And there was a green dot ahead of him. He recognized the way it moved, like a dog creeping around the edge of a sheep field.

He headed towards it.

Now he could remember. You thought better in game space, too. It was as if he was more him in game space. Krystal or Kylie or one of those made-up names, Wobbler had said. And Bigmac said the other name was Dunn . . .

He twirled the knob of the communicator panel.

‘Krystal?’ he tried. ‘Kylie? Kathryn? Whatever?’

There was just the hiss of the stars, and then: ‘It’s Kirsty, actually.’

‘Don’t fire!’ said Johnny, quickly.

‘Who are you?’

‘Don’t fire, first. Promise? I hate dying. It makes it hard to think.’

The other ship had stopped being a dot now. If she was going to fire, he was as good as dead – if dead was good.

‘All right,’ she said, slowly. ‘No firing. Peace talk. Now tell me who you are.’

‘I’m a player, like you,’ said Johnny.

‘No you’re not. None of the other players talk to me. Anyway, you’re on their side. I’ve been watching you.’

‘Not . . . exactly on their side,’ said Johnny.

‘Well, you’re not on my side,’ said Kirsty. ‘No one is.’

‘Did they try to surrender to you too? I heard you say in Patel’s shop that they’d sent you a message.’

There was another silence filled with the whispers of the universe, and then a cautious voice: ‘You’re not the fat one who looks as though he could do with a bra, are you?’

‘No. Listen—’ Johnny tapped his controls hurriedly.

‘The black one who looks like an accountant?’

‘No. Look—’

‘Oh, no . . . not the skinny one with the big boots and the pointy head . . . ?’

‘No, I’m the one who kind of hangs around and no one notices much,’ said Johnny desperately.

‘Who? I didn’t see anyone.’

‘Right! That was me!’

‘They surrendered to you?’

‘Yes!’ Number three missile went ping as it locked on to her ship. Now for number four—

’But you’re a nerd!’

Ping!

‘I think it’s dweeb now. Anyway, I’m more than a dweeb.’

Ping!

‘Why?’

‘I’m a dweeb with five missiles targeted on you.’

‘You said you weren’t going to fire!’

‘I haven’t yet.’

‘You said this was a peace talk!’

‘You did. Anyway, it is. It’s just that I’m . . . kind of shouting.’

If he concentrated, he thought he could hear music in the background when she spoke.

‘You’ve really got missiles targeted on me?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’m amazed you thought of it.’

‘So am I. Look, I don’t want to shoot anyone. But I need help. The fleet’s turned round. They fired at me!’

‘That’s their job, dweeb. They fire at us, we fire at them. Why did they stop? It’s no fun if they don’t fire back.’

‘They surrendered.’

‘They can’t surrender. It’s a game.’

‘Well, they did. Sometimes you change the game. I don’t know, Kirsty!’