Time To Shine Read online

  A map flashed up on the screen. EJ could see the coastline but mostly the map was the blue of the ocean.

  ‘Light Screen, zoom map to local area,’ instructed Captain C. A circle of black now appeared over a section of blue in the top right corner of the map.

  ‘That’s the spill,’ said A1.

  ‘Zoom in on spill,’ said Captain C. The map screen zoomed in. ‘Show area detail.’ Now they could see a black line running from the coast across the sea and small lights flashed across the map. ‘That black line is the South-West Oil Pipeline,’ said Captain C, pointing at the Light Screen. ‘The flashing lights are shipping vessels in the area. They are dotted all around this busy shipping route. Though there are many ships, they rarely sail together. They like to keep a safe distance from each other. Light Screen, show pipeline activity details.’

  ‘Could the pipeline be leaking?’ asked A1.

  ‘The pipeline has a leakage alarm system,’ replied Captain C. ‘If there were a leak, we would have known about it. But we do have those unexplained drops in the oil level.’

  ‘But no leak?’ asked A1.

  ‘Definitely no leak,’ said Captain C. ‘And if we look at these aerial shots of the ships in the area, none of them are near where the spill is appearing so they can’t be causing it either.’

  ‘But, look!’ said EJ, ‘the black circle is getting bigger, that means more oil’s leaking, doesn’t it?’

  ‘I’m afraid it does,’ said A1. ‘But from where?’

  ‘Captain C?’ said Agent F1N through the ship radio. ‘Please come quickly back to the front deck. We’ve just rescued one of our bird-agents. I think you need to see this.’

  Captain C, A1 and EJ rushed down the steps and back onto the front deck. Agent F1N was holding something in a towel, a towel stained with black. Captain C carefully pulled it back. There lying in it was a large seagull with oil smeared through its feathers.

  EJ gasped. ‘Is it, is it …?’

  ‘It’s still alive,’ reassured Agent F1N, ‘but only just. One of our patrol boats found it on a surveillance buoy. I’m surprised it managed to get itself there with all this oil in its feathers.’

  EJ noticed the small yellow clip around the bird’s leg. ‘What’s that?’

  ‘A camera,’ replied F1N. ‘We use the birds to help us monitor sea activity. We were hoping the film would tell us something but the lens is covered with oil.’

  ‘And what’s that under the camera strap?’ asked EJ.

  Agent F1N carefully held the bird’s leg and pulled a small, rolled-up plastic bag out from underneath the device.

  ‘There’s paper inside,’ she said, passing the bag to A1.

  A1 took the paper, frowning as she read. ‘It is a message—from SHADOW. This bird didn’t get to the buoy by itself. SHADOW left it there. They wanted us to find it and they wanted to give us this message.’

  ‘What does it say, A1?’ asked Captain C.

  ‘SHADOW is claiming responsibility for the oil spill. This message says they will stop it in return for one million dollars.’

  EJ’s eyes widened. ‘You mean they are spilling the oil on purpose? That’s awful, that’s wrong, that’s …’

  ‘That’s also strange,’ said A1. ‘Why would anyone dump oil? It is much too valuable. Even for a ransom, it doesn’t really make sense.’

  They returned to the bridge and watched the growing black blob that was the oil spill creep over the map of the bay.

  There was a beep on the control panel. Captain C turned to check it.

  ‘We have just intercepted a message being sent to a known SHADOW agent back on land,’ she said.

  ‘Excellent,’ replied A1. ‘Now we might get somewhere. Light Screen, show intercepted message.’

  The screen flashed and text appeared.

  ‘It’s all gobbledygook,’ said Captain C.

  ‘No, it’s in code,’ said A1. ‘Luckily we have a member of the Code-Cracking Division here.’

  ‘Me?’ asked EJ.

  ‘Who else?’ said A1.

  EJ 10 swallowed hard and looked at the screen. She bit her lip nervously as she looked at the numbers.

  For a moment EJ could only stare blankly at the screen. Her eyes went fuzzy and the numbers seemed to blur and crash into each other. Then she remembered her practice on the code-machine. She’d seen this code before and somewhere else … but where? EJ thought hard and then it came to her.

  ‘It’s the same as in my maths test!’ she cried. ‘I think the numbers stand for letters. A=1, B=2 and so on all the way through the alphabet.’

  ‘Okay,’ said Captain C. ‘Let’s see. Light Screen, run text through letter-substitution code using solution A=1, B=2.’

  The screen flashed and two lines of words appeared on the screen.

  ‘I’d say you just cracked your first mission code, EJ10,’ said Captain C, looking impressed.

  But EJ was disappointed. ‘But what does it mean?’

  ‘You’ll find that cracking the code is sometimes only the start of solving the puzzle,’ said A1.

  ‘I can help with one part,’ said Captain C. ‘The bay must refer to the bay we are in. Someone wants us to stay here in the bay.’

  ‘And that must be SHADOW,’ said A1. ‘But what are they up to? What are these “five hawks”? There is something else going on.’

  Suddenly lights started to flash all over the monitors. The black circle on the map quickly got larger.

  ‘Whatever else they are doing, we need to stop this spill now,’ said Captain C, ‘or it will do untold damage to the marine life in the bay. Hundreds of seals, turtles, birds and fish are at risk, A1. We need to take action now. It’s time to launch Aqua-Vac.’

  ‘Yes, it is,’ agreed A1. ‘Aqua-Vac is a rapid-response water-cleaning process invented by our Science and Invention Division,’ she explained to EJ. ‘They are giant, vacuum cleaner-like super-suction devices that attach to boats and, literally, vacuum the water, lifting the oil from the water or coastline. Captain C, how quickly can you deploy Aqua-Vac?’

  ‘The hull is opening now,’ said Captain C. ‘It holds ten microlight speedboats, all fitted with Aqua-Vac. If we spread them out we can have this spill under control before it does any more damage, and while the microlights clean up the bay we can look after any affected animals.’

  ‘Excellent,’ replied A1. ‘Ready, EJ10?’

  EJ nodded. She didn’t think about being scared, she just thought about needing to help save animals.

  EJ and A1 and the other rescue agents were lowered down the side of Shining Light 2 where the speedboats were waiting. A1 and EJ stepped into the first boat. A1 pushed a button on the dashboard and four large pipes, two on each side, came out from the side of the boat. A1 pressed another button and there was a loud sucking sound.

  ‘The pipes suck in the water, just like a vacuum cleaner, EJ,’ shouted A1 over the noise. ‘Then a converter inside separates the oil from the water and then ejects the cleaned water back into the sea.’ She pushed the button again and the pipes pulled back into the boat. ‘We will activate once we reach the spill zone. Okay, let’s go!’

  There was a roar as A1 and the other agents all started their engines. The boats cruised away from Shining Light 2 before accelerating and then fanning out in all directions, bouncing along the top of the waves.

  ‘Check the map on the dashboard,’ cried A1. ‘You can see when we approach the spill zone. We will then activate Aqua-Vac.’

  EJ could feel the water spray onto her face as they bumped over larger and larger waves. She ducked and turned her head to avoid getting water in her eyes. It was then, as she turned, that she saw five large ships, in a row like ducks, on the horizon.

  Captain C said it’s unusual for ships to travel together, she remembered. She took the binoculars from the boat’s dashboard and looked again towards the horizon. She saw that the ships were tankers and that each had a letter and numbers painted on the side.

  ‘What a
re you looking at, EJ?’ asked A1.

  ‘There are five tankers out there,’ said EJ. ‘Captain C said that tankers don’t normally sail close to each other.’

  ‘Interesting,’ said A1, slowing the boat.

  ‘And each tanker has a letter then numbers painted on the side,’ said EJ.

  ‘That will be their names,’ explained A1. ‘Some ships have names like Shining Light, others have letter or number series.’

  ‘Yes but there’s something else about these ones, I think,’ said EJ. She adjusted the binoculars and gasped at what she saw. All the ships were flying a flag, the same flag, a white flag with a black hawk on it.

  ‘Black hawks!’ she cried. ‘All those tankers are flying flags with black hawks. Remember the message we intercepted? And those letters on the side are S, H, A, D, O,’ she said. ‘SHADOW?’

  A1 stopped the boat.

  ‘I like your thinking, EJ. But that’s only SHADO.’

  ‘Yes but these are the five tankers, there’s one more,’ realised EJ. ‘The “last” in the message. I’m pretty sure if Captain C looks for a tanker with a W on its side, she will find where the oil is coming from.’

  ‘Of course S-H-A-D-O and W makes SHADOW. Good work,’ said A1. ‘It makes sense now. The last tanker stayed in the bay dumping oil so we would have to stop it while the others, the five black hawks, got away.’

  ‘But with what?’ asked EJ.

  ‘I’m guessing the missing oil from the pipeline,’ said A1. ‘I will get Captain C on it. It won’t be hard to locate the sixth tanker now that we know what we are looking for.’

  EJ felt proud of herself. She had cracked the code and found SHADOW and she hadn’t even finished her basic training. She looked up at A1 who was just putting down the radio and turning off the boat engine. EJ wondered why she wasn’t smiling anymore.

  ‘A1, what is it?’

  ‘Shining Light 2 has already spotted the tanker and will be able to find it easily,’ replied A1.

  ‘That’s good, isn’t it?’ asked EJ.

  ‘Yes, EJ, it is,’ said A1. ‘But Captain C had some bad news. They found another seagull and its gull-cam has some disturbing footage from the seal breeding grounds, on the coast, less than two nautical miles from here.’

  ‘I know that place,’ said EJ. ‘We visited it on a school excursion. There are hundreds of seals there. And seal pups.’

  ‘That’s right,’ continued A1, ‘but the oil spill has separated the mothers from the seal pups. The mothers were out fishing while the pups waited on the rocks but the slick now lies between them. The mothers will not be able to get back to their pups unless they swim through the oil.’

  ‘They’ll die if they do that!’ cried EJ.

  ‘Yes, if the oil coats their fur they could drown and if the oil reaches the pups it will mask their smell, so if the mother does make it back she would no longer recognise her pup.’

  ‘The whole seal colony could be lost,’ realised EJ.

  ‘It gets worse. The footage from gull-cam shows that some of the pups are trying to leave the rocks to find their mothers. We need to stop the mothers swimming into the oil, Aqua-Vac the area and rescue the pups.’

  ‘But how can we do all that at the same time?’ said EJ. ‘It’s hopeless.’

  ‘No, just difficult,’ replied A1. ‘We need a plan. What do we know about seals?’

  EJ thought back to her school excursion. ‘Seals love fish,’ she said. ‘So, we could … no it’s a dumb idea.’

  ‘There’s no such thing,’ said A1. ‘Go on.’

  ‘Well, if we had fish, lots and lots of fish, perhaps the seals would follow us and we could lead them away from the oil?’

  ‘I like your thinking, EJ10,’ said A1, taking two charms from her bracelet. ‘And, thanks to the Science and Invention Division, I have just what we need.’

  A1 took the charm that looked like a scooter, twisted it and threw it into the sea next to their boat. EJ’s eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw the small silver charm transform into a yellow jet-ski.

  ‘What? How? I mean … what?’ exclaimed EJ.

  ‘You should recognise this from your speed training, EJ10. This is a Shinemobile 3, an all-terrain agent transport vehicle.’

  ‘Yes, I did … and I do,’ said EJ. ‘But I don’t remember it coming on a bracelet. I know how to ride it though. I have my badge.’

  ‘And you did very well,’ said A1. ‘Which is why I think our plan might work. I will head straight through the centre of the oil spill to the breeding ground. Using Aqua-Vac, I will be able to clean up most of the oil and make sure those seal pups are safe.’

  ‘Oh,’ said EJ, her voice wavering slightly. ‘I’m not coming with you?’

  ‘No,’ said A1. ‘You will go in the opposite direction, around the fringe of the oil spill, and stop the mother seals trying to swim through the oil.’

  ‘But how will I do that?’ asked EJ, climbing onto the seat of Shinemobile 3.

  ‘With your idea—and this,’ said A1, passing EJ the second charm from her bracelet, a silver seal. ‘Once you get to the edge of the oil spill, I want you to twist this “Seal Appeal” charm and attach it to the hook on the back of Shinemobile 3. Once the fish appear, the seals will follow you and you can keep riding to the small jetty south of the breeding ground, which is a long way from the oil spill. I will meet you all there. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes, A1,’ replied EJ.

  ‘Right then, let’s go. We can keep in contact with each other via radio. Good luck, EJ. I know you can do this. All your training has prepared you for it.’

  EJ wasn’t so sure but she smiled what she hoped was a bright and confident smile as she turned the ignition on Shinemobile 3 and pulled gently back on the accelerator. The jet-ski gathered speed and EJ was soon far from A1 and the microlight, bumping over the waves towards the oil spill. She checked the dashboard map but she didn’t really need to because as she rode on, she could smell the pungent, dirty smell of oil more and more strongly and the seawater was becoming increasingly streaked with oil. EJ turned off the engine and let the jet-ski float as she scanned the water. When she saw some fish, bloated and blackened with oil, floating on the top of the water, she knew she had reached the edge of the spill. EJ felt her eyes prickling with tears. What could she possibly do to help? But then her anger became stronger than her fear and lack of confidence.

  How could anyone cause this on purpose? she wondered. Well, they won’t hurt any more animals, I won’t let them!

  It was then that she saw a large fur seal swimming close to the surface. It looked like it was heading further into the spill.

  ‘No!’ she cried. ‘Don’t go there!’

  EJ knew she needed to work quickly. If there were one seal here, there would be more. She took the seal charm from her pocket and twisted it. Within seconds, she was holding a large can with a picture of fish on the side. EJ read the label.

  ‘Perfect,’ said EJ, as she pulled the ring-top lid open and attached the can, upside down, to the hook at the back of Shinemobile 3. She watched as a silver powder spilled out from the can and into the water. As it hit the water, the powder specks began to expand and, in seconds, became dozens of fish-shaped, fishy-smelling pellets floating on top of the water.

  ‘Poo! What a smell,’ said EJ. ‘Who would want to eat those?’

  Two grey furry heads with long whiskers popped up above the water. They were fur seals. Another two heads and then another two popped up.

  ‘I guess you guys do,’ she said. ‘Well, if you want them, you’ll have to follow me. Come on!’

  She turned on Shinemobile 3 and again pulled back on the accelerator. As the jet-ski sprung back into action, the powder continued to spill from the can at the back of the jet-ski and now, as the water churned from the engine, there were hundreds of pellets. EJ looked back. There were now scores of seals swimming after Shinemobile 3.

  Now I can lead you to safety and back to your pups, sh
e realised with a grin.

  EJ10 rode far away from the oil and into clear blue waters. Then she turned and set off over the waves towards the shore. As she rode over one wave, she was thrilled to see three dolphins leaping into the surf with her.

  ‘Do you want some too?’ she called. ‘There’s plenty for everyone!’

  And so EJ rode on with a procession of seals, and dolphins, following her—or at least the fish pellets—in to shore. She didn’t think once about being in deep water, and soon the sandy sea bottom gave way to rocks and EJ could see little blobs moving on the larger rocks on the shore.

  The seal pups! she realised. They’re safe!

  The large seals jumped out of the water on to the rocks, waddling towards their pups. EJ watched in delight as each seal paired up with its pup.

  ‘What was that?’ wondered EJ.

  EJ heard the noise again but it was weaker this time. As she rode on slowly, she heard splashes and the same noise, weaker yet again. There, just ahead of her, a furry ball was bobbing in the water.

  ‘Hey!’ she cried. She leant over the side of the jet-ski and scooped out an oil-streaked furry seal pup. The brave little thing must have been swimming for ages and had run out of energy just when it had come so close to the rocks. EJ knew that its mother wouldn’t be able to recognise the pup through the smell of the oil. It would need to be cleaned.

  ‘I think you better come with me,’ she said, putting the pup in the equipment tub at the back of Shinemobile 3. She gently accelerated and headed towards the jetty, which was a small metal ramp jutting out from the rocks at the end of the seal colony breeding ground. She could see A1 was there already and was waving at her. EJ drew the jet-ski up alongside the jetty and turned off the ignition.

  ‘Well done, EJ,’ said A1. ‘I see you made a lot of new friends out there and guided the seals safely back to the breeding ground. And who’s this little one?’