Chapter 14
In the Path of an Asteroid
ou think he’s trying to kill us all?” Mia gasped.
“It looks like it. Dexter and I have checked the data over and over again,” answered Duplex. “We are definitely in the path of an enormous asteroid and the Starlight’s steering is completely blocked. You and Dex tried everything you could possibly think of on the Astrospeed earlier. All to no avail.”
“What if we contact Onyx or Inspector Jazelle?” Mia suggested.
“He’s blocked our contact system too,” Dex replied. “Remember we tried frantically to let Jazelle know where the Astrospeed was headed. But we couldn’t make any contact with her at all. Duplex is the only one with a mobile that reaches Azurite, but he lost it on Citrine.”
“How long have we got before the asteroid collides with us?” Mia asked.
“Not long, maybe twenty minutes at the most,” said Dexter. “I’ll keep trying to break through the block on the steering and I’ll keep sending messages to IPU; but right now I don’t like our chances.”
Mia sat next to him tensely. Moments crept by but they seemed no closer to breaking the deadlock on the Starlight’s steering system. Only fifteen minutes remained!
“What’s going on?” Lazar said from behind them. He had just woken up from a short nap. “You look all look so serious.”
At that moment the Starlight began to lurch violently from side to side. Both Zavier and Saffyre woke up and raced into the control room.
“Mum… Dad, what’s happening?” yelled Zavier.
“We’re in the path of an asteroid,” Mia cried. “And very soon it’ll hit us. Quartz has blocked our steering and contact systems.”
“How much time do we have?” Saffyre demanded, looking pale.
“Maybe ten minutes,” replied Dexter. “We have a copy of the travertine-porter at home if only we could make contact with Amega. We could be home in minutes!”
“Quickly, get Excel in here,” Saffyre cried. “Zavier and I installed a contact system in him recently so that we could always get hold of each other. If Quartz’s machine control is aimed at the main system of the Saffyre Starlight, it’s possible that Excel’s portable system may still work and its range is unlimited. It’s worth a try anyway. If we could contact Amega back home then….”
“We could get her to use the tourmaline-porter to send the travertine to us,” finished Zavier.
Lazar returned with Excel immediately. “I hope this works,” he cried.
Saffyre activated the contact mechanism and spoke into the small speaker. “The other speaker is in our home schooling room. Right now, Amega is probably sleeping in there.”
“I hope she hears us,” said Mia.
They watched tensely as Saffyre spoke urgently into the speaker over and over. “Nothing,” she said finally.
“Let me try,” said Zavier.
The Saffyre Starlight was almost out of control now as she pounded from one side to another in the tumultuous pull of the huge asteroid. It was only minutes from them now!
Saffyre watched tensely, Mia took her hand.
Then they heard it….a tiny crackle, then a voice; “Is anyone there?”
“Amega, thank goodness!” Dexter cried, taking the speaker from Zavier. “Listen, honey, could you get the tourmaline-porter and send our new invention to the Saffyre Starlight?”
“What’s going on?” Amega asked. “Are you and Mum okay? I haven’t heard anything for ages. Didn’t you take the travertine-porter with you?”
“Quartz demolished the Amega Astrospeed when we landed on Citrine. The original travertine was destroyed. Please honey, we’ll tell you everything later. We have another copy in the home lab that looks exactly like the original. It is fully labeled. Just get it to us now. Hurry, we’re in grave danger!”
“I can see the asteroid!” Saffyre cried, pointing at the window.
Outside they could see a multitude of small rocks flying around. But coming straight at them was a massive rock that was storming through everything in its path.
“Dad, are you there?” came Amega’s voice. “I’ve got Nova and Kendal with me, we’ve got the travertine-porter and we’re in the laboratory.”
“Yes, I’m here. I need you to key the ‘Saffyre Starlight into the tourmaline-porter and forward the travertine to us.”
“We’re sending it now,” said Amega. “Straight into the control-panel room.”
Seconds passed and then finally the travertine-porter appeared on the panel near the front viewer window. The giant asteroid was almost upon them!
“Quickly, everyone follow me,” ordered Dexter.
Saffyre grabbed Kay4 while Lazar picked up Excel, then they raced into the convalescence room and stood around Ranni’s bed. They linked arms and Dexter switched on the travertine-porter and quickly programmed their destination into it. The laser light fell around them in a blue circle. It hovered for seconds and then they all vanished. At that moment the giant asteroid hit the Saffyre Starlight! It exploded into a massive ball of fire.
Saffyre felt nothing for several seconds, and then slowly, like the return of feeling from utter paralysis, she began to feel her body gradually returning to its usual form. One by one they appeared in the laboratory of their apartment in Star Fire City. Amega stood watching them, an amazed look on her face. Nova and Kendal burst into applause.
“You saved our lives!” Mia cried, racing forward to hug Amega. She looked at Nova and Kendal, “Thank you both for being here with Amega.”
After that, it was utter pandemonium! Zavier was shouting at the top of his voice trying to fill Amega and the team in, on what had happened on Citrine. Saffyre was dancing around hugging Kay4, deliriously happy. Poor Ranni collapsed on the floor and had to be helped to a sofa. Dexter and Duplex watched the group and laughed.
“That was a close call,” said Dex.
“Come here you two,” said Duplex to Saffyre and Zavier. “I should tear into you both for racing ahead in the maze.” Instead he gave each of them a warm hug. “I’m just grateful we’re all alive.”
“Hey you got it easy,” Zavier grumbled. “You had Krystal to lead you through the maze. I’ll bet she took you the easy way; after all, Quartz wanted us all there. Saffyre and had some pretty stiff challenges to face. It was worth it though!” Zavier smiled. “Just to see that creep’s face when his mind control failed!”
“Krystal did lead us straight through,” Duplex admitted. “We were led through the tunnel and weren’t in the main part of the maze like you and Saffyre at all. But Mica was waiting for us with a stun-gun and we were taken to that room where the Professors were being held with Ranni. We waited hours for Quartz. I think he was waiting for you two to get through the maze. I wasn’t suspicious of Krystal up until then, because of the mind-control.”
“Yeah, well I sure was!” Zavier muttered. “And my knuckle-head brother was too smitten to see straight.”
Lazar had just left the room and missed Zavier’s comment, which Saffyre thought was fortunate. “It’s funny,” she said thoughtfully. “You liked Krystal a lot at first, especially when she offered to pilot the Starlight for us. Then you noticed Lazar’s growing feelings for her, and suddenly you were suspicious. Why is that?”
Zavier just shrugged.
In the days that followed Saffyre learned that the effects of the asteroid were far-reaching. Even Azurite, which was far from where the asteroid exploded, felt its after shocks. Onyx reported debris falling and causing significant destruction; the weather was also affected with gale force winds lashing the landscape. Giant waves smashed onto the coastline. Most shocking of all was the fallout in Quartz’s own planet of Citrine. Inspector Jazelle told them that its close proximity to the explosion had caused a massive impact similar to a nuclear bombing. “There may be no survivors on Citrine,” she said.
Lazar was ashen-faced at the news. He tried to shrug it off, but Saffyre could see that it was tearing him up inside. He simply couldn’t believe that Krystal might be gone.
“Quartz underestimated the fallout from the impact of the asteroid hitting the Saffyre Starlight,” explained Dexter. “I’m sorry his daughter was caught in the middle of his vendetta against us, but I am glad that his two inventions were destroyed. IPU is taking steps to ensure that any plans left by Quartz at Malacite, are eliminated.”
The teens continued home schooling for a few weeks and then rejoined their friends at Star Fire Central High.
A crowd gathered around them at once.
“Tell us about Professor Quartz,” Sakura cried. “Was he really trying to kill you?”
“Yeah,” yelled another. “Did you nuke his planet?”
“Of course not…” Zavier began; he broke off as Platona walked over. “What do you want?” he snapped.
“I’ve come to apologize,” she said.
“Yeah, only because you want to hear what happened to us,” cried Zavier. “And two of your gang have left Star Fire High. Not so tough now are you?”
But Saffyre had seen first hand the results of her parent’s feud with Quartz. “I accept your apology,” she told Platona. “And I apologize for hitting you with the tervy-blaster. Why don’t you sit with us?”
Zavier looked mutinous at first and then he shrugged. “Okay, apology accepted.”
Later that day there were two surprises waiting for them.
“Our parents got approval at today’s conference for official testing of the travertine-porter,” Amega told them excitedly. “And guess what? We’ve got a brand new, fully equipped starship!”
“Why do we need one?” Saffyre asked. “Can’t we just use the travertine-porter?”
“We’ll still need it for those times when we need to take equipment with us, or a place to sleep,” Amega replied.
The twins raced to see the new starship. It was the size of a large car with a sleek body, like an eagle in full flight. Inside, it was the same size as their apartment with every imaginable comfort. Not only could it reach ‘astrospeed’ quicker than its predecessors, it had all of the latest technology and equipment.
And the name of the new starship? ‘Lazar Lightspeed.’
“When do I get my name on one?” Zavier demanded.
