Go Ahead 4-H-N, Chapter One

4-H-N tippy-toed through to the therapeutic suite in her knickers, pinkly, stuffily, springily. Funny sort of first date, this.

There was Flashbee, absolutely rigid, standing with his back to her.

She went over and took his hand in hers from behind. “Flashbee, don’t be silly,” she murmured. “I chose you for this.”

“Another female Mini-Flash would have been more typical,” stated Flashbee, addressing with determination the high corner of the ceiling.

“The girls are saying things about me,” returned 4-H-N. “They think I ran the assault course like that on purpose. Please, Flashbee.”

That one drew a deep breath.

When he looked, 4-H-N admitted, it did make her a little pinker. She felt it prickle about her cheeks, though pink wasn’t quite the word for the shade Flashbee’s went. A fond smile and a nose-crinkle seemed indicated.

“See?” she said to him. “Nothing to be shy about. We’re all like this underneath.”

Stammering directions to step this way Flashbee showed her over to the inclined couch, which had a dip in the middle so her feet would rest higher than her head. Keeping hold of her hand Flashbee helped her down onto it, then fastened about her ankles the important part. Once that clamp was in place, there were others for her shoulders and wrists.

“You have to stay completely still for it to work,” Flashbee explained while he was about it. “I know what a fidget you are. This machine was probably designed with you in mind.”

4-H-N beamed up at him at once, to help that smile along. He switched the equipment on and took his seat by her bedside.

Out among some far-off stars was a movie studio lot, through whose cavernous recesses two other Mini-Flashes were proceeding. They were led by an auburn-haired starlet in a silver dress, who at length drew up before a stasis chamber for one. Like all its kind it was glass-fronted and octagonal, but unlike any of the others nearby, it was occupied.

A boy with freckles on his snub nose slept within, wearing an old-fashioned Flash Club tunic. Mini-Flash Meteor fairly goggled.

“You know Flashpower?” she demanded of the actress.

“He does film-festivals and conventions,” that one replied. “In my walk of life, you meet people. Networking’s a big part of making your way.”

“It’s not Flashpower,” put in Mini-Flash Phytolith. “It’s what the Grindoes used in their movie about him. No-one knows where the real one is, and besides, he’s a grown man now. You could pass him by on any populated planet tomorrow and not know. But everybody’s seen the film. This is the Flashpower who can be of use to us.”

True enough, thought Mini-Flash Phytolith. The boy who’d been subjected to the Ritual of Demand, merely for wanting what any boy wanted? The last boy against whom The Flash Club had turned in that way?

“He’s a symbol,” said Phytolith softly, with satisfaction. “Potentially, a figurehead.”

Actualsis’s fingers clacked briefly on the keypad alongside Flashpower’s pod. With a throb of generators the interior began to warm up.

“He gave me his number,” she explained. “So, um, as soon as he’s awake, you can – ”

And putting her hands on her hips Actualsis smelled rather pointedly at Mini-Flash Phytolith.

“I’ve not forgotten,” said he. “You’ll enjoy exclusive rights. And trust me, with him onboard, it’ll be your biggest hit.”

For a while, there was little for 4-H-N to do but lie back and listen to the hum of the machine as it carried out its homeopathic work. That changed when her communicator began to sound, over by the door where she’d left it.

Flashbee, who’d been reading, went at once. He hastened back, knelt by 4-H-N’s head and held the mouthpiece under her lips. First she had to blow away a stray lock of hair, since hairpins apparently were little lightning-conductors and killed you or something, but after that she was able to say:

“Hello?”

Several seconds passed.

“Mini-Flash Robin?” 4-H-N continued. “No, please don’t worry about calling. I feel I know you already, Jenny talks about you so much. But what’s up?”

A great many more seconds passed, throughout which Flashbee deduced with his keen insectile senses that the gist of Mini-Flash Robin’s reply had been, quite a bit.

“Oh, by the two moons,” expectorated 4-H-N at last. “Well, you’re right. You know her better than I do. Hand her any emergency and it’s the first thing she forgets. Not a stitch on her? Yep, that’s our Jen. Oh, by the two moons. Yes, Neetra does say that too, it’s one of our mother’s. Anyway, thanks for letting me know, Robin – can I call you Robin? Yes, I’ll totes handle it at my end. No, chap needn’t worry. Flashbee, let me out of this thing!”

“It doesn’t work that way!” cried Flashbee. “The system has to stay locked while it’s operating. To interrupt a cycle halfway through – ”

“Why does everything kill you in this place?” flung 4-H-N. “Not much of a therapeutic suite, is it? Sorry, Robin, ignore that. Well, no, you’ve not called at the best possible time, but it’s OK. Let’s just try and work the problem. Jenny won’t be able to dock at Headquarters like she did the first time she came, not without authorization from Joe. But she’s been since, on no clearance like now, and that time she used…”

The public shuttle-port just around the corner from Headquarters.

4-H-N had it. Quick thinking on her part, even if she did say so.

She told Mini-Flash Robin to leave it with her, then with her eyes commanded Flashbee to sign off. “And stay right where you are,” added 4-H-N.

Even so, she had to take a deep breath before she could continue.

“Flashbee, there’s a change of clothing for Mini-Flash Juniper at the shuttle-port round the corner, where she’s headed,” 4-H-N informed him steadily. “If you run, you’ll be just in time. The clothes are in a left-luggage locker, and the token…um. You’re going to need the token, Flashbee, obviously. You need it right now, in fact…”

This time 4-H-N really couldn’t stop her cheeks from turning crimson. His face was very near while he was kneeling like that and she fixed her gaze on him, beseechingly.

Because Flashbee was good at figuring things out.

What was more, most of it he knew already. If 4-H-N had hidden some clothes a short walk from Headquarters, Flashbee was one of the few Mini-Flashes in a position to apprehend why. It was he who’d shown her why she might need to do so. 4-H-N hoped that that brilliant brain was even now putting the few remaining pieces of the puzzle together, to conclude that a girl who’d made those particular preparations for that particular eventuality would have been left with only one place where there’d have been any point keeping the token.

4-H-N could tell the minute he twigged. It had something to do with how he leapt up, knocking his stinger on the bedside table, and thrust both hands behind his back.

“Oh, I’ll just go and pay the lost token fee instead, I honestly don’t mind,” he rattled off to her in a high thin voice. “Erm, except for the face-recognition software, so…well, there’s certain to be a form, so I’ll find out which one it is and bring it back, er…not sure at the minute how you’re going to be able to sign it, but – ”

“Yes, Jenny’s touching down just now, Flashbee,” hinted 4-H-N. “And getting arrested, you know the sort of thing.”

Flashbee swallowed hard. Then he braced himself and knelt again.

This was it. Not wanting to alarm him any further, 4-H-N began with care: “You’re going to have to go in by the leg-hole farthest from you, Flashbee. I think it’s somewhere around – ”

But Flashbee’s long yellow antennae were already twitching. “It’s OK,” he interrupted, in tones of deepest concentration. “I’m detecting it.”

“Oh,” replied 4-H-N. She wasn’t completely sure how to feel about that.

Then she blinked.

That was all. Flashbee was standing up again with the token between his fingers.

“Wow,” 4-H-N breathed.

She thought of ants on Planet Earth, which supposedly weren’t able to see, but could still jump and pluck a mosquito midflight.

It was enough to start a girl thinking seriously on the subject of Flashbee’s hands.

Probably not the time or the place though, and besides, he was already bumbling obediently for the exit.

TO BE CONTINUED