Shanghaied to the Moon by Michael J. Daley Read Free Book Online

the stool over my head, I hurl it at the screen behind the desk. The screen implodes in a riot of short circuits, leaving the room barely lit with the glow from the hologram.
    The soundtrack starts running again. The sound waves hit me with force, as if the Counselor lashed out with a fist.
    â€œStop!”
    I clamp my hands over my ears. Stagger into the far corner. The sound of the plunging shuttle bores through my hands.
    I slide down to the floor.
    The volume increases, ragged at the limits of the speaker’s audio range. Scenes come, vivid on the inside of my squeezed-tight eyelids, as if the Newsvid is running in my brain. I slam my head against the wall. Pain blooms on my cheek, around my eye, weakens the images in my head.
    Do it again.
    Lights dance in my head.
    Again!
    The door opens.
    â€œOhmygod!” Mrs. Phillips staggers under the blast of sound. She shouts at her own hologram, almost invisible in the shaft of light from the waiting room. “What are you doing?”
    The image screeches back, “Necessary treatment.”
    â€œStop!” She rushes to the desk, nose to nose with the wavering image. “Stop at once!”
    â€œNecessary—”
    â€œOverride! Code seven, triangle, beta!”
    The hologram disappears. The soundtrack goes silent.
    â€œStewart? Stewart, where are you?”
    Mrs. Phillips looks anxiously around the room. But she’s caught in the glare from the open door and can’t see me. She shields her eyes. The light glints on a hypodermic needle in her hand.
    â€œStewart? Can you answer me?”
    Blindly, she steps my way.
    I take her down with a scissors kick.
    She sprawls onto the floor. The arm holding the hypo folds against her stomach and hisses out its supply of tranquilizer.
    â€œOh no … no …” she groans, reaching toward me. “Don’t run—”
    Then her eyes turn up white as the tranquilizer takes hold.

5
    MISSION TIME
    T minus 00:45:05
    THE old spacer’s asleep on the bench, just like in the picture the Counselor showed me.
    â€œWake up.” Barely a whisper. Cameras? Mikes? I’m glancing around, but I’d never see them anyway. “Mister! Wake up!”
    One eye opens, rakes me head to toe.
    â€œBeat it. I’m waiting for a midget.”
    The eye closes.
    â€œNo! You don’t understand—I’m in trouble!” I shove his bulk.
    Snake quick, his hand darts from the folds of his jacket and grabs my wrist. His reflexes are better than mine!
    â€œDon’t do that again.”
    I try to yank away.
    His grip tightens. He draws me close. “Sweet Neptune, what happened to your face?”
    â€œMy face?” I remember banging the side of my head against the wall. I touch my cheek. Pain flares. “We’ve got to get out of here! They’ll see us soon as she wakes up!”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” He releases his grip. With a grunt and a curse, he sits up.
    â€œI smashed the Counselor.”
    â€œWith your head, right?”
    â€œNo, a stool. It tried to brainwash me. Even smashed … it wouldn’t stop. Then Mrs. Phillips came in. She had a needle! I knocked her down and she injected herself. I don’t know how long she’ll be out. Get up, will you! Before they come after us!”
    â€œ Us ?”
    â€œThey had your picture. Sleeping right here!”
    He looks over my head into corners, then drops his gaze to confront me with narrowed eyes. “What have you mixed me up in? Huh?”
    â€œI had to find out if it was goofing up my AstroNav. It told me to stay away from you. It wanted me to watch Mom’s crash all over again. Tried to push it into my head.” I can still feel the hard walls trapping me in the corner, see the glint of light on that needle …
    â€œI don’t need this.” He looks away.
    â€œIt’s your fault. You’re the one who said they can make you forget. All I did was ask it