Trouble at the Hy 9 Hunt (Troubleshooters 37)

By Dr E J Yeaman

Hi. I’m Tony, an agent of the Galactic Federation. When I rescued the son of the man who ran the famous Hunt on the planet Hy 9, he invited me to watch it from his posh viewing tower. But, when a saboteur appeared, we saw a lot more of the hunt than we wanted.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr E J Yeaman
• Release date: Oct 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370741489

Dr E J Yeaman

I retired (early) and started a new career as a writer. I wrote short stories and articles. Some were published; some won prizes; some sank without trace.Having heard my stories, two friends suggested I should write for children. I’d never thought of that, although I’d spent my first career communicating with young people – as a Chemistry teacher, and running clubs for badminton, chess, table tennis and hillwalking.I tried writing for young people – and I loved it. It became my main occupation. I sent samples to publishers. One asked to see a complete story. In excitement, I sent it off. Then nothing. After four months, I rang, and was told the manuscript was being considered: I would be notified. Then more nothing. Now, after eight years, I no longer rush to the door when the letter box rattles.But I kept writing the stories because I enjoyed it so much. Until, in late 2013, I learned I could publish my stories and games as e-books. Since then, I’ve been polishing and issuing some of them. I hope everyone enjoys reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.Check out the series:C: Charades – party game – a new twist to the traditional game.D: Diagags – party game – gags written as plays for two people.M: My Story – novels – classical stories, told by the heroes.O: One-Offs – party game – guess the titles, not quite the classical ones.P: Pop Tales – short stories – inspired by 60s and 70s hit songs.Q: Quote-Outs – word games – can you deduce the missing words?S: Inside Story – novels – a boy’s adventures inside classical stories.T: Troubleshooters – novels – space adventures for young people.

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TROUBLESHOOTERS 37

TROUBLE

AT THE

HY 9 HUNT

Published by EJY at Smashwords

Copyright 2017 Dr E J Yeaman

All characters in this publication are fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold, or given away, to other people. If you would like to share this e-book with other people, please buy additional copies. If you did not buy this e-book, or it was not bought for you, then please go to Smashwords.com and buy your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

CONTENTS

1. COLUMBUS!

2. KING THURSO!

3. MORNING, COLUMBUS.

4. A SIREN WILL SOUND.

5. AH!

6. WILL HE DO IT?

7. 74, WHY ARE YOU HERE?

8. THE STAIRS!

9. HOSPITAL!

10. WOULD YOU COME WITH US?

11 WARNING.

12. 1% AND 0%.

13. HELP ME!

14. BUT IS HE HUMAN?

15. 80% AND 78%.

16. LEAVE ME.

17. THEN IT VANISHED.

18. GO ON!

19. TONY, WHAT CAN WE DO?

20. A NEW KIND OF HUNT.

TROUBLESHOOTERS

INSIDE STORY

TROUBLE AT THE HY 9 HUNT

1

COLUMBUS!

The Bean and I were crossing the waiting room of the communication centre on the planet Yband 4 when I pulled her sleeve. Don’t look now, but guess who I see. Columbus.

Columbus! What’s he doing?

Nothing. Just standing around. Over there by the entrance to the base. Probably waiting for somebody. I’ll watch him. You tell Martin.

Is it worth the trouble, Tony? It’s possible Columbus is standing there for some perfectly innocent reason.

Knowing Columbus, d’you believe that?

Well – no. Take care, Tony. She moved on.

The Bean and I are agents of the Galactic Federation – Troubleshooters. During our missions, we’ve met Columbus. He’s a brilliant scientist and inventor. He’s cheerful and friendly. But he’s a crook. He always wears bright gear: that day it was a suit and cloak in a dazzling pattern of red and yellow. So it wasn’t hard to spot him, standing beside two kit trolleys – big metal boxes on wheels, used for carrying luggage and equipment.

The waiting room is big, with seats round the sides. As usual, people of all shapes, sizes and colours were streaming across it, so I found a seat where I could watch Columbus, but I hoped he wouldn’t see me.

I didn’t have long to wait before two people stopped to speak to him. One looked about the same age as me – 13 – and the other might’ve been his dad. They wore grey overalls – which were about the same size. The man’s fitted him, although the left arm hung empty. But the boy’s were loose, and the sleeves were turned up. The man’s overalls had 74, and the boy’s had 183, in big black numbers on their chests and backs.

The man talked quietly to Columbus while the boy stood by, looking worried. I thought Columbus gave them something, but I couldn’t see because of the people between. Then Columbus waited beside the kit trolleys while the other two headed round the side of the room, the boy carrying a brown parcel.

Should I follow them? If they’d collected something from Columbus, I’d like to know where they took it.

I threaded through the crowds, cutting across the corner of the room, so I was about five steps behind them when they turned into the transporter corridor.

In bays along the left, it has the doors of twenty-four transporters which can take you to nearby planets. I kept the same distance behind the two until they went into a transporter about halfway along the row. When the door shut behind them, I went nearer.

Above each transporter door is a metal plate showing the name of the planet it goes to. In the language of the planet and in Federation symbols. This one showed, Hylingard 9. In English.

What now? Should I take a look at Hylingard 9, or should I watch Columbus?

Hylingard 9 wouldn’t go away. I dodged through the crowds to the waiting room, where Columbus was still hanging around beside the trolleys. I sat on a seat – near the transporter corridor in case he went that way.

We waited for a while – as I began to worry Columbus might spot me – until the man with the 74 on his overall came out of the transporter corridor with a different boy. This one also looked about my age but he was wearing posh Federation casual gear, like a blue velvet tracksuit.

The boy spoke to Columbus. Just a few words, then Columbus went into the base while the man and the boy pushed the trolleys round the side of the room.

I worked my way through the crowds, and judged it right. As the man pushed his trolley into the transporter corridor, I stepped from behind a fat woman and bumped into the side of the boy’s trolley. It didn’t rock: it was heavy.

I said, Watch where you’re going!

You watch where you’re going. You ran into my trolley. He pushed it into the transporter corridor.

I walked beside him. Maybe you’re right. We were both to blame. These trolleys are hard to control.

Yes: especially this one because it’s full.

Acting casual, I asked, Oh? What’s in it?

He grinned. It’s such an important load that my father sent me for it. I’m taking it to Hy 9.

Hy 9. Where’s that?

Have you never heard of Hy 9? The proper name is Hylingard 9, but everyone calls it Hy 9. It’s famous for the Hy 9 Hunt.

The Hy 9 Hunt? I’m sorry: I’ve never heard of it.

"You are ignorant. It’s the biggest and best hunt. I suppose you know what a hunt is."

Yeah. I do know that. In a hunt, the players stalk wild animals with a stun-gun, usually in a forest or a jungle. I’m Tony, I added, pointing to my name on the dark green chestband of my uniform.

I’m Kel. My father owns Hy 9.

Owns? I thought the Federation doesn’t let anybody own a planet.

You know what I mean. If you want to be fussy, my father owns the only island on Hy 9, and he runs the Hy 9 Hunt there. He beamed. I’m doing it tomorrow.

You’re lucky.

Yes. It’s my first big hunt. I’ve been practising. I bet I do well. I might even beat the regular hunters. Have you ever hunted?

No, but I’d like to try it.

Ahead of us, the man had pushed his trolley into the Hylingard 9 transporter, but Kel stopped outside it to say, Well, you’ll never try the Hy 9 Hunt. The entry fee is two hundred thousand mus. (A mu is a Federation money unit. If we want to spend our Federation money in Britain, they give us £1 for every mu.)

Wow! I said. On my agent’s pay, I’ll never afford that. Having a sudden idea, I asked, What do you hunt?

Spikets. Only the best is good enough for the Hy 9 Hunt.

Spikets? What are spikets?

You really are ignorant. Spikets are vicious beasts but they give great sport to the hunters. He leaned nearer to say, That’s what I have in this trolley. Some of the spikets for tomorrow’s hunt.

That explains it. I thought I heard something moving in your trolley.

Don’t be stupid. We can’t transport conscious spikets. They’re drugged. See. He threw back the nearest half-lid of the trolley.

Something rocketed from the gap, going for Kel. It was about the size of a rabbit, but more like a huge insect with a shiny black body and a head with a long spike above the mouth. A spike that went deep into Kel’s shoulder.

2

KING THURSO!

Like all young people from Earth, I can sense the feelings of people and animals from other planets. That animal’s fury hit my mind so hard I staggered back.

Luckily I couldn’t sense Kel’s mind, because he was screaming with the pain. But his screams pierced the animal’s feelings in my mind. I pulled my stun-gun from its clip at my waist, and gave the animal a blast at zero range.

The gun worked – on Kel, who stopped screaming as he slumped to the floor. But it didn’t stop the spiket. It crouched on Kel’s chest with its head at his shoulder, making horrible slurping noises. Some animals attack by instinct so the stun-gun doesn’t work on them. This spiket must be one of them.

If I’d stopped to think, I don’t know what I would’ve done. But I didn’t stop to think. I grabbed the animal and pulled it off Kel. I had a glimpse of the patch