'We are getting closer,' she said. 'If you think thereis something there, then you must go now.'

'Come on!' said Kirsty.

'Uh-' Johnny began.

'Thank you,' said the Captain, gravely.

'I haven't really done much,' said Johnny.

'Who knows? You never thought of yourself. Youtried to work things out. You made choices. And Ichose well.'

'And now we must go!' said Kirsty.

'Perhaps we shall meet again. Afterwards. If all goeswell,' said the Captain. She took one of Johnny's handsin two of her own.

'Goodbye,' she said.

Kirsty caught Johnny's shoulder and dragged himaway.

'Nice to have met you,' she said to the alien. 'Sortof - interesting. Come on, you.'

Some of the lights had gone out. The corridors werefull of steam and vague shapes. Kirsty ran on ahead,darting from shadow to shadow.

'We'll have to go down,' she said over her shoulder.'It'll be there. Don't worry!'

'You're really into this, aren't you.' said Johnny.

'Here's a ramp. Come on. We can't have much time.'

There was another passage below that, and another

ramp, curling away down through the steam.

They came out in a room bigger than the bridge.There was a very large double door at one end, andbanks of equipment around the walls. And, in the mid-dle, standing on three landing legs, was a small ship. Ithad a stubby, heavy look.

'There! See? What did I tell you?' said Kirstytriumphantly.

Johnny walked over to the nearest equipment paneland touched it. It was sticky. He looked at hisfingertips.

'It hasn't been here long,' he said. 'The paint's notdry.'

A screen in the middle of the panel lit up, showingthe Captain's face.

'How interesting,' she said. 'I look down at mycontrols and discover a new one. You have found yourescape capsule?'

'It looks like it,' said Johnny.

'We have ten minutes until we reach the Border,'said the Captain. 'You should have plenty of time.'

There was a whirring noise behind Johnny. Theescape capsule's ramp was coming down.

'I found a switch on the landing leg.' said Kirsty.

He joined her. The ramp was a silvery grey-colour.It gleamed in the misty blue light that streamed downfrom inside the capsule.

'Can you guess what I'm thinking?' said Kirsty.

'You're thinking: We haven't seen the GunneryOfficer lately,' said Johnny. 'You're thinking: He'll bein there somewhere, hiding. Because this part is yourdream, and that's how your dream works.'

'Only I'll be ready for him,' said Sigourney. 'Comeon.

She sidled up the ramp, turning constantly in a seriesof small excited hops to keep the gun pointed at anyteeth that might suddenly appear.

There were two seats in the capsule, in front of a verysmall control panel. There was a big window. Therewere a couple of small cupboards. And there wasn'tmuch of anything else.

Kirsty pointed to a cupboard and made a gesture toJohnny to open it. She raised her gun.

He opened the door and stood back quickly.

Kirsty seriously menaced a stack of tins.

She caught Johnny's expression.

'Well, he could have been in there,' she said.

'Oh, yes. Sure. Admittedly he'd have to stop to cuthis arms and legs off and then curl up really small, buthe could have been in there.'

'Hah! Smart comment!'

'Why not try looking under the seat cushions? It'samazing what goes down behind them.'

Kirsty tried to prod behind the control panel withoutJohnny noticing. He noticed.

'Maybe aliens don't watch the same kind of films wewatch?' he said.

'All right, all right, no need to go on about it,' shesnarled. She looked at the controls, and pressed aswitch. The hatch swung up. The Captain's faceappeared on a small screen in the middle of thepanel.

'Eight minutes to the Border,' she said.

'Right,' said Kirsty. She shoved a hand down behindher seat cushion, and then looked at Johnny's grin.

'You see aliens everywhere, don't you,' he said.

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'Nothing. Nothing. Just a thought.'

She glowered at him.

There were seat belts. They put them on. Kirstystarted to drum her fingers on the panel. She seemed tobe looking for something.

'How do we open the doors?' said Johnny.

'All right, all right - it's got to be here somewhere.'She pressed a button. Behind them, the ramp rose upand hissed into place.

Johnny looked around. There really was nowhere foranyone to hide. They were aboard the escape craft.They were safe.

He didn't feel safe. He grabbed Kirsty's arm.

'Wait a minute,' he said urgently. 'I think some-thing's wro-'

The screen flickered into life.

There was a ScreeWee there.

It was the Gunnery Officer.

'Run and hide, human scum,' he said.

They could see the screen behind him; he was on thebridge.

'You? Where is the Captain?' said Johnny.

'She will be dealt with. While you run away.

'No!'

Kirsty nudged him.

'Look, the ScreeWee are safe,' she said. 'The Borderis only a few minutes away. We've done it all! Youcan't chase around after her now! She'll have totake her chances! That's what she'd say if you askedher!'

'But I can't ask her, can I?'

He reached over and pushed a switch. There was awhirring behind them as the ramp slid down.

'I'm going back up there,' he said.

'He'll be waiting for you!'

'Fine.' He picked up the alien gun. 'Which bit's thetrigger?'

She rolled her eyes. 'This is stupid!'

'Scared, are you?' said Johnny. His face was pale.'Me?' She shrugged and snatched the gun. 'I'll takethis,' she said. 'I'm used to guns. You'll only make amess of it.'

Just Like The Real Thing

They ran down the ramp and back to the corridor.

'Got a watch on?' said Johnny.

'Yes. We've got more than six minutes.'

'I should have known!' said Johnny, as they ran. 'No-one gets that long to escape! James Bond never turns upwith enough time to have a cup of coffee and clean hisshoes before he disarms the time bomb! We're playinggames again!'

'Calm down!'

'If we find a cat I'm going to kick it!'

The corridors were darker. Water dripped from theceiling. There was still some steam, hissing out ofbroken pipes.

They reached a junction.

'Which way?'

Kirsty pointed.

'That way.'

'Are you sure?'

'Of course.'

They disappeared into the gloom.

About thirty seconds later they reappeared, running.'Oh, yes, of course.'

'Well, they all look the same, actually. It must be thisway!'

This one did lead to the wide corridor with the doorto the bridge at the far end.

It was open. They could see the blue and whiteflickering of the big screen.

Kirsty changed her grip on the gun.

'O-kay,' she said. 'No messing about this time,right? No talking?'

'All right.'

'Let's go.'

'How?'

'You walk in there. When he leaps out at you, I'llget him.'

'Oh? I'm bait, am I?'

Kirsty glanced at her wrist.

'You've got four and half minutes to think of some-thing better,' she said. 'Oh, sorry. Four minutes andtwenty-five seconds. Hang on, that's twenty secondsnow

'I just hope you're good!'

Kirsty patted the gun. 'Regional Champion, remem-ber? Trust me.'

Johnny walked towards the open doorway. He triedto swivel his eyes both ways as he reached it.

'Four minutes and fifteen seconds,' said her voice, far,far behind him.

He halted on the threshold.

'How come you weren't National Champion?' hesaid.

'I had food poisoning on the day, actually.'

'Oh. Right.'

He stepped through.

Multi-toothed death failed to happen to him. Herisked a better look to either side and then, swallowing,upwards as well.'Nothing here,' he said.'OK. I'm right behind you.'