Harvey to the bridge
Harvey ordered Snuffles to stay and look after Gordon. Then he suggested Nerdie clean up the disgusting mess the Junk Skunks had made all over the Toxic Spew – starting with the galley. The Nerdbot 1000 cheered up immediately.
‘It’ll be my pleasure, sir!’ he said, efficiently reeling out his VoltaVacuum attachment and taking out an industrial-sized, pump-action, plastic tub of Mountain Breeze and Wild Cherry air freshener.
Harvey belted back up to the bridge to tell Maxie and Gizmo it was all clear. Knowing that the toxic stench of the skunks would hang around the ship for some time yet, he left Yargal’s grubby bandage over his nose and mouth until he got to the safety of the bridge.
As he pelted along the last straight of corridor, his space boots squelching and sticking to the filthy deck as he ran, he allowed himself to feel a bit pleased with himself for having dealt with the Junk Skunks.
Like a lot of people who are outstandingly good at something (football, in his case), Harvey was usually pretty modest about it. But then, let’s face it, when the rest of your team are clapping you on the back and voting you ‘Man of the Match’, and you’ve just scored your third hat-trick of the season, you don’t need to brag about it, do you?
But on this occasion, to be honest, Harvey was looking forward to seeing the look on Maxie’s face when he burst onto the bridge to say it was safe.
It was a shame he wasn’t also looking forward at where he was going.
SLAM!
DOOOOF!
Harvey ran slap bang into the bridge doors and poleaxed painfully onto the deck. He’d expected them to open automatically, like they always did, promptly and with a satisfying
SCHWOOOSH …
They hadn’t.
Harvey staggered to his feet and pounded on the doors. ‘Maxie? Gizmo?’ he shouted. ‘Open up!’ There was no reply.
Harvey to the rescue
He ran to the nearest ship intercom (which turned out to be the one just outside the toilets).
‘Harvey to the command bridge. Are you there?’ he cried.
(I hate to interrupt at this exciting moment, but is it me, or does that seem a completely absurd question?
I mean:
a) Where did he think the command bridge would be? Wandering around the ship on its own? Gone out for a pizza? In a parallel universe having crossed the time space portal wotsit thingy to another world?
And
b) Even if it was where he had left it (which it was) how did he think the command bridge could actually answer him? Huh? It’s just a room full of technical kit and other cosmic clutter and a handful of tatty old seats, for crying out loud.)
Since there was no reply, Harvey tried the computer.
‘Captain Harvey!’ it replied in its digital voice. ‘Is that really you? What a lovely surprise! I thought you’d died. Like the bridge crew,’ it finished casually.
‘What?!’ exclaimed Harvey.
‘At least, I think they’re dead. They look pretty dead to me,’ it announced cheerfully. ‘They’ve gone all limp and they haven’t moved for ages.’
‘Open the bridge doors!’ barked Harvey.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes!’
‘Don’t you think you’re a teeny, tiny bit young to go onto the command bridge all on your own and discover your crew mates slumped dead and lifeless in their seats?
‘No, now OPEN THE DOORS!’ yelled Harvey.
‘Is that OPEN THE DOORS, please?’ snipped the computer.
‘NO! It’s OPEN-THE-DOORS-AND-THAT’S-AN-ORDER!’ bawled Harvey.
‘Tut, tut! Manners!’ sniffed the computer.
Harvey tore along the filthy corridor and onto the bridge.
SCHWOOOOSH …
Maxie and Gizmo were both collapsed at their desks. The skunk stink had seeped onto the bridge through the air vents.
‘Maxie!’ cried Harvey, rushing over to the pilot. To his enormous relief she was alive and breathing, and to be accurate, dribbling a bit. He tried shaking her, but he couldn’t wake her. She was out cold. And so was Gizmo.
And worse …
The Toxic Spew was hurtling through space, completely out of control!
And even worse …
Glancing out of the front vision screen, Harvey’s blood froze … and his heart leapt into the back of his throat.
A colossal spaceberg was looming towards them. It was so close Harvey could clearly see a snow-covered mountain spewing out enormous lava balls. You know, those mega-terrifying, blubblering-blue, ice-cold, freeze-exterminating intergalactic type ones.
And much, much worse … they were ALL GOING TO DIE!