!” said Zavier fiercely. “It sucks. I’ve got a good mind to….”
Lazar cut him off. “You’re not helping Zavier, so shut up!”
Glaring, Zavier walked over to Lazar. “Don’t tell me what to do,” he yelled. He then put up his fists. “Come on…I dare you! ”
“Oh that’s just great,” said Lazar sarcastically. “You don’t get things your way and you want to fight. Everything always has to revolve around you!”
Zavier’s eyes glittered dangerously. “And you always get to call the shots! Come on, take a swing! I dare you, you weak, pathetic…”
“Stop it! ” yelled Amega, close to tears. “A s if things aren’t bad enough without you two trying to be macho. Knock it off Zavier!”
“That’s right, stick up for your twin as usual. Act like it’s all my fault. Well, I want to do something, not just follow pathetic rules.”
“Right now you can sit down and relax.” This was from Duplex. “May I remind you boys that I’m in charge, and these are my rules?” He directed the final comment at Zavier. “The team and I want to go into your parent’s laboratory and see if we can get a reading on either Quartz or the Amega Astrospeed. Are you going to help or are you going to stand around and beat each other’s brains out?”
“Follow me,” said Lazar. “Some of us want to help!” He scowled at Zavier.
Three of the team members followed Lazar to the lab. Krystal stayed behind. “I’ll just keep the teens company,” she told Duplex who nodded. “Yeah, thanks. That’s a good idea,” he told her.
After they had left she turned to the teens. “I’m the type that likes to take action too ! ” she said. “Consider yourselves with a fully trained pilot.”
Zavier was so thrilled that he rushed over and hugged her. “You’re the best! Now if only you were my sibling instead of that…”
Krystal held up her hand. “Hold it right there. We’re not going to get anywhere if you keep fighting amongst yourselves. I’m putting my neck on the line here, to say nothing of my job.”
“Why are you doing it then?” asked Saffyre.
“I feel sorry for you kids; I know how it feels to lose a parent. This isn’t going to be easy though. We’ll have to steal out to the Saffyre Starlight in the dead of night. Are you game for that?”
“You bet we are,” said Zavier. “At least I think we are, aren’t we girls?” He looked at Saffyre and Amega and they nodded enthusiastically. “I can’t speak for Lazar though.”
“Don’t worry about your brother, I’m sure I can handle him,” replied Krystal confidently. “Let’s agree to meet at the Saffyre Starlight at 1am sharp. Now, no more about it in case we’re overheard okay?” The three teens nodded. “Remember –zero hour 1am.”
Hours later, Saffyre tossed and turned in her bed. She awoke with a start when the digital clock on the wall beeped softly. It was 12.30am! She sat up and quickly dressed. This is not the time to use the transformer she thought, its humming noise might be overheard by one of the team... She shook Amega who groaned. “Leave me alone, it’s late.”
Then she abruptly sat up. She stared at Saffyre, thrilled. “It’s time isn’t it?” Saffyre nodded.
“Shhhh…” she cautioned her sister. “We don’t want to be overheard. Let’s see if the boys are ready.”
They tiptoed into the boys room and found them quietly dressing. “Now follow me,” said Lazar. “We’ll go and meet Krystal. She really came through for us.” The admiration for her was strong in his voice.
As she had promised, Krystal was waiting for them by the starship. “Don’t forget,” she whispered to them. “I will have to file a flight plan to travel into space. It could take some time to get clearance; I hope that ISP won’t report my flight schedule immediately to Inspector Jazelle. We need time to get away. Now Lazar can you open the hatch?”
In his excitement Lazar fumbled with the remote control. Finally the keypad lit up and he keyed in the secret code. His hand shook.
After a wait that seemed to last for hours, the front section opened. “On our way at last!” cried Zavier rushing inside. Then he froze.
Standing in front of him with a stun-gun pointed at them all, stood Duplex.
“I thought you might try and sneak off in the night,” he told them. “That’s why I decided to sleep on the starship. I could put you all under house arrest for this. Put simply, you’re not going anywhere!”