The Slime Volcano

by H. Badger

  ‘Mean?’ said Kip slowly. ‘Er…nothing.

  It’s called a cough. It’s…well…it’s…’ Kip trailed off. How was he meant to explain a cough to an alien? Coughs were pretty weird, when he thought about it.

  Suddenly, there one last loud sucking sound. Awesome! The Suckerbot had slurped up every trace of slime in the pond. The transporter now sat in a dry pond-bed.

  Kip, Finbar and the aliens hurried down to the transporter. The sooner they could get it going, the quicker the aliens could go back to their families, and Kip and Finbar could get home, too.

  As Kip got closer to the transporter, a staircase unfolded with a loud groan.

  That must be the main entrance! thought Kip. It’s a good sign the stairs are still working.

  The stairs were still coated with a slippery film of slime. Kip tramped carefully into the transporter.

  With Finbar and the aliens close behind, Kip tore along one of the corridors leading to the bridge. Zert and Zorg explained to Kip that they didn’t have experience in repairing spacecraft.They were pretty new to space travel.

  ‘Do you mind if I have a look, then?’ Kip asked them, using his SpaceCuff.

  Zert and Zorg looked grateful. ‘Of course not!’ said Zert.

  Kip examined the simple controls carefully. They reminded Kip of pictures he’d seen of Earth’s spacecraft back in the early 2000s.

  Well, it should be easy to fly this thing, Kip thought. As long as I can get it started!

  CHAPTER 9

  Kip sat in a damp, slime-covered chair in front of the controls.

  Zorg and Zert seemed happy to let Kip pilot them away from Grimor.

  Kip felt around the ignition for a key. He wasn’t very hopeful. After crashing into the slime, the key had almost certainly been lost.

  Lucky I’ve got LiquidKey with me, Kip thought.

  LiquidKey was the latest type of universal skeleton key. It was a tube of black putty. When squeezed into a lock, the putty hardened, leaving a little lump sticking out. The putty inside moulded to the exact size and shape of the lock. An instant key was created!

  WorldCorp LiquidKey

  Only Space Scouts and top WorldCorp officials were trusted with LiquidKey. Without precautions, such a powerful tool could easily be put to the wrong use.

  Kip squeezed a big blob into the ignition. When it had set, he turned the hard lump of putty that was sticking out.

  I’m so close! Kip thought, crossing his fingers. Come on…

  The engine spluttered, then died.

  Kip suddenly felt cold and tired.

  They’d chased away the massive Slime Crawlers. They’d found the transporter. They’d even made an ignition key! But all those victories were pointless if the transporter wouldn’t start.

  The slime could be full of alien acid! Kip worried. The entire engine might’ve been eaten away.

  Kip was trained in advanced starship engineering. He knew that major repairs could take days. Or even weeks, without spare parts handy – and there was no way to contact MoNa to get them.

  He shoved those thoughts from his mind. He couldn’t give in to doubt.

  Kip turned the putty key again.

  Yes! The engine fired! It just needed a few goes to warm up.

  I’m used to MoNa’s superior engineering, Kip reminded himself. MoNa might have been bossy, but she always started first time.

  Finbar cheered. The aliens did too, trying out an Earth cheer by copying Finbar. In their voices, it sounded a bit like ducks quacking.

  Kip threw the gears into take-off mode.

  The transporter was small and light. In Kip’s skilled hands, it lifted off the dry ground and rose quickly upwards.

  ‘We’ll be back aboard MoNa in no time,’ Kip said to Finbar.

  Steering the transporter with one hand, Kip rested his feet on the dash. For the first time this entire mission, he relaxed.

  ‘I’m not so sure,’ Finbar replied quietly.

  Kip followed Finbar’s eyes. Through the transporter’s slime-streaked windshield, Finbar was pointing to a slime volcano up ahead.

  And not just any volcano. It was Pustula, the biggest slime volcano on Grimor!

  A smell like curried eggs and minisaur farts filled the transporter. A plume of blue smoke shot into the air – and it was heading straight for the transporter!

  Time to fly like never before! Kip thought, gunning the engine.

  In Space Scout training, Starship Piloting was one of Kip’s top subjects. But this time he’d have to fly perfectly. And he’d have to do it in a transporter that he’d never flown before!

  The slime plume spewed closer to the transporter, and Kip turned the controls sharply.

  The transporter lurched left, sending Finbar and the aliens flying. The slime plume spurted right past them. But another one was heading their way!

  Kip yanked the controls back in the other direction and stomped on the accelerator.

  ‘Hang on everyone!’ he yelled, as the slime plume hurtled toward them.

  CHAPTER 10

  The transporter tipped right and then flung itself upwards. Kip had avoided the slime plume by a millimetre.

  ‘Nice work,’ said Finbar.

  Zorg and Zert tried the Earth cheer again. They were getting better!

  ‘Just doing my job,’ Kip said modestly.

  Safely out of range of any more slime eruptions, the transporter sped higher and Grimor’s green moon grew bigger in the windshield. The aliens gazed longingly at their home.

  With a bump, the transporter broke through the smoky atmosphere. Kip could see MoNa, but he couldn’t talk to her. His SpaceCuff was still too gummed up with slime.

  Kip switched on the transporter’s communication beacon. In Space Scout terms, the tech-nology was primitive. But it would alert MoNa that there was a friendly spacecraft nearby. She could throw out a static line for Kip and Finbar to hold onto and spacewalk safely aboard.

  But before Kip and Finbar began their short spacewalk, they wanted to say goodbye to the aliens.

  Zorg dropped to the floor. He grabbed Kip around his knees and squeezed.

  This hug is growing on me, Kip grinned to himself, and gave the aliens knee-hugs in return.

  ‘It was nice to meet you, Zert and Zorg,’ he said.

  Finbar had a goodbye gift for the aliens. ‘I thought you’d like to clean up before heading home,’ he said, handing Zorg a SpaceShower from his backpack. ‘I found it in my toiletry bag.’

  SpaceShowers were tiny sponges flecked with dirt-absorbing crystals. They were useful on especially grubby missions.

  Zorg smiled gratefully. He held the SpaceShower to his fur. At once, the sponge sucked up all the slime and grime.

  Underneath, Zorg’s fur was soft, fluffy and baby-pink!

  ‘They must have hated getting so dirty,’ Finbar said to Kip, fluffing his own fur.

  As Kip and Finbar left the transporter, the aliens pumped air under their armpits to make raspberry sounds. Kip guessed that was their way of waving goodbye!

  Kip and Finbar bounded through space between the two starships. Kip loved being in zero gravity anytime, but after the high gravity of Grimor it was especially good.

  When Kip and Finbar reached MoNa’s landing bay, they tore off their helmets and breathed the clean air deeply.

  Relieved, Finbar ran a paw through his fur. Kip could tell he couldn’t wait to tidy up.

  ‘No time for grooming,’ came MoNa’s voice from up near the ceiling.

  ‘I know, I know,’ Kip grumbled. ‘Time to file my mission report.’

  Kip and Finbar strode out of the landing bay and headed for MoNa’s bridge. Settling on his captain’s chair, Kip engaged his holographic consol. A screen was projected in front of him.

  CAPTAIN’S LOG

  Grimor

  Terrain: A crusty, dirty planet covered with dangerous active slime volcanoes. High gravity makes it hard to get around.

  Population: No permanent resid
ents. Although we did encounter friendly aliens from Zorn, a nearby moon.

  Animals: Slime Crawlers – gross and unfriendly local critters that grow massive in slimy environments.

  Recommendation: I’m no neat freak but even I couldn’t handle the dirt on Grimor. This place is definitely not Earth 2. Humans are not Suckerbots, after all. We don’t want to spend all day cleaning.

  KIP KIRBY, SPACE SCOUT #50

  Phew, Kip thought. The mission was complete.

  He hadn’t discovered Earth 2. But at least he’d earn one Planetary Point for exploring Grimor.

  Time to relax, he grinned. First I’ll play a bit of my new virtual hoverboard game, then…

  ‘I’ve just downloaded a message from your parents to my Galactagram chip,’ said MoNa, interrupting Kip’s daydream.

  Uh-oh! Kip thought. That doesn’t sound good.

  Galactagrams were audio files, only used for urgent or extra important transmissions. MoNa’s dashboard had a special chip for listening to them.

  Guiltily, Kip remembered the time he’d wasted playing around with Jett’s Pro-Planet Star Mic. He’d left his chores unfinished. His parents must be seriously unimpressed if they’d sent him a Galactagram!

  Sighing, Kip took the chip from its storage slot in MoNa’s dash. It was smaller than a pin-head. Kip rested the chip inside his ear.

  His mum’s voice filled his eardrum.

  ‘I know you’re busy,’ she said calmly.

  She’s too mad even to yell, Kip thought grimly.

  ‘And WorldCorp have just told us what an excellent job you did on Grimor,’ his mum continued.

  ‘We’re proud of you, Kip,’ came his dad’s voice.

  Kip’s eyebrows shot up. What?

  ‘That’s why we think you deserve a week off your chores,’ his mum finished. ‘With full pocket-money. How does that sound?’

  Kip grinned with relief.

  That sounded better than hover-boarding, a jumbo can of BurgerMousse and a brand new Turbo RoboHorse all rolled into one!

  THE END

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