Jack Strong and the Red Giant

Chapter 20: Hit and Run

How could I have been so stupid? Vyleria thought, letting HIM get the better of me!

It shouldn't have happened. It couldn't have happened.

But it did happen!

She had been far too naïve and trusting. She thought that Xylem would be honourable and would stick to the rules, but she was wrong. He'd rammed her car with his, she'd flown off the race course, crashed, and now he was captain.

Captain. The word stuck in her mouth like a bad taste. Even now she could scarcely believe it. With Xylem captain, anything could happen. And it was all her fault.

He was repellant, disgusting. She didn't like him. She didn't trust him. She didn't even want him aboard the ship. It was probably him that had brought the black goo on board in the first place.

Ever since she'd lost the race she hadn't been herself. "Why didn't I realise the bird planet was all a simulation? Of course it was a simulation! How could it not be? How could I have been so STUPID?"

And now everyone was laughing at her.

How would Jack feel about her now? Would he still look up to her?

She doubted it.

He would probably be on Xylem's side now...

With a sudden flourish a burst of sunlight lit-up the small moon she was standing on, bathing her in light. Even through her spacesuit she could feel its glow as it danced around the coal-black rock.

She always felt at home here on Xanthos, one of her planet's eighteen moons. Here at the North Pole it was completely empty, with much of the mining operations located around the equator. She loved the hum and throb of civilisation but every now and again she had to get away from it all. She first came here on the eve of her maiden space flight and she had been coming back ever since.

It had calmed her then and it was calming her now...

She took one last look at the row of dark, jagged peaks and left the moon behind.

The corridor was empty.

She breathed a huge sigh of relief. She had been ready for them to jump out and start laughing at her again.

SMACK!

Something large and heavy rammed into their spaceship.

What was that?

Then something hit them again, only this time it was louder and with more force. The whole corridor resounded like thunder.

What are they doing up there? She wondered.

She thought about asking Xylem or Jack about what was going on, but thought better of it. All they would do is laugh at her anyway...

There were a few more sounds like they were passing through a solar hurricane and then after that there was complete silence.

She still didn't try and contact them, but strangely enough neither did they.

They are gloating, she thought. They are laughing at me. HE wants me to beg and plead to come back up to the control room. I won't give him the satisfaction!

All of this was happening because she had lost that race. If only she could have the time back and race him again, if only she had a spaceship...

There was a shimmer of blue light and then the next thing Vyleria knew a spaceship was hovering in front of her.

It looked like a small silver triangle, like some kind of aerial drone. It had to be no more than six feet high and wide at best. Perhaps it was remotely-piloted? But then how was she supposed to fly it?