Kwaide (The Ammonite Galaxy Series, Book 2)

Chapter Nine

Chapter 9

DIVA WAS ON one of her overnight visits to Valhai, trying to trace Sellite spaceships on the interscreen on the 21st floor of the 256th skyrise when the screen gave a few jumps and produced a sudden burst of static. She frowned, and prodded an irritated finger at the controls.

“… ssschkchkchss … in contact … chkkkkchsss … Diva?… skchks … anybody?” Then it dissolved into a hiss of static.

Diva gave a start. That was a voice she knew well! “Six?” she queried, “Is that you?”

“ssschkchk …”

Diva snarled, and began to punch buttons indiscriminately, whilst calling for Grace and Arcan at the same time. There was no way she could reestablish contact – she had no idea how Six had managed to patch into an interscreen in the first place.

“Can’t you do something, Arcan?” she demanded.

“What do you expect me to do?” the orthogel entity replied in her head. He managed to convey an aggrieved tone to a silent communication.

“Get him back?” Diva rolled her eyes, and stared in a way which would have made her father’s servants leap into action.

“I can’t ‘see’ him, Diva,” Arcan explained in a patient tone, “which means that I can’t localize him. Which means that I can’t travel to where he is.” He shouldn’t expect too much of beings with minor brains such as Diva, he thought to himself.

“Great!” snapped Diva. “Then what on Sacras is the point of having a friend who can travel anywhere in the system instantaneously, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Of course I don’t mind.” Arcan was confused. “Should I? It would be most extraordinary, given my capacity for mental calculation, but I suppose I might find one of your questions difficult to answer …” The voice inside her head trailed off. Arcan clearly found the possibility extremely unlikely.

“Tskk!” she said. Only a silence greeted her, and she found herself missing Six, who would undoubtedly have had a reply for that. Not that she needed the Kwaidian, of course. She was far too independent to need anybody. Just that … sometimes … it was pleasant to have a friend to tease. Grace was a friend too, but – well – Six was easier to bait.

Grace came running in. “Whatever is the matter, Diva?”

When Diva had told her about Six’s call Grace put a hand to her mouth. “Does that mean …? Yes, of course it does.” She looked around excitedly. “He must be free! That is fantastic news …” She noticed that her listeners didn’t appear to share her enthusiasm. “… What?” Her brow wrinkled up. “What’s the matter?”

“We can’t get him back, we don’t know where he is, and Arcan can’t find him,” Diva summed up.

“So?” Grace opened her hands. “All we have to do is find a spacecraft and go and get him. If he is trying to get through to us at least we know he is out there somewhere!”

Diva burst out laughing. “Trust you!” she said. “All we have to do is steal a spaceship and head out into the unknown to find him. Of course!”

“Easy!” Grace spread her palms again. “Is there a problem?” 

“Do you know how to fly a spaceship?” 

“No,” Grace bit her lip, “but I know somebody who can!”

“WHAT!” VION STARED at the two girls once Arcan had carefully deposited him on the 21st floor of the 256th skyrise on Valhai. “You expect me to drop everything, steal a spaceship and abscond with the pair of you into space?”