The chamber beyond was a small room, containing only a desk, a chair, and another door on the opposite wall. Victor was a portly, balding man. As the door opened, he stood up from his chair, a confused expression on his face.
‘Xara?’ he said with a frown. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Haven’t you heard the sirens?’ she asked.
‘No, of course not,’ Victor frowned. ‘You know that no sound penetrates the stasis chamber.’
‘You’ve been asked to join the other guards downstairs,’ she lied. ‘We’re under attack, and your Power is needed.’
Victor pulled a face. ‘Erm, no, I don’t think so. I’m under strict instruction never to leave your chamber unsupervised. Wait … who is that with you?’ He pointed to Jack who had entered the small room after Xara.
Xara looked over her shoulder and gave Jack a knowing look. ‘This is another guard,’ she said, ‘sent to take over your position.’
Victor became suspicious. ‘You know I’m not supposed to leave the chamber until your shift is over.’
Jack knew the time had come to render Victor unconscious. He was becoming suspicious. Jack stepped in front of Xara, and instantly, Victor’s body language changed. He became tense and raised his hands in defence.
‘It’s all right,’ said Jack, thinking on his toes. ‘I don’t want to hurt you.’
‘You’re a medic,’ said Victor, pointing to the green lead embroidered on Jack’s shoulder. ‘What are you going to do to me?’ He scoffed as though it were impossible.
Jack stepped towards Victor but was immediately paralysed on the spot. It hurt, but the effects didn’t last long. Jack began to move as though he were walking through thick water. The paralysis felt as though his muscles were cramping up, but he quickly overcame the cramps.
‘What? How are you doing that?’ Victor demanded.
Jack reached Victor with ease. ‘I’m really sorry,’ he said before raising his fist and punching Victor in the face as hard as he could. Jack felt his knuckle crack with the force, though, of course, the fracture was fixed almost immediately.
Jack expected Victor to collapse to the ground, however, he only held his nose, howling with pain.
‘Ow!’ he cried, blood spurting down his face. ‘Whad did ewe do dat fow?’
‘I’m so sorry!’ said Jack.
‘Ewe boke by dose!’ he said thickly.
‘Let me fix that for you!’ said Jack, panicked.
‘Jack,’ said Xara, ‘you were meant to knock him out, not fix him up.’
‘Erm, right.’ Jack looked to Victor, an apologetic expression on his face. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Wait!’ said Victor, holding up a bloody hand. ‘Pease. Dun hid be again.’
‘What?’ Jack couldn’t understand him with the broken nose.
‘Don – hid – be - again.’
‘Don’t hit you again?’ Jack repeated.
‘I’ll leb ewe in!’ he said, standing aside. ‘Ewe arent goin’ do kidnab her are ewe?
Jack glanced at Xara. ‘He said he’ll let us in. Do I have to hit him still?’
Xara shook her head and swept across the room, her red cloak flying. She opened the door to the stasis chamber with a big push.
‘Uh … thanks,’ said Jack, edging around Victor, who was still holding his nose. ‘I’m sorry. I can fix it for you-’ He reached towards Victor who flinched away.
‘Dun touch be!’
‘Okay, okay!’ Jack backed into the other room with his hands in the air.
‘I can hear us coming,’ said Xara.
Jack turned to look at the stasis chamber, and gasped at what he saw. It was a large, round room with a shallow pool in the middle. Floating face-up in the middle was Xara, her white hair around her head like a halo. The ripples from the water reflected around the room.
The only part of Xara that was above the water was her mouth and nose. She floated peacefully, wearing nothing but a white bathing suit. At first, Jack had thought she was completely naked as the swimsuit blended perfectly with her luminescent skin. It was an eerie sight, like a pale dead body floating in a river.
‘Why are you in water?’ Jack asked.
‘To block out all sound,’ she said as her projection flickered. ‘My concentration is waning from the noise we have created upon entry.’
‘How do I get you out?’ asked Jack.
‘I am in a deep sleep,’ said Xara. ‘You must pull me out of the water and wake me slowly. It may take several minutes.’
‘Cant you just … wake up? I mean … you know you’re here, right?’
Xara gave Jack a pitying look, as if he were far too stupid to understand the mechanics of how these things worked.
‘I am dreaming,’ she said. ‘In deep concentration. Only an exterior source can wake me.’
‘Right, and that’s me?’ asked Jack.
Xara nodded.
Sighing, Jack walked up to the pool and jumped in with his boots on.
‘Gently,’ said Xara. ‘Do not disturb the water too much.’
Jack walked through the pool as gently as possible. The water came up to his knees, so he caused a generous amount of splashing.