Brother and sister came forward, just to the doorway. With just one step, they could enter the room. They could revisit the planet that the Empire had destroyed. They could actually go home.
Neither took another step.
“We could go home,” Tash said. “But it wouldn’t be real. It would just be a hologram.”
Zak nodded. “I don’t want to.”
They turned away.
“You’re from Alderaan?” Lando asked. Like many people in the galaxy, he had heard that the Empire’s doomsday weapon, the Death Star, had blasted Alderaan to rubble. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks,” Tash managed to say.
Zak said nothing. He’d been happy a few minutes before. For a brief moment, he’d forgotten about his parents and his homeworld. He’d even forgotten about Project Starscream. Now it all came hack, and he needed to take his mind off it.
Farther down the lane, Zak saw a small-domed building with a sign outside that announced: HOLOGRAM FUN WORLD’S LATEST ATFRACTION: THE NIGHTMARE MACHINE!
He went to investigate.
The only entrance to the building was a tall archway, which was being polished by a maintenance droid. Zak read another sign. This one was placed over the archway: FACE THE ULTIMATE FEAR… IF YOU DARE. Zak could not resist a challenge. He started to enter the dome.
“Pardon me, young gentle,” said the boxy maintenance droid. “This attraction is still under construction. It is not ready for visitors.”
“Okay,” Zak said, still curious. He wanted to see just what The Nightmare Machine could possibly be. “You missed a spot right over there.” He pointed to a portion of the wall five meters distant.
“Thank you,” replied the droid, turning to investigate.
While its back was turned, Zak entered The Nightmare Machine.
He stepped into a small hallway lit only by dim maintenance glowpanels. They were just bright enough for Zak to see a few tools, such as hydrospanners and sonic hammers, strewn on the ground among extra pieces of durasteel and wiring.
Zak was about to leave when he heard a noise at the far end of the hallway. Consumed with curiosity, Zak walked quietly toward the noise. Light came from a room at the end of the hall.
A voice spoke, cold and sharp as a vibroblade. “Get them on the tables. Hurry!”
Carefully keeping himself in the shadows of the hallway, Zak peered into the room.
And found himself looking into the evil, gray face of the scientist who ran Project Starscream.
Zak was looking into the eyes of Borborygmus Gog himself.
CHAPTER 5
It took Zak one terrifying moment to realize that Gog could not see him in the shadows. The Shi’ido scientist was standing next to a large black transport cube. Before him were two medical tables. Gog was looking to the left of the door, where four men in black uniforms dragged two young humans toward the tables.
Zak recognized the two human kids he had seen flying the hoverskis yesterday. They struggled to break free, but they were gagged and their arms were bound; they were no match for the four men who lifted them onto the tables.
Zak felt fear trickle down his spine like icy-cold water. How could Gog possibly be at Hologram Fun World? Had he followed them? If so, why hadn’t he captured them already?
Zak’s heart pounded. He couldn’t just watch as Gog tormented two helpless kids. He had to do something.
Before he could move, Gog spoke. “Now,” said the Shi’ido. “Let us see if our little experiment works.”
He pressed a button on the side of the large black cube and a panel slid open with a hiss.
No, the panel hadn’t hissed. Something inside the transport cube had hissed. From the shadows of the container, something shuffled forward.
First, two arms appeared. The hands were long, with thin, splayed fingers. The arms themselves were terribly thin, like skin stretched tightly over dried bones. And each arm had two sets of elbows, which made them quiver and swerve in weird directions.
Next came the creature’s head. Its face was vaguely human, but the head was enormous and round. Above two red eyes, the skull was crisscrossed with hundreds of wormlike veins, as though the creature’s brain were about to push up through the skull. Its lips were thin and tightly shut, and the corners of its mouth stretched back almost to its tiny ears.
Zak was grossed out. He stifled a cry of fear as the creature crawled spiderlike out of its box and loomed over the two victims. It looked at Gog, who nodded at it. Then the creature opened its mouth. Instead of a tongue, two tentacles leaped out, wriggling in the air. One tentacle struck the top of each captive’s head and attached itself. The two teens stiffened in shock, then fainted.
Zak gasped. It was a tiny sound, but it was enough to turn the heads of Gog and his henchmen. The Shi’ido’s dark eyes stared directly at Zak, and the scientist smiled cruelly.