he cried.
It was a crocodile, slowly gliding towards where his hand had been in the water just a moment before. Its eyes were glowing orange in the light from the flaming torches. Luke stood and backed away towards the gate, scared that the thing would come out after him. Seeing a crocodile without bars in front of it was not as fascinating as he’d anticipated. It was downright terrifying!
Then as he watched, the eyes dimmed and the movement slowed, until the animal was just drifting in the swirl created by the filter pump.
That was strange: why would it back off like that? Something was not quite right here.
Cautiously, Luke moved back to the edge of the pool and stood looking at the thing. Nothing happened. It continued to float off into the shadows at the other end of the pool.
He waved his arms around. Immediately, the crocodile turned and began swimming towards him. When it got closer, its eyes lit up. Luke waited, standing motionless, hoping he’d got it right. He had. Before it bumped into the edge, the eyes went out and it began drifting.
Luke reached out and grabbed it by the tail. The eyes lit up and the thing tried to pull away. As he lifted it from the surface, a churning propeller began spraying water everywhere. He chuckled to himself: he’d been right—the crocodile was a robot.
Closer examination revealed a movement sensor which controlled when it came on and what direction it moved in. Power came from solar panels along its back, done up to look like scales. No doubt it lay dormant during the day, charging itself, so that it could terrify people at night. Well, it could certainly do that—Luke’s heart was still beating faster than normal.
They rode in Chizza’s flash new twin-cab ute, which for some reason he called a truck. They could have walked, but clearly Chizza liked showing off the thing. Most of Cape Tribulation would have heard it roaring the short distance back along the main road towards Cairns. It sounded like some of the vehiclesthat went drift racing up the Three-oh-nine. But back there the vehicles were driven by young people, not forty-something men.
Reef Sands Resort was where Beth and Lora were staying, although they didn’t seem to be around as the two men marched up to the bar. The barmaid gave them a big smile and began pouring their beers—obviously they were well known in the place.
Luke ordered a cola and sat listening to the two men argue about who was going to win the State of Origin game in Brisbane in two days’ time. It sounded like an argument that could go on all night. He needed to find something to fill in the time. Maybe Lora and Beth were in the dining room.
He didn’t find the women, but he did find a computer alcove at the back of the bar. Two computers were in use, with a third one showing the same screensaver he’d seen at The Nest. Hoping they might have free access, he pressed the space-bar only to be asked for his access key. The text below said that in-house guests could obtain a code from the desk. Yet another set of computers he couldn’t use.
Back at the bar, he found Ham sitting by himself.
‘What you been up to?’ asked Ham.
‘Trying to find a computer to use.’
‘Use the ones back at The Nest.’
‘I can’t—I don’t have a credit card.’
‘You need a staff card then. We’ll get Chizza to give you one.’
‘Is he in charge of them?’
‘Yeah. He’s the local computer geek. Looks after the computers at a lot of the places.’
Luke was processing this information when the man returned to his seat, and immediately drained his glass. ‘Your turn to buy.’
Ham peered at his watch. ‘Shouldn’t we go through and eat?’
‘No! We have another round. Then we go.’
Ham accepted that with a shrug, and once again Luke was forgotten. He went through to the dining room, and this time did find Lora and Beth. They greeted him as if they hadn’t seen one another for days.
Over the next half-hour, Luke got the rundown
It was a crocodile, slowly gliding towards where his hand had been in the water just a moment before. Its eyes were glowing orange in the light from the flaming torches. Luke stood and backed away towards the gate, scared that the thing would come out after him. Seeing a crocodile without bars in front of it was not as fascinating as he’d anticipated. It was downright terrifying!
Then as he watched, the eyes dimmed and the movement slowed, until the animal was just drifting in the swirl created by the filter pump.
That was strange: why would it back off like that? Something was not quite right here.
Cautiously, Luke moved back to the edge of the pool and stood looking at the thing. Nothing happened. It continued to float off into the shadows at the other end of the pool.
He waved his arms around. Immediately, the crocodile turned and began swimming towards him. When it got closer, its eyes lit up. Luke waited, standing motionless, hoping he’d got it right. He had. Before it bumped into the edge, the eyes went out and it began drifting.
Luke reached out and grabbed it by the tail. The eyes lit up and the thing tried to pull away. As he lifted it from the surface, a churning propeller began spraying water everywhere. He chuckled to himself: he’d been right—the crocodile was a robot.
Closer examination revealed a movement sensor which controlled when it came on and what direction it moved in. Power came from solar panels along its back, done up to look like scales. No doubt it lay dormant during the day, charging itself, so that it could terrify people at night. Well, it could certainly do that—Luke’s heart was still beating faster than normal.
They rode in Chizza’s flash new twin-cab ute, which for some reason he called a truck. They could have walked, but clearly Chizza liked showing off the thing. Most of Cape Tribulation would have heard it roaring the short distance back along the main road towards Cairns. It sounded like some of the vehiclesthat went drift racing up the Three-oh-nine. But back there the vehicles were driven by young people, not forty-something men.
Reef Sands Resort was where Beth and Lora were staying, although they didn’t seem to be around as the two men marched up to the bar. The barmaid gave them a big smile and began pouring their beers—obviously they were well known in the place.
Luke ordered a cola and sat listening to the two men argue about who was going to win the State of Origin game in Brisbane in two days’ time. It sounded like an argument that could go on all night. He needed to find something to fill in the time. Maybe Lora and Beth were in the dining room.
He didn’t find the women, but he did find a computer alcove at the back of the bar. Two computers were in use, with a third one showing the same screensaver he’d seen at The Nest. Hoping they might have free access, he pressed the space-bar only to be asked for his access key. The text below said that in-house guests could obtain a code from the desk. Yet another set of computers he couldn’t use.
Back at the bar, he found Ham sitting by himself.
‘What you been up to?’ asked Ham.
‘Trying to find a computer to use.’
‘Use the ones back at The Nest.’
‘I can’t—I don’t have a credit card.’
‘You need a staff card then. We’ll get Chizza to give you one.’
‘Is he in charge of them?’
‘Yeah. He’s the local computer geek. Looks after the computers at a lot of the places.’
Luke was processing this information when the man returned to his seat, and immediately drained his glass. ‘Your turn to buy.’
Ham peered at his watch. ‘Shouldn’t we go through and eat?’
‘No! We have another round. Then we go.’
Ham accepted that with a shrug, and once again Luke was forgotten. He went through to the dining room, and this time did find Lora and Beth. They greeted him as if they hadn’t seen one another for days.
Over the next half-hour, Luke got the rundown
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