by Mark Stewart
The trio woke early. By five in the morning just as the sun appeared they’d almost finished breakfast.
Florian wasn’t in a good mood. She sat glaring at the boys. Not knowing what they had decided made her more irritable. Eventually, she asked.
“Neither of you voted on my plan.”
Clay stopped eating to look at her. “I’ve been thinking about what you said most of the night.”
“What did you decide?”
“Your plan is gutsy. I vote yes.”
Josh stood. “I have to agree too. Long-term, the plan is a goer. I think we should get moving. Have you seen the sky this morning?”
Florian and Clay marched to the viewport. The previous day’s cloudless sky was a blanket of grey.
“It looks like it’s about to rain,” reported Florian, sounding excited.
“Come on; we have to get to the Piper and bring a fuel rod back.” Clay stopped in his tracks. “I propose we leave the shuttle behind.”
“We can’t leave it in the trees. The shuttle is too valuable,” said Josh. “You don’t know when or even how we might have to use it.”
“Okay, the vote is still unanimous,” said Clay, marching towards the door.
“Before we attempt anything, I recommend we should take a look at the disc I copied yesterday.”
Josh sat in the pilot’s chair. Leaning forward he pushed a button on the console. A small black frame ejected from the cradle. He placed the disc in the frame and sent it back into the computer.
The computer whirred. The monitor lit. Josh immediately typed in a series of questions on the keyless screen.
‘How many fuel rods are onboard the Piper?’
The answer came back in a cursory blink: ‘Ninety-five.’
‘Can the ship fly?’
‘Yes.’
‘Can it go into space?’
‘Negative.’
‘What does a stabilizer look like?’
A picture of a part the size of a small suitcase came onto the screen. It resembled a black rectangular box. Three wires protruded out of the top.
‘Exactly where is the damaged stabilizer situated?’
‘Engine four.’
‘Are there many spare parts on the ship?’
‘1,364 parts remain ready to be used. Ask for a specific item; a fetcher robot will locate it.’
The three castaways jumped for joy.
“Okay, it’s settled. Moving day has arrived!” exclaimed Josh.
Florian, Josh, and Clay scrambled down the tree to the ground. Holding their bow and arrows at the ready and Josh’s hand laser pointing out in front, they started for the Piper.
The clearing came without incident. Florian saw four lambs eating the grass around the spaceship. They started wagging their long tails when she walked up to them.
Josh opened the hatch, herding them inside.
“Now for the fuel rods,” said Clay.
“Have you two forgotten about something?” questioned Josh.
Florian and Clay sent each other a blank stare. They faced Josh who took to studying the area.
“The lion and the lioness are gone.”
Clay immediately lifted his bow and arrow, ushering Josh and Florian into the Piper.
“Something big must have dragged the animals away,” whispered Florian, swallowing the lump in her throat.
“If they were eaten, there’s something big loitering around the trees,” said Clay. “I certainly don’t want to see it.”
Josh closed the hatch. Before stepping away, he gave the outside area one more look before turning his attention to the internal area of the ship.
The trio quietly walked down the long corridor. The bridge seemed more of a morgue than the lifeline of the ship. Overhead lights blinked on the deeper they walked. On the bridge, Josh jumped in front of a monitor. He immediately started tapping on the keyboard.
‘Close all external hatches.’
Noise made by the many closing hatches in the hull could be heard.
“Let’s hope there’s nothing on this ship, except the lambs and us,” whispered Florian, looking slightly nervous.
Clay beckoned the other two to follow. “The engines are down the corridor behind us.”
The three walked across the bridge room. The hatch leading to the next corridor opened automatically. It seemed endless. Overhead lights slowly flickered on.
“Who wants to go first?” asked Florian.
Josh looked to be having an attack of nerves. Clay volunteered. He gulped before making a move. He deliberately chose to walk down the middle of the corridor. At about the twenty-foot mark, Florian began her walk. Josh counted to ten before entering the corridor. The three made sure they didn’t get any closer to the one in front. Every ten seconds Clay stopped to listen.
He heard nothing except silence.
Clay stopped at the first doorway and looked through the small square window no larger than a dinner plate situated at head height. Inside the room, he saw open cages. He checked the four corners of the room. Satisfied nothing dangerous lurked inside he walked further into the ship.
At the fourth doorway, Clay glanced through the same size window as the first. The room looked the same. An object in the corner stopped him from walking further along the corridor. He beckoned the other two to catch up. They were by his side in a second.
“There’s a snake in the room,” whispered Clay.
Josh looked through the small window, followed by Florian.
“We have to get rid of it,” Clay advised.
“Why don’t we take it outside to set it free?” suggested Florian.
Josh spoke informatively. “It’s a tiger snake. Whoever gets bitten dies! Back on Earth, I’d say let it live. We’re alone on this planet. We can’t take the chance. We don’t have anti-venom.”
“Maybe there’s some locked in a cupboard?” said Clay.
“Do you want to take the chance?”
“Get rid of it,” jeered Florian, hardening her heart.
Josh quietly and slowly stepped into the room. Lifting the laser and aiming it at the coiled lump, he pulled the trigger. The narrow beam of light hit the snake in the head. The reptile had convulsed violently just before it died. Florian quickly searched the room for another. Fortunately, there were no more.
“What sort of person collects poisonous snakes?” questioned Clay.
“Rowark must have viewed himself as a zoo keeper,” answered Josh.
The trio made it to the end of the corridor. They were now facing a double closed hatch.
“According to the schematic diagram of the ship this has to be the engine room,” reported Josh.
Florian pressed the green button on the wall. The doors slid open revealing a massive clean room. Mounted at the far end were five engines. Each one looked to be the equivalent size of a normal single-storey house and strategically placed for maximum mobility. She surmised there must be a bouquet of smaller engines encompassing the whole ship for thruster control.
Josh let out a low whistle.
“Incredible,” whispered Clay. “The magnificent looking room takes your breath away.”
“Where do we start?” asked Florian. “I’m having doubts about the whole moving idea.”
“Don’t let the size of this room cloud your mind. Think of it as no larger than our shuttle,” hinted Josh.
“An almost impossible task,” answered Florian, still noting the size of the room.
“Keep guard while I find the exact part which needs replacing.”
Josh walked over to a wall-mounted computer. Touching the screen, a menu came up. A few more taps and a small door covering a cupboard slowly slid upwards. Two green eyes stared at him. Josh aimed the laser directly at the eyes. His finger twitched on the trigger. The green eyes belonged to an object no more than two feet tall. Rolling along the floor on stainless steel rollers the figure beeped every three seconds.
“It’s a fetcher robot,” whispered Florian.
&nb
sp; The three trailed the robot to a side hatch. The door lifted when it came close. The robot rolled across the threshold, entering the room. Rows of spare parts in racking filled the entire house size room. The robot stopped. It squared itself to the first row of shelving. Slowly the machine extended to fifteen feet tall. In one slick movement, it slipped two arms under a box the size of a small suitcase and started to shrink quickly back to normal size. The robot retraced its steps, placing the item in the middle of a yellow square on the floor before reversing into the cupboard.
“Fantastic little gem,” remarked Florian.
“I wonder if I searched for the fuel rod it would bring one back here?” questioned Josh.
He set to work, located the item on the computer and pressed ‘go’ on the screen.
The fetcher robot commenced the second trip.
“Come on, by the time we finish installing the stabilizer unit the robot will have brought a fuel rod,” said Clay.
They marched to the right-hand side of the Piper.
Josh pointed to the ladder welded to the side of the engine.
“The location of the stabilizer should be somewhere up on top.” He squatted to give the unit a quick once over. “The spanner in the box must fit the four bolts around the base.” He shrugged. “The stainless-steel cylinder seems easy enough to replace.”
“Try not to be too long,” said Florian. “I’ll be here standing guard waiting for the robot to return.”
The two boys climbed the ladder. Clay carried the box. They stepped off the ladder and onto the top of the engine. In the center, they spied a black metal box.
“It must contain the stabilizer unit,” reported Josh.
Clay walked across the metal roof of the engine first.
The moment the two boys disappeared, Florian felt abandoned. She tried to play down the fear rising up on the inside of her. For several seconds, she drifted off into a daydream. They had set up house and were walking along a narrow path to a short waterfall where they could shower and take a swim in the shallow lagoon. The sound of the waves breaking on the beach made her stop to smell the fresh salty air.
Noise from a closing hatch and the robot’s return brought Florian away from her paradise thoughts she was daydreaming about. She grinned at the little fetcher robot before freezing in fear. Her peripheral vision spied movement off to her right. She faced the movement. A second four-foot long tiger snake was slithering directly towards her. Florian wanted to call out, but fear stifled her words. She spied the fetcher robot traveling towards her at full tilt. It crossed into the path of the snake. The reptile lashed out to strike. The robot casually placed the box onto the head of the snake. Its tail moved violently back and forth several times before falling lifeless onto the floor.
The robot made his way back to the cupboard and disappeared behind the closing door, leaving Florian alone staring at the snake’s tail.
Clay pulled the cover off the black box. He snatched up the spanner ready to start undoing the four bolts which held the stabilizer unit in place. They came out easily. Josh disconnected the three wires, pulling the unit out. Clay placed the new unit into the black box and tightened the nuts. Josh connected the wires, packed the old unit in the plastic box and fired up the computer pad on the new item. Four lights flashed yellow then green.
“We did it,” yelled Josh, feeling excited at their victory.
Both boys didn’t waste any more time. They sprinted over the rooftop and down the ladder. They found Florian standing motionless staring at the tail of the snake.
The moment Clay’s feet touched the metal floor he ran over to give her a bear hug. “What happened?”
Florian closed her eyes, burying her head in his chest.
“I let my guard down. I allowed my mind to wander. I didn’t know the snake was in striking distance. The fetcher robot had dropped the box on the snake’s head before it went back into the cupboard.” Florian started sobbing.
“It’s okay,” Clay said smoothly, wiping the tears from her face.
Josh pieced the explanation together. “The robot must double as a protector for the crew onboard the ship. Provided it’s fetching something they’re on guard duty.”
“I’ve heard rumours they used to make those sorts of robots. They became too unreliable,” reported Clay.
“Fortunately, our little friend in the cupboard is the exception,” said Josh.
“I’ll second the idea,” whispered Florian.
Clay readied himself to lift one end of the large metal box the fetcher robot brought back. Florian backed away ready to fire the hand laser at the snake. Clay slowly lifted the end of the box. Josh pulled the dead snake away, throwing it against the hull.
“What a heavy box,” groaned Clay, dropping it back onto the deck.
“It should be,” said Josh. “If the fuel rod is full it should weigh one hundred and fifty pounds.”
“You’re joking?” queried Florian.
“I wish,” Josh added.
Clay opened the box to examine the contents. Josh and Florian looked in.
“The glass casing on both tubes looks to be intact,” said Josh. He ran his fingers along the three-foot long glass cylinders packed in a heavy foam casing. “They’re both dry. It’s good they aren’t leaking.”
“One glass tube is empty while the other looks to be full of wet sand,” commented Florian.
“It’s not sand,” Clay replied. “If the glass is broken the radioactive material inside will pollute the air. We’d be dead in five minutes.”
Josh pointed to the blackened ends. “The tubes from the engine connect to each end of both tubes so it can suck out the material. The anti-matter in the tube which looks empty mixes with, what you said, ‘the wet sand’ triggering a chain reaction inside the engine which in turn pushes the ship forward.”
“Thanks for the scientific analyses,” moaned Florian, giggling.
“You asked,” blurted Josh.
“If the box is so heavy, how on earth are we going to get the fuel rods back to the shuttle?” questioned Clay looking doubtful.
Florian quickly thought up an idea. “Save the trouble. I vote we leave the shuttle behind?”
Josh shook his head. “We can’t afford to. We might need the equipment.”
“He does have a point,” said Clay.
“It’ll be a massive task to get the fuel rods up the tree,” groaned Florian.
“Trust me it’ll be worth it,” said Josh.
Clay lifted his end of the box. “I’m ready, let’s get started.”
Josh heaved his end off the ground. Using his entire strength, he needed to hold it up and walk backward at the same time. Florian ran ahead ready to shoot the laser at anything that moved.
Halfway along the corridor Josh and Clay switched ends. By the time, they entered the bridge room; Josh was forced to put his end down and step away from the box.
“I’m done,” he croaked.
Florian took hold of the handle. Straight-away she began to shuffle. Again, at the halfway point to the outside, Florian and Clay swapped ends.
At the threshold of the doorway to the outside, they placed the long metal box down so they could rest.
“I’m exhausted,” said Florian.
“We all are,” added Clay. “If we’re ambushed, now we won’t have the strength to run.”
“I didn’t think it would be this hard,” Josh admitted.
“Do you think it’s still a good idea taking the shuttle?” asked Clay, looking at Josh.
“I do, I just didn’t know I’d feel this exhausted.”
“At least the trip back here will be easy,” stated Florian, looking at the positive side.
The boys looked at her through slits.
“We’ll be flying the shuttle back.”
Clay and Josh managed to drag their tired bodies to a standing position and take hold of a handle each.
“Onward,” whispered Josh.
Between the three of
them which included swapping ends every sixty seconds, the trip back seemed quick.
Josh tied one end of the parachute around both handles of the box while Clay slowly climbed the parachute material to the first branch. Florian came next, followed by Josh.
“Okay,” said Clay after they’d rested for five minutes. “I’ll pull the box up. When the box is sitting on the branch, I need both of you to keep it balanced. I’ll climb higher and haul the box to the next branch. We can repeat the sequence at each level.”
“Whatever you do make sure the box doesn’t fall out of the tree,” warned Josh. “There will be a massive explosion.”
They easily hauled the box to the first branch. Josh made sure it was secure before Clay climbed to the next branch.
Ten minutes of hauling helped to make the plan appear to be working perfectly. Only the short distance to the shuttle remained.
Clay called a rest stop.
“We can’t stop now,” said Josh. “We only have a few feet to go.”
“I’m exhausted.”
“We can rest after the box is in the shuttle,” suggested Florian.
Clay gripped the handle at his end. Josh gripped the handle at the other end. Slowly they inched their way towards the shuttle door. Florian watched nervously from the shuttle doorway. Three feet from the hatch, Clay placed his back foot too close to the edge of the branch, rolling his ankle. He tried desperately to stay upright. The box tipped. Florian lunged to his side. Just as he fell sideways, Florian took hold of his shirt, throwing him at the shuttle. She pushed her foot underneath the front edge of the box in an attempt to keep it balanced. Josh steadied his end by squatting, securing the box. Clay flew through the air. Losing height, he tried not to panic. He reached out and groped for the bottom rung of the ladder that leads to the roof of the shuttle. He used every ounce of strength he could conjure up to hang on. Hearing Florian groan he started to swing like a monkey. Clay’s muscles screamed for mercy as he climbed. His feet finally touched the bottom rung which helped him straighten. Only then did he see why Florian was moaning. She had saved their lives by placing her foot under the front edge of the box. Clay closed his eyes, praying she hadn’t broken any bones.
“Help Florian to get back to the shuttle, I’ve steadied the box my end,” advised Josh.
Clay could tell Florian was trying desperately to be brave. By the time, he reached her; tears were rolling down her cheeks. Hanging onto the branch above, he yanked the handle of the box upwards. Florian pulled her foot out. Clay grabbed her around the waist. Together they hobbled towards the shuttle and fell through the open hatch. Clay wanted to stay to console her, but the fuel rods must have priority. He marched back and grabbed the handle of the box his end. The boys shuffled into the shuttle via the hatch, placed the metal box on the floor and stepped over to Florian.
Before studying her foot, Clay looked into her eyes.
“I’m so sorry you were hurt,” he said gently.
“It’s not your fault. We should have rested as you recommended. I thought if we left the box on the branch, it might fall.”
“You did a brave thing,” said Josh. “How does your foot feel?”
“It’s extra warm at the moment.”
“I reckon you should leave your boot on,” said Clay. “On my seventh birthday, a horse stood on my foot. I wanted to take my shoe off. Both my parents ordered me to leave it on. They explained the shoe would stop the swelling.”
“It hurts,” sobbed Florian.
“I bet it does,” replied Clay. He placed his arm around her waist, helping her to stand. “Can you move your toes?”
Florian concentrated. “Barely,” she whispered, wincing in pain.
“Good,” said Josh. “There’s a good chance you haven’t broken any bones.”
Clay carried Florian to the co-pilot’s chair and sat her down.
“We have to finish the job.”
“Can’t it wait five minutes?” Florian asked. “I think we should eat something while we take a short rest.”
Sitting in the leather seats, looking out of the viewport the trio ate what little they had in the way of fruit and shared the two remaining carrots.
Clay leaned in, kissing Florian on the forehead. “I still feel bad about your foot.”
“It’s okay. The pain has gone.” Florian undid her shoe lace, gently pulled off her boot and carefully peeled her sock off. Her relief came with a heavy sigh. “My foot still looks intact.” She slowly wriggled her toes before feebly standing. “It’s a bit tender, and the bruise might still come, but I think I’ll be fine.” She took a careful step followed by a second. By the time, she walked back to her seat; she seemed to be walking normally.
Josh swiped up Florian’s boot and studied it. “Your foot has come through unscathed. I’m sorry to say your boot didn’t. The top has a deep gouge in it. You’re one lucky girl.”
Florian reached up kissing Clay on the lips before turning her attention to Josh. He received the same loving treatment.
“Thanks guys for watching over me.”
The boys went bright red. Both would remember the feeling long after the memory of the effort to get the fuel rods on board the shuttle had faded.
“This is why we need to get out of the trees,” said Josh firmly. “One of us is bound to slip up eventually. Next time it happens one of us mightn’t be so lucky.”
“Even though attempting to get the fuel rods into the shuttle nearly proved disastrous, I believe taking the shuttle with us is the right thing,” added Florian, quickly.
Clay and Josh were still nodding when the trio crowded around the box. Clay opened the lid. For a long time, they stared at the glass tubes. Josh and Clay reached in, lifting the glass tube full of the wet sand material from the foam bed. They slowly walked to the engine compartment. Florian followed, carrying the empty rod under her arm.
Josh warmed the computer up by voice command. On the side of the engine, a long metal flap popped open. The tubes were lifted and carefully rolled onto the inner frame.
Josh cleared his throat. “Computer, load fuel rods.” He manually closed the long flap. Through the inspection window, he watched the rods slowly moving into the center of the engine where they would be stored. Next, a needle size pipe came out of the front of the engine and inserted into the tube. A second needle size pipe was pushed into the other end of the tube. The empty glass tube was next to go through the same procedure.
Clay turned away from the inspection window. Boasting a proud look, he reported.
“It looks like we’re ready to fly.”
The three walked to their seats, strapping themselves in.
“Okay, I’ll fire up the computer,” said Josh. He looked across at Clay. “The remainder of the flight is up to you.”
“I’ll try to navigate by sight,” said Florian. “I suggest you clear the trees, before doing a one hundred and eighty-degree turn.”
“Drive slow,” added Josh. He leaned forward so he could tap on the monitor. He then pushed ‘green’ for go.”
The shuttle’s engine began to vibrate. Clay gripped the joystick firmly. His shoulders were square and tight. He stared at the monitor in front of him. To engage the engines, he pushed the blue button on top of the joystick.
Ever so slowly the shuttle started to ascend.
Florian leaned sideways. “Don’t forget to breathe.”
Clay sent her a sharp nod. Sweat made his shirt damp.
Florian stared through the viewport at the thinning tree branches as the shuttle gained altitude. When they were completely clear of the trees, Clay moved the joystick slightly to the left. The shuttle’s nose began to turn. The craft changed direction at a snail’s pace. Florian saw the sea way off in the distance. She also saw the grey clouds quickly turning black. On the top of the mountains, a blanket of fog made the summit disappear. Underneath the shuttle, the tops of the trees swayed in the wind. The weather looked to be rapidly deteriorating. The shuttle shudder
ed when the first strong gust of wind hit the craft’s midsection. The shuttle rocked slightly. The computer quickly brought the ship back to level. Florian glanced sideways at Clay. He’d lost his handsome, tanned face, replaced by concentration.
The shuttle shuddered again.
Clay clutched the joystick with a white-knuckled death grip.
The craft completed its one hundred and eighty-degree turn. Clay slowly moved the joystick back to center. For a long time, the craft hovered. Clay gently pushed the joystick slightly forward. It was a heart-stopping few seconds before the shuttle started to move towards the Piper.
An agonizing five minutes ticked off before the clearing came into view. Clay slowed the forward motion further. Eventually, the shuttle hovered directly over the top of the Piper. In the monitor, the massive craft looked like a giant metal plate. Slowly Clay pulled back on the joystick.
The shuttle descended.
At the height of five feet, Clay slowed the shuttle’s descent. It took nearly a full minute to finally touchdown on the roof.
Josh commanded in a deep voice.
“Computer, stop engine; activate the magnetic lock.”
The engine fell, silent. The shuttle settled lower onto the roof. Clay exhaled. He let go of the joystick. He sat back in the seat, closed his eyes and massaged his aching hand.
Florian unclipped her seat belt. Stepping behind Clay, she massaged his shoulders.
“You have wonderful hands,” he whispered. “I feel as though I’ve run a marathon.”
“You did a great job,” admitted Josh.
“How did you know about the magnetic lock?” asked Florian looking directly at Josh.
He wore a proud expression on his face.
“The information is in the handbook.” He pulled the book from the back of his seat, handing it over.
Florian looked at it, scrunched her nose and dropped it onto her seat.
Josh winked, walking to the hatch. He bounded down the two stairs, stepped onto the roof of the Piper and jogged over to the dome. Squatting, he began to examine the glass dome.
“What is he doing?” asked Florian watching him through the viewport.
“I’ve no idea,” mumbled Clay. “Let’s go find out.”
They sprinted over to Josh in time to see him stand.
“What’s up?” asked Clay.
“I wanted to take a closer look at the dome. Josh pointed to the middle. “There’s a hole where the alleged meteorite struck. Judging by the cracks in the whole thing there’s no way this ship will ever enter space again.”
“Unless we can replace the dome?” queried Florian.
“Yes. If we could get our hands on a new one we’d be able to catch up to the USS Lock,” advised Josh slowly.
“We can still fly this ship in the atmosphere?” asked Clay.
“I don’t see why not. The only thing we have to do is not go too high or too fast.”
“In that case, I think we should prepare to depart the forest.”
“Sooner than later,” said Florian pointing at the sky. “There’s a storm on the way.”
CHAPTER SIX