Evil Star Read Online Free Page B

his muscles swelled. He fought against the pull of the dark matter, dragging his hand slowly up to his neck. But even with superhuman strength it wasn’t easy. His whole body was screaming with pain. He clenched his eyes shut and reached for the hidden button.
    Click!
    Peri didn’t know if it was too late. It felt like the black hole was ripping him apart, like his muscles were being torn from his bones and his circuits were melting.
    Then there was a blinding flash and the pain vanished.
    Peri opened his eyes. He was standing on the Bridge, surrounded by Selene, Jaxx, Otto and Diesel.
    I’m alive! he thought, taking a step forward and smiling at his friends.
    ‘That was easy,’ he said, just before his legs collapsed under him and he was plunged into darkness.
     

 
    Chapter 6
     
    Peri felt as if he’d been stretched between two moons. Every muscle in his body ached and his head was pounding, but his energy levels had regenerated back to normal. He opened his eyes and found himself in the captain’s chair.
    ‘Is everyone OK?’ he asked.
    ‘Did you have a good nap?’ Diesel replied. ‘What a wastoid, sleeping on a mission.’
    ‘Hey, I almost burnt out my circuits,’ Peri snapped. Another argument won’t help anything , he told himself, taking a deep breath. ‘Did we get what we needed?’
    ‘Yes, thanks to your crazy manoeuvre,’ Selene said. ‘I’ve never seen anything so recklessly brave. We were able to chart the dimensions of the trapdoor and pilot around it. But we were waiting for you to recover before we approached the planet.’
    ‘Great! Let’s go and get Daxx,’ Peri said. He clicked his fingers and the control panel slid over to him. ‘Selene, set the cloak to “Max”.’
    Peri plotted a course to avoid a string of defensive satellites between them and the shimmering planet. ‘Diesel, Otto – be on alert! But don’t activate weapons until I say.’
    Peri’s fingers automatically twisted a zip-dial marked ‘Ultra-Stealth thrusters’. He turned it to ‘Maximum’ and pulled the  lever all the way down. The Phoenix roared towards the planet, but the Bridge’s lights turned red and started flashing.
    ‘ This is the MezzStar ,’ a voice boomed over a radio channel. ‘ Surrender peacefully or die. ’
    Peri brought the ship to a halt.
    Jaxx put a protective arm around Selene. ‘This is very bad! I’ve heard such horrible stories about what happens on the MezzStar. It’s a planet created and owned by the Mezzoka Clan. It’s their secret headquarters. If Daxx flew here, he must be working with them. We’d better surrender.’
    Peri shivered and opened a com-channel. ‘This is the Phoenix . We are surrendering peacefully.’
    A red laser shot up from the MezzStar. ‘ Follow the laser to your landing bay or be destroyed .’
    Peri followed the red light. As they got closer, he realised that the MezzStar was not actually a planet – it was a massive space-base. One side had been scooped out and resembled a giant dish. At its centre was a transparent dome that stared at them like a giant eye. Parked in rows around the sides of the dish were colossal flying rubbish-trucks with large pincers.
    ‘Why are there so many dump-jets?’ he asked.
    ‘The Mezzoka Clan use space-rubbish collection as a cover for their criminal activities,’ Jaxx replied.
    ‘So the MezzStar is the centre of their entire intergalactic criminal operation?’ Peri said as he guided the Phoenix into a parking slot between the dump-jets.
    Jaxx nodded. ‘The Mezzokas are the most organised and vicious criminals in the universe. We must proceed cautiously.’
    Diesel started activating drawers from under his gunnery station. ‘Where’s my Eterni-chew?’
     

     
    Peri frowned. ‘You’re worried about chewing gum at a time like this?!’
    Diesel pointed at the dump-jets. ‘This place must be a garbage collection centre for the whole universe. It’s going to smell awful.’
    As the Phoenix stopped, a