Kirsty nudged him.

'Can we steer it?'

'Hmm? What?' He looked vaguely at the controls.'Well, there's this joystick

'Turn us round, then. I want to watch them gothrough.'

'Yes. Me too.'

The capsule turned gently in the deep void of gamespace, right up against the Border.

The ScreeWee fleet hurtled past. As each shipreached the Border it flickered and faded.

'Do you think they've got a planet to go to, really?'

'I think they think so.''Do you think they'll ever be back?''Not now.'Um ... look... when I looked up and I saw thatthing . . I mean, it was so real. And I thought, butit's alive, it's living, how can I ''Yes,' said Johnny.

'And then it was dead and ... and I didn't feel likecheering.'

'Yes.'

'When it's real, it's not easy. Because people die andit's really over.'

'Yes. I know. Over and over. D'you know what?'

'What?'

'My friend Yo-less thinks dreams like this are a wayof dealing with real life.'

'Yes?'

'I think it's the other way round.'

'Yo-less is the black one?'

'Yes. We call him Yo-less because he's not cool.'

'Anti-cool's quite cool too.'

'Is it? I didn't know that. Is it still cool to say "wellwicked"?'

'Johnny! It was never cool to say "well wicked".'

'How about "vode"?'

'Vode's cool.'

'I just made it up.'

The capsule drifted onwards.

'No reason why it can't be cool, though.'

'Right.'

Game stars glittered.

'Johnny?'

'Yes?'

'How come you get on with people so well? Howcome people always talk to you?'

'Dunno. Because I listen, I suppose. And it helps tobe stupid.'

'Johnny?'

'Still here.'

'What did you mean ... you know, back there?When you said I see aliens everywhere?'

'Um. Can't remember.'

'You must have meant something.'

'I'm not even sure there are aliens. Only differentkinds of us. But I know what the important thing is.The important thing is to be exactly sure about whatyou're doing. The important thing is to remember it'snot a game. None of it. Even the games.

The ship became a dot against the night.

'What do we do to get home? I've always had to dieto get out.'

'You can get out if you win.'

'There's a green button here.'

'Worth a try, yes?'

'Right.'

Light was streaming into the room when Johnny wokeup. He lay in someone else's bed and looked aroundthrough half-closed eyes.

It was like all spare rooms everywhere. There was thelamp that was a bit old-fashioned and didn't fit inanywhere else. There was the bookcase with thebooks that no-one read much. There was a lack ofsmall things, apart from an ashtray on the bedsidetable.

There was a clock, but at some time in the past themains had gone off for a while and although peoplemust have sorted out every other clock in the house,they'd forgotten about this one, so it just sat and flashed7:41 continuously, day and night. But an absence ofsound from below suggested that it was still early in themorning.

He snuggled down, treasuring this time stolenbetween dreaming and waking.

So - . . what next? He'd have to talk to Kirsty, whodreamed of being Sigourney and forgot that she wastrying to be someone who was acting. And he had asuspicion that he'd see his parents before long. He wasprobably going to be talked at a lot, but at least that'dmake a change.

These were still Trying Times. There was stillschool. Nothing actually was better, probably. No-onewas doing anything with a magic wand.

But the fleet had got away. Compared to that,everything else was ... well, not easy. But less like awall and more like steps.

You might never win, but at least you could try. Ifnot you, who else?

He turned over and went back to sleep.

The Border hung in the sky.

Huge white letters, thousands of miles high.

They spelled:

GAME

OVER

And the fleet roared past. Tankers, battleships,fighters . . they soared and rolled, their shadowsstreaking across the letters as ship after ship escaped, forever.

NEW GAME?

(Y/N)