there were many pros. Then he thought about Xara and what she would think of all this. She would not want him to go, but at the same time, he knew that he should. That was enough to convince him.
"OK, I'll do it," he said. "Even if this is a bad dream, it beats trudging through the badlands. I think…"
"Then we must move fast," the spy said. "Already I'm sure people are beginning to wonder where I am all this time."
He asked Hunter for his quadtrol. The pilot passed the handheld device over* his shoulder. The spy began punching information into it, his fingers moving with lightning-quick speed. He handed the device back to Hunter after just a few seconds.
"Once you get down to your destination, you'll have to locate the ticket booths. This information will help you find them."
'Ticket booths?" Hunter asked. "You've got to be kidding me."
"It will all make sense once you're on the ground, so to speak," the spy said. "Just follow the instructions on your quadtrol."
"Anything else?" Hunter asked him.
The spy reached inside his coat and came out with a small white capsule. It was a Twenty 'n Six, a device that could hold large objects in the twenty-sixth dimension until the owner recalled them for use. Items almost as large as a Starcrasher could be stored via the bizarre little devices. Hunter had carried his precious Flying Machine around in one many times.
"There is no sense in denying this DATT is very old," the spy explained. "It might be good only for a one way trip. Or you might not be able to make it back to it once your mission is complete. If that's the case, then activate this Twenty 'n Six. You'll find a lifeboat of sorts inside. But only use it in an emergency. And there's no guarantee it will work, either."
Hunter numbly took the capsule from him. He was more concerned about his means of getting to the first dizzylando moon than he was about getting back.
"Anything else ?" he asked the spy again, this time in a mocking tone.
"Just to wish you good luck, Major," he said. "A lot is riding on this. Just please stay smart down there, no matter what the temptation. And, whatever you do, please hurry"
With that, the spy glided to a darkened comer of the room and melded with the shadows.
Hunter looked down at the TV screen to see the Ancient Astronaut looking back at him, a finger pressed to his space mask where his lips would be. Suddenly everything in the room froze. The officers, the spy, the ticking of the grandfather clock. Incredibly, the Astronaut had temporarily stopped time, another trick of the Third Empire. It was the only way he and Hunter could talk privately.
It was fascinating, if just a bit creepy.
"Was this necessary for my last-minute pep talk?" Hunter asked the image.
"If you needed a pep talk, I wouldn't let you go," the Astronaut replied. "Just some last-minute details your friend in black might not be privy to… and I don't want our guys to know either, in case they ever get brain scanned."
"Lay them on me," Hunter said, anxious again. The sooner he got going, the sooner this whole episode would be over with.
The Astronaut told him, "Your first destination will be the Alpha Moon. Those are the coordinates he put inside your quadtrol. And like he said, once you're down, you'll have to locate the ticket booth. It's the entrance to the dizzylando. It will bring you to the first attraction. You'll need a password to activate your entry. Use these two words: Sky Ghost."
Hunter stared back at him. Sky Ghost ? Why did that seem so familiar?
The Astronaut went on, "You'll probably have to ride every attraction until you can find out more about the guy we are seeking. But you should know this will not be like simply visiting a bunch of typical moons with things built on them. These places are very, very strange. Their design came from the mind of a very unusual person. Remember, back in their day, these amusement parks were meant to take people to places beyond their imagination. To
"OK, I'll do it," he said. "Even if this is a bad dream, it beats trudging through the badlands. I think…"
"Then we must move fast," the spy said. "Already I'm sure people are beginning to wonder where I am all this time."
He asked Hunter for his quadtrol. The pilot passed the handheld device over* his shoulder. The spy began punching information into it, his fingers moving with lightning-quick speed. He handed the device back to Hunter after just a few seconds.
"Once you get down to your destination, you'll have to locate the ticket booths. This information will help you find them."
'Ticket booths?" Hunter asked. "You've got to be kidding me."
"It will all make sense once you're on the ground, so to speak," the spy said. "Just follow the instructions on your quadtrol."
"Anything else?" Hunter asked him.
The spy reached inside his coat and came out with a small white capsule. It was a Twenty 'n Six, a device that could hold large objects in the twenty-sixth dimension until the owner recalled them for use. Items almost as large as a Starcrasher could be stored via the bizarre little devices. Hunter had carried his precious Flying Machine around in one many times.
"There is no sense in denying this DATT is very old," the spy explained. "It might be good only for a one way trip. Or you might not be able to make it back to it once your mission is complete. If that's the case, then activate this Twenty 'n Six. You'll find a lifeboat of sorts inside. But only use it in an emergency. And there's no guarantee it will work, either."
Hunter numbly took the capsule from him. He was more concerned about his means of getting to the first dizzylando moon than he was about getting back.
"Anything else ?" he asked the spy again, this time in a mocking tone.
"Just to wish you good luck, Major," he said. "A lot is riding on this. Just please stay smart down there, no matter what the temptation. And, whatever you do, please hurry"
With that, the spy glided to a darkened comer of the room and melded with the shadows.
Hunter looked down at the TV screen to see the Ancient Astronaut looking back at him, a finger pressed to his space mask where his lips would be. Suddenly everything in the room froze. The officers, the spy, the ticking of the grandfather clock. Incredibly, the Astronaut had temporarily stopped time, another trick of the Third Empire. It was the only way he and Hunter could talk privately.
It was fascinating, if just a bit creepy.
"Was this necessary for my last-minute pep talk?" Hunter asked the image.
"If you needed a pep talk, I wouldn't let you go," the Astronaut replied. "Just some last-minute details your friend in black might not be privy to… and I don't want our guys to know either, in case they ever get brain scanned."
"Lay them on me," Hunter said, anxious again. The sooner he got going, the sooner this whole episode would be over with.
The Astronaut told him, "Your first destination will be the Alpha Moon. Those are the coordinates he put inside your quadtrol. And like he said, once you're down, you'll have to locate the ticket booth. It's the entrance to the dizzylando. It will bring you to the first attraction. You'll need a password to activate your entry. Use these two words: Sky Ghost."
Hunter stared back at him. Sky Ghost ? Why did that seem so familiar?
The Astronaut went on, "You'll probably have to ride every attraction until you can find out more about the guy we are seeking. But you should know this will not be like simply visiting a bunch of typical moons with things built on them. These places are very, very strange. Their design came from the mind of a very unusual person. Remember, back in their day, these amusement parks were meant to take people to places beyond their imagination. To
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