The Incredible Space Raiders from Space! (3 page)

“Yeah, sure,” Jonah said.

She smiled. “I'm starting to like you, Jonah. Sure, you look like you're going to faint whenever I mention EETs. And you ask too many questions. And you're not very good with names. But there's something about you. I think you are special. I have no idea what that means, exactly, but it's always good to be special.”

“I don't feel very special,” Jonah muttered.

“We're all special in the ISR!” Willona said, starting down the hallway. “Billions of kids out there, and we were chosen to save the universe. Why? Who knows! Well, I'm pretty awesome, as you can obviously see, but it's not always so easy to tell. . . .”

Jonah took one last look at the bed, thinking about the photo, and then started after her. As far as he knew, he wasn't awesome at all. If anything, he was kind of a wimp. So why had the
Squirrel
gone all the way back to Earth to get him?

And more important, was it ever going to take him home?

Dear Mom and Dad,

There's a good chance I'm going to be eaten by the Shrieker or EETs. I was supposed to use this notepad as a diary, but it made more sense to write you a letter. Hopefully it will get to you one day.

I don't think it will make much sense if I explain where I am, so I won't bother. I also hear some people shouting outside, and I'm starting to think something is about to burst into my bedroom soon and eat me. So before that happens, I just wanted to say I love you. I think I was an all right kid, though I probably could have been better. I kept leaving my clothes on the floor. I don't know why. My closet was right there. I was doing my homework when I was abducted, so I guess that's something.

Also, can you please tell Mara I'm sorry I called her the ugliest thing in the universe? While I haven't
seen the Shrieker, I'm guessing it's probably uglier. Plus, calling her ugly wasn't very nice in the first place. Maybe tell her I love her too. Not her boyfriend, though. He calls me Jonie when you're not around.

Anyway, I should probably see if I can lock my door or something. I'm hoping I can give you this letter myself. If not, good-bye.

Sincerely,

Jonah

Jonah read his letter over a few times and then tucked the journal safely under his blanket, satisfied. His parents always said you should speak formally in letters, and he'd tried his best. Even the penmanship was fairly good, considering he hadn't written anything with a pen since he was seven, and even then they just did it in history class to see how people used to write. You could barely even tell his hands were trembling when he wrote it.

He looked around the small bedroom and noticed something on the wall beside the door. He got up and hurried over. It was writing. It was hard to read on the dark-metal walls, but when he got really close he could make out five different names written there.

Robert the Great was here. Go, ISR!

Imran the Intelligent stayed in this room

Adam the Titan lived here. I'm coming for you, EETs

Danielle the Dynamo was here. Best Space Raider Ever

Home of Shoen the Slick. On the way to help the first recruits!

Jonah decided to add his name to the list. There wasn't much else to do.

He was just turning away to grab his pen when he noticed more writing in the corner, away from the others. It was faded and even harder to read. Peering really close, Jonah managed to make it out:

I want to go home.

Niraj

Jonah frowned. That one didn't quite match the others.

There was a knock. Jonah hesitated and then decided the Shrieker probably wouldn't knock first. He slowly answered the door.

It was Willona.

“Get some sleep?” she asked brightly.

Jonah shook his head. “Not really. Just stared out the window for a while.”

He didn't want to admit he was already using the journal.

“Beautiful, isn't it?”

Jonah turned back to the window. The endless blackness of space was rolling by, spotted with little twinkling stars. “Kind of scary, actually,” he said.

“Yeah, I'm glad I don't have one,” she agreed. She glanced at him. “Sorry. Now we have things to do. First up, you need a uniform.” Willona pulled a little silver-wrapped bar out of her pocket. “Here. I brought you a food bar. You must be hungry.”

“Yeah, actually,” Jonah said, accepting the bar gratefully. “Thanks.”

“There's a rumor going around about us,” Willona said, leading Jonah down Squirrel Street. “I said you had nice eyes, and now everyone thinks we're dating.” She looked back and laughed. “Like I have time for a boyfriend. I have a career to worry about.”

Jonah just frowned and followed her. She really was a strange girl. They headed down the hallway toward Sector Two, and once again there were Space Raiders marching around. A small group was gathered outside one doorway, talking in hushed voices.

“What was all the shouting about?” Jonah asked.

“One of the guards heard shrieking down the Haunted Passage. Whenever that happens, we all clear the hallway in case the Shrieker attacks. Can't be too careful.”

“Oh,” Jonah murmured. He was sorry he'd asked.

He peeled off the silver wrapper as they walked and
took a bite. He almost spit it out. It was dry and crumbly and tasted like kidney beans.

Willona smiled. “We also call them bean bars. But it's all we have, so you better get used to them.”

She stopped in front of a door and knocked. “Jemma?”

A girl pulled the door open and grinned. Her straw-colored hair perched like a bird's nest on her head, bright blue eyes, and freckles dotted her nose and cheeks. Jonah also noticed a few blistered burn marks on her hands, though it was hard to get a good look at them because her hands were always moving.

“Nice to meet you, Jonah,” she said, giving him a quick hug that took Jonah completely by surprise. He glanced at Willona.

“She's a hugger,” Willona said simply.

Jemma shrugged. “Too much saluting on this ship. Come in. It's ready.”

She quickly fetched his uniform from a pile on the floor. He saw another pile of badges that she was sewing with an old kit like one his grandma used to have in her attic.

“Not quite as nice as that one,” she said ruefully, looking at Jonah's school uniform. “But rules are rules.”

Willona and Jemma stepped out to let him change, and he reluctantly took off his blue uniform and slid into the coarse brown fabric. The uniform was a one-piece jumper that zipped up the front, with two deep pockets
and a black belt to keep it snug at the waist. It hung a bit loosely from his arms, but he could tell that Jemma had tried to stitch it to fit his skinny body. The pant legs had been hemmed, as had the sleeves. He ran his fingers over the ISR badge on the chest, which was an inverted black triangle with the red letters in the middle.

“You can come in,” he said.

Willona and Jemma hurried back inside.

“Not bad, not bad,” Jemma mused, looking him up and down. “A little baggy.”

“He'll grow into it,” Willona said.

Jemma smiled and scooped up the blue uniform. Her teeth were a bit yellow and crooked, but it was somehow comforting when she smiled. It seemed like she meant it.

“He looks like a Space Raider,” Jemma said. She looked down at Jonah's socked feet. “Keep your shoes, Jonah. I'll turn the rest of the uniform into a blanket.”

Jonah slid on his polished black shoes. “Can I at least have the blanket?”

Jemma laughed. “Sure. Good luck with your training.”

She bundled up his old uniform, and Jonah noticed that her sleeves had rolled back just a little. The burn marks continued all the way up her arms. He returned her smile and followed Willona down the hallway.

They soon stopped in front of another door, and Willona knocked again.

“What are we doing now?” Jonah asked.

“
You
are starting training with Alex,” Willona said, leaving Jonah at the door and continuing down Squirrel Street. “We have another lesson in an hour. And try to memorize those rules. There will be a test!” She paused. “I mean there could be. It's a pop quiz . . . so who knows? Maybe there won't be. But study. I would definitely study.”

•  •  •

Jonah stood by the doorway as the small, shrewd-looking boy known as Alex the Adventurer laid a hand-drawn map out on the floor. There were six metal pipes leaning against the wall in his bedroom, which looked exactly like Jonah's, minus the window.

Finally, when the map was laid out and held down by four pipes, Alex glanced up. He looked like a very clever mouse. His sandy hair was wispy and a bit long, hanging down beside his big round ears. His eyes were blue and moved around a lot, as if he wanted to see everything all the time. In short, he looked like the perfect adventurer.

“Jonah, right?” His voice was squeaky. Jonah wasn't surprised.

Jonah nodded. “Yeah.”

“Sit down.”

Jonah sat down cross-legged in front of the map. Its lines were a bit wobbly, and apparently drawn with an old black pen.

“This is the
Fantastic Flying Squirrel
,” Alex said, using a metal pipe as a pointer. “As you can see, there are many different parts. Some I've seen, but some of this information has been passed down from the second and first most important adventurers.”

Jonah looked up. “You're the third most important?”

Alex swelled with pride. “Recently promoted from fourth.”

“Congratulations,” Jonah said.

“Thank you,” Alex replied curtly, though he seemed pleased that Jonah had said something. His ears even turned red. “As I was saying, there are many different parts of the
Squirrel
. I'm sure Willona told you about the sectors. But more important are these two.” He pointed at a long section at the top of the ship and a rectangular
section near the back. “You are not to go in these two areas. Ever. Period. Never. If you go there, you won't come back. Trust me.”

“What are they?” Jonah asked quietly.

“The top section is the bridge and the quarters. That's where Captain White Shark and his crew live. Nasty bunch. If you run into them, you're a goner.”

Jonah nodded. “And the back?”

“The Unknown Zone. Home of the Shrieker,” Alex said quietly, glancing at the door. “If you hear shrieking, run and hide. It comes fast. And it takes Space Raiders, too.”

“Willona said you've already lost seven.”

Alex solemnly put his hand on his patch. “May they raid in peace.”

“What does that mean?” Jonah whispered.

“I don't know,” Alex said. “But it seems like a nice thing to say.”

Jonah pointed at the rest of the sections on the ship. “What are all these areas?”

“The Wild Zones. No one has a claim there. Only the bravest ever enter those areas. Except this one,” he said, pointing at a hallway that ran alongside Squirrel Street. “The Haunted Passage. I go there all the time.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “Because I'm an adventurer. Actually, I'm due for a scouting mission again. Might be good training. Want to check it out?”

“Not really,” Jonah said.

“Don't worry—it's safe. I've gone there four times and never seen the Shrieker.” He stood up and handed Jonah a metal pipe. “Here, take a bonker. You'll get your own when you're trained, but you can borrow this one for now.”

“A bonker?” Jonah asked, taking the pipe.

He pretended to hit something. “You know, like,
bonk
. It's the sound it makes when it hits someone. We think. Never actually hit anyone yet. Now let's get going. It'll be good for you. Get used to the ship a little.”

“I guess,” Jonah said. He really didn't like the sound of that Shrieker.

“That's the spirit,” Alex said, starting for the door. “You'll fit in just fine.”

•  •  •

Five minutes later, Jonah and Alex were walking down a very dark corridor. Jonah could see why it was called the Haunted Passage. Only a few light panels worked here, and even those flickered like candles. Every footstep sounded incredibly loud in the still, heavy silence. The only thing Jonah heard was the ship's engine, which sounded like a moaning ghost in the darkness. He was already trembling.

“Cool, right?” Alex whispered.

“Supercool,” Jonah said.

He didn't want to seem like a wimp. But he'd seen
the way the hall guards looked at him when he walked by. Like Jonah was a goner.

“Where does it go?” he asked quietly.

“It leads to the Unknown Zone.” He glanced at Jonah. “You ever go on any adventures at home?”

“Not really,” Jonah said. “I went into a forest once.”

“I forgot you used to be from Earth! You're the last recruit. The special one.”