*
My eyes open to the glorious sight of stars and nebulas sliding past me. It’s morning and I’ve sat here all night, literally staring into space. I laugh at my corny joke. But this incredible sight is not enough to stop the events of yesterday crashing into my head. I know I mustn’t let any of this stuff get to me. But I don’t know how to shut it off, so I create another box in my head, shove all my thoughts in there and imagine it being padlocked and buried deep where no one can find it. This is bound to give me loads of psychological issues later on in life. But for now it’s the only way I can deal with things.
Checking my com screen, it’s nearly five am. Maybe I’ll go down and see if I can catch Professor Nilson stealing chocolate again.
I’m out of the observatory and heading down the multitude of steps. Section One isn’t far now and I dodge behind several pillars on the way to avoid patrols. I’m getting good at this. Maybe there’s a test for this in one of the War Theatres and I can earn some points, but I doubt it.
Entering Section One, I notice some people are already up. As I get closer, I see that it’s Beta Pod. My heart sinks. The last thing I want right now is a confrontation with them. They look serious when they see me. Unhappy is more the word.
“Harper,” Sagan says, waving me over.
After a quick debate in my head whether to go over or run back to my pod, I make the decision to see what they want. I’d rather run for my pod but if I do that’d make me look like a coward. I’ve got to show them I’m still not scared of them. Is this bravado or stupidity? I quickly come to the conclusion that it’s stupidity. There’s no-one else around, not even the kitchen staff are here yet. No-one else to step in if Beta Pod decide to complete their mission of blowing me out of an airlock.
Even though I know this, something stubborn in my head won’t let me run away. That was what the old Wren would have done. But since standing up to Sagan in Combat, my mindset has shifted slightly. Even though he beat me with one punch, I feel I won a victory. Not over him but over my fear of him. Whatever happens I’d rather be dead and brave, than a coward and alive.
“What?” I say, when I reach their table.
“Haven’t you got anything to say to me?” says Sagan.
“Like what?”
“An apology.”
“Apology? What for?” Is this guy serious?
“For what you did yesterday in Combat.”
“What? For running into your fist?”
I look around the table but no-one is smiling, least of all Sagan. What bizarre rule have I broken now?
“You made me look bad,” he says, picking dirt out of his fingernails. “I didn’t like that.”
“Sagan, you knocked me out cold. In what way did I make you look bad?”
“Don’t you get it?” He stands up to make his point. “How does it look to the instructors if I’m fighting a lame bird like you? I’ll tell you, it makes me look like a bully.”
I must be insane to do this, but I’m fed up with taking his crud. I move in close so we’re inches apart.
“You are a bully. You’re the worst kind of bully there is. You know why? Because you’re ashamed of what you are and you’re frightened people will find out. Otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Sagan looks away and laughs with plenty of sarcasm in his voice. “You think you’re tough now you’ve got your little Alpha Pod, don’t you?”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “Me? Tough? You’re insane.”
Sagan steeples his fingers in an attempt to look thoughtful. “I went to see Sergeant Merox about you, to make a formal complaint.”
“You complained about me? That’s ridiculous.” I turn and walk away from him.
“You shouldn’t be here. I asked him to look into it - why you’re here and Max isn’t. He said there was no mistake, you checked out and he wouldn’t be taking it any further. Which means we’ll have to take the matter into our own hands. Grab her.”
Like a bunch of mindless automatons, Beta Pod rise from their seats and take me by the arms and legs. Someone clamps a hand over my mouth so I can’t scream. They hoist me up in the air and take me toward the communal bathrooms like someone about to be sacrificed. This horrific thought makes me struggle, twist and writhe, but it’s impossible to break free. I should have ran while I had the chance, like Tuss said. I could be safely in my pod.
Sagan kicks open the door to the male bathroom and I’m shoved into one of the stalls. I’m snatched by the hair and my head is shoved down the toilet. This is familiar territory for me. It used to happen on a regular basis when I was at school. But this time it’s different. It’s not just toilet water down there. Someone’s done their business without flushing. Plus, these toilets are much wider, wide enough so my whole head is submerged. I have to clamp my mouth shut to stop the excrement going in. This hurts my jaw, but I manage to keep it closed. I can’t say the same for my nostrils. The filthy water floods up my nose making me gag. The urge to be sick is overwhelming. Sooner or later I will have to open my mouth and take a proper breath. It’s an involuntary reaction. I won’t be able to stop it.
I struggle harder, trying to break free. With each movement I become weaker. I can’t fight it anymore. I must open my mouth, but then my lungs will fill with that awful unmentionable cocktail they’ve prepared for me.
Turning my head rapidly left then right, I hope to steal a quick breath. They’re quick to counter this move and I’m shoved further down the pan. My hands flail everywhere, trying to grab something to hoist myself out. My fingers locate the edge of the seat and I grip it tightly. I push up with all my strength. If I can just get my head out. But I don’t move an inch. Their weight is too much for my feeble triceps.
I’m fading fast and the fight is going from my body. I need oxygen. Right now. There’s a burning sensation in my chest. Surely they’ll let me up. But no respite comes. They’re in this to kill me. I can’t believe this is how my insignificant life will end. Up to my neck in crap.
***
Episode 2 of The Spiral Arm available now.
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Join the Spiral Army on Facebook, where fans can meet, chat and have the chance to win Spiral Arm goodies. Visit: www.facebook.com/thespiralarm
Or visit: www.thespiralarm.co.uk
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Fight against intolerance, visit: www.sophielancasterfoundation.com
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Many, many thanks
Writing a book is mostly a solitary affair. Or so I thought. There are in fact many people you need to rely on to get the thing out there. Firstly, you need a bit of inspiration. I have my wife to thank for that. Reading the books she had written gave me the injection of excitement I needed to get me into the wonderful, and sometimes tortuous world of possibility that is novel-writing. All through the writing of this book, she’s been there reading through my chapters and telling me what bits worked and, more importantly, what bits didn’t. Without her it may have derailed long ago. Never underestimate the importance of having another pair of eyes. Which brings me onto Julie Carey, whose eagle eyes were invaluable at spotting those pesky typos. Of course, a book is nothing without its cover. For mine, I had the graphic talents of Simon Tucker, who turned my scrappy drawing into a work of art. Lastly I need to thanks David “Didds” Hewitt for help with all the theoretical science stuff.
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Who is Pete Boland?
After studying to be an architect, Pete realised he wasn’t very good at it. He liked designing buildings he just couldn’t make them stand up, which is a bit of a handicap in an industry that likes to keep things upright. So he switched to advertising, writing ads for everything from cruise lines to zombie video games. After meeting his wife Shalini and having two boys, he was amazed when she sat and actually wrote a book. Then another and another. They were good too. Really good. So he thought, I’ll have a go at that. He soon realised there’s no magic formula. You just have to put one word in front of the ot
her (and keep doing that for about a year). It also helps if you can resist the lure of surfing, Taekwondo, playing Lego with the boys and drinking beer in front of the TV.
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Other titles you might like from Adrenalin books
By Shalini Boland:
Outside – a post-apocalyptic noval
The Clearing (Outside series #2)
Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series #1)
Thicker Than Blood (Marchwood Vampire Series #2)
A Shirtful of Frogs
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By Faye Meredith:
Becoming Edward
The Hoodie and the Humpback
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