STAR FIGHTERS BUMPER SPECIAL EDITION: Stealth Force
Page 6
But before he could finish, the pod rocked again, even more violently than before. There was a dull thud beside Peri.
‘Aaargh!’ Diesel roared in pain as he staggered back to his seat clutching his chin. ‘I bib ma dung!’
Peri ignored him. He had much bigger things to worry about.
His muscles strained as he wrestled with the anti-drift levers, trying to keep the pod on a steady course while it was batted around like a spaceball. His eyes were drawn to a flashing light on the control board – the red light that signalled a problem with the nuke-fusion-engine. His ears rattled with the piercing robotic voice that warned: ‘Danger! Temperature shield overheating. Danger!’
Between jolts, he was able to flip on his com-unit. ‘Mayday! Mayday!’ he called. ‘IF Space Station – this is TP2-7. Do you copy?’
There was no reply. All Peri heard was the rush of static.
Then, as they rounded Mars, Peri saw something that made his heart nearly rocket out of his chest. Dead ahead, like a galactic roadblock, was a metal sphere the size of Earth’s moon. As he watched, thousands of large spikes sprouted from the hull. They were razor-sharp, and at the top of each spike was a viewing platform that looked just like an eyeball. He’d never seen a spaceship like it in any of the textbooks he’d read. Not in The Big Book of Space. Or The Galactic Guide to Gizmos and Gadgets. Not even in The Awesome Anthology of Alien Attackers.
Diesel started yelling in a mixture of Martian and English.
Peri gulped down his fear. ‘B-buckle up . . . and shut up!’ he snapped.
‘You don’t give the orders round here! I’m the –’ Diesel stopped and gawped at the alien ship. ‘S’fâh,’ he muttered. ‘That’s not from this galaxy.’ Diesel scrambled back to his seat and, finally, strapped himself in.
All the navigation systems said the same thing: they were on a collision course with the alien vessel.
‘I can’t stop the pod!’ Peri shouted. ‘We’re going to crash!’
Which Star Fighter are YOU?
Take the Star Fighter multiple-choice exam to find out . . .
Being a Star Fighter involves making difficult decisions, often at very short notice. Here are ten problems that a Star Fighter might face on a mission. How would YOU react?
Scenario 1
You’ve been sent to a mirror planet. When you land, your crew see themselves reflected in hundreds of shiny surfaces. Suddenly, the reflection of a shadowy figure appears in the planet’s Mirror Maze. What would you do next?
A. Call out to the figure to determine if it’s friend or foe. A Star Fighter’s first priority is helping others – Peace in Space!
B. Run a scan of the figure and gather facts before proceeding.
C. Follow the reflection and confront the figure immediately.
D. Blast every shiny surface until you find the figure – and then maybe blast the creature too!
Scenario 2
While you’re travelling through space, you see a giant floating thumb – a space hitch-hiker needs a lift! But when you look at your scanners, you notice that the alien seems to be hiding itself. What do you do?
A. Invite the hitch-hiker to reveal itself. If it doesn’t, surely it can’t be trusted.
B. Stop your ship and wait to see if the hitch-hiker reveals itself. Be sure whether it’s trying to trick the crew before taking action.
C. Don’t stop – it’s too risky to engage a hidden alien.
D. Blast the floating thumb – they look stupid!
Scenario 3
You enter the atmosphere of a strange planet and receive a message from an alien commander, demanding that you disable your weapons systems before landing. Do you:
A. Comply with his wishes – diplomacy at all times is the IF way.
B. Obey the command, but keep at least one hand-held weapon in your belt . . . just in case.
C. Put the weapons systems on ‘Sleep’ mode, so they can be reactivated quickly if needed.
D. Refuse the demand. A warrior never disables his weapons!
Scenario 4
During a mission, two members of your crew start arguing. It looks like it may become a fight before long and disharmony can be a big problem on a ship. How do you solve the situation?
A. Step between the fighting crew members and encourage them to talk through their differences. There will be no disharmony on your spaceship.
B. Let them get their issues off their chests, but if they roll anywhere near the controls, you’ll step in to take care of matters yourself.
C. Get involved – you like nothing more than winning a good argument.
D. Bash them both over the head – the best way to end a fight.
Scenario 5
Everything’s going well on your latest mission, until you notice that you’ve veered off course. The gravitational pull of outer space is preventing you from flying in a straight line. How do you get back on course?
A. Increase the size of the ship – making it heavier in weight will stop gravity sweeping it away.
B. Go straight to the engine room. Once the problem is found, it can be fixed.
C. Find another route – outer space must be respected.
D. Start blasting. Let’s see how gravity likes it when you attack!
Scenario 6
While travelling back to planet Earth, you receive a distress call from a ship stranded in the next galaxy. You should have just enough fuel to help them and to get safely back to Earth yourself. What decision do you make?
A. Help them, of course.
B. Try to help them via the com-screen first, to save fuel.
C. Send a message to the command centre, to arrange a rescue party. You can’t risk the embarrassment of getting stranded yourself.
D. Leave them stranded – only fools get lost in space.
Scenario 7
You’re escorting a diplomat to his home planet, with strict instructions to be back on planet Earth within three days. On the way the diplomat suggests a detour to a different planet, where he can pick up something that’s owed to him. What do you do?
A. Politely refuse – a mission is a mission.
B. Remind the diplomat that you are in charge. There won’t be any detours.
C. Find out if this planet would be any fun before making a decision. There’s no point taking a boring detour, is there?
D. Make sure there’s something in it for you before agreeing.
Scenario 8
The autopilot function on your ship breaks down in the middle of the night. Someone needs to be at the controls to keep you on course. How do you handle this problem?
A. Organise the crew into equal shifts, so that responsibility and sleep are evenly shared.
B. Chug a fizzy drink – this is going to be a long night!
C. Keep quiet and hope no one asks you to stay up all night.
D. Pretend to not wake up.
Scenario 9
Disaster strikes when you realise you haven’t packed enough food to last your whole mission. What course of action do you take to ensure the crew has sufficient energy?
A. Send an SOS back to the command centre, asking for a space-pod with provisions to be sent to meet you at an agreed location. Safety first!
B. Figure out how long your rations will last. Then check if you’ll be passing a space-market any time soon. If you will, there’s nothing to worry about.
C. Don’t panic – you always have food stashed in your room!
D. Find the nearest spaceship and hijack it, even though they might not have any food that you like!
Scenario 10
You’ve successfully completed a mission for the IF and are making your way home, when you’re surprised by an asteroid belt in outer space. Do you:
A. Take the long way round – your ship is too valuable to risk.
B. Figure out if you can weave your way through the belt – no one ever becomes an IF legend by turning down a challenge!
C. Fly thro
ugh it – you’re very confident in your navigational skills.
D. Blast the asteroids – big lumps of rock never hit back.
Check your answers
Mostly As
You’re like Peri – your first instinct is to uphold the code of the Intergalactic Force, ensuring Peace in Space at all times!
Mostly Bs
You’re like Selene – you respect the IF code, but like to do things your own way sometimes.
Mostly Cs
You’re like Diesel – you never turn down a chance for glory.
Mostly Ds
You’re like Otto* – there aren’t many problems that can’t be solved with a weapon. Most Star Fighters would think twice about travelling with you!
* Technically Otto isn’t a Star Fighter, but he is an important part of the Phoenix crew!
Bloomsbury Publishing, London, New Delhi, New York and Sydney
First published in Great Britain in October 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP
Text copyright © Working Partners Limited 2012
Illustrations copyright © Sam Hadley 2012
The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted
All rights reserved
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may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 9781408829509
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