‘What is she doing?’ asked Clarence.
‘I don’t know,’ I said.
‘As you all know, Orion Westland is being transported to the International Lunar Correctional Facility for breaking one of the Temporal Laws,’ she said.
‘Tell us something we don’t know,’ said one of the reporters.
Lyra ignored her and continued talking, her voice steady. ‘He broke the law to save the life of an innocent girl.’
‘That’s not what the court said,’ said the same reporter.
‘If you’re not interested in hearing what I have to say, I suggest you return to the ship,’ said Lyra. She took a deep breath. ‘Eden Anfield was killed by a mission cleaner, despite the fact that she had played a vital role in the mission. She should have been protected under the Clemency Protocol. So Orion went back to make things right.’
As the words left her mouth, I saw Admiral Wolfe walk into the bar.
‘He took his case to the Board and was turned down,’ said Wolfe. ‘This is not news. The Westland boy broke the law for personal reasons.’
‘We can agree to differ on his motives,’ said Lyra. ‘I’m more interested in how he made it happen.’
‘That’s a matter for the inquiry,’ said Wolfe. ‘Admiral Westland has been arrested and the matter will be tried in the courts.’
‘The thing is,’ said Lyra, ‘Orion Westland is a good friend of mine and I know how he made it happen.’
I slipped off my stool. Lyra had them captivated now. If I was going to sneak out of the bar without Wolfe seeing me, this was my best chance.
‘Where are you going?’ whispered Clarence.
‘To find Peg. I’ll be right back.’
I eased myself around the back of the reporters towards the door.
‘Orion Westland is a pretty resourceful boy,’ said Lyra. ‘He found out that his old ship was going to be scrapped and worked out a way to get his hands on it. Within a few weeks of returning from his mission to 2012, he had a ship and a plan. The only thing he didn’t have was premium grade fuel for a trip through time.’
‘Are you suggesting you know where he got the fuel?’ asked one of the reporters.
‘That’s exactly what I’m saying. But, for you to understand the story fully, I need to give you a little background.’
Lyra caught my eye. I needed to get out of there quickly and move on with my part. I slipped out of the door and ran down the corridor to the restroom where Peg was waiting.
‘We have a couple of minutes,’ I said, pulling off my shoes. ‘That’s all. Make sure no one walks in on me.’
There was no time for delicacy. I stripped off my clothes and pulled my kitchen uniform on.
‘The soup is cold,’ said Peg. ‘It’s no good to you. Let me come and help you.’
‘They’ll never let two of us through to deliver a meal,’ I said.
I straightened the cap over my hair and pinned my identification card to my uniform. ‘Give me your kitchen uniform and ID,’ I said. ‘I’ll hide them under mine. Maybe I can get him through security dressed as you.’
Peg helped me wedge them around my waist, held in place by my belt.
‘How do I look?’ I asked.
‘Well fed.’
A quick glance in the mirror confirmed that I looked like a plump kitchen worker. I picked up the tray.
‘Hey,’ said Peg as I was about to leave the restroom. ‘Whatever happens. Good luck.’
‘I’ll meet you in the emergency shuttle bay,’ I said.
I was trembling when I left the restroom and began the short walk to security clearance. I was running against the clock. Who knew how long Lyra would be able to keep Admiral Wolfe and the reporters entertained. And how was I to overcome Ryan’s guard with nothing but a cold lunch?
‘How can I help you?’ asked the security officer at Residents’ Clearance.
‘I have lunch for the guard on Admiral Wolfe’s ship.’
‘Your card?’
I passed it over and silently prayed that it didn’t say anything about my employment status not beginning until tomorrow. He scanned the card and handed it back, without looking at either the screen or me.
‘C Dock. You can’t miss it. It’s the only one there. But you’ll have to be quick. We’re opening the airlock to let a supply ship dock in ten minutes.’
‘Thanks,’ I said, and hurried past him.
A white ship with the logo International Lunar Correctional Facility was the only vessel parked at A Dock. I shuddered and hurried past. B Dock was busy with small vessels and people hurrying to and fro. Ben had said there were two thousand full-time inhabitants on the spaceport, but obviously there were many visitors too. And then I was at C Dock. Just the one ship. Admiral Wolfe’s official spacecraft. I paused for a second to gather my courage. The last time I’d seen Ryan I’d told him, ‘This is not goodbye’. What must he have thought when I hadn’t rescued him from the Institute? Did he think I’d given up on him? Moved on with my life?
I hurried up the gangway towards the open hatch, aching to see him again, my heart beating so loudly it drowned out the sound of my shoes on the metal stairs.
I was only halfway up the stairs when the guard approached the opening, his gun at the ready.
‘Permission to come aboard, sir?’ I said, keeping my head bowed. ‘I have your lunch.’
The guard indicated his assent with a nod of his head. I continued walking up the steps, holding the tray steady, begging my knees not to buckle. I glanced at Ryan who was handcuffed and slouched in his seat. He was pale, the set of his mouth hard. I willed him to look at me, but he just stared at his hands.
The guard sat down just across from Ryan and lowered his tray table.
I placed the tray on the table in front of him and lifted the cover off the rice and seaweed.
‘Today’s special is seafood soup and rice and wakame stir-fry,’ I said, noticing that he had rested his gun on the seat to his left, out of my reach.
‘Terrific,’ he said sarcastically. ‘You can leave now.’
‘Let me,’ I said, reaching for the napkin that held his knife and fork.
I had some vague notion that I could stab him with the fork. But before I had the chance to remove either utensil, the guard wrapped his burly hand around mine.
‘I can manage my own silverware,’ he said.
‘Then let me pour your drink,’ I said.
The soup was cold and I had lost my chance to use the fork. The water bottle was my last chance. It was small, but it was glass. I made as though to twist off the lid and then quickly smashed it over the back of his head. It thunked against his skull, but the bottle didn’t break. The guard yelled out and his head fell forwards. Desperately, my eyes searched the cabin looking for something hard to break the bottle.
‘Here!’ yelled Ryan, holding out his hands.
Our eyes locked and for a split second I was lost in their deep bronze warmth. He didn’t seem surprised to see me. He seemed relieved. And proud. As though he’d known I would come through for him. As though he believed in me.
The look was quickly replaced by one of panic. ‘Break the bottle against the handcuffs.’
I smashed the bottle hard against the ring of steel around one of his hands, shattering glass and spilling water all over Ryan’s lap.
The guard was reaching across the seat for his gun. Adrenalin and instinct took over. I whipped around and held the jagged bottle edge under his throat. I had no idea what to do next. He stilled, but I could tell he was sizing me up, deciding whether he could risk throwing me off him.
And then I heard footsteps clanging rapidly up the steps.
‘Put the bottle down,’ said the guard, ‘and no one needs to know any of this happened.’
I didn’t know what to do. A figure appeared in the doorway. I risked a look. It was a man silhouetted against the open hatchway.