Читать книгу The Writer - Danilo Clementoni - Страница 18

Petri and his three other friends had meanwhile moved inside Dr. Hunter’s laboratory tent.

"Now I really am curious," said Azakis nervously. "I really want to see what didn’t work on your hook system."

"No, my dear friend. You’ll see that things are slightly different," answered Petri as he made a three-dimensional hologram appear, about half a meter off the ground.

"This thing you do always amazes me," exclaimed Jack as he observed the images that were forming right in the middle of the tent.

"Now I’ll go back a little," said Petri as he busied himself with a strange instrument and the scenes were reproduced the other way around. "This is the moment when we took General Campbell, Senator Preston and those two funny characters that attacked us when we were trying to retrieve the cargo, back to Area 51."

“Yes, yes. I remember that very well," commented Azakis.

"Now I’ll show you something," and the hologram showed the fat guy approaching Azakis threateningly, then giving him a light shove with his shoulder.

"He thought he could frighten me," said the Alien captain. "He didn’t move me even one millimetre. But what’s this got to do with the loss of the remote control?"

“Wait a minute. Let me just enlarge this detail... What you’re seeing is the fat man’s hand as, with great skill, he slips the device off your belt."

"Incredible," exclaimed the Colonel. "A manoeuvre worthy of the best pickpockets who prowl around on the underground."

"With the excuse of giving you a shove he took the opportunity to steal your remote control," added Elisa. "It’s an old technique that shoplifters hand down from generation to generation."

"He stole it from me?" asked Azakis astonished.

"Precisely, old chap," confirmed Petri.

"And how on earth did he reactivate it and run the self-destruct command? You had even disabled it completely if I’m not mistaken?"

"Yes Zak. The device had been deactivated. Probably, after they were freed, he and his crony must have started searching amongst the countless information we left the terrestrials and found the way to get around the blocking system."

"Those two destroyed our spacecraft and prevented us from returning home,” blurted out Azakis, angrier than he’d ever been before. "When I get my hands on them, I’ll make them sorry they ever came into this world, I promise."

"Calm down my friend. What’s done is done now. We can’t do anything anymore. Instead, what we should do, is track down those two lowlifes and get back what they stole from us before they also discover its other functions."

"Why, what else does it do?" asked Elisa intrigued.

"Never mind for the time being. It’s best you don’t know."

"Blimey, so many secrets," replied the doctor a little upset.

"Certainly, if they’ve managed to find out how to activate the self-destruct, they might also discover the rest," said Azakis worried.

"But shouldn’t you be thinking about a way to get back home first?" asked the Colonel. "This doesn’t seem such an urgent matter to me."

"You're right Jack, but that thing, in the wrong hands, could be very dangerous."

"And those are definitely the wrong hands," added Elisa.

"There may just be a way," said Petri almost in a whisper.

"Well? Talk? Do I have to get down on my knees and beg you?" exclaimed Azakis annoyed.

"That device is equipped with a special power supply system. If we were still on the Theos I could make a device that would be able to identify the trail of emissions it leaves behind."

"And you’ve only just remembered that?" Azakis was decidedly angry. "Couldn't you have done it as soon as we found out it had disappeared?"

"I’m sorry but this search system only works if the object is in motion and we’d taken it for granted that you’d dropped it somewhere."

"Now calm down boys," said the Colonel, reinforcing his words with sweeping hand gestures. "Anyway, from what I’ve understood, you can’t do anything without the Theos, right?"

"Well, perhaps I could organise something, all the same," said Petri scratching his head.

"Forgive the outburst, my friend," said the Captain contritely. "I know it’s not your fault. This really is a bad time for both of us." Then, laying a hand on his shoulder, he added, "See what you can do. I think it’s very important to retrieve that object as soon as possible."

"Don't worry Zak. It’s not a problem. I’ll try to think of something, making do with the few things we have left."

"Only you can do that. We’re in your hands."

"I’m off,” and, without saying any more, the Expert left the laboratory tent leaving behind only a few small clouds of dust.

"Will he manage to do it?" asked Jack hesitantly.

“Of course. I don’t have any doubts whatsoever. Petri has incredible skills. More than once I’ve seen him make things that not even a team of the best Craftsmen would have been able to do. He’s an exceptional person. I’m sorry I was a little too rude to him. I’m incredibly fond of him and I’d willingly give my life for him at any moment."

"Don’t worry Zak," said Elisa in a very sweet little voice. "He’s well aware of that. It’s a difficult time, but we’ll get through it without problems. I don’t have any doubts whatsoever."

“Thank you, Elisa. I really hope so with all my heart."