There were many secret rooms hidden in the hill where Kai lived. The new control room was one of those rooms.
âWe have to take the lift to the new control room,â Kai said. âItâs on Underground level 3. Thatâs a new level.â
Kai and BC took the lift down through the transport chamber. Then the lift stopped at the new room.
Kai stepped out of the lift. âThis is the Captainâs control room,â he said. âCheck it out!â
âLook at those metal doors,â BC said. âWhatâs behind them?â
Kai walked over to the doors. âTheyâre locked,â he said. âBut these computers are on.â
Kai went over to the control desk. âLook at all this stuff, BC. There are five computer screens!â
âSomething is coming onto the first screen,â said BC. âThree tails!â
Kai watched as a beast slowly loaded on the screen. âItâs the mutant beast, Flamatoraq,â he said. âOh no. That beast has gotten out from the Outlands, BC,â Kai said. âItâs back in Beastium.â
âAnd here comes another beast!â said BC. âItâs loading on screen two! Those feet look like the beast we battled in the volcano land.â
More of the beast came onto the screen. âThis one has wings and a strange tail,â Kai said. âThis beast is a mutant, BC. But not one that we have battled before.â
âA new mutant beast!â said BC. âIs it in Beastium too?â
Kai watched as more words came onto the screen. âYes, and theyâre both in the fire land,â he said.
Kai looked up the mutant beast on his watch. It was a BMC captainâs watch. Kai used it to learn about the beasts. He could see how much strength they had. He could also see what beast-combos were in each one.
âThis beast was battled in the storm land,â Kai said.
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âItâs made up of fire, rock and air beasts.â
âWho battled it?â asked BC.
âI donât know,â said Kai. âBut we must find out who it was.â
âTwo mutants in the fire land!â said BC. âToo much to handle!â
Kai knew he and BC could not battle two beasts alone. They needed help. He looked at the computer screen. There was a button flashing.
Kai clicked on the button.
âWe can see other Border Guard files now,â said Kai.
A list of names came onto the screen. One name was flashing.
âWe need to form a team to battle two beasts,â said Kai. âLetâs see who this Jay Armstrong is.â
Kai clicked on Jay Armstrong. A Border Guard file came onto the screen.
âThis Border Guard has battled the mutant that we havenât. We need him!â
BC didnât reply. Kai turned to look at his buddy. BCâs head was tilted to one side. He was staring at the screen. âYouâre staring at Jayâs battle buddy,â said Kai with a smile.
âItâs a hawk,â said BC. âIt doesnât need a jetpack to fly like I do.â
Kai patted BCâs head and then said. âEvery Border Guard has to have a battle buddy. But youâre the best buddy a Captain could ever have!â
Then Kaiâs orb beeped.
âYou got an upgrade!â said Kai. âScratch behind your ear.â
BC did and a jetpack popped out onto BCâs back.
âYou can fly too now!â Kai said. âWhenever you want to.â
âThis will be handy in battle,â BC said.
âYes,â said Kai. âThis battle could be huge. Iâm going to send Jay a battle call right now.â
Kai opened the keypad on his orb and turned on its mini computer. âAll the Border Guards have been added to my orb already, BC.â
Kai found Jay Armstrong. Then he sent Jay a text message.
âIâve told him about the beasts,â said Kai. âAnd to meet us in the fire land.â
Kaiâs orb sounded
C. J. Cherryh
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