to describe K’tresh, it was even harder to eat. The taste was a mixture of fish and avocado, but with the consistency of grease. Ferdy had assured us it was highly nutritious and completely safe for human consumption.
Still, it wouldn’t have surprised me if someone started growing a second head.
Ebony peered at the plate. ‘There’s only one thing wrong with this.’
‘That is?’
‘The taste. Oh, and the look...and the smell...and...’
‘I get the idea.’
Brodie spoke up. ‘We need some fresh food. And a holiday.’
She was right about that. While we weren’t at the top of the FBI’s most wanted list, we were on it, sandwiched between serial killers, armed robbers and terrorists. It wasn’t a good list to be on. The stress wasn’t easy to take.
‘There is an island approximately thirty nautical miles from our current position,’ Ferdy’s voice came over the loud speaker. ‘Rousseau island.’
‘Whassat?’ Chad said.
Ferdy spelt the word. ‘Named after the French explorer who first discovered it in 1863, it was briefly occupied by a colony before being eventually abandoned.’
‘Why did they leave?’ I asked.
‘They deemed it to have no commercial value, and it is far off the shipping lanes.’
‘So no-one lives there?’ I said. ‘That could prove the ideal place for us to settle down.’
‘That’s right,’ Chad said. ‘Plant lawns. Raise a few kids. Drink beer on the porch while watching TV—’
‘I know what you mean,’ Brodie said, ignoring Chad. ‘Maybe we could set up a base of operations.’
‘And there would be fresh food,’ Ebony added.
‘Fresh food,’ Chad echoed, warming to the idea. ‘No more K’tresh.’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ I said. ‘K’tresh sort of grows on you after a while.’
‘Yeah. Like mold.’
I liked the idea of an island base. Liber8tor was a good ship, but built for a race of warriors, not for comfort. The ship was even capable of interplanetary flight, but that wasn’t on the agenda. Not yet.
Returning to the bridge, I sat down at the environmental console while the others checked their controls. I could only make out a few words in Tagaar. As far as I could tell, Liber8tor was fully operational. Or I hoped it was, anyway.
The clear waters of the Pacific slid past the screen.
‘We are one mile from Rousseau Island,’ Ferdy said.
‘Have we lost the Agency pursuit ships?’ Brodie asked.
‘They are beyond the scope of our senses.’
‘Good. Let’s see this island up close.’
We broke the surface and swooped in low across a white beach. The island was a long, flat piece of land covered in palm trees and thick foliage with a lake in the middle, and a small mountain at the Northern end. A flock of white birds take off in alarm as we approached.
‘Looks like it’s time for chicks and guys to do what comes naturally,’ Chad said, grinning.
‘Uh, what’s that?’ Brodie asked.
‘You know...get down with nature...walk naked among the trees...’
‘You should do that.’
‘Uh...’ Chad went pink as a ghost of a smile creased Brodie’s lips. Months ago, she would have rolled her eyes. Now she was teasing him. This was something new. Something had changed between them while I was in jail.
Or had anything happened between them?
No-one had said anything, but maybe they wouldn’t if Brodie had cheated on me. They may have decided to keep it secret rather than hurt my feelings. I tried pushing the thought from my mind. It was ridiculous. Brodie was my girlfriend. Chad was my friend, maybe my best friend, considering everything we’d been through.
Dan brought the ship down into a small clearing a hundred feet from the beach. We made our way down three levels and stepped out into warm sunshine and fresh air. It was like landing on another world after weeks inside the Tagaar ship.
‘I’d forgotten what the outside world smelt like,’ Ebony said. ‘I am so sick of that ship.’ She added, ‘No offense,
Still, it wouldn’t have surprised me if someone started growing a second head.
Ebony peered at the plate. ‘There’s only one thing wrong with this.’
‘That is?’
‘The taste. Oh, and the look...and the smell...and...’
‘I get the idea.’
Brodie spoke up. ‘We need some fresh food. And a holiday.’
She was right about that. While we weren’t at the top of the FBI’s most wanted list, we were on it, sandwiched between serial killers, armed robbers and terrorists. It wasn’t a good list to be on. The stress wasn’t easy to take.
‘There is an island approximately thirty nautical miles from our current position,’ Ferdy’s voice came over the loud speaker. ‘Rousseau island.’
‘Whassat?’ Chad said.
Ferdy spelt the word. ‘Named after the French explorer who first discovered it in 1863, it was briefly occupied by a colony before being eventually abandoned.’
‘Why did they leave?’ I asked.
‘They deemed it to have no commercial value, and it is far off the shipping lanes.’
‘So no-one lives there?’ I said. ‘That could prove the ideal place for us to settle down.’
‘That’s right,’ Chad said. ‘Plant lawns. Raise a few kids. Drink beer on the porch while watching TV—’
‘I know what you mean,’ Brodie said, ignoring Chad. ‘Maybe we could set up a base of operations.’
‘And there would be fresh food,’ Ebony added.
‘Fresh food,’ Chad echoed, warming to the idea. ‘No more K’tresh.’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ I said. ‘K’tresh sort of grows on you after a while.’
‘Yeah. Like mold.’
I liked the idea of an island base. Liber8tor was a good ship, but built for a race of warriors, not for comfort. The ship was even capable of interplanetary flight, but that wasn’t on the agenda. Not yet.
Returning to the bridge, I sat down at the environmental console while the others checked their controls. I could only make out a few words in Tagaar. As far as I could tell, Liber8tor was fully operational. Or I hoped it was, anyway.
The clear waters of the Pacific slid past the screen.
‘We are one mile from Rousseau Island,’ Ferdy said.
‘Have we lost the Agency pursuit ships?’ Brodie asked.
‘They are beyond the scope of our senses.’
‘Good. Let’s see this island up close.’
We broke the surface and swooped in low across a white beach. The island was a long, flat piece of land covered in palm trees and thick foliage with a lake in the middle, and a small mountain at the Northern end. A flock of white birds take off in alarm as we approached.
‘Looks like it’s time for chicks and guys to do what comes naturally,’ Chad said, grinning.
‘Uh, what’s that?’ Brodie asked.
‘You know...get down with nature...walk naked among the trees...’
‘You should do that.’
‘Uh...’ Chad went pink as a ghost of a smile creased Brodie’s lips. Months ago, she would have rolled her eyes. Now she was teasing him. This was something new. Something had changed between them while I was in jail.
Or had anything happened between them?
No-one had said anything, but maybe they wouldn’t if Brodie had cheated on me. They may have decided to keep it secret rather than hurt my feelings. I tried pushing the thought from my mind. It was ridiculous. Brodie was my girlfriend. Chad was my friend, maybe my best friend, considering everything we’d been through.
Dan brought the ship down into a small clearing a hundred feet from the beach. We made our way down three levels and stepped out into warm sunshine and fresh air. It was like landing on another world after weeks inside the Tagaar ship.
‘I’d forgotten what the outside world smelt like,’ Ebony said. ‘I am so sick of that ship.’ She added, ‘No offense,
Similar Books
The Lifeboat Clique
Kathy Parks
Bleeding Violet
Dia Reeves
Fish Out of Water
Ros Baxter
Patient Z
Becky Black
If I Could Do It Again
Ashley Stoyanoff
Battle Scars
Sheryl Nantus
And Condors Danced
Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Good Girl Gone Plaid
Shelli Stevens
Tamam Shud
Kerry Greenwood
The Language of Flowers
Vanessa Diffenbaugh