Lab Rats in Space by Bruno Bouchet Read Free Book Online Page A

out.’
    Captain Redlock knew his crew would not like the idea of anything escaping from the Research Station on their ship.
    The Interworlder had three huge cargo bays. The Research Station containers were in Cargo Bay 3, along with four hundred other containers. Captain Redlock and Rudi rode a hovercraft to the far end of the bay where the containers were.
    â€˜There’s something funny going on here,’ said Rudi as they glided along. ‘I’ve never seen anything get in or out of their containers and we never receive any communication from the station.’
    â€˜I know,’ said the captain, ‘but we really don’t want to get on the wrong side of Professor Xanax.’
    â€˜I’ve heard he pulled the hairs off a mouse, one by one,’ said Rudi.
    â€˜Let’s not spook ourselves with gossip. We’ll just check the containers, report back and get on our way as fast as we can,’ assured the captain.
    They arrived at the first container, raised their hovercraft to the top of it and transmitted the access code. The lid slid back. Inside was a round metal ball floating in the middle of the container, spinning around slowly.
    â€˜How does it do that?’ asked Rudi.
    â€˜I don’t know, but it doesn’t look like a life form. Let’s move on.’
    The next container was packed to the top with metal boxes.
    â€˜No room for anything in here,’ said Rudi.
    They opened up the last one.
    Captain Redlock couldn’t believe what he saw. Five faces stared up, squinting at the light.
    â€˜They’re kids!’ he said.
    â€˜Look!’ Rudi pointed at Zed, who had leapt to his feet. Blinded after having sat in the dark for so long, he held up his fists towards the sound of the voices, all three of them.
    â€˜We’re not going back!’ he shouted.
    â€˜He’s got three arms!’ Rudi said, amazed. ‘And that one has a hammer for a hand!’
    Captain Redlock looked horrified. What were these creatures? The one with the hammer answered his question.
    â€˜We’ve escaped from Professor Xanax’s lab. He’s been experimenting on us.’
    â€˜Please don’t send us back,’ begged Jay.
    Redlock was stunned. He was really hoping not to find any life form at all. At the most he was expecting some rats, not real people and certainly not children. How could he send children back to that Research Station? He thought of his own children and how angry he’d be if someone had done this to them.
    â€˜Please don’t send us back!’ they pleaded.
    â€˜We’re not moving until you promise,’ KT said stubbornly.
    Captain Redlock looked at Rudi who just shrugged his shoulders.
    â€˜OK, climb out,’ he said. ‘We’ll see what we can do.’
    He knew a pile of trouble was going to crash down on him.
    â€˜Say it,’ said KT. ‘Say you promise.’
    â€˜I promise I won’t send you back,’ the captain said.
    Jay started to move. Emm stopped him.
    â€˜He didn’t put his hand on his heart.’
    â€˜Fine,’ the captain put his hand on his heart.
    â€˜Him too,’ Emm pointed to Rudi.
    They put their hands on their hearts.
    â€˜We promise not to send you back to the Research Station.’
    â€˜Or give us over to Xanax’s research assistants,’ Zed added.
    They repeated that too.
    â€˜Or leave us somewhere where it’s obvious they can pick us up and take us back.’
    â€˜Or leave you somewhere where it’s obvious they can pick you up and take you back.’
    â€˜Or…’
    â€˜Stop or we’ll be here all night.’ Redlock cut them short.
    They all piled onto the hovercraft, which dipped with the extra weight.
    â€˜What’s that?’ Rudi pointed to XL.
    â€˜He’s one of us. He escaped too.’ Emm patted his fur as they set off.
    â€˜The crew aren’t going to like this,’ Rudi said quietly to the