Free The Ancient Starship by Cerberus Jones Page A

scientists out there somewhere doing experiments with human genes?
    â€˜Two,’ said Charlie, ‘there might be another human planet out there. Maybe because all life on Earth actually started somewhere else and just fell through the gateway accidentally back at the beginning of time, or maybe because that other planet started up a colony on Earth on purpose, or maybe there is just another planet out there with different DNA, but we kind of coincidentally look like the same species.’
    Amelia raised her eyebrows.
    â€˜It could happen,’ said Charlie. ‘Parallel evolution. Like with lemurs and squirrels – different species, but they turn out the same.’
    â€˜I can tell the difference between a lemur and a squirrel,’ said Amelia.
    â€˜Whatever,’ Charlie said easily. ‘It’s not my favourite theory anyway; I was just trying to cover all the possibilities. So now we’re up to theory three.’ He leaned toward her. ‘I think that Earth is really the only planet with humans on it. But we’re also the planet with the most active gateway in the universe. So what if someone from our side has gone through? What if there is a human being out there, somewhere, lost in the universe?’
    All the hair stood up on the back of Amelia’s neck. It was possible. Very possible. She remembered Tom warning them so angrily the first time Charlie had tried to sneak a look down the gateway stairwell – he’d told them how dangerous the gateway was, how the wormholes were always shifting and how things could accidentally get sucked through. That’s how Grawk had ended up on Earth, after all.
    Then she thought of the space on her wall where that little locked safe door was, and the oil painting that used to hang over it – a portrait of Matilda Swervingthorpe, the original owner of the Gateway Hotel. She’d lived out here all alone … right up until she’d gone missing without a trace.
    â€˜You’re right,’ she said slowly. ‘I think that’s exactly what’s happened, Charlie. Someone, at least once, has got lost through the gateway.’
    â€˜What’s all this?’ said a laughing voice. It was Lady Naomi coming over to them with a plate of fruit. ‘You’re looking far too serious for a party.’
    Amelia and Charlie stared at each other. Someone getting lost through the gateway – and someone else spending all their time researching … or was it just searching? What was Lady Naomi looking for with that equipment? Or who? And was she searching on Earth, or some other planet? What had she hoped to learn from that ship before they found out it was Munfeep?
    Amelia’s head spun with questions. Like, what did Q’Proll mean when she’d said K’Torl had got lost before the gateway system evolved? And now she came to think of it, with the gateway right there only a short walk from the hotel, why was Lady Naomi’s research all being done in the bush in Forgotten Bay? How come she wasn’t travelling to different parts of the universe through the wormholes whenever she wanted? And also –
    â€˜Amelia?’ said Lady Naomi, a little concerned.
    Amelia realised she’d been sitting there with her mouth hanging open, and shut it. ‘Sorry,’ she said quickly. ‘Just thinking.’
    â€˜Thinking?’ said Ms Rosby, who was tottering by. ‘No time for that, my girl! Look over there – our dear Arxish has decided to give being Control’s most pompous snob a rest for the night, and he’s actually going to juggle for us. Come on – it’s the most dangerous sport on his home planet, and he’s rather good at it. You must see!’
    Amelia and Charlie turned, and there in a cleared space on the ballroom floor was one of Gateway Control’s Big Three on Earth, standing on his huge squiddy head, and waving all twelve tentacles in the air, each one