Entering the Weave

Josh woke early the next day, long before the sun had risen, but he was still not the first up. Crawling out of his tent he saw Sir Trevor silhouetted against the dawn sky, gazing across the valley at the mountain of Wayna Picchu, hands clasped behind his back and bouncing himself up on his toes. A fleeting wisp of memory tugged at Josh’s mind, but as soon as he registered the thought it was gone.

Josh sat at the entrance to his tent and watched the camp bustle into life. The porters and guides had done this many times before and they knew their jobs, but the scientists and security guards from Tech-Tonic still managed to get in the way and slow things down.

Even with the help of Josh’s dad and the other scientists the camp was dismantled fairly quickly and before long Josh found himself trying to attach a rucksack to his father, while everyone else trooped into the ruins.

“Come on, Josh.” Sir Trevor’s voice called from the front of the expedition. “We don’t want to waste the morning, do we?”

Eventually, after Josh’s dad had decided to carry the rucksack like a briefcase, they set off after everybody else. Even though they were someway behind and eager to see what was going to happen today, they didn’t want to rush. Josh had never seen such an amazing place in his life.

The village was built high on a ridge overlooking narrow valleys on either side. Larger mountains crowded around in all directions. The ruins themselves were well preserved and had been carefully looked after recently, with well tended lawns between the buildings. They would have looked spectacular anywhere else in the world, but with the enormous fang of Wayna Picchu looming above them, the scene was truly breathtaking. The mountain was dwarfed by some of its surrounding neighbours, but its sheer jaggedness and dizzying proximity gave it an imposing eminence.

“Isn’t this amazing?” Josh’s dad repeated. “I mean, really amazing.”

Josh nodded again. He felt uplifted by the scenery. He wanted to explore every nook of the ancient city and then roam around the area, but he remembered Geigerzalion and they walked a little faster so they wouldn’t be left too far behind.

They caught up with the rest of the party on the far side of the city where a narrow path led along the ridge and up the seemingly impassable sides of Wayna Picchu.

Professor Ackermann and the other scientists were setting up an array of what looked like satellite dishes which were all pointing up the path. The professor made some final adjustments and then, after receiving a nod from Sir Trevor, he flicked a switch and the machinery whirred into life.

A deep hum reverberated about the clearing as the dishes slowly turned like flowers following the sun. Josh didn’t know what was going on, but he could feel the tension beginning to fill the air as tangibly as the sound of the machines.

Sir Trevor stood with his arms crossed again and drummed his elbows impatiently with his fingers. “Is this working, Ackermann?”

“We will have to be waiting for a while, but I am thinking that, yes, it is working.”

The sound disappeared with a sudden whine, and a shower of sparks erupted from one of the machines. The professor scurried over to the smoking dish and wafted a clipboard at it. Sir Trevor looked skywards muttering.

“How long will it take to repair it, Ackermann?” There was a savage tone in Sir Trevor’s voice.

“Not long. Not long. I can see the problem. Two hours.”

“Make it one hour.” He turned to the rest of the group smiling. There was no trace of anger now and Josh wondered if he had imagined it. “Well guys, I guess you’ve got an opportunity to take a look at the ruins. Any of you the professor doesn’t need, that is. But can you all make sure to come back here in an hour?”

There was a mumble of consent. Most people unslung their rucksacks and sat on them, but Josh was thrilled. A hour to explore!

He looked up the mountain and spotted an outcrop of rock not far up the path that should give him a splendid view of the layout of the buildings. He dropped his bag and started up the path.

“Josh?” Kat had appeared by his side. “Where are you going?”

He pointed at the ledge. “We’ll get a great view from up there.”

The path was wider than it had looked from the ruins and the climb was not difficult. After a few minutes Josh and Kat were sitting side by side overlooking the ancient city.

“We should have bought a guide book.” Josh said. “I don’t know what any of the buildings are.”

“Does it matter?”

“I suppose not. I didn’t know anything like this existed. It’s amazing to think that all those years ago people lived their lives here. They probably never left these valleys. Do you think they thought the whole world was as beautiful as this?”

Josh didn’t hear the answer to his question. A blinding pain exploded behind his eyes. He brought his hands to his forehead trying anything to change the feeling, pressing, pushing, trying to squeeze the agony away, but nothing made it better.

“Josh? Are you okay?”

He tried to speak, but couldn’t concentrate on anything but the pain. Bile rose in his throat and his stomach started to ache as his muscles protested from the constant tensing. He made a noise through his nose, and slumped over on his side.

The pain vanished.

He lay still breathing hard, barely daring to breathe in case the pain returned. Kat was kneeling by his side stroking his head. “What’s wrong Josh?”

“I’m okay.” He said, gingerly lifting his head from the coolness of the rock. “It was a headache. It’s gone.“

“You went as white as a sheet. I thought…”

“It hurt.” Josh said and he heard a little bit too much childishness in his voice. He flushed. “I’m alright now.”

“Good. Don’t scare me like that. Josh?”

Josh was staring up at the mountain with wide eyes.

“Josh?” Kat shook his shoulder.

“I know where we have to go. It’s like I’ve been here before. Come on, I’ve got to tell Sir Trevor.”

Josh ran hell for leather down the path, oblivious of the sheer cliffs to either side of him. His feet knew where every loose stone was as if he had hurtled down the mountain a thousand times before.

He was breathless when he came to the semicircle of machines. The professor had his head actually inside one of them, and his assistants were running around frantically.

“Where’s…Sir…Trevor?” He gasped. “I…”

“Here I am Josh. Calm down.” A firm hand settled on Josh’s shoulder. “What’s wrong? I don’t think the professor’s going to get this contraption working for a while yet.”

“I know where we have to go. I’ve been here before.”

Sir Trevor looked surprised. “You truly are a remarkable young man Josh. Can you lead the way?”

Kat stamped into the clearing. “Well, thank you very much Josh. Leaving me on the side of a mountain like that.”

“Please, Katrina.” Sir Trevor snapped and she glared at him.

“Yes, I think so. There’s a tunnel around the side of the mountain that leads inside the mountain. We…I mean the people who used to live here called it the Chamber of Unholy Beasts.”

“How far?”

“A couple of miles, I guess.”

“Well done Josh.” Sir Trevor clapped him on the back. “Professor, pack up what we need. We’ll move out in five minutes.” He smiled at Josh again and strode off purposely.

Josh looked about for Kat, but she had gone. His dad appeared next to him and pulled him away from everyone else.

“You’ve never been here before Josh. How do you know about all this?”

“I don’t know. I was just sitting up there and memories just appeared in my head. I know they’re right. They’re real.” He started to feel a little bit silly. He knew he had never been here before, so how could he know? “Look I know what I’m talking about, right.”

His father withdrew his hands that had been resting on his shoulders. “Josh?”

“Yeah?” The irritation was anger now. “Why don’t you believe me?”

“I do. I believe you.” His father said softly.

Josh sighed heavily.

“Just remember Josh, that there are forces at work here that none of us understand.”

Josh nodded. He wasn’t angry anymore, but he couldn’t bring himself to apologise.

“Are we ready here, Josh? Thomas?” Sir Trevor had come back.

“Yes, sir. Ready for the off.” Josh’s dad replied quickly and they didn’t get chance to say much more to each other.

Sir Trevor ordered everyone to hurry up and generally made a nuisance of himself until they had finally set off again around the side of the mountain.

Most of the porters were local to the mountains and had shepherded hundreds of tourists over the whole area of Machu Picchu. None of them had heard of the Chamber of the Unholy Beasts, which was causing some muttering from the scientific members of the party. Sir Trevor, however, waved their concerns aside and ordered the expedition to follow Josh wherever he led them.

The path was rocky and dangerous and Josh pressed on ahead determinedly. He had seen and done things over the past few days that had altered his perception of reality, and he tried to convince himself that this new memory was just another aspect of what was happening.

Kat, who had been walking with his father, caught him up and smacked him in the back of the head.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“You know what that was for Josh. You’re an idiot.” She sniffed primly, which was something he had never seen her do before. He realised then that she had removed all her makeup and looked even more beautiful.

“Well…I’m sorry.” He said rubbing his head and trying furiously not to look embarrassed. “You weren’t going to get lost or anything.”

“That’s not the point and you know it.” She looked away. “I was really worried about you.”

“I know. I am sorry Kat. I didn’t know what was going on really, but I felt…” He stopped walking abruptly.

Sir Trevor was stooping by his side before he could answer. “You can still remember where you’re going, can’t you Josh?”

“Yes. The tunnel’s just up here.”

After a few minutes though, he came to a sudden halt and looked up. He didn’t recognise this place. There should have been a shoulder of rock with the path following it upwards, but the path now zigzagged down. He felt his insides squirming as he wondered how to tell Sir Trevor that he was lost.

“Everything alright Josh?”

“Er… we should go up here.”

“Oh.” Sir Trevor eyed the sheer cliffs. “We have to climb?”

Josh nodded doubtfully and looked at the rocks. They looked impossible to climb and he winced with embarrassment.

“Righto!” Sir Trevor was undeterred. “Lex!” He called one of his burly henchmen forward. Like all the bodyguards he had swapped his black suit for jungle fatigues now and wore a belt that appeared to hold every useful device ever invented.

“Sir?”

“Can you clamber up there and find our tunnel?”

“Yes, sir.” He whistled loudly and another brawny man pushed up the line and the two of them began to climb up the cliff. About fifty feet up Lex stopped and disappeared from view. A moment later his head reappeared.

“There’s a small cave here. It goes quite a way in.”

“Thank you, Lex. Can you rustle up something to help us less able bodies get up there.”

“Yes sir.”

Josh watched the two men construct a winch and pulley system and marvelled at their no nonsense skill. He thought his imagination was a very small thing when compared with this practical intelligence as before long scaffolding and platforms and ladders had been erected giving even the least coordinated scientist access to the tunnel Lex had found.

“Is this it, Josh?” For the first time Sir Trevor sounded dubious.

“Yes. But I think perhaps just a few of us should go in to explore.”

“Sir. This cave cannot be more than a few metres deep. The rock formations indicate…” Dr Soames, a geologist dressed in a tweed jacket, began to protest, but seemed to rather run out of steam when confronted by Sir Trevor’s withering glare.

“I’ve followed you so far Josh, and you haven’t lead us wrong. Lead on.” Sir Trevor passed him an enormous torch.

Josh clambered inside, followed by Kat and Mr Oakhampton. Josh heard other people scraping knees and banging elbows as they entered but he wasn’t sure who was following. He hoped Coel and his father were there.

The tunnel began to slope downwards more sharply and Josh stumbled. Only Kat’s reflexes prevented him from careering into the blackness ahead. He pointed the torch down at his feet and the light gleamed off a metallic protrusion.

He knelt down to examine it more closely and was quickly joined by Sir Trevor who was more or less crawling now.

“Well, there you are Josh. Never doubted you for a second.” He said peering at the shiny mushroom that seemed to be growing out of the solid rock.

“What is it?” Kat asked.

“I couldn’t tell you my dear, but it certainly isn’t the type of thing you’d usually find in a cave. The professor will know. Professor!”

With much contortion and writhing the professor managed to get a look at what had caused such a fuss. He was rather offhand to begin with, as if whatever he was going to look at was a waste of his time. He had not been pleased when Sir Trevor had abandoned the machines and followed Josh’s whimsy up the mountain, but when he saw the object his attitude towards Josh and the cave changed completely.

He produced what looked like a silver pencil from alongside his neat row of biros in his breast pocket and gently touched the metallic mushroom with its end. The results he obtained must have been good because he got even more excited.

“It is exactly the same compound the other spacecraft is being made from. Forgive my doubting, Joshua.” He stood up sharply to extend a hand of apology to Josh and cracked his head against the rock above him. His eyes rolled back and he slumped back down to the floor.

“Professor!” Sir Trevor shouted into the prostrate man’s face. “Wake up you loon.” But he didn’t wake up and a rivulet of blood emerged from his hairline and trickled down his forehead.

“Oh well. He’ll be alright here I think. We’d better press on.”

“We can’t leave him here. He’s really hurt.” Kat was appalled.

“Really? Oh I suppose you’re right.” Sir Trevor sighed a long suffering sigh. “Let’s carry him outside then.”

“We can’t do that either We shouldn’t move him.”

“Oh for goodness sakes.” Sir Trevor’s voice conveyed considerable annoyance now. “It’s just a bash on the head. He’ll be fine. Lex, Yakob take him outside.”

The two burly body guards, who seemed to fill the entire width of the tunnel, dragged the unconscious man back, before Kat could protest any more.

“We have proper doctors outside, Katrina. He’ll be fine.” He patted Kat on her shoulder. “Come on, Josh.”

It was dim in the cave but Josh could plainly see the shock on Kat’s face. The professor’s breathing had been shallow and Josh suspected the crack on his old head had done more damage than it would have done to a younger man.

“Sir Trevor, can we just wait a minute and see if the professor’s all right?”

The tall man turned on Josh and stared wide eyed at the boy. Josh had never seen such hateful anger directed at him and he stumbled backwards, and this time Kat was not there to save him and he found himself tumbling down the passageway.

“Josh!”

Kat’s scream echoed after him, as he felt the damp hardness of the tunnel biting into his shoulders and neck. He dropped the torch and it wheeled away as he slid down, flashing end over end ahead of him. Panic gripped him as he reached out on both sides, trying to gain purchase on the slippery rock. He cried out as every part of him seemed to crack against the unforgiving rock.

Time slowed down for him as he realised that he could be hurtling towards a chasm and he renewed his frantic efforts, not caring about the damage he was doing to his hands, just scrabbling to stop himself by any means.

Something caught his ankle and he crumpled to a stop and the dimness of the tunnel was replaced by the blazing light of a torch shining directly into his eyes.

“Josh are you alright? Are you hurt?” Sir Trevor’s face was only millimetres from his own. “I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to startle you. Please wake up.”

Josh felt as though the entire weight of the mountain was crushing his bones. He tried to lift his head up and groaned with the effort. He could not mistake the genuine look of relief in Sir Trevor’s eyes. Josh smiled weakly.

“I’m okay I think.” He managed to push himself up onto his elbows, but a sharp splinter of pain in his leg made him slump onto his back again with a whimper. “My leg…”

“Oh Josh!” Kat was peering at him from beyond his feet and he could see her cheeks glistening in the torchlight. “The doctor’s coming.”

He tried to smile back at her, but all he could manage was a pathetic grimace.

“Doctor, hurry up.” Sir Trevor bellowed back up the tunnel. Josh felt a familiar hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his dad kneeling beside him.

“How are you feeling Josh?” He smiled down at him and Josh felt the panic in his stomach settling. He smiled back more bravely now.

“Not that great, dad. I think I’ve broken my leg.”

“You’ll be fine. Look, the doctor’s here.”

The faces around him withdrew into the shadows to give the doctor room to examine him. Josh closed his eyes as the firm hands prodded and pressed; he nodded responses to the few questions the doctor asked.

“Your ankle is sprained.” The doctor said eventually, “But it’ll heal. It’ll heal well. I’ll dress it here and then you need to rest for a while. Later we’ll attempt to get you back up there.” The doctor pointed up the tunnel and Josh, for the first time he realised he had come to rest in a large cavern.

He twisted around as much as he could to get a better look, but he didn’t need to because he could see it in his memory. A hectic maze of thick stalagmites and stalactites seemed to support the roof to either side, like the columns of a church.

Josh tried to sit up again, but the doctor reprimanded him for fidgeting.

“It’s through there.” Josh pointed through the stone columned jungle. “The Chamber of the Unholy Beasts.”

“That doesn’t matter just yet, Josh.” His dad said quietly. “Just concentrate on getting better.”

“Is the professor alright?” Josh asked suddenly.

Kat answered while directing an evil stare at Sir Trevor. “He’s okay, Josh.”

“He’s got a hard skull to protect his enormous brain.” Sir Trevor grinned, totally oblivious to the ocular daggers being thrown at him. “He’ll be down to see you in a few minutes.”

The doctor injected something into his leg and Josh felt light headed, and then slightly wonderful. The pain disappeared like a suddenly banished dream and he felt a surge of strength returning to his body.

“Wow! What was that?”

“Just a pain killer.” The doctor said quickly. “Do you feel better?”

“I feel fine. Is my leg better?”

“No,” the doctor chuckled, “but once the field splint is attached you should be able to walk with the help some crutches.”

Josh was sitting upright now. All his pain was gone and after the doctor had tightened the plastic straps of the splint around his leg he tried to stand up and, to his and Kat’s and his father’s obvious surprise, he managed it.

“You’re the best doctor in the world.” Josh laughed, although he wasn’t quite sure why.

Toby enjoyed his tour around the city but he couldn’t completely stop worrying about the Library’s assertion that the Doge was still alive and in league with Geigerzalion somehow.

Rose took him to meet a few of her friends. Most of them had been programmers of some distinction and Toby felt quite awed by such lofty company. They were all fascinated by him though, and kept questioning him about how he traversed from the real world to the city. He told them all he could, and they discussed what he said excitedly.

The sun was setting as they walked back to his bedroom in the tower. They meandered down one of the wide boulevards that crisscrossed the city and dark clouds were lining the reddening sky. Toby had begun to think of the place as beautiful.

“Are they happy here, Rose? The real people I mean.”

“Most of us are now. I think I’d prefer to at least be able to visit my body once in a while, but now the Doge has gone, I think we can build a new life here. We did construct it with the idea of losing ourselves in a fantasy world.” She laughed lightly. “We didn’t think we’d be quite so successful.”

“Really?” Toby shook his head and then realised that he was being tactless. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“It’s fine Toby. We’ve had a long time to come to terms with it and since the Doge has gone this city seems like it might not be such a bad place to live.”

“Do you think he’ll come back?”

“If he does, we’ll be prepared for him this time.” Rose said firmly. “We’re not powerless in our own Vrealm, you know. We created this place and as time goes on we are regaining our powers.”

One of the puppet people lurched around the corner just ahead of them, with its arms and legs flailing around with even less coordination than usual. It still wore a mask, and Toby felt a thrill of fear as he recognised it as the Panjandrum of the Doge.

It stopped its jerky dance when it saw them and a dry whisper floated from behind the mask.

“It’s your fault. You.” It pointed a wooden finger at Toby. “You drove him away. But I can join him. The end is nigh.” The puppet’s voice rose to a shriek and it let out a high pitched mirthless laugh. “Can’t you feel it?”

Rose shook her head sadly. “It’s been lurching around ever since the Doge went, crying about how his master was the rightful ruler of the city and how he would wreak a terrible vengeance on those who revelled while he was away. Poor thing.”

Toby had been backing away from the mad creature, but Rose’s sympathy made him stop. He looked at the puppet gesticulating at him and at Rose and at the city around him and felt a curious feeling of belonging. He had spent a long time trying to find a place like this, filled with people like Rose and her friends.

The puppet suddenly let out a wail unlike any it had made before and crumpled to the ground. Toby reached it first and saw that the mask had slipped from the puppet’s face in the fall. Its expressionless eyes stared up at him.

“My wait is over and my punishment complete. I shall rejoin my master and when we are victorious in our struggle I shall return and kill you.” The statement was so lucid that Toby couldn’t help himself from taking a step back. As Rose appeared at his side, the puppet disappeared from within its voluminous robes.

Toby blew out a sigh of relief. “Well I guess that’s over then?”

Rose stared at the empty clothes in disbelief. “I’m not so sure about that Toby. It shouldn’t have disappeared. Deep magic is at work here, or at least someone’s powerful Kung Foo. What did he say to you?”

“He said he was going to rejoin his master. And that he was going to come back and kill me!”

“This is interesting Toby. If this puppet can leave this Vrealm then perhaps we all can. Where do you think he will have gone?”

“I don’t know! He said he was going to come back and kill me.”

“Yes, yes I know. I wouldn’t worry about that.”

“Well pardon me. I sort of can’t really help it, you know. I don’t get death threats every day.”

“Toby.” Rose said reasonably. “You can leave this city any time you want to. If he comes back, just open your eyes back home and you’ll disappear. His disappearance means it may be possible for any denizen of this place to escape. We just need to find out how.”

“Escape to where?”

“Well, maybe we could transfer between here and that ancient virtual reality the Library was talking about.”

They were walking past some wide steps leading up to a vast columned building.

“This is where we first appeared, isn’t it? Me and Josh?”

“Yes. You’ll have popped up through one of the pools.” Rose nodded and then froze.

“If we can get in…” But Toby didn’t finish because Rose was gliding away up the steps. “Rose! Wait for me.”

He bounded after her and into the forest of columns. Just as when he had been chased by the puppet people seemingly a lifetime ago, Toby could not see any distinguishing features on the columns but Rose found a pool almost immediately.

“Is it this one?”

Toby shrugged. “I don’t know. It looks like it.”

Rose floated out over the pool and then slipped into the water, her ethereal figure leaving no trace on the surface. A few seconds later she appeared again shaking her head.

“Nope. This one’s dead.”

They tried five or six more before they found one where Rose stayed underwater for much longer. Toby lay down on his front with his head hanging over the side and tried to see what she could be doing down there, but it was too dim and he couldn’t see anything except his own reflection. It was strange seeing himself in this other world, because although he recognised himself he didn’t look quite the same as he did in the real world.

Rose’s head emerged from beneath his reflection.

“There is an anomaly down here. Like some of the code’s been rewritten.” She levitated completely out of the water and came to sit next to him, pondering. “Where did you come from? I mean what Vrealm connects through there?”

Toby told her about the Alpine factory and how they had freed ZX82, before escaping through the lift shaft.

“ZX82? Was he the shining entity? One of these Delphixians you were talking about?”

“Yes.”

“I think he has done us a great service. I should be able to manipulate the code down there so we can go through. Follow me.” And she slipped back into the water once more.

Toby took a deep breath and jumped into the pool. He had expected it to be cold and at least wet, but he found himself floating down through air towards a rough stone floor. He looked up and saw the torch light of the huge hall rippling through the surface. Below him he saw a jagged crack stretching along the flagstones beneath him. Rose was standing next to it waving her arms around and as he settled beside her, rays of brilliant orange light erupted from the darkness. Rose’s translucent forehead was furrowed with concentration.

“Nearly there.” She gasped. “Nearly.”

There was a wrenching shudder and Rose slumped to her knees. “I wrote this code. It should be easy for me to rewrite it.” She shook her head, but she was smiling triumphantly. “Maybe I’m getting too old for this.”

Toby felt a breeze brushing through his hair and a force was urging him forwards. He instinctively leant back, resisting the pull.

“It’s okay Toby. We need to go through, before this connecting Vrealm is sucked into the cyberspace void.”

Uncertainly, he followed her through the crack into the biting cold of winter and he fell heavily onto his back, losing his breath as the wind was forced out of his lungs. He looked up into a starry sky that was much crisper than the night of Vienopolis. He struggled to his feet holding his aching sides and recognised the place instantly.

The factory had been razed to the ground; its massive steel cubes reduced to black scars in the snow. Toby wondered at the power that could have devastated those solid buildings so completely.

“What happened here? The code has been torn apart.” As Rose spoke the surrounding mountains flickered like a badly tuned television. “We must leave quickly. I don’t know what will happen to us if this Vrealm collapses. Where is the exit?”

“I don’t know.”

“You must remember Toby. You came here before…”

Toby shook his head. “Geigerzalion brought us here from Shiver. He had a room in the walls of Castle Wolfenbach. He did something to the pictures he had there and we ended up here. I don’t know how he did it.”

Rose frowned and Toby watched her face as she concentrated on the code beneath the visuals.

“It’s useless.” She said eventually. “There’s nothing leading here and no way out as far as I can see. I’m sorry Toby.”

“Sorry? Why?”

“We can’t get back. We’re trapped.”

“I can though can’t I? I mean if I wake up in my bedroom. I’ll leave this all behind? Won’t I?” He felt frightened again. He had come to terms with his odd double existence because he had felt safe and in control. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and tried to wake his body back in the real world but he felt a loose emptiness, like a fisherman who’s line has been cut.

“What can we do?”

“We can just wait and see what happens when the Vrealm collapses. We might be okay.” Toby heard the lie in her voice.

The cavern deep within Wayna Picchu was now noisy with generators and other equipment and all the scientists and technicians were gabbling about like geese. Sir Trevor had sent a team of porters to investigate what was behind the columns of stalagmites and stalactites. They had returned with the news of a metal tunnel flanked by two spheres, both of which contained a perfectly preserved dinosaur.

“The Chamber of Unholy Beasts indeed. Just as you said Josh. You can imagine how the aboriginals would have thought they were demons.” The professor, who was sporting a preposterous bandage which made his head look twice its normal size, was buzzing around the cavern delighting himself with every new reading he got from all the equipment.

Josh was sitting examining the splint on his leg with Kat and his father. Kat was furious that the whole expedition had not been called off, but Josh kept insisting that he was fine and eventually even managed to mention that he was ready to explore further.

“You will not.” Kat retorted angrily. “You’ve broken your leg Josh. What’s more important? This Geigerzalion can wait for a day or so. You need to rest.”

“I’m afraid that might not be possible.” Sir Trevor said quietly. None of them had seen him approach.

“Oh really? You think it’s okay to risk Josh’s leg, do you?” Kat turned on the him.

“We’ve got no choice. We’ll have to make the connection in the next few hours otherwise the professor says we won’t be able to try again for a couple of weeks. Alignment problems or something.”

“How inconvenient for you.” She folded her arms.

“Young lady, you don’t seem to realise how important this discovery is. We could change the world forever with what we find today.”

“I don’t care. The world can wait. Josh needs to rest.”

“It’s okay Kat. I…” Josh faltered when Kat turned to glare at him, but he avoided her eyes and pressed on. “Geigerzalion needs me. I’ve seen his suffering and it’s greater than mine. I know you mean well, Kat, but I need to do this.”

Kat looked into his eyes and smiled. “You’re just too nice Josh. But if you hurt yourself even more, I’ll kill you.”

Josh smiled, leant forward and hugged her. “Thank you.” He whispered. “I’m glad you care.”

She pushed him away gently and kissed him on his cheek. “Be careful.”

Sir Trevor slapped him on the back. “That’s my boy!”

The dinosaurs inside the spheres at the entrance to the tunnel were indeed fearsome, fifteen feet tall monsters of muscles, teeth and claws. Josh felt uneasy as his recently acquired memories reached through time and reminded him of the fear and awe these beasts had invoked when they had been discovered by the original inhabitants of Machu Picchu. The spheres were full of the pale embalming fluid and cables twisted out from the dinosaurs’ heads.

The tunnel itself was almost identical to the tunnels of the spacecraft back in England, although it did have a flat walkway underfoot, while the same busy mosaic of knobs and dials covered the walls and ceiling.

Sir Trevor had chosen only a few people to come with them on this final stage of the expedition. Lex and Yakob carefully led the way, with Sir Trevor following eagerly at their shoulders. Josh, Coel and Kat, who had absolutely insisted that she was coming, came next and then Josh’s father and the professor. Two more burly bodyguards brought up the rear.

“I think this is one of the lower corridors. If the layout of this installation is the same as ours, then we should soon find the central chamber.” The professor was studying a handheld computer as they made their way along the passageway.

A few seconds later the tunnel did open out but the darkness swallowed their torch beams, which meant that only the echoing sounds of their footsteps gave them any indication of the true size of the artificial cavern they had entered. The walls, covered with the same patterns of controls as the tunnel disappeared above them.

“We need to find a control room, which if I’m not very much mistaken should be over here.” The professor keyed in a couple of commands on his computer. “Ah, yes. Here we are.” He scurried away from the group and soon they could only see his torch as a speck of light floating in the darkness.

“I can’t sense anything at all.” Coel whispered. Josh had felt him take a gentle, but tense, hold of his elbow in the tunnel. “I’ve never felt truly blind before. I’m not going to be much use to you here.”

A scream echoed out from the direction of the professor’s torch. The four bodyguards leapt into action. Two of them covering Sir Trevor, while Lex and Yakob almost squashed Josh between them.

“It’s alright. I’m sorry to have been alarming anyone.” The professor called out and everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. “I’ve found another dinosaur.” The professor scuttled back into view, red faced, but beaming happily. “And I’ve found the control room. Come on.”

A smile of satisfaction played across Sir Trevor’s face and Josh felt a thrill of excitement too. It was pleasing to follow something through to the end. He had been so confused for much of the last couple of weeks, but finally he felt the finishing post was near. He would be able to free Geigerzalion and do some good for the world.

The control room was situated behind a heavy metal door. The professor had already connected his small computer into an aperture next to it. As the group approached something clicked and the door swung open on silent hinges.

“Like so.” The professor bowed theatrically.

Sir Trevor stepped inside the control room reverentially, brushing his hands lightly over the metallic surfaces as if to check that it was real. The professor followed him inside rather more excitedly.

The control room itself was not much different to anywhere else Josh had seen in the spacecraft. The walls were still covered in the hectic, arcane controls, but in the centre of the floor there was a green, dimly glowing hemisphere.

“It is perfect. Just as the simulations predicted. So, I just need to reinstate the Xulf capacitor and reroute the…” The professor gabbled to himself in a language that became more and more incomprehensible, but he seemed to know what he was doing and before long the hemisphere was pulsing rapidly.

Suddenly it was light. The room was flooded with sterile brightness and Josh had to close his eyes. The light shone red through his eyelids, and it was a while before he dared open his eyes again.

When he did the room had changed almost beyond recognition. Supple silvery tentacles writhed from various points on the walls, and holographic images floated all around.

“It’s alive.” The professor exclaimed.

“Are you ready to free him, Josh?”

He nodded and sat on the floor beneath one of the holograms. Sir Trevor sat next to him.

“You don’t mind if I come with you?”

Josh didn’t mind at all. He smiled thankfully at the tall man as the writhing tendrils suckered themselves onto his forehead.

The room melted away and he found himself standing atop a high cliff overlooking a thousand islands in a twinkling sea. He felt the hard shaft of N’rinde’s spear in his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you again, Joshua.” A familiar voice said from behind him. He span around, almost stumbling as the fear caught hold of his muscles.

The Doge was grinning at him.