Desert Disaster

by Axel Lewis

  “Calculating...” said the robot with a beep and a buzz. “No damage whatsoever.”

  Jimmy was amazed. They had been bashed by a hovercraft, flung up the side of a sand dune and sent flying through the air – all without a scratch. He opened the door and hopped out, removing his helmet.

  “I’d better see how Sammy and Chip are.” He flicked on the Cabcom. “Hey, guys, are you OK?”

  “I’m fine, Jimmy,” Chip replied, his face appearing on the screen. “Dug here took a tumble and ended up on his side, but I was able to put him right again using the robotic arm.”

  “How about you, Sammy?” Jimmy asked.

  “The screen in Cabbie’s cockpit split into two so that Jimmy could see both of the other racers. “Yes, I am fine. Sorry about my mistake – this sand is proving tricky, no.”

  “You can say that again, pal,” Chip replied.

  “I said, this sand is proving—” Sammy began.

  Jimmy laughed. “No, Sammy, it’s just a turn of phrase. Chip heard you first time.”

  “Oh,” Sammy muttered. “I will never understand the English language.”

  “All right, let’s get this show back on the road, y’all,” Chip said. “This race ain’t gonna win itself and I’ve got me a trophy to claim. Catch me if you can!”

  With a roar of their engines, the three racers shot off once again. Following the co-ordinates that he had worked out, Jimmy didn’t find it too hard to locate the checkpoint.

  As they crested a rise, the three of them gasped at the sight before them. They could see a town – the first sign of civilization they had seen since the airship had landed in the desert. It was another ten minutes of hard driving down to the town and there were just seconds between the three of them as they crossed the line.

  Jimmy skidded to a stop and breathed a sigh of relief that they had made it in one piece. Then he got out of Cabbie’s cockpit and took off his hot, sweaty helmet. Next to him, Chip and Sammy were doing the same.

  “What took you so long?” said Missy, who was standing by Monster with a cold drink.

  “Don’t ask!” said the three boys together.

  The overnight stop was in an abandoned old village perched on the edge of a great desert plain. It would have seemed like a spooky ghost town if it hadn’t been for the amazing job the race officials had done of turning it into a luxury retreat for the racers. They had cordoned off an area for each pit crew next to the deserted buildings. On the other side of the village were a collection of huge North African Bedouin tents. Each team had their own tent, but inside it was more like a palace, with richly woven rugs, fluffy cushions and brightly-coloured bunks.

  “Wow!” said Sammy, standing next to Jimmy. “This is a bit different to our overnight stay in the jungle. Remember that?”

  Jimmy nodded. They had been stranded in the jungle with just a sleeping bag each, a pack of marshmallows to eat, a tarpaulin stretched over their heads and a robot who was scared of snakes. It had been fun.

  At that moment Joshua Johnson appeared from one of the tents.

  “Excellent race, everyone! I trust you are all OK after your little bumps and tumbles?” he said, full of energy. The four racers nodded. “Great! We’ve noted down the times you came in, and that’s the order you’ll leave in the morning. I suggest you get some food, fuel and plenty of sleep. Big day tomorrow!”

  Jimmy slowly shuffled through the sand to where Grandpa was dusting down Cabbie. Grandpa broke off his work to give Jimmy a crushing bear hug.

  “I missed you, lad!” he said. “I was so worried! I’ve been watching on the TV in the airship. Are you all right?”

  “Can’t ... breathe!” Jimmy gasped out.

  “Hmm? Oh!” Grandpa released him from the tight hug.

  “Thanks so much for installing that air bubble, Grandpa – it really saved us,” said Jimmy.

  “Don’t thank me, thank Pete Webber! He had wanted to use that little gadget for years, but Crusher is just too big to have an all-over air bubble. He was happy to be able to use it on Cabbie!” Grandpa laughed, patting the robot on the bumper. “Quick thinking, Cabbie.”

  “It was nothing really,” said Cabbie coolly. “Well, not for a perfect specimen of artificial intelligence like myself.”

  Grandpa wasn’t allowed to make any tweaks to Cabbie during the overnight stop, so he busied himself by giving the robot a good wash while Jimmy sat down and tucked into a huge plate of food from the food tent. The robot was in good condition, and his caterpillar tracks had been working well.

  As Jimmy rested, he could hear Missy in the compound next to them. She was in high spirits from her first-place finish. She was also giving her robot a clean, chatting jokily with Monster as she fussed around her happily.

  “I dunno, Monster, what are we going to do with you? First place is all right, but when I say speed up, I want real speed!”

  “Give over!” said the giant robot. “Call that driving? I’ve seen better reactions on a bullfrog.”

  “Oi! You’re not too big to be melted down, ya know! I could turn ya into tin cans! I’d probably make more money from ya!”

  Jimmy grinned at their good-natured banter. Chip was on the other side of him, his race team fussing over a tiny scratch on Dug’s side while Chip discussed tactics with his dad.

  “Good race today, son, but we need to keep an eye on that Australian girl. She’s looking to take the title from us,” said Mr Travers.

  Chip shrugged. “She’s a good racer, Pa. I’ll see if I can distract her with a vegemite sandwich.”

  Sammy was having a similar conversation with his father, Omar Bahur.

  “To be a winner, Samir, you must think like a winner!”

  “Father, I have a better idea.” Sammy replied. “To be a winner, I must eat like a winner. I’m starving!”

  Just then Princess Kako entered the town on Lightning. She looked like she’d had a tough time in the desert, and when she got off her robot, Missy and Jimmy came over to help her.

  “Can I get you anything?” asked Missy.

  “Two more wheels,” said Kako, exhausted. “I’m thinking of turning Lightning into a jeep. It’s the only way I’ll do better tomorrow!”

  Over twenty minutes after the princess, Jimmy heard the noise of another engine approaching as Horace pulled into the town.

  “What time do you call this? You might as well have not taken part!” said Mr Pelly as Zoom’s door opened and an angry-looking Horace stamped out, mumbling crossly about getting lost.

  Father and son continued to bicker as they made their way towards the food tent. Jimmy couldn’t hear what they were saying and was about to go off to his own tent when he saw something strange. Horace and Mr Pelly paused in the middle of their argument and shook hands. It was an odd gesture, Jimmy thought. As their hands parted, he saw something – a tiny glint of metal between their fingers.

  Probably nothing, he thought. A ring, perhaps, reflecting in the sunlight? It could be perfectly innocent. But I know Horace, Jimmy thought. And I bet he’s up to something!

  Chapter 10 - Messages from Home

  Jimmy and the other robot racers sat around a camp fire in the middle of the deserted town. It was dark, but they were well lit by the fire and the stars above. Jimmy had never seen anything like it. There were so many stars, and every one looked like a diamond, sparkling bright and white against the jet-black sky. The racers had all had a good meal, and while their teams fussed over the robots (all except Grandpa, who was playing chess with Cabbie), the competitors talked about what they expected from the next day.

  “I expect it’ll be pretty simple,” said Chip with a wink. “I’m sure there won’t be any surprises or panics.”

  The whole group burst out laughing. They had yet to run a race that went smoothly.

  Just then Joshua Johnson came ambling ove
r, the gold ‘L’ on his dark blazer gleaming in the firelight. He looked more like he was on his way to a king’s banquet than preparing to spend the night round a camp fire in the middle of nowhere.

  “I have a little surprise for you,” said the robot co-ordinator with a broad smile. And without another word he produced a small tablet TV from his inside pocket and placed it carefully on an empty chair. He swiped his finger across the screen once, and all of a sudden an image flashed up in front of the racers.

  “Hello, racers,” Bet Bristle said from the screen. “It’s been an exciting day, hasn’t it? Congratulations to you all for making it this far.”

  The children shuffled a little closer so that they could hear what Bet was saying.

  “As you are so far from home, Lord Leadpipe asked me to provide you each with a little treat. Something to remind you that your nearest and dearest are thinking of you during these testing times. Enjoy.”

  The screen changed suddenly and Jimmy found himself looking at a busy town in a hot country. Shoppers, tourists and stallholders struggled to get into the picture and give a thumbs-up to the camera.

  “It’s Cairo,” Sammy gasped.

  Then the camera panned left and focused on a small, dumpy-looking woman with a nervous smile on her face.

  “Mother!” said Sammy, louder this time.

  “I have been amazed by the support that Samir has had from Egypt,” said the woman on the screen. The name Bahiti Bahur appeared on the bottom right-hand corner. “I am very proud of him. We all believe he can be the next Robot Races’ champion!”

  The scene changed quickly. The TV now showed a place Jimmy knew well. It was his home town of Smedingham in England, but a richer, leafier part of town than he lived in. Bet appeared in a posh-looking front room with floral wallpaper and a lace doily on every surface. The microphone was pointed at an elegantly dressed middle-aged woman with rosy cheeks and a pearl necklace.

  “We miss Horace ever so much. I worry about my little kootchy-face!” said the woman.

  “Horace, is that your mother?” asked Princess Kako.

  Horace didn’t answer, but stared at the screen in horror.

  “We love you, Horace!” the lady called. “Mummy sends kisses and cuddles!”

  Horace’s head fell forward onto the table in embarrassment. Just when Jimmy thought it couldn’t get any worse for him, Mrs Pelly pulled out a stuffed toy which was dressed in a racing jumpsuit. “You forgot to take your lucky teddy! I’ll give Jenson the Bear to Bet so she can pass him on when she next interviews you.”

  Bet smiled sweetly as she took the teddy.

  “Aw, Mum!” shouted Horace at the screen as the other five tried to hide their smiles.

  The image on the screen shifted to show Bet now in Japan. She stood in front of the Imperial Palace, interviewing a young man in a smart suit.

  “Satoru!” shouted Kako. “That is my cousin!”

  “Her Imperial Highness Princess Kako has truly brought honour to the people of Japan. The nation has been watching and sending messages of support. Everyone is Kako-crazy! Look at the fan mail you are getting!”

  Bet held up a handful of mail, and a few things the fans had made. There was a knitted toy of Kako, pictures of Lightning, and even a comic book with a cartoon Kako on the cover.

  “People are making comics about you! That’s so cool!” said Missy.

  The TV changed to a small American town with bunting stretched across the main street and a sign which read: ‘Chip Travers, Number One!’ Below it stood what looked to Jimmy to be the entire town. There was a uniformed marching band, hordes of people, and even a squad of cheerleaders. Bet was stood next to a lady holding a flag with Chip’s face on it.

  “That’s my mom!” said Chip.

  “We’re all rootin’ for my boy Chip!” Mrs Travers said. “We believe he can win this thing and bring the trophy back to the good ol’ U.S. of A!” Then the cheerleaders burst into song. “Chip and Dug, they’re the best! They are gonna beat the rest!”

  Chip laughed aloud as scene on the TV changed to the Outback in Australia. It was a large farm, with abandoned cars and tractors strewn about.

  “Ah, home sweet home!” said Missy.

  A boy of about nineteen years of age stood in front of a barn, his arms folded across his chest. That must be Missy’s brother! thought Jimmy. They looked exactly the same, right down to the way they dressed.

  “All right, sis? You’re doing a great job.” He smiled.

  “That’s Scott, my brother. I haven’t seen that no-good waste of space for weeks,” said Missy.

  “We know you can do it. Now hurry up and win this thing, the sheep miss ya!”

  The TV changed again, and this time Jimmy knew it must be for him. But who would it be? He didn’t have any brothers, sisters or cousins. His only family was Grandpa, and he was here with him. He watched anxiously as the camera panned over his school. Suddenly a familiar face came into view.

  Max!

  Jimmy grinned and leaned forward to hear what his best friend had to say.

  Max seemed nervous in front of the cameras. “W-we’re all really proud of Jimmy,” he said, glancing at the camera shyly.

  Bet smiled. “Were you and Jimmy always big fans of Robot Races, dear?” she said in her soothing voice.

  “Yeah, we used to watch it together on my phone all the time. It wasn’t that long ago that we were in this playground, shouting for Big Al to win,” said Max.

  Really? It seems like ages ago for me, thought Jimmy.

  “We can’t wait for you to win it, Jimmy, and bring the championship back to Smedingham!” Max said, holding up a big sign that read: ‘GO, JIMMY!’

  Then the TV went blank once again.

  There was a long silence as they all thought about the family and friends they had seen on the tablet.

  Then Horace got to his feet and dusted off sand from his expensive trousers. “Well, I hope you all have your runner-up speeches ready!” he said with a gloating grin. “Zoom and I will be hot on your heels tomorrow, and I’ll bet my boots that we take first place!”

  Jimmy rolled his eyes. But he couldn’t stop thinking about what he had seen between Horace and Mr Pelly earlier. If Horace is up to his old tricks again, I’m not going to let him get away with it, he thought to himself determinedly.

  “This time tomorrow, I’ll be at the top of that podium and you lot will be eating my dust!” Horace continued.

  “Horace, if I thought for a moment that you stood a chance of winning, it’d keep me awake all night,” said Missy. “But I think you’ll find—” She pretended to fall asleep on the spot and fell backwards into the sand, snoring loudly. The other racers laughed, and Horace shot Missy a scowl.

  “You’ll be laughing on the other side of your face, McGovern! My father says—”

  “Scorpion! Behind you!” cried Sammy. Everyone turned to look where he was pointing, and Horace leaped to his feet like he’d had a firework lit under his bottom.

  “What! Where? Kill it! Trap it! Somebody do something, quick!” Horace screamed.

  Jimmy’s heart jumped, but as he looked around the camp he spotted Sammy putting a hand over his mouth. Jimmy looked closer and saw that his friend was trying to hide a smile. His shoulders shook, his head bobbed and then he burst out laughing, unable to contain himself any more.

  “He’s just playing a prank,” shouted Chip, who’d also noticed Sammy’s expression.

  “Ah, strewth, Sammy, that was a good one. You really had me goin’ for a second,” Missy giggled.

  The others laughed too, and settled themselves back down. All except for Horace. He was still on his feet and his face was bright red in fury and embarrassment.

  “Listen here, Bahur!” said Horace, almost spitting the name into the camp fire. “No one makes a fool out of me and gets a
way with it! You’ll pay for this!”

  And with that he stormed off into the darkness in the direction of his tent.

  “Well, he sure had his pants in a twist, didn’t he,” Missy commented with a grin.

  Soon after, everyone agreed it was time to get some sleep. They said their goodnights and walked away across the camp to their own beds. Sammy and Jimmy headed over to their Bedouin tents, still laughing about the scorpion.

  “It’s ... it’s a ... SCORPION!” Sammy laughed, then imitated Horace’s high-pitched scream. “That was funny, yes? His face was – how do you say? A picture!”

  Jimmy smiled too, but dropped it when Horace walked by, scowling at Sammy.

  “Oops,” said Sammy.

  “Horace is angry with everyone, all the time. I wouldn’t worry,” said Jimmy, trying to reassure his friend. Secretly he thought that Sammy should be careful. He wouldn’t put it past Horace to look for revenge once they were back out on the race track. And he’d already been acting suspiciously all evening.

  I need to find out what he’s up to, thought Jimmy. He said goodnight to Sammy, but instead of going into his own tent, where he could already hear Grandpa snoring, he crept towards Horace’s tent. Slowly he moved nearer and nearer, until he could almost press his ear to the canvas.

  “Receiving? Over,” came a voice from inside. It had an electronic crackle to it.

  “Affirmative, I am receiving, over,” said another voice.

  Jimmy inched quietly down the canvas and found a tiny hole in the tent wall that he could press his eye up against. Inside, Horace was sitting on his bed with a small glow of light coming from his hand. He raised his arm and spoke into his fist.

  “Will this work?” he said.

  “Of course it’ll work!” said the electronic voice. It was Mr Pelly – he must be talking to Horace through the comms-device!

  “Those stupid engineers won’t think to look in your helmet. They only ever check inside Zoom for gadgets. This is foolproof!”

  “It had better work!” said Horace. “I want to make those stupid kids eat their words. Make the directions clear, and we’ll have first place wrapped up by this time tomorrow.”