This basic fact made itself clear to us soon enough. We couldn't travel the corridors without being seen so we had to find an alternative route.
"There isn't one," insisted Troy. "The kaleg controls are located in only one of the astrometrics labs."
"Can we divert them to another more convenient one?" asked Rutter.
"I don't know. As I keep telling you, I'm a warrior not a technician."
"Midas, do you think you could divert them?"
He shrugged.
"I haven't had sight of any of their technology. I have no idea how similar or dissimilar to ours it is."
"And even if you could," interrupted Troy, "you'd need to be in one of the laboratories and believe it or not, AL3 is the least used."
"AL3?"
"Astrometrics Laboratory 3—that's where the kaleg was developed and is controlled."
"Is AL3 likely to be empty then?"
"It's a strong possibility. Unless they are scanning with the kaleg, there is very little reason to be there."
"So once we get there we'll be okay?"
"Probably, but getting there is the problem. The corridors to all the astrometrics laboratories are always busy."
"Then let's not use the corridors," I grinned.
Troy scowled in confusion.
"Can you walk through walls?"
"No, but just like any starship or spacestation, this place has conduits and corridors, Jeffries tubes and ventilation shafts. You used one yourself, to get us to the kitchens."
"But that was different. That was just a way to gain access to a room that's sealed up and disused. AL3 is completely different. It's so far away from here."
"But you know the way!"
"Only via the corridors. I wouldn't know where to begin if I had to find our way to AL3 through the shafts! "
"Then prepare to learn something new, Warrior Troy," I retorted. "Because if you'd ever served on a starship, as a member of the maintenance crew, you'd have learned one invaluable skill: how to navigate a ship by those tunnels," and I turned to look at Luke.
Of all the people I knew that could do this, Luke was the best. His sense of spatial awareness was uncanny. His sense of direction and ability to connect decks and corridors together to form a map inside his head was amazing, but I'd forgotten about Luke's predicament.
"Luke," I asked hopefully.
Slowly, he turned his head towards me. I couldn't help but beam him a huge smile. His brow furrowed in faint recognition. My heart leapt. He was still in there!
I walked up to him and took his hands in mine. His eyes fell to look at them.
"Luke, we need your help. I need you to show us the way." I turned to Troy. "Troy, explain to us how you'd get from here to AL3 via the corridors please."
Troy looked at me as though I was completely mad.
