42 The Giant X

Chapter 42 The Giant X It felt like they were witnessing an eclipse. The huge, black shape moved quietly and smoothly across the sky, gradually blocking out any light attempting to complete its journey from the sun to the face of the earth. 'What is that?' asked Rockwell. Josephine didn't seem to be able to hear him. Her mouth was open, but she didn't respond. it can't be,' she finally said. 'I knew White was thinking about it, but... he can't have built it.' 'Built what?' asked Rockwell. The massive object continued to drift through the sky. Its near-silence made it seem even more sinister.

'The Giant X,' whispered Josephine. 'White's airship.' 'The Giant X?' said Rockwell. ' Well, that was the project's codename back in the day. 'The Big X was bad enough,' said Rockwell, remembering his encounter with Mr White's monstrous land-based vehicle on the snowfields of the North Draw. 'I don't think I have the stomach for a giant one!' Eventually, the back end of the airship moved into view, bedecked with a large number of quietly whirring propellors. The underside of the massive black vehicle was emblazoned with a huge white 'X'. Suspended beneath that was a small gondola containing a platoon of red-eyed RAZERs. The enormous airship was now filling the entire sky above

the lake. Rockwell realised that the crowd had fallen silent. Every single citizen and Resistance operative was looking up, open-mouthed, at the monstrous vessel floating above them. 'I've just remembered Mr White's original reason for building this thing,' said Josephine. 'And I've got a very bad feeling that 67 is carrying out those plans.' 'And those plans were...?" asked Rockwell, not really wanting to know the answer. 'I think we're about to find out. Twelve nozzles on the bottom of the airship suddenly opened, and each one began to release a large quantity of a pale, grey liquid. The liquid poured down into the lake between the steel cables, splashing onto the crowd below 'Oh no, I was right,' whispered Josephine. 'What is it?' asked Rockwell. 'It's plaster of Paris,' she replied. '67 is about to turn the citizens of Chroma—including the entire Resistance—into one enormous statue!'