Power (Book 1 in SRMTHFG Series)

21

I've been healing for a week or two now. The medicine I've been taking healed me faster than the stuff we have on Earth. I mostly help do security checks and type in codes now.

Antauri's shown me how to get in my voice without being asleep or unconscious, which is a relief. In my spare time, I go into it.

Now, I sit in my pod with my legs crossed. I close my eyes and relax, imagining the woods until I'm in.

I jump in the lake and float on my back, staring at the stars. I let the songs fill my ears, and I almost fall asleep.

I open my eyes and swim over to the shore. I see a mountain in the distance. Oh, well, it's my voice; I can do what I want.

I run towards the mountain as fast as I can. I come to a big clearing right beside it. The mountain is huge, but it's gray and dull. I decide to leave it alone and see what happens b

"Chelsea?" a voice calls. "Chelsea. Chelsea!"

I open my eyes - for real this time, leaving my voice. I look up to see Jinmay in front of the open door of my pod.

"Hey," she says, "sorry to make you leave your voice, but we've got trouble. Want to help us fight?"

"Of course!" I say, jumping out excitedly.

"You sure? I mean, with the taint and what with you just recovering and all..."

"I'm fine," I say assuringly. She nods and takes me to the escape hatch. The rest of the Hyper Force is there.

"Chelsea, it's Skeleton King," Nova says. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes," I say sternly.

"We agreed she wouldn't come on any more battles with Skeleton King until the taint was cured!" Gibson stammers.

"C'mon, Gibson, please? I know what I have to fight with now. I can take him, especially with all of you."

They look at each other until Gibson sighs.

"Very well, then. Here, put on this space suit, and fetch your bike." He hands me the suit and I leave to change.

The suit matches my dress; purple sleeves, purple at the bottom, and a purple stripe along the waist that looks like a belt. The rest is light blue. In fact, covering up the pants is a built-in skirt that flows out and reaches my ankles. I smile. So they do recognize my modesty.

Then, I grab my compacted bike and open it back up. Otto gave me lessons on how to control it. Everybody else goes to their designated areas in the Robot; torso, feet, hands, head. I click on my helmet, making the clear mask slide down, allowing me to breathe oxygen.

"Alright, Chelsea, we're about to mobilize," Chiro speaks through the communicator. "Go ahead and leave through the escape hatch."

I pedal the bike out into space, drifting in the anti-gravity. I quickly make the bike go into spaceship mode, making walls and windows around me.

"Okay, I'm ready," I say.

"Um... you might want to go a little farther out," Sparx says, " 'cause this thing takes room."

I ride farther out and turn around.

"Okay," Chiro says. "Monkeys, mobilize!"

I watch as the hands, feet, and head of the robot leave the body, turning into smaller ships. I clap.

"Good show, everyone," I say, "although you were slow by just a hair, Sparx."

I laugh, because Sparx is all about speed and competition. He laughs sarcastically.

"I'll take care of that later," he says. "Right now, let's take care of that thing in front of us."

I look up to see a big, dark arrowhead floating through the sky. Skeleton King's ship.