Free Spyforce Revealed by Deborah Abela Page A

and moved towards the hatch.
    Max and Linden stood up and cautiously followed him, wondering if taking this strange man’s lead was a very wise thing to do, while a million questions crash-landed in their heads. Who was Frond? What was a ‘Sleek’? How is it possibleto have an invisible jet? And why did this guy talk so much?
    As they approached the hatch, Steinberger stood aside and invited them in.
    â€˜Welcome to your superfast ride to London in the world’s most luxurious, high-tech mode of transport to ever —’
    â€˜Steinberger! We’ve got a schedule to try and keep,’ said an agitated voice from nowhere.
    â€˜Right you are, Sleek,’ he replied, and ushered them quickly in.
    The entrance to the hatch was blocked by two glowing balloon-like walls. Max and Linden looked at each other and shrugged before pushing their way in. Once inside, they found themselves in a small, white, rubber room. They could hear ticking.
    â€˜What’s going on?’ But just as Linden asked this, an alarm bell sounded and a blast of vacuum like air lifted them off their feet. It sucked at their hair and clothes, whisking them round in circles and bouncing them off the soft walls.
    â€˜Aaahhh!’ they screamed.
    May felt dizzy and hoped she wasn’t getting her brain sucked out.
    They were bounced and twirled and jostled in a fierce vacuum frenzy. Then suddenly the suctionstopped and they were spat out of the balloon chamber and left toppling about, trying to find their balance.
    Max was starting to get annoyed at how they were being treated but before she let Steinberger have it, she took a good look around at where they’d landed.
    They really were inside a jet! And it was enormous. There were fluffy, lined seats and carpets, digital screens that folded out from the armrests, giant beanbags, a glass cabinet filled with every drink imaginable, a spa and even a small pool.
    Steinberger looked very apologetic.
    â€˜I’m sorry about that. I should have warned you about our Automatic People Sanitiser. When a passenger steps into the jet, the sanitiser detects if there is any material on them that may interfere with the smooth running of the machine — dirt and dust, for example — and it turns itself on if it thinks a good clean is needed. Very efficient for getting rid of any pesky bugs or cleaning up after a particularly messy mission, and I can tell you there have been plenty of —’
    â€˜This is your captain speaking,’ interrupted a stern message on the intercom. ‘Would all cabin crew and passengers get ready for take-off. Makesure your tray tables are stowed correctly and your seatbelts are firmly fastened. Take-off will be in approximately thirty seconds.’
    Max and Linden were shown to their fluffy seats by a tall, unsmiling, uniformed man who asked if they were comfortable and without waiting for a reply, went to the back of the jet and strapped himself into a seat.
    â€˜We’re a little pushed for time,’ Steinberger explained the apparent rudeness as he took a seat opposite them.
    The jet silently rose a few metres into the air, rotated so that it faced the opposite direction and took off into the night at a powerful speed. Max and Linden were pressed into their seats by the force of the take-off and could only just manage to look out the windows as the jet flew high above the ground.
    â€˜Well, here we are,’ Steinberger announced, smoothing down his notepad that had been mangled in the sanitiser. ‘If there are any questions you’d like to ask about the plane or Spyforce, fire away. I’m here to be your personal guide. In fact, you might even want to know a little about me. I’d be flattered to help you out there, it’s a fascinating —’
    â€˜What are these things for?’ Linden interrupted, fearing another long-winded yabberfest andpointing to the digital screens that materialised in front of