Adam Brodie and the monster from the dark planet

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Six

Adam and Malcolm urged their mounts to go faster, and the dinosaurs gathered speed and galloped in the courtyard, outside the stables.

Both Adam and Malcolm leant forward and the animals galloped around strange statuary that looked like gigantic multi coloured chess pieces scattered about the courtyard. Malcolm was the better rider and effortlessly wheeled and dodged about the obstacles. He was enjoying himself.

Adam managed to hold his own. Then, rounding the curve of a base of something that looked like a giant prawn, Adam found himself riding directly into an android and Adam was unable to stop.

The android cartwheeled out of Adam's way, spinning head- over heels on the tips of his mechanical fingers in a noisy whir of tiny electric motors.

"Neat!" said Adam.

"Come back!" crackled a voice in his helmet.

It was Captain Trinity. Adam felt he was in no mood to do what the super hero told him and he galloped by Malcolm and the boys slapped hands together as they passed. Suddenly he was aware of strong hands grabbing hold of him, and there was flash of light and he was back in the stables.

Trinity had teleported himself onto the back of Adam's mount and teleported himself and Adam back to the stables. However that was not the end of the story. Prior to teleporting to the courtyard and cutting Adam's capers, Trinity had rapidly teleported a pile of big cushions into the stable.

You see Adam and Trinity still had the forward momentum from the galloping dinosaur so they both crashed into the cushions as soon as they materialised. Trinity's greater mass enabled him to stop sooner.

Not so Adam who was flung beyond the cushions and was scooped up by an android whose added mass soaked up the remaining momentum. Even so the android had to take a few quick steps back.

Trinity teleported again and returned with Malcolm and again both bodies crashed into the cushions and again Malcolm went rolling away across the floor but was scooped up by an android.

"He's alright sir," said the android holding Malcolm. "My sensors indicate the child has only minor bruising and scratches."

"The same with Adam," said the other android holding Adam.

Both androids put the children carefully back on the floor. Captain Trinity advanced on them both and grabbed them by the scruffs of their necks.

"I'm furious. How dare you both go off like that! Who do you think you are? You could have been severely hurt. I'm giving you both one thousand lines each."

"A thousand?" gasped Adam.

"You heard me," said Trinity. "Get out of that gear and leave. I summoned a buggy and it will take you to a room where you will spend the rest of this lesson writing, I will learn to behave properly in the Nexus."

"I can't write a thousand lines in an hour," said Adam.

"You won't have to," said Trinity. "You will spend your spare time writing the lines until they are finished. And if either of you pull another stunt like that I'll throw you both out of the Nexus. Now go."

As they left Adam saw the android he almost ran into entering the stables leading the two mounts by their bridles.