True understanding came in bits and pieces. Words here and there, then phrases, then whole sentences. Coral realised she’d got it when she could read the legends beside the illuminated buttons on the drink dispenser. It was an odd sensation. Her eyes still saw a collection of hieroglyphics, but her brain suddenly made sense of them. It didn’t help her selection though. She tried a flavour called loplebery, took one mouthful and spat it out for the cleany-crawlies to whisk away. It tasted like bitter lemon mixed with chilli.
As they approached Eltheria, Knock Knock Who’s There? joined a stream of in-bound traffic, taking a position a hundred kilometres behind a lumbering freighter at least fifty times their size.
‘Don’t we get priority after all you guys have been through?’ Coral said. ‘I mean, apart from anything else, hasn’t Albert just made the scientific breakthrough of the century with this time-injection stuff?’
‘Our mission was big secret,’ Ludokrus said. ‘Even from us. All we are supposed to know is we go to visit our parent, but absent-minded Albert mix up the coordinate.’
Coral was disappointed. She’d been expecting a little fuss, a little fanfare, not the space equivalent of commuter traffic.
They spent the next hour buckled in their seats on the bridge. Time passed slowly. The view barely changed, despite a readout on the bottom of the screen that said they were travelling at eighty thousand kilometres an hour. An overlay showed they were getting closer to Eltheria, but the actual view of the planet was blocked by the bulk of the freighter ahead of them.
Coral recalled what Ludokrus had told them back on Earth: that space travel was mostly boring. The ships themselves handled everything, so the best thing for the crew to do was sleep.
‘Hey, I’m getting a special transmission for you guys,’ Knock Knock announced suddenly. ‘A one-to-one from the director of the Science Council, no less. Do you want me to ... bleerg ...’
Ludokrus sat up. ‘What was that? What happen?’
‘It’s all right,’ Albert’s voice came online. ‘I’ve just taken temporary control of the ship.’
‘What? You cannot do that! Is illegal. A ship’s mind must never––’
‘A little one-off override I built in when I was repairing it. In case of a situation like this. It will look like a system fault. The self-repair mechanisms are already at work and Knock Knock will have a small memory gap when it recovers. Now, let’s see what Krilen has to say, shall we?’
The image on the main screen flickered for an instant before it was replaced by a smart but sallow-looking man with a deeply lined face, cool appraising eyes and a drooping mouth.
‘Is not Uncle Krilen,’ Alkemy muttered.
‘This is Administrator Almas Meli, Chair of the Eltherian Science Council, to Syntho Albert Kattflapp aboard Knock Knock Who’s There?’
An icon winked in the bottom corner of the screen. The message below it flashed “Voice response only selected.” Administrator Meli would get no return pictures.
‘Albert here,’ Albert said. His voice sounded different. No longer the cool, precise machine, he reverted to his cover personality; bumbling and eccentric. ‘Good afternoon, Administrator.’
‘Good morning.’ They saw Meli glance at the clock at the bottom of his screen. ‘Is there some sort of problem?’
‘Oh, is that bridge camera still out? I thought I’d fixed that. Let me just ...’
There was a fizz and a crackle on the line.
‘Never mind that now,’ Meli snapped. ‘What do you want?’
‘Didn’t you call us?’
‘Only because I have an entry here to contact your ship when it comes within range, presumably set up by my predecessor.’
‘Your predecessor? What happened to Dr Krilen?’
‘Retired due to ill health. Now, would you mind telling me why this automated call was directed at your vessel? A recreational vessel. This is the Science Council. I’m a busy man.’
‘I ... imagine it’s a personal thing,’ Albert said. ‘Dr Krilen is uncle to my companions.’
‘Your companions?’ Meli turned away to consult another screen. When he turned back, his expression was less severe. He even forced a smile.
‘That explains it. How are your companions? Ludokrus and Alkemy Kattflapp, isn’t it? Everyone fit and well?’
‘Oh yes,’ Albert said.
‘Good, good. I see you’re late back. A couple of weeks, in fact. Problems?’
‘Bit of a navigational mix-up.’
‘That shouldn’t normally––’
‘We sustained some damage. A meteor storm. Took a bit of fixing.’
‘And presumably that explains your bridge camera.’
Albert said nothing.
‘Well, I should like to see you all as soon as you return, Albert. I think we may have some things to discuss.’ With a curt nod and cut the transmission. The screen flickered for a moment then the image of the back end of the freighter returned.
There was a long silence before Albert spoke again. ‘Something’s happened since we’ve been away. I just tried Krilen’s private number, but he’s offline.’
‘Administrator Meli did say it was a sudden illness,’ Alkemy said.
‘I also tried your parents’ private numbers. No luck there either. Listen, the ship’s about to come back online so be careful what you say. The natural thing for you to do would be to call your parents via the public channels. Let’s see what the official response is.’
‘... greelb ... patch it through?’ Knock Knock resumed. ‘Oh ... hang on ... I’ve lost it. Must’ve been a wrong number.’
‘While you are there,’ Ludokrus called, ‘please make comm to our parents.’
‘Righty-ho.’ There was a pause then the ship came back with, ‘Good news or bad news?’
‘What?’
‘What d’you want first?’
‘I want both. Just tell.’
‘Well, the bad news is that both your parents are currently off-planet and can’t be contacted. All enquiries have to go to the director of the Science Council.’
Ludokrus and Alkemy exchanged looks.
‘But the good news is that we’ve just been given priority docking clearance. Buckle up everyone. We’re moving into the fast lane!’