“Wow!” Zoe said as she jumped down from the WILD Jet. She and Ben gazed all around them. Small bushes and plants pushed up through the red sandy soil of the Kalahari Desert. In the distance, smooth dunes rose up and down in hills and valleys. The morning sun was just peeping over the horizon. It cast long shadows over the entire desert.

Ben put on the goggles that he found in his backpack. The tinted lenses curved around his face for a perfect fit.

“These are pretty cool,” Ben said, striking a pose.

Zoe rolled her eyes. “Yeah, they’re cool all right,” she said. ”But you definitely aren’t!”

Erika chuckled as she climbed down from the cockpit. “They’re sun and sand goggles,” she said. “They’ll protect your eyes during sandstorms. Your uncle also gave them a zoom function, so you won’t need binoculars.” She pointed at the middle of the device. “There’s also a built-in light to help you see the cub in the well.”

“Wow,” Ben said. “Uncle Stephen’s really outdone himself this time.”

Erika smiled. “These aren’t your new gadgets,” she said. “You’ll see your new toy in a second. Anyway, how does the desert clothing fit?”

“Perfectly,” said Zoe. She did a little twirl in her lightweight shirt and pants. “And very comfortable.”

Ben groaned. “Nice moves, twinkle toes,” he said. Zoe stuck her tongue out at him.

“Can we see our new gadget now?” Ben asked.

“Yes,” said Erika. She walked to the rear of the plane. “I’d like to have landed closer to the well, but this is the nearest strip of land that’s clear of rocks. You have a few miles to travel, so you’ll be using a WASP.”

Ben and Zoe exchanged confused glances.

Erika smiled and pulled a lever. A hatch slowly opened. A ramp slid down until it was resting on the sand. Erika disappeared into the dark cargo hold for a moment.

When Erika appeared again, she was dragging something covered in a tarp down the ramp.

“This is the WASP,” said Erika. She pulled back the cover with a dramatic yank. “Also known as the Wind- and Solar-powered Pod.”

The twins gazed at the sleek, boat-shaped vehicle in front of them. It had a light frame with two seats, a small motor at the back, a gear-shifter, and a steering wheel.

“A dune buggy!” said Ben. “I’ve always wanted to try one of these.”

“This is no ordinary dune buggy,” said Erika. She reached into the frame of the vehicle and raised a telescopic mast. A shiny, silver sail extended from it. “This works the same way as a sail on a boat. The sail also acts as a solar panel. Even when it’s folded to the mast, it absorbs enough light to charge the engine’s battery. So even when there’s no wind, you won’t be stuck without power.”

“It’s awesome,” said Zoe.

Ben inspected the controls. “How fast does it go?” he asked. “After all, we might need to outrun a lion. They can sprint at speeds of 35 miles per hour over short distances, you know.”

Zoe rolled her eyes. Erika laughed. “Dr. Fisher told me to warn you to take it easy with them, Ben,” she said. “He designed the WASP to get you to your destination — not to race lionesses.”

Ben grinned. “I’m just glad it’s not another camel.” He grimaced, remembering a painful ride in Africa. “I should be able to stay on this thing.”

Erika loaded their backpacks onto the buggies. “I hope there’s lots of food in those,” said Ben.

“Do you ever stop thinking about food?” asked Zoe.

“There’s the usual rations,” Erika said. “There’s also a special powdered formula for the cub in case the mother isn’t able to feed him right away.”

“Did you know lions drink their mothers’ milk until they’re around six months old?” Ben said.

Zoe sighed. “Thank you, Mr. Know-it-all,” she said. “But they do start eating meat in addition to mother’s milk a while before that point.”

“You’ll just need to add water to the bottle for the cub’s milk,” said Erika. “There’s a water tank under the WASP’s frame. Remember to drink plenty yourselves. It’s very easy to get dehydrated out here.”

“I can’t wait to get going,” Ben said.

“Good!” said Erika. “I’m off to a wildlife park in Botswana now. There’s been an outbreak of blue tongue disease in the deer and antelope, and your uncle has developed a new, faster-acting vaccine. I’m delivering the first batch.”

“I’ve heard Mom and Dad talking about blue tongue disease,” said Zoe. “It can be fatal.”

Ben nodded. “And if the deer and the antelope die out, that means there will be less prey for predators like lions.”

“Speaking of predators, we can’t forget our scent dispersers,” said Zoe. She scrolled through her BUG menu and activated her disperser. “We don’t want any lions to think we’re meals-on-wheels.”

Ben chuckled. “Agreed,” he said.

Ben activated his scent disperser and jumped into the WASP’s driving seat. “Hop in, Zoe!” he called.

“Wait a sec,” said Zoe. “I was the champion go-kart driver. I should drive.”

Ben grinned. “If I remember correctly,” he said, “our last race ended in a tie!”

Zoe chuckled. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that,” she said.

“Make sure to keep your tranquilizer guns on you at all times,” said Erika, interrupting them.

Zoe nodded and climbed in next to her brother. “Don’t worry, we will,” she said.

Zoe called up the satellite map on her BUG. She pointed to distant sand dunes just beyond a clump of trees with gnarled trunks.

“It looks like we have to go east to get to the well,” Zoe said.

“Then we’ll need to use the engine,” said Ben. “There’s not much wind here.”

Zoe pulled down the sail, then Ben flicked a switch. The motor whirred gently to life.

“Bye, Erika!” said Zoe. “We’ll contact you the minute we get the cub back to its mother.” Zoe turned to her brother. “Take it slow and steady, Ben.”

Ben grinned. “I know what I’m doing,” he said.