CHAPTER TWELVE
As Justin and Brian left, Zator struggled in his bonds. CHAPTER THIRTEEN Nick stared impatiently out of the window of Zanell’s spaceship. It was taking ages to reach Zator’s spaceship…
“The only place you’re going, Backstreet Boy, is the Daori dimension,” he growled.
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Justin and Brian ran blindly down the corridors. Each one looked identicle to the previous and they knew that they were hopelessly lost. They also knew that it wouldn’t be long before the guards found Zator and then began hunting for them.
“This way,” Justin said as they stopped at a T junction.
“You sure?” Brian asked, peering down the second corridor.
“No, but the other way will lead back to the room where Zator is, which is not a place we want to be heading to!"
“Good point.”
As they ran, Brian wondered how long it would be before their escape was discovered.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed to a red glow and an alarm began blaring.
Obviously not long at all…..
“I don’t suppose you could teleport us outta here or something?” Justin asked.
“If I could we’d be home by now.”
The corridor they were in split off in two different directions. They could hear footsteps to the right so they took the left turning. Unfortunately, the corridor ended with a dead end. Trapped.
“Oh great, now what do we do?” Brian asked.
“I don’t know! You’re the one with the powers!”
“What do you want me to do? Blow a wall up?”
“Can’t you”
“HALT TRAITOR,” a metallic voice said.
The two men turned around and found two robots blocking the way back.
“YOU WILL COME WITH US,” the robot on the left instructed.
“We’re dead, we’re dead,” Justin said.
“You worry too much,” Brian whispered back.
Brian held up one hand and a ball of energy began to form in it. Justin watched in awe as the energy ball grew bigger and bigger until it was the size of a basketball. Then, Brian flung it at the two robots. The ball exploded, taking the two robots with it, as soon as it touched them. Justin, instinctively, threw himself to the floor and covered his head with his arms. He heard a chunk of metal fall down with a thunk beside him. When he turned his head, he saw that it was a robotic arm. Justin lifted his head and saw a clump of smouldering rubble where the robots had been. Brian still stood where he had been before. He was looking down at Justin, amused. Justin felt like an idiot.
“You could have killed me!” Justin complained, standing up. He felt like an idiot for reacting so dramatically.
“I was even close to hitting you!” Brian protested.
“The arm was!”
“Justin!” a voice called from around the corner.
A figure dashed into the corridor and ran towards them. Brian began to build up another energy ball.
“It’s okay, he’s a friend of Zanells,” Justin said, putting a hand on Brian’s arm.
“Justin, what’s going on? I told you to wait until 19.00!”
“Sorry Hazak, but we had to leave now! Zator was going to send me back to Earth and the plan would have failed completely if that had of happened,” Justin replied.
“You planned this? This is your idea of organisation?!” Brian said.
“Hey! I rescued you didn’t I?”
“You also kidnapped me!”
“You two stop squabbling!” Hazak said. “You’ve got to get out of here now! To get to the docking bay turn left at the end of this corridor, then turn right and get into the elevator. Go to deck fourteen and go straight on. The docking bay will be on the right, got it?”
“Okay,” Justin replied.
“Good. I’ll disable the scanners and the alarms so the others can get aboard without being noticed. I just hope they arrive quickly. Justin, I’ll tell your friends to meet you in the docking bay. Go now quick before Zator catches up with you.”
Brian and Justin exchanged looks before following Hazak’s instructions. Hazak, meanwhile, went to look for Lance and the others.
Brian and Justin ran for the elevator. Both of them had had enough of Zator and his ship to last them a life time. Now, all they wanted to do was go home.
They were at the door to the docking bay when the laser blast hit them from behind. Brian felt a sharp, stinging pain all the way through his body before collapsing. Justin fell down beside him, groaning.
“And where did you two think you were going?” Zator asked.
“Are we there yet?” Nick asked.
“Nick, that’s the fifth time you’ve asked me that in the last ten minutes!” Zanell said.
“I’m bored!” Nick protested.
“I’m sorry it’s taking so long but we can’t dock until Hazak has deactivated the alarms and if we arrive early Zator might figure out what we’re doing,” Zanell said.
“He already knows we’re coming,” Nick replied.
“But he doesn’t know when.”
Nick nodded. He knew that the timing for the mission was everything. One slight error and Zator could capture all of them. But Nick was just so worried about Brian. He would feel a lot better once their friend was safe. They all would.
He looked around at the others. Kevin was pacing about the ship as he had been doing for the entire trip. AJ was slumped in a chair, his brown hat tilted to cover his eyes. Nick could see his friend absent-mindedly fiddling with his light beam blasters. Howie was practising his powers of illusion by projecting images of Zator, complete with a target painted on his back.
“Hey Howie,” Nick said. “Try an axe!”
Howie grinned evilly and an axe appeared on Zator’s head. It looked ridiculous.
“How’s that ninjaman?” he asked.
“Much better! Now add a-” Nick was cut off as a light beam sliced through the projection of Zator and blew up the door on the opposite side. All heads turned to glare accusingly at AJ who had one of his light beam guns pointed at the Zator image.
“Oops. Sorry, guys,” AJ apologized. “My finger slipped.”
“Nice going bonehead!” Kevin snapped. “You could have killed one of us!”
“Hey! I said I’m sorry and it was only pointed at Zator! I’m just a little nervous!”
“Your nerves are going to get us all killed!”
“Calm down, guys!” Howie said, standing between the two. “We’re all nervous at the moment!”
“Hey guys,” Zanell said, ending the argument. “It’s time.”
The others exchanged glances. This was it.
Zanell carefully manoeuvred the small, bubble shaped ship until they were under the belly of Zator’s monster space cruiser. The boys watched as Zanell began to steer the ship through the opening in the hull which led to the docking port. Then came the nerve racking task of travelling through a narrow corridor which would lead to the main docking bay. If Hazak had done his job, then Zator would not have detected them as they entered the ship. But if the alarms were still on, then it was quite likely that they would be greeted with weapons fire as they made their way through the corridor.
Hazak had completed his task though and no one attacked them as they landed.
Nick and the other boys crowded around a window, desperately searching for their friend.
But he wasn’t there.
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Hazak hurried the four members of N*Sync along the corridors. Unfortunately, the band were anything but co-operative.
“What about Justin?” Lance asked.
“He’ll meet you in the docking bay with Brian. Now please hurry up!” Hazak said.
“Are you sure he’ll be there?” Lance persisted.
“Yes! They were making their way there when I came to fetch you guys! Don’t worry, they’ll both be fine. Zanell and the Backstreet Boys should be arriving soon anyway,” Hazak replied.
The five of them hurried down the corridor. Hazak was relieved that Zator hadn’t called the guards to round up N*Sync. At least not yet. He had disabled the alarms and the sensors but Zator already knew about N*Sync’s betrayal from Justin.
He stopped as they came to an elevator.
“This will take you straight to the docking bay. Justin and Brian should be there by now. Wait there until Zanell arrives, okay?” Hazak said
The guys nodded.
“And one last thing, take this with you,” Hazak said, handing Chris a small, bulbous shaped gun. “It’s a laser. Just in case any guards arrive and you run into any trouble.”
Chris took the weapon, dubiously. “I hope we don’t need it,” he said.
“I’m sure everything will be okay. Good luck guys.” Hazak then ran off down the corridor, anxious to get back to his post before Zator discovered he was gone.
“C’mon guys, let’s go home,” Chris said, leading the others into the docking bay.
There was a vessel waiting for them. Outside stood four men. One in a ninja outfit, another in a blue and yellow cloak, the third in a long brown coat and the last was in red armour. A woman was stood with them.
As N*Sync drew closer, the man in the red armour ran to meet them. It was Kevin.
“Where’s Brian?” he asked.
“I don’t know. We were told that him and Justin would be here already!” Chris said.
The three other Backstreet Boys and the tall, red headed woman came over.
“Where are they?” Nick, the ninja, whispered.
In his heart he sensed that something had gone horribly wrong.