by Axel Lewis
“Ha!” Horace yelled triumphantly as he and Zoom landed safely on the other side. “Later, losers.” And without another word he disappeared in the direction of the finish line.
A second or two passed while Jimmy stared open-mouthed at the black screen. He couldn’t believe what Horace had just done. “What an idiot!” he said.
“Yup,” said Cabbie.
Cabcom leaped back into life and Missy’s face appeared, looking red and anxious.
“I don’t want to worry you guys,” she whispered, “but the ice up where I am is making some pretty strange noises. I think Horace and his rocket-boosters have done it some damage and—”
A deep cracking sound in the ice above them cut Missy off. Jimmy glanced out of Cabbie’s window. A huge crack was spreading way above their heads, and lumps of ice and snow began to rain down on them. A second cracking sound rang out and the ice cliff juddered. As the ice shifted, a chunk the size of a car broke off and fell towards the remaining racers.
Jimmy looked at it in horror. The sky went dark as the ice block’s shadow fell across them.
BOOM!
The slab hit the track and exploded into a million pieces, no more than a metre from where the Japanese princess and Lightning were half-buried. Shards of ice were fired in every direction, peppering the bodywork of the robots...
Then there was silence.
Jimmy let out a long, slow breath. “That was close,” he whispered.
“Yep,” Cabbie agreed. “And the rest could come down on us all at any minute!”
Chapter 14 - Cliffhanger
Jimmy and Cabbie had just finished chipping away the last of the snow surrounding Kako and Lightning when a light started flashing on Cabcom.
“There’s a message coming through from Chip,” said Cabbie.
Jimmy flicked a switch and Chip’s face filled the screen. “Calling all racers,” he whispered. “I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but I wanna get out of this mess right about now.”
There was a muttering of agreement from the others. They were all a bit shaken up by the explosion.
Jimmy sat in complete silence for a few seconds. “We need a better plan,” he whispered finally to Cabbie. “What do you think?”
“Well,” said Cabbie, “we could race up the snowdrift, over the tops of Dug and Missy and head for the finish line...”
“Like Horace did?”
“Yup,” said Cabbie. “Or we could stay here and help the others get out of this mess.”
“We’ve got to stay and help,” Jimmy said firmly. “And there’s no time to lose,” he continued as another shower of ice rained down on them from the glacier. Jimmy leaned into the Cabcom. “Sammy, I’m using my roto-blade to clear the snow around you next. OK?”
“No, Jimmy, not OK,” Sammy replied, his anxious face staring out from the Cabcom screen. “Your blades will puncture my air cushions for certain. Maximus will be stuck here and we’ll be blocking everyone else in. I am thinking we must try a different way.”
“Right,” said Jimmy. “Cabbie, switch all systems to manual. I’m taking over.”
“What?” said Cabbie.
“I’m taking responsibility for this,” said Jimmy, “so if it all goes wrong, it’s my fault.”
“OK, Jimmy lad,” Cabbie said. “You’ve listened to me, now I’ll listen to you. We’re a team. But be careful,” he added nervously.
Jimmy pressed a button on the steering wheel and a compartment on Cabbie’s bonnet slid open. Up rose the grappling hooks, the sharpened points glinting in the light. Jimmy prodded another button and the angle of the grappling hooks lowered by a few degrees.
“A little more,” said Jimmy. “And a bit more...”
Cabcom crackled into life. Sammy’s face appeared, red and angry. “What are you doing?”he yelled.“You’re aiming straight at Maximus! You’ll hit him!”
“Trust me, Sammy. I know what I’m doing. Fire!” said Jimmy, pushing the button.
The grappling hook flew at Maximus, missed his rear left propeller by about three centimetres and crashed into the ice cliff. It bounced off and sent a shower of ice chips over Maximus’s cab.
“Jimmy, stop right now!” Sammy shouted.
Jimmy leaned over to the screen and turned it off. Then he reeled the grappling hook back in on its thick steel cable. It clattered and clanked over the ice, making its way back to the launcher on Cabbie’s bonnet. “I’m reloading and adjusting the angle,” he said determinedly. “Five centimetres right.”
He paused and took a deep breath.
“Here goes!” He pushed the launch button again. This time the grappling hook flew between Maximus’s propellers and wrapped itself around the steel structure on which his propellers were mounted.
“Yes!” shouted Jimmy. “Gotcha. Reel him in, Cabbie. We’ll drag Maximus out of the snow, and once he’s free he can help us dig the others out.”
“Brilliant!” Cabbie cried. “But ... how ... I mean...” he stuttered.
“Has your speech software malfunctioned?” Jimmy laughed. “Just keep your circuits crossed that this works, otherwise we’re all in big trouble.”
The steel cable of the grappling hooks pulled taut and dragged Cabbie forward, making him slip awkwardly on the ice. Hurriedly, Jimmy turned the winch off.
“We need to anchor ourselves, Cabbie,” said Jimmy. “Otherwise we’ll end up stuck in there too.”
“I’ve got just the thing,” replied the robot. “You aren’t the only one with a few tricks up his sleeve valve.”
Clunk!
Two sharpened pieces of metal, shaped like skewers, thudded into the ground and secured Cabbie firmly in place.
“Ready?” Jimmy asked.
“Ready,” said Cabbie.
Jimmy pressed the winch button again.
It took less than thirty seconds to drag Sammy free. “Yes!” shouted Cabbie. “We did it! That was brilliant.”
The screen on Cabcom lit up to show that Sammy was trying to make another call, and this time Jimmy answered it.
Sammy’s smiling face appeared. “Jimmy, Cabbie, thank you,” said Sammy. “I should have trusted you.”
“No problem,” said Jimmy. “Now we need to help the other two and then get ourselves out of here. That block of ice could come toppling down any moment.”
With Maximus and Lightning now free, there was more room to manoeuvre. Next came Dug and Chip. The combined efforts of Cabbie’s roto-blade with Dug’s own dextrous arm with a scoop on the end helped them to make short work of getting the digger-bot free.
That just left Missy and Monster trapped.
They had almost forgotten about the danger they were in when an ear-splitting crack echoed overhead. Jimmy looked up to see a two-metre dagger of ice hurtling down towards them.
“Look out!” he yelled into the Cabcom at the top of his lungs. All of the freed racers took evasive action, moving out of the way just in time as the icicle struck the ground where they had just been, shattering into a thousand tiny pieces.
“That was mighty close,” came Chip’s voice over the Cabcom. “Looks like we’re gonna need to work faster and quieter, y’all. So let’s get this thing done.”
Without another word, and with their power as low as they could, Cabbie, Dug and Lightning circled Monster, digging and ploughing and chipping her free from the snow.
“If we can just shift a little more of this snow, Monster should be able to pull herself out,” said Jimmy. “Come on, Cabbie. We need to get this done before that ice comes crashing down.”
“How’s it looking, Missy?” whispered Jimmy into Cabcom.
“Good,” mumbled Missy, Jimmy could tell she was doing her best to talk quietly, something that was hard for the larger-than-life Australian girl. “Another couple of minutes and I should be clear,” she said.
The glacier creaked above them. Another two-metre ice spear dropped, lancing into the snowdrift just a few paces from Lightning.
�
�Fire up your engines, Missy,” gasped Jimmy. “I don’t think we’ve got another couple of minutes. You’ve got to try and pull yourself out right now.”
Before Jimmy had even flicked Cabcom off, Monster’s engines roared into life. The tops of her huge tyres started turning, sliding, edging forward, then rolling backwards as they buffeted against the solid wall of snow and ice encasing them.
“Come on,” muttered Jimmy to himself through clenched teeth.
Again, Missy opened up Monster’s throttle and battered against the snow. She climbed up half a metre and almost made it out onto the flat, but slipped and rolled back again.
“Come on,” hissed Jimmy again, sweat trickling down the back of his neck.
“Nearly there,” came Missy’s voice over Cabcom, just as a deafening rumble came from the glacier.
Up came Monster again, pushing up and on and out of the snow – and suddenly she was free!
Jimmy would have cheered, but there was no time. “Quickly, everyone,” he yelled into Cabcom. “Let’s go, go, go!”
There was a roar of engines. They were all past worrying about making too much noise. Missy and Monster lurched forwards, smashing a gap through the left side of the snowdrift, closely followed by Maximus and Sammy, Lightning and Kako, Dug and Chip and, lastly, Jimmy and Cabbie.
“It’s breaking off!” Cabbie shouted. And he was right. The house-sized block of ice finally slid from its perch at the top of the glacier and tumbled over the edge.
There was a whistling sound as it sliced through the air and fell down, down, down – right towards Jimmy and Cabbie.
“Aaaaaaahhhh!” Jimmy yelled as his foot squashed the accelerator. “Go, Cabbie!”
BOOOOOOMMMMM!
Cabbie was tossed into the air by the shock waves as the ice block smashed through the track just a few metres behind them. He skidded as he landed, his tyres screeching in protest. For a moment Jimmy thought he would swerve straight back into the ocean, but he managed to catch the slide and steer Cabbie back to the centre of the track.
Only then did he dare look in his rear-view mirror.
It looked like something out of a disaster movie. The whole section of track had disappeared behind them and the icy surface had been smashed into little pieces, which fizzed and frothed in the ocean.
“We did it, Cabbie!” Jimmy cheered.
“And just in time,” the robot replied. “I think my nerves have blown a gasket.”
“That,” said Grandpa, his beaming face popping up on the Cabcom, “was incredible. I haven’t been so frightened and excited all at once since the first time I took the stabilizers off your bike.”
Jimmy could feel his face going red. “Oh, Grandpa!” he blushed.
“A marvellous effort, my boy, marvellous!” said Grandpa. “See you at the finish line.”
The Cabcom went silent.
“Well,” said Cabbie, “you had me worried for a minute back there.”
“Me too,” said Jimmy. “But we don’t have any time to waste. There’s still a race to be won and we’ve only got a little time to catch Horace and the rest of them.”
“No problem, Jimmy. I’ll shift all power to the engines and we’ll be right back in this r—” Cabbie suddenly went silent.
“What’s the matter, Cabbie,” Jimmy asked, looking worried.
“I’ve got some bad news,” the robot said. “I’ve just detected a puncture to my back tyre.”
Chapter 15 - Last
“What’s happened? Can we fix it?” Jimmy asked. He had a sick feeling in his stomach, like he’d eaten a whole pack of rotten eggs.
“Normally, yes. Your grandpa fitted an automatic re-inflation device, but I can’t work it. There’s an icicle stuck in the tyre. In fact, it’s pierced all the way through to the wheel.”
Jimmy was silent for a second. Then he said, “So what now?”
“We’ll just have to limp to the finish,” Cabbie said. “Sorry, Jimmy.”
Jimmy racked his brains, but there was nothing he could think of that would save them. He jammed his foot down on the accelerator a little harder. The steering wheel squirmed in his hands as the flat tyre wibbled and wobbled dangerously. The finish line was so close that he could almost touch it, but there was nothing else they could do but watch through the zoom screen as the others finished the race. He thumped the steering wheel in frustration. “Of all the reasons for losing a race ... a puncture!”
Up ahead Missy and Monster were barging past Chip and Dug, who then pushed their way back to the front again, nearly sending Kako and Lightning off the ice track and into the snowdrifts. Maximus followed, swerving left and right, trying to find a way through.
“Finish line in five hundred metres,” announced Cabbie.
“Too late!” Jimmy sighed as he saw Monster and Missy racing over it. Chip and Dug followed soon after, then Kako on Lightning and Sammy in Maximus just behind. But Horace had finished long before them all. He’d built up too much of a lead on the others after the avalanche and he was already out of Zoom, leaning on the bonnet of his robot with a smirk that stretched from ear to ear.
Jimmy thought about the zero points he would get for finishing last, and felt a lump in his throat.
I could have won this race so easily, he thought to himself. But then, what would have happened to the others? They might never have escaped that snowdrift.
“Never mind, Jimmy,” said Cabbie, as if he had read Jimmy’s thoughts. “The important thing is that you did the right thing. I bet there’s never been a robot racer who’s done something more selfless than what you did today.”
“Thanks, Cabbie ... There’s always next time, I suppose,” Jimmy murmured as they drove as fast as they dared across the line in last place. When they came to a standstill, Jimmy took a deep breath and let out an enormous sigh.
“Sorry, Jimmy,” said Cabbie. “I did my best.”
Tired and disappointed, Jimmy climbed out of Cabbie’s cockpit. Slowly he became aware of something going on above him, and he raised his head to the big screens hanging from the grandstands on either side. Each of the giant TVs showed the image of him stood next to Cabbie. He couldn’t help noticing that the image made him look even more exhausted than he felt.
Strange, he thought. The camerabots are always focused on the winner after the races. But as he slowly took in the scenes within the finishing paddock, he couldn’t help but notice that every lens was trained on him. And every steward, mechanic, and race official was clapping and cheering him.
Then he heard the commentator yelling over the noise, “Ladies and gentleman, I give you the hero of the race ... Jimmy Roberts.”
Jimmy couldn’t help smiling. He gave a little wave to the camera, and a shy smile, before making his way slowly to where the other racers had gathered. Perhaps winning isn’t everything, after all, he thought to himself.
Just then Jimmy caught sight of the one person he didn’t want to see. Horace Pelly was wandering over to him, a broad smile of triumph on his smug face.
“I was wondering where you lot had got to,” said Horace. “I came across the finish line about twenty minutes ago – which, I think, makes me the winner. And which, if I’m not much mistaken, makes me the winner of an amazing Leadpipe Industries upgrade!”
Jimmy looked to his left and to his right. He found himself standing in between Princess Kako, Missy, Chip and Sammy. All of them were staring angrily at Horace.
“What’s wrong?” asked Horace.
“What’s wrong?” bellowed Missy in disbelief. “What’s wrong?”
“Yes, you have won this race, Horace,” said Sammy, “but do you know what danger you caused for the rest of us?”
“I can’t help it if you losers get yourselves stuck, can I?” Horace smirked.
“But you sure didn’t need to put us all in danger, did you, mate? That stunt of yours could have brought down the whole flamin’ glacier!” bellowed Missy. “You’re as dumb as they come, Horace Pelly. You should b
e ashamed of yerself.”
“We could all have been killed out there today if it hadn’t been for Jimmy,” Chip added.
“Now, come on, everyone, let’s not get carried away,” said Horace. “Besides, he’s not perfect – you should have seen the stunt he pulled on me earlier on.”
Jimmy felt a burst of shame. He stepped forward in front of everyone and looked at Horace. “I’m really, really sorry about that,” he said seriously. “I’ll never do anything like that again.”
Horace snorted. “Whatever, loser,” he sneered.
Joshua Johnson, the robot co-ordinator, appeared on the other side of the pit area, dancing from foot to foot in his blue blazer, yeti trousers and furry brown boots. He was waving his clipboard urgently. “Horace?” he called. “Horace, if you could stop chatting with your friends and come to the winners’ rostrum, please? And...” He consulted his clipboard. “Missy? Chip? Could you come too, please?”
“Hear that, Jimmy?” Horace grinned. “The winners’ podium. That would be the podium for winners. Not losers like you.”
As they made their way over to the awards ceremony, the camerabots surged around. Lord Leadpipe stood on the rostrum with a microphone, his monocle glinting from the depths of his fur-lined hood. It almost looked like he was relieved that this race was over. He looked very tired as he announced the top three in reverse order.
“In third place with six points,” he said, his voice echoing in the wind, “Chip Travers and Dug.” Lord Leadpipe presented Chip with a wreath of leaves. Unsure whether to wear it on his head or round his neck, Chip waved his wreath at the cameras.
“In second place for eight points,” continued Lord Leadpipe, “Missy McGovern and Monster.” Missy perched her wreath on her head and pogoed up and down.
“And in first place, taking the maximum ten points,” said Lord Leadpipe, “Horace Pelly and Zoom.”
Horace stepped up onto the podium with his hands in the air, waving at the camerabots. But the atmosphere had suddenly gone flat. Jimmy thought he might even have heard one or two people booing. Horace didn’t seem to notice. He grinned with his huge white teeth and winked at the cameras. Then he turned to face Lord Leadpipe expectantly.
