Lab Rats in Space by Bruno Bouchet Page A

where their home planets were when they were all together in the control deck.
    â€˜What? I thought we’d agreed not to do that,’ Zed was surprised that Katy was thinking about it.
    â€˜I just think we should talk about it some more,’ said Katy, ‘perhaps Dee has a point.’
    Katy knew Zed would feel he was being betrayed. She could tell he was upset.
    â€˜We made a decision and we’ve got to stick to it,’ Zed stood with his hands on his hips.
    â€˜There’s no harm in talking about it,’ said Dee.
    â€˜Well I’m not!’ Zed stormed away to the boys’ room and threw himself down on his bed.
    He started doing one-handed push-ups with each of his hands, right to left to rear, going round and round, trying to make himself dizzy. He was confused. Katy was still the same person but she was different, she thought differently.
    â€˜She’s… she’s,’ he repeated to himself trying to find the right word, ‘she’s… a real girl.’
    He stopped the push-ups, dizzy and tired. It was like he’d lost his best friend and now he couldn’t rely on her. He started doing push-ups again, getting angry. Round and round he went, but the more he did, the more annoyed he got. When he had exhausted himself he lay on the ground panting. He was upset and angry, but the thought that annoyed him most was the fact that the girls were probably right.
    The zorbats proved space was a dangerous place. They could wander for years before they found their homes, if they didn’t get killed before then. Just as he thought that, Katy turned up.
    â€˜Oh it’s you… traitor, come to get your things and move into the girls’ room have you?’
    Katy had thought it would be easier if she did sleep with the girls now, but that wasn’t the reason she was there.
    â€˜I’m still your friend,’ she said.
    Zed shrugged his shoulders.
    â€˜It’s not the same.’
    â€˜I know. It’s hard for me too. I’ve got a whole new body. I keep surprising myself and thinking I look really weird and then other times I’m OK with it and then I wish I was a boy again and then…’
    Katy started crying.
    Zed felt bad. However hard it was for him, it must have been ten times worse for Katy.
    He put his arm around her.
    â€˜You’ll be OK, we’re still friends.’
    â€˜I’m sorry, I can’t help it. I think it’s part of the change. Dee reckons I’ll settle down and stop crying so much. She and Emm don’t cry this much. What’s wrong with me?’
    Zed didn’t have a hankie so he pulled out a corner of the sheet from his bed so Katy could wipe her eyes.
    â€˜See,’ Katy smiled at him, ‘we couldn’t do this before.’
    â€˜Too right!’
    â€˜But I think it’s best if I do move into the girls’ room, you know, it’s sort of, more comfortable.’
    â€˜Great, leave me with the deafening nose every night.’
    Katy laughed. ‘And leave your arm thrashing around in the air.’
    They sat still for a moment.
    â€˜About Libris…’ Zed started to speak.
    â€˜We don’t have to talk about that now.’
    â€˜It’s a good idea. You’re right, Dee’s right. We should go to the planet Libris.’

Chapter 17
Books R Us
    â€˜W hat’s that lovely scent?’ Emm smelled something she found very pleasant. It vanished quickly.
    â€˜Yuck!’ Jay screwed his eyes up. All he got was a blast up his nose of something very pongy.
    The ship was coming in to land on Libris. XL had signalled ahead and received permission to land. The Lab Rats thought their ship was clever. All they had to say was, ‘Take us to Libris’ and it did just that.
    As they approached the landing bay, expertly guided by XL, a face flashed up on the screen. It was a small woman in a black suit with pointy glasses. Her hair was neatly pulled