Space Runners #2

by Jeramey Kraatz

  “Hopefully,” Trevone continued. “In the end, he came back to the Moon along with a few research assistants who were convinced he was telling the truth. As far as we know, they’ve been living on the dark side ever since. He’s masking his presence somehow, but we find evidence of old campsites every so often.”

  “Maybe he’s using some of that alien tech to hide,” Drue said. “Maybe he knows more about these ETs.”

  “Eesh,” Hot Dog said. “A few days on the dark side is one thing, but how can someone live out there for years? It doesn’t even seem possible.”

  Trevone shrugged. “The man’s a genius. Or so I’m told. I’ve never met him.”

  “I have,” Pinky said. “Or, at least, the real me has. And, yes, he is incredibly intelligent. Apart from Elijah, he’s likely the only person on Earth capable of surviving out there for so long.”

  “But what’s he been doing?” Benny asked, more to himself than the rest of the room.

  “That’s the trillion-dollar question,” Trevone said.

  “Whatever it is,” Jasmine cut in, “he’s in danger. Scouts from that alien mother ship broke rank in the middle of the asteroid fight. We lost track of them, but they were headed in the general direction of the Moon. If they wanted to hide out, the dark side would be the perfect place.”

  “Do we really need his help?” Hot Dog asked. “I mean, we’ve kind of been doing pretty good on our own.”

  Benny thought about this for a moment, memories of the last few days flashing through his head—the asteroids, the mother ship, Commander Tull. Finally, he nodded. “We need all the help we can get. We just have to figure out where he is.”

  “We could fly out to the dark side to try to spot him visually,” Trevone said. “But I have the feeling he’s the kind of person who finds you, not the other way around.”

  Benny nodded. The idea was maybe a little dangerous, sure, but at least it meant they would be doing something.

  “Okay,” he said. “Then let’s head out.”

  “What, now?” Trevone asked.

  “Yeah, now. We can’t just sit around here talking all day or waiting to find a way to get in touch with Earth. We have to act, so why not start by finding this guy?”

  “Because you’re not in charge,” a voice bellowed from the hallway.

  Benny recognized it immediately. When the EW-SCAB winners had been split into four groups on the first day, Benny had ended up one of the Mustangs. The voice belonged to their leader, Ricardo Rocha, the “Beast from Brazil.” Benny spun around to find him standing in the doorway. Behind him were the other remaining members of Elijah’s Pit Crew—Sahar, and Kira and Kai Miyamura.

  Ricardo held up a HoloTek as he glared at Benny. “I’m guessing this message came from you? How dare you think you have the right to give orders around here! You don’t get to decide what happens now, or who can come and go as they please. As the oldest member of the Pit Crew, the Taj is under my command.”

  “In the event of Elijah’s absence, the chief operating officer would be Max Étoile, general manager and head of guest relations,” Pinky said. “He left, though. And since we don’t have any contact with Earth, the control of the Taj is actually sort of up in the air.” She raised an eyebrow. “Technically, I’m the senior staff member.”

  Ricardo’s boots were heavy on the floor as he took a few big steps into the room. “I was his number two, Pinky, and you know it.” The fingers of his free hand curled into a tight fist at his side. “I’m the one in charge, and I say we’re going to find Elijah. Every resource we have will be put to that task.” He pointed at Benny. “That includes you, Pinky, and your friends here. No matter what it takes, we’ll get him back.”

  2.

  “Ricardo,” Trevone said, standing, “you know things are more complicated than that.”

  “No,” Ricardo said. “They aren’t.”

  “We don’t even know if Elijah’s still alive.”

  “He may have survived the blast,” Kai said. “No doubt he had a plan. Or five.”

  “If he did, he’s probably waiting for us to come and save him,” Kira added.

  “Look, I’m just as concerned as the rest of you,” Trevone said, “but—”

  “Are you?” Ricardo interrupted, glaring at the other Pit Crew member. “Because, without your help, would they have taken the Space Runners out in the first place? No. Elijah would still be here.”

  “Don’t you put that on me.” Trevone’s voice was softer now. Benny thought he saw one of his hands shake. “It was Elijah’s decision to join the fight in the end. That was his call. That’s why we went up there.”

  “Also, we saved the world,” Hot Dog said, raising her hand. “Let’s not forget that part.”

  “What does that matter?” Ricardo asked, turning his furious gaze to her.

  “So you were fine with Earth getting demolished and letting everyone die except us. Great. Good to know.” She shook her head. “I wonder when all of you stopped thinking for yourselves and just started repeating whatever Elijah told you.”

  Trevone looked down at the holodesk. Sahar’s piercing eyes narrowed as the Miyamura twins both scoffed, looking bored. Benny could see the muscles in Ricardo’s jaw clench before he spoke again.

  “Elijah had everything worked out. And you ruined it.”

  “Hey,” Benny said, raising both palms into the air. “We’re all in this together now. If we start fighting each other, we won’t get anything done.” He gestured to the holodesk. “We’ve been going over how to get back in touch with Earth and what to do next. There has to be a way to save the planet. You remember what Elijah said, right? When he was in that tractor beam? He told us to finish what we started. That was his last order.”

  Ricardo opened his mouth to say something but then grunted and stared down at the floor. “I don’t care about what happens to Earth or these aliens. I only care about finding Elijah. I won’t stop until we do.” He looked back up at Benny. “It would be smart to stay out of my way.”

  “Ricardo,” Pinky said, jumping to her feet, “there’s something happening underground. A few EW-SCABers have gotten into a bit of an argument about resources on one of the floating greenhouse platforms.” She sighed as she shrugged. “It would be best if you could address this before things get out of hand. Unfortunately, Elijah never got around to installing hologram projectors underground, so I’m little more than eyes and ears and a disembodied voice down there. Plus, the kids who sought refuge instead of flying out to try to stop the asteroids were following the Pit Crew, not me.”

  Ricardo gave the AI a long look before glancing at the others.

  “This isn’t over,” he said. He looked at Trevone and then cocked his head toward the door. “I could use your help with this. Some of the kids underground have been looking for you. It’s time for you to rejoin the Crew.” He paused, and when he spoke again his voice was quieter, though no less intense. “You owe it to Elijah to help his plans succeed. To get him back.”

  Trevone nodded slowly and excused himself from the table. And then the Pit Crew was gone.

  Silence settled on the room. Eventually, Benny spoke.

  “So, the Pit Crew could be a problem. We may have convinced Elijah that Earth was worth saving, but I’m not sure Ricardo got the message.”

  “Saving the world and Elijah aren’t mutually exclusive,” Jasmine said. “But he seems to think they are.”

  “I can’t believe I kind of liked that guy,” Hot Dog said.

  “Kind of?” Drue asked. “The jersey of his you stole is still in the trash can over there.”

  “It happens to the best of us,” Pinky said. “But cut him some slack. These wounds are fresh, and Elijah meant everything to his Crew. This isn’t easy on any of them.”

  “So is everything okay underground?” Benny asked. “The EW-SCABers who decided to hide down there . . . It’s not getting bad or anything, is it?”

  “Serves them right if it does,”
Drue said. “We saved Earth.”

  “How about you wait and hold that over their heads once we’re sure the planet is gonna stay saved?” Hot Dog asked.

  “What? It’s true!”

  “Maybe.” Hot Dog leaned back in her seat. “But arrogance has never been a good look for you.”

  Drue gasped a little. Benny turned to Pinky. “So, like I was asking . . .”

  “Don’t worry.” The AI smirked and inspected her holographic nails. “The Pit Crew will find things are in fairly calm order down there.”

  “You tricked them?” Jasmine asked.

  “I was merely de-escalating the situation here.” She shrugged. “No offense, but I don’t think the four of you could take on the Pit Crew if they tried to stop you from leaving, and I happen to agree that Dr. Bale could be of some use—despite the horrible things he said about Elijah. If you want to hunt for him, I’d say now is the time to do it.”

  Benny scrunched his eyebrows together as he looked at Pinky. Ever since Ramona had fully unlocked her personality, she’d been a huge asset to him and the others. Without her help, there was no way they would have been able to stop the asteroid storm. Still, he hadn’t had time to give much thought to the fact that with the AI’s newfound freedom, she’d also have the ability to act on her own accord. Fortunately, she seemed to have agreed with him and his friends so far, but if the AI turned against them, there was little they could do at the Taj.

  “Okay,” he said. “If there’s a dude living in some crater out there, we have to find him. Maybe he knows a way to help us get rid of those asteroids. Or how to communicate with the aliens or stop their ships—anything would be helpful.” He grinned. “So, who’s up for an exploration of the dark side?”

  “Just the four of us?” Hot Dog asked.

  “Yeah,” Drue said. “The original Moon Platoon.”

  “Everyone’s still really shaken up by everything that happened earlier,” Benny said. “It’s probably not a good idea to send the whole fleet out when we’re honestly not even sure what we’re looking for yet.”

  “Ricardo seems to have actually caused an argument underground trying to figure out what was going on, so you likely don’t have to worry about the Pit Crew for a little while. Get a plan together and go,” Pinky said.

  “You coming, Jazz?” Drue asked.

  She nodded. “I guess now is as good a time as any to test out the things I learned in Hot Dog’s crash course. We should gather some supplies first, though. Drue, can you grab some extra first aid kits and food and water just in case we run into any trouble? Or Dr. Bale needs help? Hot Dog, maybe see what kind of heat sensors the McGuyvers might have.” She turned to Pinky. “Any records Elijah has about Dr. Bale and where you found those campsites would be useful in forming search parameters.”

  “Gladly,” the AI said. “I’ll transfer everything I have to your HoloTek and we can form a strategy together.”

  “Right,” Benny said. “Let’s take ten and meet down in the garage?”

  “Aye, aye, Cap’n,” Hot Dog said.

  Benny started to respond, telling her for what felt like the hundredth time that day that he wasn’t their leader. Instead, he nodded, and headed for the elevator.

  He wasn’t sure why he was going to his suite in the Lunar Taj until he was there alone, and suddenly his breathing was heavier and his pulse was racing as questions rushed through his mind. How had he become such an integral part in the survival of his family, his planet, his species in just a few days? And, perhaps more frightening, what would have happened if he hadn’t gone to the Taj? He took a seat on the edge of his bed and tried to get a hold of himself. They had a next move, which was good. But driving off to the far side of the Moon to search for some mysterious scientist who may or may not be able to help them didn’t seem like it was enough. Especially when his family’s safety was concerned. Whatever happened, he had to keep them safe. Somehow.

  Benny looked at his nightstand where a silver hood ornament had been displayed for most of his stay on the Taj. It hadn’t been all that long ago that his father had given it to him, before the man had trekked into the desert in search of water and never returned. But it was gone now, left behind in the alien ship and no doubt destroyed when Elijah West blew up his hyperdrive engine, and Benny suddenly wished more than anything that he could hold it again, as if doing so would make the homesickness that was growing in his chest go away.

  Now a gold glove sat on the nightstand, the one thing Benny had taken from the alien spacecraft—the only way they’d managed to escape. He picked it up and slid it over his hand. It covered his palm, but his fingers stuck out. He made a fist, then spread his hand out again. Analysis in the Taj’s research labs had confirmed that the glove was made up of unknown elements, which hadn’t exactly been a surprise. On the alien ship, it had somehow controlled the rock walls of the craft, allowing its wearer to open up doorways. But he didn’t know how it worked, and so far it had been useless on the Moon. He’d smashed it against the ground outside, but nothing had happened.

  Still, if he was going out in a Space Runner, he felt like he should have it with him. Just in case.

  There was a beeping in his room, and then Pinky’s voice.

  “May I have a word?”

  “Uh, sure,” Benny said.

  The AI appeared in front of him.

  “Benny . . .” She paused for a moment. “I don’t disagree with the choices you’re making right now. In fact, I think you’re doing everything in your power to try to figure out the problem of the Alpha Maraudi. But that’s the issue. I’ve been monitoring your heart rate, and I’m a bit concerned that you might be pushing yourself too hard. I don’t want you to burn out. There’s nothing wrong with taking a break and trying to relax.”

  “Relax?” Benny asked. “How am I supposed to relax? If anything, we’re not moving fast enough. What if the aliens are already on their way back to Earth? What if they’re on the Moon. What if at any moment—”

  “You aren’t making me feel any better.” Pinky’s expression softened as she put her hands on her hips. “I know a lot about you, Benny. All your background information and application materials are stored on my servers. I’ve watched you rally the kids here and lead them to victory. I can’t imagine how tough that’s been. I know . . .” She sat down on the bed beside him. “I know you’re worried about your family. Alejandro. Justin. Your grandmother. The rest of your caravan. But you have to take care of yourself, too.”

  “There’s just so much going on,” Benny said, staring down at the shining metal on his palm. “How do I know if what we’re doing is going to work or help us at all?”

  “You don’t. In the same way Elijah didn’t know if his first Space Runner prototype would fly. And you didn’t know if you could stop the asteroids. Sometimes you just have to believe in yourself and take a leap of faith.”

  “I’m pretty sure Elijah did a million tests on the Space Runner before he took it out. And it’s not like we were flying blind up there earlier. We had all your charts and graphs and had tested some of the lasers ourselves.”

  “Benny, I’m trying to comfort you here, and as a holographic facsimile with no physical body, you’re going to have to work with me a little on this.”

  He snorted, and then took a deep breath.

  “Is there anything else I can do or say to make this easier?” Pinky asked.

  Benny looked over at her. “Do you really think Elijah’s alive? I know you said so in the thing you sent out, but . . .”

  Pinky stood and took a few slow steps away from him. “I don’t know,” she said. She turned to the screen that made up the wall across from Benny’s bed. Suddenly, videos of Elijah filled the space. He jetted across lunar mares in souped-up muscle cars. He winked at the camera while waving to Taj guests. In a smaller video in the background, he presented what must have been the real Pinky with a bouquet of shiny chrome roses. The AI smiled a sad smile. “But, despite all the mistakes h
e made, I really hope he is.”

  “Yeah,” Benny said. “Me, too.”

  Pinky shook her head. The screen went black again. “Jasmine and Hot Dog are already down in the garage. You don’t want to keep your friends waiting.”

  “Right,” Benny said. “And, uh . . . thanks, Pinky.”

  “You were right in your application video, you know. You already have changed the world. I have the most advanced processing power of any computer known to man, and there’s no scenario my programs can run in which your father wouldn’t be beaming with pride at your accomplishments.”

  And then she was gone.

  Benny took one last look at his hand before pulling off the golden glove and shoving it into the pocket of his space suit. Then, he took a deep breath and headed for the door.

  3.

  Everyone else was in the garage by the time Benny made his way down. The warehouse-like building hadn’t changed much since the first time Benny had seen it a week before: a ceiling of bright white light reflected off the dark, polished floors, and the acrid scents of electronics and oil hung heavily in the air. Almost all the classic cars that had been retrofitted as Space Runners or Moon buggies had been hidden away underground by the McGuyvers—the solar system’s best mechanics—just in case the asteroid storm had managed to break through the Taj’s defenses, though. The only vehicles left were the ones they’d attached mining lasers to and flown into space earlier that day. Those Space Runners sat in neat lines on one side of the room, some blackened and scorched by enemy fire. On the other side, Jasmine chatted with Pinky and Ash McGuyver while Hot Dog cataloged the Contents of a supply box in front of her. Off to the side, Drue sat in a chair with his arms crossed and lips pressed together in a sulk. Bo McGuyver, a huge, hulking man, stood over him, staring down at Drue over the bridge of his crooked nose while wiping his greasy hands on the front of his coveralls.

  “I told you, I’m not going to touch anything I’m not supposed to!” Drue said. Bo remained silent. “Do you even know who I am? Who my dad is? I’m a Lincoln. We are very important on Earth.” As Benny walked by, Drue perked up. “Hey, tell him it’s okay for me to be here!”