wondered how he hadn’t noticed it when he first saw the images of Jaxx on the Mission Capsule.
‘Sixteen degrees starboard,’ Jaxx called out. ‘And ten degrees under.’
Peri twisted the Nav-wheel to the right and downwards. On the 360-monitor, he saw the comet growing in size as it approached.
‘Hold starboard course,’ Jaxx said. ‘Another two degrees under.’
Peri tilted the Nav-wheel.
‘Diesel, get ready,’ said Selene. Diesel was sitting at the gunnery station, hands poised over the controls. ‘Ten, nine, eight . . .’
The comet was rushing up to meet them. If we hit it at this speed , Peri thought, we’ll be smashed to pieces!
‘Correct the course!’ Jaxx said. ‘Five degrees to port.’
Peri corrected. The comet now appeared at a slight angle to them. Peri could see it clearly. A large coppery shape, like a flattened ball, covered in spiky humps and bumps, the sparkling tail streaming behind it.
‘. . . three, two, one – fire!’
Diesel hit the firing button. Peri saw a golden rope fly out from the Phoenix , encircle the body of the comet and draw itself tight. He felt a slight tug on the ship as the laser rope took the strain. The Phoenix shifted course slightly. They were now being towed along by the comet.
‘Nice work!’ Jaxx said. He and Selene high-fived each other.
‘Are we close enough to use the Detector now?’ Peri asked.
‘For sure,’ Jaxx said. ‘The laser lasso keeps us within range.’
Diesel emerged from the gunnery station. Peri could tell Diesel was very pleased with himself. His strip of hair glowed bright yellow. ‘Good idea of mine, wasn’t it?’
‘Ten out of ten,’ Jaxx said. ‘Now let’s get the Detector on the case.’
Peri clicked his fingers again, and the control panel floated over to him. He swiftly found the programme for the Detector.
A sharp, stern woman’s voice echoed around the Bridge: ‘HELLO. I AM THE ELEMENTAL X-RAY DETECTOR.’
‘Wow,’ Jaxx said. ‘State of the art. My El-X-Ray Detector didn’t speak to me.’
‘PLEASE DO NOT CALL ME THE “EL-X-RAY”. I DISLIKE IT.’
Peri saw Jaxx smile.
‘PLEASE ENTER THE COORDINATES FOR YOUR DESIGNATED SCAN-ZONE.’
Peri wished it had a nicer voice. It reminded him of Mrs Zargonara, the hyper-strict maths teacher at the IF Academy.
‘PLEASE ENTER THE COORDINATES!’ the voice said. ‘I HAVE ASKED YOU ONCE ALREADY.’
‘What are the coordinates?’ Peri asked Jaxx.
‘Relative to Phoenix , 28 starboard, 11 under, distance 0.0000000000571 of a parsec, velocity zero.’
‘You got it!’ Peri was tapping in the numbers as Jaxx spoke. A close-up of the comet filled the 360-monitor.
‘SCAN-ZONE FOUND,’ said the programme. ‘ENTER YOUR SEARCH TERMS.’
Peri keyed in MARTIAN CHRYSOLITE .
The image on the monitor remained unchanged.
‘NO RESULTS MATCHING YOUR SEARCH TERMS. ARE YOU SURE YOU HAVE SPELT IT CORRECTLY? CHECK YOUR SEARCH TERMS AND RE-ENTER.’
The programme sounded annoyed that they had made a mistake. Peri felt a hot tingle in his wiring, the way he had in Mrs Zargonara’s maths class when he got an answer wrong.
Diesel’s strip of hair had turned a crestfallen brown. Selene looked devastated. She gazed up at her dad, as if waiting for a word of consolation or explanation.
‘I ASKED YOU TO CHECK YOUR SEARCH TERMS,’ the computer programme said irritably. ‘I HAVEN’T GOT ALL DAY!’
‘I don’t understand,’ Jaxx muttered.
‘I do!’ boomed Otto, walking back to the front of the Bridge. ‘You just made up the story about the Heart of Mars so that we wouldn’t turn you in! You can’t fool a Meigwor!’
‘Wait,’ said Peri. ‘Could the Heart be inside a protective box or case?’
Jaxx’s face lit up. So did Selene’s. ‘Lead,’ she cried. ‘X-rays can’t see through lead. Maybe the Heart is inside something made of lead.’
Peri keyed in the word LEAD .
‘ABOUT TIME,’ the programme said. ‘LET’S HOPE WE HAVE MORE LUCK
‘Sixteen degrees starboard,’ Jaxx called out. ‘And ten degrees under.’
Peri twisted the Nav-wheel to the right and downwards. On the 360-monitor, he saw the comet growing in size as it approached.
‘Hold starboard course,’ Jaxx said. ‘Another two degrees under.’
Peri tilted the Nav-wheel.
‘Diesel, get ready,’ said Selene. Diesel was sitting at the gunnery station, hands poised over the controls. ‘Ten, nine, eight . . .’
The comet was rushing up to meet them. If we hit it at this speed , Peri thought, we’ll be smashed to pieces!
‘Correct the course!’ Jaxx said. ‘Five degrees to port.’
Peri corrected. The comet now appeared at a slight angle to them. Peri could see it clearly. A large coppery shape, like a flattened ball, covered in spiky humps and bumps, the sparkling tail streaming behind it.
‘. . . three, two, one – fire!’
Diesel hit the firing button. Peri saw a golden rope fly out from the Phoenix , encircle the body of the comet and draw itself tight. He felt a slight tug on the ship as the laser rope took the strain. The Phoenix shifted course slightly. They were now being towed along by the comet.
‘Nice work!’ Jaxx said. He and Selene high-fived each other.
‘Are we close enough to use the Detector now?’ Peri asked.
‘For sure,’ Jaxx said. ‘The laser lasso keeps us within range.’
Diesel emerged from the gunnery station. Peri could tell Diesel was very pleased with himself. His strip of hair glowed bright yellow. ‘Good idea of mine, wasn’t it?’
‘Ten out of ten,’ Jaxx said. ‘Now let’s get the Detector on the case.’
Peri clicked his fingers again, and the control panel floated over to him. He swiftly found the programme for the Detector.
A sharp, stern woman’s voice echoed around the Bridge: ‘HELLO. I AM THE ELEMENTAL X-RAY DETECTOR.’
‘Wow,’ Jaxx said. ‘State of the art. My El-X-Ray Detector didn’t speak to me.’
‘PLEASE DO NOT CALL ME THE “EL-X-RAY”. I DISLIKE IT.’
Peri saw Jaxx smile.
‘PLEASE ENTER THE COORDINATES FOR YOUR DESIGNATED SCAN-ZONE.’
Peri wished it had a nicer voice. It reminded him of Mrs Zargonara, the hyper-strict maths teacher at the IF Academy.
‘PLEASE ENTER THE COORDINATES!’ the voice said. ‘I HAVE ASKED YOU ONCE ALREADY.’
‘What are the coordinates?’ Peri asked Jaxx.
‘Relative to Phoenix , 28 starboard, 11 under, distance 0.0000000000571 of a parsec, velocity zero.’
‘You got it!’ Peri was tapping in the numbers as Jaxx spoke. A close-up of the comet filled the 360-monitor.
‘SCAN-ZONE FOUND,’ said the programme. ‘ENTER YOUR SEARCH TERMS.’
Peri keyed in MARTIAN CHRYSOLITE .
The image on the monitor remained unchanged.
‘NO RESULTS MATCHING YOUR SEARCH TERMS. ARE YOU SURE YOU HAVE SPELT IT CORRECTLY? CHECK YOUR SEARCH TERMS AND RE-ENTER.’
The programme sounded annoyed that they had made a mistake. Peri felt a hot tingle in his wiring, the way he had in Mrs Zargonara’s maths class when he got an answer wrong.
Diesel’s strip of hair had turned a crestfallen brown. Selene looked devastated. She gazed up at her dad, as if waiting for a word of consolation or explanation.
‘I ASKED YOU TO CHECK YOUR SEARCH TERMS,’ the computer programme said irritably. ‘I HAVEN’T GOT ALL DAY!’
‘I don’t understand,’ Jaxx muttered.
‘I do!’ boomed Otto, walking back to the front of the Bridge. ‘You just made up the story about the Heart of Mars so that we wouldn’t turn you in! You can’t fool a Meigwor!’
‘Wait,’ said Peri. ‘Could the Heart be inside a protective box or case?’
Jaxx’s face lit up. So did Selene’s. ‘Lead,’ she cried. ‘X-rays can’t see through lead. Maybe the Heart is inside something made of lead.’
Peri keyed in the word LEAD .
‘ABOUT TIME,’ the programme said. ‘LET’S HOPE WE HAVE MORE LUCK
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