Moon Ride

by H. I. Larry

  Zac reached down and found the suit.

  ‘Put it on now,’ said Leon. ‘It doubles as a hyper-sleep suit.’

  ‘Say that again in English?’ said Zac.

  ‘It’ll make you all warm and cosy and send you off to sleep,’ said Leon. ‘You’ll be bored out of your mind otherwise. It’s another 28 hours till you get to the moon.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ said Zac, strapping on the suit.

  ‘And the suit will wake you when you touch down on the moon,’ said Leon. ‘After that, you’ll have only two hours of air left, so you’ll need to move fast.’

  Zac clipped on his helmet. He saw Leon turn suddenly and look over his shoulder.

  ‘Someone’s coming!’ said Leon. ‘Can’t let them see me talking to you.’

  ‘But –’ Zac began.

  ‘Gotta go! Good luck!’ Leon’s face disappeared from the screen.

  Zac looked down at his spacesuit. There was a panel on the sleeve. He flipped it open and pressed the button marked Hyper-Sleep.

  Suddenly, warm air flooded the suit. Then a fuzzy noise started to play, like radio static, drowning out everything else. It was strangely calming.

  Zac sank down into the padding inside the suit. He yawned. His eyelids grew heavy.

  Ah, so comfortable, he thought. He curled up in his suit and fell asleep.

  CHAPTER

  FIVE

  Zac yawned and stretched, opening his eyes. The Pulse Pod had stopped moving.

  He unbuckled his seatbelt and leant across to look out the window. The Pod had landed automatically on the moon. Zac was annoyed he’d missed the landing, but he had to get moving. He grabbed his backpack and glanced at his watch through a plastic bubble in his sleeve.

  It was Saturday morning. He had been asleep for almost 30 hours. No wonder he felt so good.

  He pushed open the Pulse Pod door and dropped lightly to the ground.

  Whoa. There was gravity here, but it was nothing like the gravity back on Earth. Zac felt lighter and stronger.

  He crouched down to the ground, and then sprung up as fast as he could. ‘YEEHAA!’

  He leapt three metres straight up, then floated back down again. It was awesome.

  OK, Zac, he told himself. Time to get to work.

  The dark side of the moon was pitch-black and freezing cold, even through Zac’s warm suit.

  Zac reached down and unclipped the torch from his GIB keyring. He flicked it on and almost fell over in shock.

  The light showed a huge BIG agent standing right in front of him, staring him down. Zac jumped back and flashed his torch around to see if she was the only one.

  She wasn’t.There were at least 20 other agents in a circle all around him.

  It took Zac a second to realise that there was something wrong with this picture. None of the BIG agents were wearing spacesuits. They were just standing there, completely unprotected.

  ‘Attention, unidentified trespasser,’ said the agent in front of Zac. ‘Return to your vehicle and leave immediately, or you will be eliminated.’

  Unidentified trespasser? thought Zac, a little offended. Surely this BIG agent should know who I am!

  ‘I repeat,’ said the agent, ‘return to your vehicle and leave immediately, or you will be eliminated.’

  There was no way Zac was doing that. His only option was to make a run for it. If he was quick enough, he might be able to slip through the darkness and get away.

  ‘I repeat,’ the agent began again, ‘return to your vehicle and –’

  ‘Don’t think so,’ said Zac, crouching down and leaping right over the top of her.

  Taking advantage of the weaker force of gravity, he began dashing away in huge bounds. It was like bouncing around on a giant jumping castle.

  A few of the BIG agents turned and gave chase. But instead of bounding along like Zac, they sprinted across the lunar surface just like they would have done on earth. It was as though the moon’s gravity had no effect on them.

  Still running, Zac reached into his pocket and pulled out the Deflector Shield Leon had given him.

  He pressed the button on the base. A round metal frame sprung out of the device, just like an umbrella opening.

  GIB 'ZAPPY-2-MEET-U' Deflector Shield

  There was a flash of white light and the whole frame was charged with electricity.

  Zac glanced over his shoulder. The BIG agents were right behind him.

  One of the agents took a dive at Zac. At the last second, Zac spun around and thrust out his shield at the attacker.

  ZZZZAP!

  A shower of sparks rained down on Zac as the BIG agent hit the shield. The agent was blasted backwards, but she wasn’t hurt. She just looked angry as she disappeared into the darkness.

  Zac kept moving. Up ahead, he saw something glowing in the distance. Could that be the entrance to the BIG base?

  Zac ran towards the glow, looking back quickly over his shoulder.

  Huh? The other BIG agents had vanished!

  Zac stopped for a second, waving his torch in all directions. There was nothing but rocks and craters all around him.

  Then, suddenly, Zac saw a flash of movement out the corner of his eye. He whipped around just in time to see two more BIG agents flying towards him. They had appeared out of nowhere!

  Zac spun his shield around.

  ZZZZAP! ZZZZAP!

  The agents bounced off the shield, one after the other, and dropped to the ground.

  Zac shone his torch down at one of them as they fell. The agent hit the ground, flickered, and then disappeared.

  Of course, thought Zac. They must be holograms!

  CHAPTER

  SIX

  Zac had dealt with holographic attackers when he’d trained at GIB Boot Camp.

  That explains why they can walk around out here without spacesuits, he realised. None of these people are even real! They’re just a fake security force to scare people away from the base.

  But they were still electrically charged and could do Zac some serious damage. He started running again.

  That strange glow up ahead was brighter now. He was getting closer.

  But the nearer Zac got to the glow, the faster the holograms seemed to appear.

  Four more holograms flickered to life in front of Zac. He jumped up and somersaulted over their heads. Zac came down awkwardly on a rock. He lost his footing and staggered off-balance.

  He raised the torch again, and realised he was at the edge of an enormous crater. It was as big as a football stadium! In the middle of the crater was the source of the glow.

  Zac waved his arms, trying to regain his balance. But it was too late.

  The rocks under his feet gave way and he tumbled down into the crater, bouncing head over heels. Back on Earth, a fall like that would have really hurt.

  But here on the moon, Zac landed at the bottom with barely a scratch.

  He got back to his feet and shone his torch around again. More holographic attackers. They were everywhere now!

  Zac moved further into the crater, swinging his shield left and right.

  ZZZZAP! ZZZZAP! ZZZZAP!

  Sparks flew as hologram after hologram ran straight into Zac’s shield.

  Finally, Zac reached the centre of the crater. The strange glow was coming from a massive power generator, as big as a house, stamped with a BIG logo.

  This thing must power the holograms, thought Zac.

  Another ten BIG agents flickered on in front of him. Zac needed to shut that generator down, and quickly!

  He shone his torch across the side of the generator, lighting up a big square access panel. He tore it open. There was a mess of wires inside.

  Perfect, thought Zac. Time to pull the plug.

  He lifted his shield into the air with both hands, and shoved it into the generator. The shield’s electrical charge shot through the generator, sending it into overload.

  KZZZZK-B0OM!

  Zac hid behind a rock as huge jets of sparks s
hot out of the generator like fireworks. Thick black smoke filled the air.

  Then, all across the crater, the BIG agents flickered and disappeared.

  All except one.

  Flashing his torch around the crater again, Zac saw a figure bounding towards him out of the darkness. The figure’s cold, dark eyes were fixed right on Zac.

  It was the ZacBot.

  Zac crouched low behind the burnt-out shell of the generator and watched the android approach.

  There was something strange about the way it was moving now. Back in the Black Jungle, the ZacBot had seemed calm and controlled.

  Now it was different. Now the ZacBot seemed almost angry.

  But that’s impossible, Zac reminded himself. It’s just a machine. It can’t feel angry.

  The ZacBot reached the generator and began circling around, looking for Zac.

  Zac slowly grabbed the handle of his shield and pulled it back out of the generator.

  The handle was the only part left of the shield. The rest had been completely melted in the explosion. Still, it was the only protection he had.

  Zac stepped back from the generator and waited for the ZacBot to appear. He shone his torch left and right.

  Come out, come out, wherever you are...

  Suddenly, the ZacBot jumped over the smoking wreck of the generator.

  With all of his might, Zac swung the twisted remains of his shield at the ZacBot.

  But the ZacBot’s hand whooshed through the air like lighting. He grabbed Zac’s arm and held on tightly.

  ‘Let – go!’ Zac grunted, struggling against the android’s grip. He jerked his body forward, flipping the ZacBot up and over his shoulder.

  But the ZacBot held on tight to Zac, and the two of them went through the air together.

  THUD!

  Zac bumped into the side of the generator. As he hit the metal wall, the control panel on his spacesuit sleeve flipped open.

  The ZacBot stared down at the little row of buttons. Before Zac had time to react, the android reached out and pressed the Hyper-Sleep button. The familiar rush of warm air began filling Zac’s spacesuit. The static noise buzzed in his ears.

  Zac yawned, suddenly sleepy. No! he ordered himself. This is no time for a nap!

  He tried to keep awake, but it was no use. He couldn’t focus and he couldn’t keep his eyes open.

  Zac, no!You’ve got to pull it together!You’ve got to… got to… But it was too late. With one last yawn, Zac was asleep.

  CHAPTER

  SEVEN

  Zac yawned, and his eyes opened.

  The ZacBot was carrying Zac over his shoulder as it walked across the lunar surface.

  Zac moved around, trying to pull free, but it was no use. His arms and legs had been tied up with ropes. All he could do was wait and see what happened next.

  After about ten minutes, the ZacBot stopped and crouched down next to a rock. It pressed a thumb against the side of the rock and a little door popped open, revealing a keypad.

  The ZacBot typed in some numbers. A hole spiralled open in the ground, like the one that had swallowed up the jet in the video, only smaller. Then the ZacBot turned around and shoved Zac into the hole.

  Zac tumbled down a long, winding chute, bumping hard against the walls as he fell. It seemed gravity was back to normal down here.

  At the bottom of the chute, Zac shot out through a trap door. He rolled along the ground and stopped against a wall.

  THUD!

  He had fallen into a gloomy little room with a cold metal floor. Round blue lights lined the walls, giving everything a strange, unnatural glow.

  A girl about Zac’s age stared down at him, grinning. ‘Hi, Agent Rock Star,’ she said.

  ‘Caz!’ groaned Zac.

  Caz was Zac’s least favourite BIG agent, one of the most ruthless he’d ever come across. He’d stopped her on all of his missions, but she always managed to escape before being captured.

  She reached into her pocket and pulled out a little gadget that looked like a walkie-talkie.

  It reminded Zac of the ones GIB used to use, back before SpyPads were invented.

  ‘He’s here,’ Caz said happily into the walkie-talkie.

  A door slid open and four enormous guards lumbered in.

  ‘Take Rock Star to the meeting room,’ Caz told them. ‘The boss is waiting.’

  One of the guards picked Zac up and tossed him over her shoulder.

  Zac found himself being carried out of the room and into a long, dark corridor. Caz followed behind, looking gleeful.

  ‘I’m already tied up,’ said Zac. ‘Do you really need four guards to keep me under control?’

  ‘I doubt it,’ said Caz. ‘But after last time, we’re not taking any chances.’

  ‘I don’t blame you,’ said Zac with a smirk. ‘I’d be worried about me, too.’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ said Caz dryly. ‘We’re all shaking in our boots.’

  The guards took Zac through a series of winding corridors. Other BIG agents looked up from their work and stared as he passed.

  ‘So,’ said Caz after a while, ‘have you worked out why we brought you here?’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ Zac said, rolling his eyes. ‘You didn’t bring me here! I came here to find my grandpa!’

  Caz laughed. ‘You’re kidding,’ she said. ‘You still haven’t figured it out?’

  Zac said nothing. What is she talking about? he thought, suddenly feeling nervous.

  ‘Why do you think we brought your grandpa to the moon in the first place?’ said Caz. ‘Why do you think we gave you that holo-projector?’

  ‘You didn’t,’ said Zac. ‘I took it from the ZacBot’s jet.’

  ‘A jet which he just happened to leave unlocked,’ Caz sneered. ‘You really think that was an accident?’

  Zac stared. He had thought it was weird that the BIG jet wasn’t locked.

  ‘Sorry, Rock Star,’ Caz said, ‘but we’re not that dumb. The ZacBot was ordered to leave that jet unlocked. We needed to make sure that you’d find the holo-projector.’

  ‘Yeah, right,’ said Zac. ‘What about the computer chip I took from the ZacBot?’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ said Caz nastily. ‘It must have taken heaps of skill to get your hands on that computer chip after he dropped it right at your feet. How amazing!’

  Zac’s mouth went dry. Why hadn’t he seen it before? The ZacBot had practically handed him that stuff!

  ‘Face it, Rock Star, we gave you that information,’ Caz laughed. ‘We knew your grandpa would be the perfect bait to lure you up here. All we had to do was make you think it was your idea.’

  Zac couldn’t believe it. How could he have been so stupid? Right from the start, this whole kidnapping had been a big set-up!

  And Zac had played right into their hands.

  CHAPTER

  EIGHT

  Zac was taken into a giant meeting room draped with BIG flags. The room was lit from above by a large blue spotlight and was only slightly brighter than the corridor outside.

  The guard dropped Zac on the ground in front of a gleaming steel table.The table was surrounded by BIG agents.

  Uh-oh, thought Zac.

  Watching Zac from the head of the table was an older woman he’d only ever seen in photos. She had a wrinkled face, little round glasses, and hair pulled back in a tight bun.

  She was Agent Blackwood, the head of BIG.

  ‘Cut him loose, Caz,’ she ordered. ‘Don’t worry, he’s not going anywhere.’

  Caz flicked open a tiny pocket knife and sliced the ropes from Zac’s arms and legs.

  Zac got to his feet and took off his space helmet.

  ‘Welcome to our new Central Command,’ said Blackwood with a wave of her hand. ‘I trust you know who I am.’

  ‘Yes,’ Zac said with a nod.

  ‘I’d like you to meet Silas Grift,’ Blackwood continued, gesturing towards a shifty-looking guy sitting next to her. He didn’t look very happy to be there
.

  Zac was surprised to see a man at the table. He’d thought that most of BIG’s agents were women.

  ‘We hired Grift to create your android double,’ Blackwood explained. ‘Quite impressive, don’t you think?’

  ‘I don’t think he got the hair quite right,’ said Zac with a shrug.

  ‘Ah yes,’ said Blackwood with a cold smile. ‘Caz said you had a sense of humour.’

  ‘Well then,’ said Zac, feeling impatient. ‘What do you want?’

  ‘Oh, you’ve already done everything we wanted you to do,’ said Blackwood. ‘All we need to do now is keep you out of the way until tomorrow night.’

  Zac checked his watch.

  ‘That’s right,’ said Blackwood. ‘Not long to go now. Our ZacBot is just about ready to make the trip to GIB HQ to set off the Tech Blaster.’

  She leant forward, grinning at Zac. ‘Remember the cannon the ZacBot used to shoot down that jet of yours in the jungle?’ she asked. ‘The one that knocked out all of your control systems in a single blast?’

  Zac said nothing.

  ‘Multiply that by a million,’ said Agent Blackwood, ‘and you start to get an idea of the damage our Tech Blaster is going to do to GIB’s gadgets.’

  ‘I’ve got bad news for you, Blackwood,’ said Zac. He’d spotted a flaw in their plan.

  ‘Oh?’ she replied.

  ‘GIB already know about the ZacBot,’ Zac said coolly. ‘They’ll figure out right away that he’s not me. And even if they don’t, they’re not happy with the real me anyway.’

  ‘How sad,’ said Agent Blackwood.

  ‘Either way,’ Zac continued, ‘GIB will stick him in a holding cell as soon as he gets to HQ. Not much he can do from in there.’

  Zac expected Blackwood to be at least a bit disappointed by this.

  Instead, she smiled and turned to Silas Grift. ‘Show him,’ she said calmly.

  Grift reached under the table and pulled out an android arm, just like the ZacBot’s. It was incredibly life-like, except for the bunch of wires dangling out where the shoulder should have been.