Defenders of Destiny, book one, the Discovery of Astrolaris

by Brenton Barwick

  Chapter Seven

  “Look Out!”

  Thomas straightened up and looked around as he left the small passageway from the control room and entered the cargo bay, which was now transformed into the kitchen and living room. He wondered why the builders of the robot had made this corridor so small. Maybe they were small people, he thought to himself. Or maybe they were just conserving space. He shrugged his shoulders to himself and let his eye scan the small, yet well organized room. It had been unusually quiet for a while. Sophia was asleep on the sofa. Joseph and Percy seemed almost enveloped in the giant beanbag. Percy opened one eye and watched Thomas with a tiny little wag in his tail. Too comfortable to even open both eyes, huh boy? he thought.

  Sharianna was asleep on her big pillow with her old fash-ioned Cinderella alarm clock next to her on the floor. He remembered when she had gotten it; on the beautiful trip they had taken to Disneyland when she was only six. She was dressed in her princess dress exuding with thrilling excitement to meet the princesses and get their autographs. “I’m a lucky man,” he said to himself, as he thought of all the great times spent with Sophia and their kids.

  The loud clanging of the alarm clock’s hammer bouncing between the two shiny chrome bells, advertising that it was five to two, shattered his reminiscence.

  Sharianna jumped up, grabbed the alarm clock and rushed past Dad. “Let’s go, it’s almost two,” she announced energetically.

  Joseph continued to lay on the bean bag, he spread his arms wide with a big yawn and seemed to be falling back to sleep, when he suddenly realized what Sharianna was up to. He sprang to life so fast that he almost caught up to her by the time she leaped into one of the captain’s chairs.

  Thomas looked through the doorway to see who had won the coveted seat.

  “Let’s see if you can drive this thing as good as all your study should warrant,” teased Sophia, as she came up behind him and put her hand on his arm.

  “Okay, looks like Sharianna’s advance planning paid off,” declared Dad, as he motioned to Joseph to vacate the other captain’s chair.

  “Daaad,” complained Joseph.

  Dad motioned his head toward the empty chair next to Mom at the back of the control room.

  Sharianna was smiling from ear to ear. She bounced up and down a little in her seat, overflowing with anticipation.

  “Everyone put on your seat belts,” instructed Mom.

  “These aren’t seat belts, they’re just cargo straps slung under the seats,” criticized Joseph.

  “I’d hate to imagine what would happen if your dad tripped and fell.”

  “Yeah Dad, you’re just a baby learning to walk,” teased Sharianna.

  “That’s right,” replied Dad. He looked back at Sophia and blew her a kiss. He knew she was as excited as the kids, but she was still willing to let Sharianna have the copilot’s seat.

  Sophia looked around the little spherical control room. On the view screen she could see the clear starlit sky. She was apprehensive, but her anxiety was drowned in comparison to her anticipation of adventure.

  “Ready? Looks like we have a full moon tonight; I hope no one can see our silhouette.” Dad very slowly pushed on the right joystick. From the view screen in front of them they could tell that the robot had sat up on the trailer, but they could feel no sense of movement. “A little bit more…” Still no sense of movement, but they heard the trailer creek. The robot was standing on the back of the trailer, which was now pushed all the way to the ground, creating a pivot point at the axels with the hitch actually lifting the back of the dump truck off the ground.

  “Whoa, did you feel that? Better keep your cargo straps on,” teased Joseph, as he looked at his mom for a reaction.

  “Now, I think this should make it walk forward.” Dad slowly pushed forward on the stick again. As the robot stepped off the trailer, they heard a loud noise as the back of the dump truck came crashing to the ground.

  Their eyes were riveted to the view screen watching for any sign that the neighbors had heard the loud noise. They involuntarily held their breath.

  Sharianna noticed that her hand was close to the switch on the console that had the pictures of the robot standing and flying. Almost without conscious thought, she reached out with her pinky and flipped the switch.

  From the corner of his eye, Joseph saw the slight movement of her hand.

  Dad breathed out, “I think we’re safe, it seems that no one heard the noise.” Feeling more confident, he pushed on the stick again.

  Thomas was concentrating on the bottom of the screen in order to see where the feet of the robot would be placed. Suddenly, the earth under the robot seemed to melt away and was replaced by a shrinking view of the scattered lights in their neighborhood, with the city lights in the distance.

  “We’re flying!” declared Joseph.

  Thomas eased back on the lever and the robot stopped and hovered in the air.

  “Incredible,” Mom gasped.

  “I didn’t feel any G-force at all!” observed Joseph.

  “I bet this is faster than a rocket!” exclaimed Sharianna, brimming with excitement.

  Dad looked at the switch on the console, and then turned to Sharianna. “Did you flip that switch?”

  Before she could reply, Mom screamed: “Look out!” and pointed at the view screen.

  Dad turned to see a flashing green light on one side and a flashing red light on the other with a white light right in the middle. Within a fraction of a second he realized that a 747 was flying directly at them. Another split second and he could actually see the pilot and the copilot and a stewardess standing at the door of the cockpit. He could see so clearly that he read the lips of the copilot as he yelled: “Look out!” and saw him grab for the controls.

  Joseph grabbed onto Percy’s collar and winced as he braced for the impact.

  I’m in trouble now. A myriad of thoughts raced through Sharianna’s head: What a stupid thought – we’re all going to die and I’m worried about being in trouble? I guess it’s true that time seems to slow down just before you die. Maybe your thoughts just speed up? She shivered as she took a deep breath as if it were her last, before plunging forever into deep, dark, freezing water.

  “I love you all,” called out Mom softly.