The Infinity Bridge

Part 19

‘You need to move faster,’ Sam yelled at Captain Reginald. ‘Or we’re all dead.’

The captain was shaking as he twisted levers and turned the taps on the control panel. The gauges in front of him spun, the little needles darting back and forth. Steam hissed from a valve and scalded McNulty’s hand.

Ben didn’t waver as the flight deck juddered and jerked. Besides the hiss of the valves and the click of the instrument panel there was remarkably little noise. Sam was surprised, although when he considered the engines were three hundred feet behind them suspended from the air-ship’s belly, it made perfect sense.

The air-ship began to lift from the ground. Timothy cowered in the corner. His face glistened in the warmth of the cabin.

‘You are all insane,’ he said. ‘Hijacking an air-ship... in this weather.’

‘Tish and tosh, where’s your nerve, man?’ Bourneville said, although he was still looking shocked at Ben’s sudden action.

Sam had his face pressed against the window, eyes searching for the android. Rivulets of water trickled down the pane in little jerks as vibrations thrummed through the cockpit.

And then he saw him, sprinting across the runway. He moved with impressive speed. The wind of the huge turbines hampered his progress. They were pulling off the ground now, slowly but surely—there was no way he would catch them.

A savage gust of wind buffeted the side of the air-ship and Sam swore as he tumbled to the deck. His elbow clattered off the metal sending a sharp pain up his arm. The others tumbled back and Captain Reginald wrenched on the wheel to try and stabilise the air-ship.

Timothy scrabbled across the flight deck towards Ben, who was arched back over an instrument panel. He slid to a halt as Ben regained his balance and thrust the gun against his chest.

‘Take it easy peasy, wing commander.’

Timothy sidled backwards, hands raised. A horrible scraping noise screeched through the flight deck as the underside of the cabin collided with a supply carriage. Sounds of splintering wood and glass intermingled with rending metal as the air-ship dragged it across the runway and then released it.

They gained altitude swiftly then, propelled by a surge of wind. Sam pressed back against the window. He could see the bright glare of spotlights illuminating the wreckage of the supply carriage. Tiny figures ran through the beams, transiently highlighted, until all were hidden within the mists.

‘Did we lose him?’ Bourneville asked, coming to Sam’s side.

‘We’re still alive and not in a cabin melted by green energy beams, so I’d say yes.’

Bourneville rested a hand on Sam’s shoulder.

‘Then God willing, we’ll get you lads home.’