by Jude Watson
“Father said that coordinates have been entered,” Stuart said, rising from the couch. “That means we’re heading to Delantine. Lucky we’re so close. This sure is a bucket of bolts,” he observed, examining the cabin. “How old is this thing? It looks like it’ll bust apart if we bump against some space dust.”
“Master Stuart, it would help if you did not question whether our craft is spaceworthy, considering we’re escaping in it,” Threepio pointed out. “Besides, Captain Solo and Chewbacca worked on it personally.”
Artoo was jacked into the pod’s navicomputer. He chirped and rotated his head.
“Really? Oh my,” Threepio said. “That’s odd.”
“Threepio, what is it?” Stuart asked impatiently.
“Artoo says that there were no coordinates entered at all,” Threepio said. “Your father was mistaken.”
“Father is never mistaken,” Stuart said.
“Excuse me for interrupting,” Forbee-X said. “But it seems to me that we’re on our way to nowhere. Perhaps we should discuss a destination.”
“Quite right, Forbee,” Threepio said. “What do you think, Artoo?”
“Delantine, of course,” Stuart said.
“Excuse me, Master Stuart,” Threepio spoke politely, “but I was talking to Artoo. We are not going to Delantine. Right, Artoo?”
Before Artoo could answer, Stuart spoke up. “But we’re so close to Delantine,” he said. “It’s the logical choice.”
“Delantine is most likely under Imperial control,” Threepio argued. “If we land, we’ll most certainly be captured, too.”
Artoo beeped.
“You see — Artoo agrees with me!” Threepio exclaimed. “We should locate a nearby planet so that we can find a way back to Yavin 4.”
Artoo whistled and chirped.
“Exactly, Artoo,” Threepio said, nodding. “We have to tell the princess what has occurred. Someone must have known that we were escorting your father on the Timespan, Stuart.”
“And what about Father?” Stuart argued. “We can’t just abandon him. Going back to the base would be a waste of time. He could be on Delantine right now!”
“I’m afraid, Master Stuart, that you are under our charge,” Threepio told him. “I told Princess Leia we would watch over you. You must see that we know best.”
Stuart took a step toward Threepio. “Listen to me, you heap of metal,” he said. “I’m under nobody’s charge, get it?”
“There’s no need to be nasty,” Threepio answered calmly, because even he could see that Stuart was speaking with fear as much as anger. He could not blame the boy for wanting to save his father. “And you are under our charge, I’m afraid,” Threepio added.
“Am not!”
“Are too!” Threepio snapped.
Artoo gave a series of chirps.
“I said ‘are too,’ not ‘Artoo.’ I wasn’t calling you,” Threepio told the other droid. “Oh, this is all too confusing! I wish Master Luke were here!”
Forbee-X’s screen suddenly flashed a series of colors before settling on a cool blue-gray tone. “Let’s try to calm down, shall we?” she suggested. “Threepio, you don’t know that Delantine is under Imperial control. Why don’t we activate the comm transceiver and see? Wouldn’t that be logical?”
Artoo clicked and whirred.
“Oh, dear,” Threepio said. “I’m afraid Artoo already tried to do so. The comm transceiver is inactive. Maybe it got hit by a stray blast from the Imperial warship.”
“Then we’ll just have to take a chance,” Stuart said. “Let’s enter the coordinates for Delantine.”
“But don’t you see that the Imperials could be waiting for us?” Threepio cried, waving his arms in exasperation. “We can’t take that chance. There are several planets and moons in the Delantine system that we could land on instead. The sooner we can send a message, the sooner a rescue mission can be launched.”
“Rescue mission?” Stuart asked. “Do you think the Rebels will launch one?”
Artoo whistled indignantly.
“As Artoo has pointed out, of course they would. The princess and her friends always protect their own,” Threepio said. “Now, we are all in agreement. Artoo, you have to plot a course. This pod isn’t carrying much fuel, I am sure.”
Artoo beeped several times and rotated his domeshaped head.
“Artoo thinks that the planet Romm will do,” Threepio explained to Stuart. “It has a fairly active port where we could catch a transport. And it’s rumored that there’s a Rebel faction in the remote hills. We could try to contact them, if we need to. Although that sounds a bit dangerous to me. Do we agree?”
“Perfectly logical,” Forbee-X approved.
“I guess it’s okay,” Stuart replied.
“All right, then,” Threepio said, relieved. “Artoo, you enter the coordinates, and I’ll activate the automatic thrusters. Wherever they are,” Threepio muttered under his breath. He didn’t want Stuart to know that he actually had no idea how to pilot an escape pod. Luckily, most of the piloting controls were automatic.
Threepio squeezed past Stuart to the pilot console. He felt immediately confused. He didn’t recognize any of the controls. Then he saw automated thruster control.
“Ah, there we are!” he said. “Ready, Artoo?” After an affirmative beep, Threepio pushed the control button. “Oh, dear. Nothing happened, Artoo.”
Artoo gave a long series of chirps.
“What did he say?” Stuart asked.
“It seems that the automated controls are broken or locked out,” Threepio reported. “How odd.”
“Perhaps whoever warned the Imperials about us also tampered with the pod,” Stuart spoke up. “Maybe even our comm transceiver.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions, Stuart!” Forbee-X said. “Equipment could have been damaged during the Imperial attack.”
“All I know is, we have to land somewhere,” Threepio said. “Artoo said we can use the emergency manual controls.”
Lights flashed on the console in front of Threepio, confusing him. But he didn’t want to ask Artoo for help again. Not in front of Stuart.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Stuart asked doubtfully. “Let me take over.”
“I can do it!” Threepio said, a little more sharply than he meant to. It was too embarrassing to be ordered around by a young boy.
“Why do you have to fire the thrusters?” Stuart asked. “Artoo already entered our course into the computer. You don’t know why, do you?”
“Of course I do,” Threepio answered. He wished Forbee-X would interrupt with an explanation, because he actually wasn’t sure himself. “If we don’t do anything, we’ll just keep going in a straight line.”
“See-Threepio is not being very scientific,” Forbee piped up. “But he is correct, in a crude fashion. The First Law of Motion states that a body in motion — like this ship — will remain in motion unless a force acts upon it.”
“Say that again?” Stuart said, frowning.
“Why don’t I show you what I mean?” Forbee-X asked. Her screen cleared, then filled with a diagram.
“Unless the Force acts upon it?” Threepio asked. “If only Master Luke were with us now — none of us can harness the Force.”
“Pipe down, Threepio, I’m trying to get this,” Stuart told Threepio impatiently. “Forbee, when you said ‘force,’ you meant a push or a pull, right?”
“Exactly,” Forbee answered. “In our case, force can come from the ship’s thrusters —”
“So I was right!” Threepio said triumphantly.
“Lucky guess,” Stuart muttered.
“— or a blast from a laser cannon —”
“Thank you, but I’d prefer a different force,” Threepio said, wincing.
“— or a comet,” Forbee-X said. “Or —”
In order to stop Forbee-X from listing every possible force in the universe, Threepio yanked on the thruster lever.
But inst
ead of rocketing forward, the pod spun to one side and kept turning.
“Whoaaaaa!” Threepio shouted as his head bumped the ceiling. Stuart grabbed the copilot’s seat, and his legs rose over his head. Artoo did a somersault and banged against the ceiling. Forbee-X was able to extend her arms to grab the handles on the pod walls.
“Do something, Threepio!” Stuart yelled. “You got us into this!”
“That’s not very helpful, you know,” Threepio said from the ceiling, where he’d grabbed onto a convenient handle. “I’m doing my very best. Oh, dear. I don’t understand what happened at all.”
While the pod spun, it also kept moving forward. “We are out of control,” Forbee-X noted.
“Thank you for bringing it to our attention,” Threepio said. “Now, can you explain why?”
“Absolutely!” Forbee-X responded cheerfully. “That’s why I’m here.”
A diagram appeared on Forbee’s screen. Threepio tilted his head upside down to read it.
“That should make things clear,” Forbee said, satisfied.
“Make what clear?” Threepio asked. “I can’t make head nor tail of it. Maybe it’s because I’m upside down.”
“Used correctly,” Forbee explained, “these thrusters could help us navigate.”
“What thrusters did Threepio hit, then?” Stuart asked curiously.
“Good question, Stuart. Let me do a quick calculation.” A series of numbers suddenly streamed across Forbee-X’s blue screen. “Whew,” she said with a happy sigh. “I just love calculating! Anyway, my numbers indicate that Threepio pushed some of the rotational thrusters. I’d say these. Watch!”
“But he’s not firing them anymore,” Stuart pointed out. “Why are we still spinning?”
“Yes, it would be rather nice to stop,” Threepio said. Artoo beeped in agreement.
“Oh. I guess I forgot to mention a new application of the First Law of Motion,” Forbee answered. “A body that is spinning keeps spinning unless a force acts on it. In this case, the force could be the opposite thrusters, or, say, if another ship fired on us —”
“Forbee!” Threepio exclaimed, interrupting her. “Can’t you think of a less explosive example?”
“Okay,” Forbee-X agreed. “It could be one of the asteroids in that field ahead.”
“Well, that’s better than an explosion,” Threepio said comfortingly. Then his head swiveled back to Forbee-X. “What did you say?”
“Asteroid field dead ahead,” Forbee repeated calmly. “Unless we can change course, we’ll run straight into it.”
“Asteroid field?” Threepio cried. Artoo beeped in alarm.
“I suggest we plot a course to escape,” Forbee-X advised.
“Now there’s an idea,” Threepio said.
“Navigation through an asteroid field would be extremely hazardous,” Forbee-X continued. “I calculate our odds at —”
“Please don’t!” Stuart and Threepio said together.
“I’ve had enough bad news for one day,” Stuart added.
Threepio looked out the viewport. Empty space rushed at him dizzily. Stars cartwheeled by them as they spun through the universe.
But he didn’t have to glimpse the asteroid field to be concerned. And he didn’t need Forbee-X to calculate the odds. Asteroids — some the size of small moons — rushed by at amazing speeds. Any one of them would be capable of smashing the tiny escape pod to bits.
“We’re doomed!” he cried.
Artoo beeped and chirped.
“I am looking on the bright side,” Threepio moaned. “At least it will be quick. One smash and we’re done for!”
“Aren’t there any guts inside that golden shell?” Stuart asked. “C’mon, Threepio. Don’t give up on us yet.”
Artoo beeped and his head rotated quickly.
“Quite right, Artoo,” Threepio said. “This is no time for bickering. If you check the navicomputer, I’ll try to get to the console to fire the counterthrusters.”
But try as he might, Threepio could not push himself off the side of the pod. Artoo had similar trouble. Every time one of the droids was able to push off, the motion of the pod would send them flying back against the wall. Threepio yelled to Artoo that he couldn’t get to the controls. He also told Artoo he remembered every detail of how they had gotten into this mess...
Artoo’s red warning lights began to flicker.
“Oh, Artoo! Keep trying! Forbee, what’s going on?” Threepio moaned.
Stuart tried to get to the console, but he could only wiggle his fingers. “Why do my arms feel so heavy?” he asked.
“Artificial gravity is being created by centrifugal force,” Forbee-X answered. “That is a force caused by a spinning object, like this pod. It pushes things — like droids or humans — outward. Too much centrifugal force is like too much gravity.”
“Is that why my internal sensors say that I’ve just doubled my weight?” Threepio asked.
Stuart shook his head. “I don’t get it. Gravity is what keeps my feet on the ground and causes objects to fall when you drop them. But there’s no gravity in space. Right, Forbee?”
“You are almost right, Stuart,” Forbee-X replied. “There is very little natural gravity in outer space. But there can be artificial gravity.”
“Sure, like the artificial gravity on a space cruiser,” Stuart said. “But it never plastered us against the walls like this.”
“And it didn’t hurt my circuits like this, either,” Threepio said. “But how can we fight it? We have to get to the controls!”
“Let’s get a clear picture of what’s going on,” Forbee-X said crisply as her screen flashed.
“When Threepio hit the thrusters,” Forbee-X explained, “the sudden movement jostled us a bit. Normally, the ship’s artificial gravity would have pulled us back down. But the thrusters made the ship spin. The spinning produced the centrifugal force you can see on my screen. The spinning was fast, so the centrifugal force was strong — strong enough to override the ship’s artificial gravity. In a sense, we each ‘fell’ in a different direction.”
“Is it the strong centrifugal force that makes us feel so heavy?” Stuart asked.
“Exactly!” Forbee-X exclaimed. Her screen cleared and beamed a sunny yellow before shifting back to blue again. “Strong centrifugal force is like strong gravity. It makes objects — including bodies — feel very, very heavy. Let’s take another look. Stuart, may I borrow your image for a moment?”
“There!” Forbee-X said, satisfied. “Now everything is clear.”
“Crystal clear;” Threepio said. “But I still can’t get to the controls!”
“This feeling reminds me of when I was little,” Stuart said. “My dad would grab my arms and swing me around.”
“Excellent example!” Forbee-X approved. “That was centrifugal force, too.”
“The faster he swung me around, the more force I felt,” Stuart said.
“Exactly!” Forbee’s screen flashed several times in approval before returning to the diagram. “You are an excellent student, Stuart.”
“I wish that Father could hear that,” Stuart said wistfully. Sadness dimmed his bright green eyes.
“He will, one day very soon,” Forbee-X said softly.
“So what should we do?” Threepio asked.
“I’m afraid I can’t help much there,” Forbee said, her screen turning deep blue. “You’re just going to have to push as hard as you can. Maybe you can fight the centrifugal force.”
Threepio struggled against what felt like a ton of heavy blankets weighing him down. “I can’t!”
“Hmmmm. Would it help if you knew that it’s our only hope?” Forbee asked. Her screen was growing red. “The asteroid field is approaching rapidly.”
“That helps, most definitely,” Threepio responded. He threw himself against the force and managed to grab the next handle on the pod. He pulled himself a few inches forward.
Stuart managed to hook a foot around the edg
e of the padded gee-couch. Using that as leverage, he grabbed the edge of the cushion and yanked himself forward.
“Good work, Master Stuart!” Threepio said. “Now, if we can just get to the console...”
Artoo beeped frantically. He couldn’t dislodge himself from the wall.
“I’ll get you in a minute, Artoo,” Threepio called. “At least, I hope so.” As the pod spun, he grabbed onto the edge of a storage rack. His head banged against the wall as he pulled himself closer to the console. “Oh dear. This is worse than a gravel storm on Tatooine. I hope I’m not dented,” Threepio moaned.
“I have bruises on top of my bruises,” Stuart grunted. “The important thing is to get to the console, golden boy. If you reach the pilot’s seat, I’ll buff you until you shine like a supernova.”
“I’ll... take ... you ... up on that!” Threepio said as he hauled himself along the pod floor. But as the pod revolved, the floor became the ceiling. Then it became the floor again. “Lucky I’m not human,” Threepio added. “I’d be terribly dizzy right now.”
“Well, I am human,” Stuart gasped. “And you’re right.”
Finally, Threepio made it underneath the controls. He clung to the pole that anchored the pilot’s chair to the floor. Stuart hung on to the copilot’s chair.
“All right, we’re here at last,” Threepio said. “What should I do?”
“Wait, I have a suggestion,” Stuart said. “Why don’t you do the opposite of what you did before?”
“Really, Master Stuart. Does being testy make things any better?” Threepio scolded.
“But he’s right!” Forbee-X announced. “Threepio used the thrusters to apply forces in certain directions —”
“I’ve got it!” Stuart crowed, interrupting. “So we should use the thrusters to apply forces in the opposite directions!”
“I was going to say that!” Threepio protested.
Stuart and Threepio both dove for the controls at the same time. They knocked heads with a crack.
“Ow!” Stuart cried, rubbing his forehead. “Now I’m really dizzy!”