Johnny thought for a while, and then typed: Yourenot supoosed to give ni.

Want to go home.

Johnny typed: It says in the book you blue up a lotof planets.

Lies!

Johnny stared at the screen. What he wanted to typewas: No, I mean, this cant happen, youre Aliens, youcant not want to be shot at, no other game aliens haveever stopped aliening across the screen, they never saidWe DonT Want to Go.

And then he thought: they never had the chance.They couldn't.

But games are a lot better now.

They never made things like the old MegaZoidsseem real, with stories about them and Full-ColourGraphics.

This is probably that Virtual Reality they're alwaystalking about on the television.

He typed: It is only a game, after all.What is a game?

He typed: Who ARE you?

The screen flickered. Something a bit like a newt butmore like an alligator looked back at him.

I am the Captain, said the yellow letters. Do notshoot!

Johnny typed: I shoot at you and you shoto at me.That is the game.But we die.

Johnny typed: Sometimes I die. I die a lot.

But YOU live again.

Johnny stared at the words for a moment. Then hetyped: Dont you?No. How could this be? When we die, we die. For ever.Johnny typed desperately: No, thats not rightbecause, in the first mission, theres three ships you haveto blow up before the first planet. I@ve played it lotsof times and there@s always three ships there-Thfferent ships.

Johnny thought for a while and then typed: Whathappens if I switch of tthe machine?

We do not understand the question.

This is daft, thought Johnny. It's just a very unusualgame. It's a special mission or something.

He typed: Why should I trust you?

LOOK BEHIND YOU.

Johnny sat bolt upright in his chair. Then he let him-self swivel around, very cautiously.