by Steve Cole
But then a bright yellow light shone in at them through the glass.
“Don’t tell me it’s another monster!” Teggs groaned.
“It’s . . . it’s some kind of super submarine!” gasped Gipsy in surprise.
A gleaming sub was gliding through the water towards them.
Mira spun round to see. Then he scowled. “It’s those flipper-flappers!” he shouted. “They want to catch us! Well, I’ll show them a thing or two!”
With that, he streaked out of the tank and over to the sub. His jaws were open wide.
Teggs stared in horror. “No, Mira, don’t!”
But as Mira bit down on the nose of the sub – Zzzzap!
His eyes bulged. Then he stuck out his tongue, closed his eyes and fell quietly to the sea bed.
A hatch opened on top of the sub and Cripes swam out! Gipsy hugged Teggs with relief.
“So you did hear our SOS signal,” smiled Teggs weakly.
Cripes nodded. “Arx worked out the best way to reach you, and Iggy drove us here in record time!” He frowned. “Uh, you’re looking kind of. . . blue!”
“We’re nearly out of air,” gasped Teggs.
“I think I’m going to faint,” croaked Gipsy.
“Quick!” cried Cripes. “Into the sub!”
With the last of their strength, Teggs and Gipsy made it aboard. Cripes shut the doors and led them out of the water. Gipsy wriggled out of her helmet and gulped down air. Teggs just swung his head into the wall and broke the glass helmet like an oversized egg.
“That’s better!” he whooped. “And have we got a story to tell you!”
“Tell me about it when you have had a rest,” said Cripes gently. “You two have been through a lot!”
“What happened to Mira?” asked Gipsy.
“He’ll be all right,” said Cripes. “He’s just sleeping. When Iggy fixed up the sub, he also gave it a special force field!”
“Of course,” beamed Teggs. “A force field’s like a wall of solid energy. When Mira tried to bite it, he got a big shock!”
“Poor Mira,” sighed Gipsy. “He’s not really bad.”
“We’ll tow him back to Sea Station One,” Teggs declared. “Then we can work out how to get him back home.”
The sub’s inner door opened and peered in. “Captain! Gipsy!” he beamed with delight. “You’re all right!”
“Just about,” sighed Gipsy. She gave Iggy a hug. “Though it’s going to take weeks to get all the wrinkles out of my skin!”
A few hours later, the astrosaurs were safely back aboard Sea Station One. Teggs and Gipsy were both chilled through from spending so long in the freezing sea. But after a lovely hot bath and a bucket of warm sea-grass, they started to feel a bit better.
The sleeping Mira had been towed to a special undersea pen. The pen was locked, and Cripes had placed guards there. A few hours later, the astrosaurs met Cripes on a balcony above the pen.
“No one is very happy about having a liopleurodon here at Sea Station One,” grumbled Cripes.
“If he meant you any harm, don’t you think he’d have attacked you already?” said Gipsy.
“I guess so,” said Cripes. “Speaking of attacks, thanks for finding the truth behind our mysterious monster! Now all we have to do is catch all the whisperfish and they’ll never bother us again!”
Teggs gave Cripes a hard stare. “That doesn’t seem fair.”
“What do you mean?” asked Cripes.
“It can’t be much fun being a whisperfish on the liopleurodon world,” said Teggs. “Locked up in a tank and eaten for lunch – not much of a life, is it? But here on Aqua Minor, things are different. The whisperfish have enjoyed a peaceful life swimming freely in the sea for years.” Teggs marched angrily up to Cripes. “And what do you want to do now? You want to catch them all and send them back home for supper!”
“But they’re dangerous!” Cripes complained.
“All they want is some peace and quiet,” said Arx. “They’ve never bothered you in the north. They probably won’t bother you in the east and the west, either.”
“Share the planet with them, Cripes,” Teggs urged him. “Let them live here in peace.”
Cripes nodded, a little shamefaced. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Of course we’ll let them stay!”
“HEY!” came a booming voice from the undersea pen. “What’s going on here?”
“It’s Mira!” said Teggs. “He’s woken up!”
“But he sounds different,” said Gipsy. “He sounds really scary!”
Suddenly Mira crashed through the surface of the water and glared up at them. “Who are you?” he bawled. “Who dares to lock me up?”
“Don’t you recognize us?” said Gipsy.
“Never seen you before!” he shouted. “I’m hungry! What have you done with my whisperfish?”
“They’re off the menu,” Teggs told him. “Sorry!”
“Sorry? You will be!” snarled the liopleurodon. “I’m Admiral Don Leo of the Liopleurodon Space Fleet! The last thing I remember was crash-landing on this crummy planet during a test flight.” His eyes narrowed. “But now I’ve woken up. And I’m hungry. And I’m very, very ANGRY!”
Chapter Ten
ALL WRAPPED UP!
Arx cleared his throat. “It would seem that the liopleurodon’s memory has come back,” he said. “It must be the shock he got from biting the force field!”
“No one keeps me locked up!” roared Don Leo. “Forget the whisperfish – I’ll eat every one of you when I get out of here!”
“Oh, dear,” sighed Teggs. “We’ve dealt with one monster. Now here’s another one to take its place!”
“There’s not a prison built that can hold me!” growled Don Leo. “And I’ll prove it!” He swam at top speed towards the side of the pen and bashed it over and over. The wall was thick, but soon cracks were starting to show.
Cripes was trembling. “He’s going to get out into the open sea! Think of the damage he could cause!”
“We’ll just have to stop him,” said Teggs simply. “Cripes, Iggy, let’s head for the super-sub – fast!”
With a final roar of rage, Don Leo smashed a huge hole in the side of the pen.
“Now I’m going to eat everyone on this planet!” he yelled.
“Not so fast!” shouted Teggs from the super-sub. “First you’ll have to deal with a couple of astrosaurs!”
With that, Iggy turned the super-sub round and revved the dung-powered engines right in Don Leo’s furious face.
“That tastes revolting!” Don Leo spluttered. “I’ll get you for that!”
The super-sub sped away, the liopleurodon close behind it.
“All right, Cripes,” said Teggs. “Where’s the nearest floating factory?”
“About three miles north,” said Cripes. “But it’s a brand new building. We’ve only just put all the machines in.”
“Perfect!” cried Teggs. “Well away from the whisperfish. Iggy, get us there at top speed!”
“Aye-aye, Captain,” grinned Iggy.
But though the super-sub soared through the saltwater at an incredible speed, Don Leo was catching up!
“We must keep ahead of him, Iggy!” urged Teggs.
Cripes pointed to a big block of metal ahead of them. “There’s the floating factory!”
“Does it have a packing room?” asked Teggs. “You know, like the one I got trapped in on the wreck?”
“Sure it does,” said Cripes. “Iggy, head for the intake pipe round the side. It’ll take you straight there. But I still don’t see—”
“No time for explanations now,” said Teggs, as they shot through the pipe and into the loading area. “I’m getting off! Park the sub and wait for me.”
“But Don Leo’s right behind us!” protested Iggy. “If he sees you, he’ll eat you!”
“I hope he tries,” smiled Teggs. “My plan depends on it!”
Iggy parked the super-sub just outside the packing room. As it bobbed about on th
e surface of the water, Teggs jumped out and quickly waded over to another large pipe, half-filled with water. Designed to let through tons of shelled ammonites for packing, it was easily big enough to fit a stegosaurus.
And, with a bit of a squeeze, a livid liopleurodon.
Don Leo suddenly burst out of the water beside Teggs, ready to bite. His terrifying teeth missed Teggs’s neck by millimetres.
“Phew!” whistled Teggs. “You know, I think I liked Mira a whole lot better than Don Leo!”
“I’ll like you a whole lot better when you’re lining my stomach!” growled Don Leo.
“Don’t hold your breath,” said Teggs. He bashed Don Leo on the nose with his tail.
“Come here!” Don Leo roared in anger.
Teggs waded off down the pipe, with the liopleurodon slithering along right behind him, trying to squeeze through.
A few seconds later, Teggs splashed out into the packing room. Panting for breath, he turned on the machines. The conveyor belt jerked forwards. Metal scoops swung down from the ceiling.
Don Leo wriggled along through the shallow water after Teggs. He looked furious.
“Catch me if you can!” cried Teggs. He climbed up onto the clanking conveyor belt.
“I’ll chase you onto dry land if I have to!” snarled Don Leo. Somehow he managed to flip himself out of the water and onto the conveyor belt behind Teggs.
Now they were both heading straight for the wrapping machine.
Don Leo laughed nastily. “I’ve got you now, you stupid stegosaur!”
Teggs just smiled. “Actually, I think you’ll find that . . . I’ve got you!”
Just before he could fall into the wrapping machine, Teggs jumped off the conveyor belt. He hit the water with an enormous splash. But it was too late for Don Leo. He couldn’t flip himself out of the way in time.
“No!” yelled the liopleurodon as he tumbled into the wrapping machine.
Teggs held his breath as the machine rattled and shook. Then it bulged like a balloon. Steam started to spurt from its insides.
Finally, out popped Don Leo, all wrapped up on a long plastic tray. Only his head, tail and flippers were left sticking out.
“Get me out of here!” yelled the liopleurodon, struggling furiously.
But the conveyor belt moved him quickly on. He was tipped into a large wooden crate. Robot arms placed the lid on top and nailed it in place. Finally the crate was shoved off into the water with a big splash.
“There,” said Teggs. “That should hold you till you’ve calmed down a bit!”
“What about my ship?” came Don Leo’s muffled voice.
“I think your test flight is over,” said Teggs. “That ship will never fly again. But your crew are still safely sleeping. If you promise to be good, I’m sure the cryptoclidus will help you all get back home to your own planet.”
“And what if we’re not good?” said Don Leo.
“I was sent here by the Dinosaur Space Service. They’ll be watching you very closely,” Teggs said sternly. “If you know what’s good for you . . . behave!”
Just then, Iggy and Cripes splashed into the packing room.
“You did it!” beamed Iggy.
“At last, we can get on with our fishing in peace,” said Cripes.
“As soon as you’ve helped Don Leo and his friends get back home,” said Teggs. “But don’t worry. I think he’ll be better behaved from now on!”
“Suppose so,” grumbled Don Leo from his crate.
“Well, I think that about wraps things up here,” chuckled Teggs. He spoke into his communicator. “Arx? Gipsy? It’s Teggs. Mission accomplished!”
Gipsy’s voice crackled out: “Well done, Captain!”
“Admiral Rosso will be delighted!” added Arx.
“Get the shuttle ready,” Teggs ordered. “Then let’s all grab dinner somewhere dry.” He grinned at Iggy. “I’m ready for a ten course banquet – with a big, new adventure for dessert!”
THE END
About the Author
Born in 1971, Steve Cole spent a happy childhood in rural Bedfordshire being loud and aspiring to amuse. He liked books, and so went to the University of East Anglia to read more of them. Later on he started writing them too, with titles ranging from pre-school poetry to Young Adult thrillers (with more TV and film tie-ins than he cares to admit to along the way). In other careers he has been the editor of Noddy magazine, the voice of a Dalek and an editor of fiction and nonfiction book titles for various publishers.
ALSO BY STEVE COLE:
Read all the adventures of Teggs, Gipsy, Arx and Iggy!
1 Riddle of the Raptors
2 The Hatching Horror
3 The Seas of Doom
4 The Mind-Swap Menace
5 The Skies of Fear
6 The Space Ghosts
7 Day of the Dino-Droids
8 The Terror-Bird Trap
9 The Planet of Peril
10 The Star Pirates
11 The Claws of Christmas
12 The Sun-Snatchers
13 Revenge of the Fang
14 The Carnivore Curse
15 The Dreams of Dread
16 The Robot Raiders
17 The Twist of Time
18 The Sabre-Tooth Secret
19 The Forest of Evil
20 Earth Attack!
21 The T. Rex Invasion
22 The Castle of Frankensaur
Read all the adventures of Teggs, Blink and Dutch at the Astrosaurs Academy!
1 Destination: Danger!
2 Contest Carnage!
3 Terror Underground!
4 Jungle Horror!
5 Deadly Drama!
6 Christmas Crisis!
7 Volcano Invaders!
8 Space Kidnap!
Meet the time-travelling cows!
1 The Ter-moo-nators
2 The Moo-my’s Curse
3 The Roman Moo-stery
4 The Wild West Moo-nster
5 World War Moo
6 The Battle for Christmoos
7 The Pirate Moo-tiny
8 The Moo-gic of Merlin
9 The Victorian Moo-ders
10 The Moo-lympic Games
11 First Cows on the Moon
12 The Viking Emoo-gency
If you can’t take the slime, don’t do the crime!
1 The Fearsome Fists
2 The Toxic Teeth
3 The Cyber-Poos
4 The Supernatural Squid
5 The Killer Socks
6 The Last-Chance Chicken
7 The Alligator Army
8 The Conquering Conks
Visit www.stevecolebooks.co.uk for fun, games, jokes, to meet the characters and much, much more!
THE SEAS OF DOOM
AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 448 17348 8
Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK
A Random House Group Company
This ebook edition published 2013
Text copyright © Steve Cole, 2005
Cover illustration by Dynamo Design © Random House Children’s Books, 2010
Map copyright © Charlie Fowkes, 2005
Interior illustrations copyright © Woody Fox, 2005
First Published in Great Britain
Red Fox 2005
The right of Steve Cole to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
