‘Presentation concluded,’ the robotic voice said. ‘No further access permitted.’ The memory bulb popped from the receiver back into Alkemy’s hand.
‘Presentation?’ she said. ‘Does that mean Albert make this special for us?’
‘Like edited highlights.’ Tim said. ‘Notice how it was translated too?’
They sat staring at the static till Norman took the receiver back and switched it off.
‘It’s starting to make sense,’ Tim added. ‘Like Norman said yesterday, the Sentinels set the whole thing up. They caught Albert, tried to get his memory bulb, and realised there was something special about it. So they used him to lure us there, used Alkemy to get it, then tried to dissolve her around it so the bulb wouldn’t self-destruct.’
She said, ‘Remember in the fungus room, when we first go in and hide? We go to sleep, but something shake and make us wake.’
Tim recalled the slimy goo on his shoulder and in her hair. ‘The Sentinels didn’t want to leave us there for the fungus to digest. They wanted us to find that trough so they could use it to digest you.’
Coral said, ‘Who was the guy with the blue hair? You called him uncle.’
‘Not real uncle. Old family friend. But important man. Head of the Science Council.’
‘And the other people he mentioned? Marileon and Dudilo?’
‘Our parent.’
‘Your parents? You mean your parents helped set this whole thing up?’
Ludokrus shrugged. ‘To mix the coordinates seems like a good plan.’
‘Yeah, when you left. Twenty-five years ago. You’ve probably got a whole new family now.’
Tim saw the look on Alkemy’s face and put in quickly, ‘I had no idea Albert was so special.’
‘He is always special,’ she said.
‘Special all right,’ Coral said. ‘What did that Krilen guy say? The most powerful thinking machine you’ve ever produced. Wow!’
‘So, a secret plan,’ Norman said, ‘but why reveal it now? You heard blue-hair. If the Thanatos catch you, they’ll find out everything in a few hours. We already know the reason you came here: to find out what’s going on. Albert told us that himself the other day, before your ship was blown up.’
‘I think he was being more subtle than that,’ Tim said. ‘If they get caught now, the Thanatos won’t believe they’re just a couple of lost travellers, not after all that’s happened with the Sentinels. But by showing them that presentation, he’s given them a memory of how they were duped. That they’re innocent. It really was nothing to do with them. So the Thanatos will be more likely to let them go.’
‘But what about the memory bulb?’
‘Obviously the Eltherians want to get that back. But if the Thanatos catch them before they get home, they can just drop it and it’ll self-destruct.’
‘He really was a man on a mission, eh?’
‘More. He was the mission,’ Ludokrus said. ‘Now is our job to complete and take his thought and memory home with us. You all have help. Our peoples and our planet will be much grateful.’
Tim and Norman grinned. Coral bit her lip.
‘Coo-ee!’ a voice called across the clearing.
‘Oh no,’ Coral groaned.
‘What ...?’
‘Alice!’
‘Maybe she bring more piglets.’
‘Pikelets. And it doesn’t look like it.’
All she was carrying was a brown leather shoulder bag.
‘Is Albert about?’ she called, eyeing the Cadillac.
‘He ... go for walk.’
‘Oh. When will he be back?’
‘Long walk. Not back for some time.’
‘I see.’
She stood, uncertain. Then they heard the sound of a car approaching on Rata Road. They turned and looked. It turned their way. Flashes of yellow paintwork showed through the gaps in the intervening trees.
‘I know that car,’ Tim said. ‘It’s Cakeface.’