Chapter 17

Commander Best marched up and down at the front of the room, her boots stomping on the floor as she waited for latecomers. Felix ran in and whispered something in the commander’s ear. She checked her watch. ‘All right,’ she said. ‘Let’s begin.’ She eyed each of the room’s inhabitants in turn. ‘I won’t lie to you: the colony is in trouble. The dome has cracked and despite the repairs currently being carried out, the situation is worsening. The power system is failing as is the heating system and the irrigation system. Besides which, oxygen production is stagnating. No matter what Orson does. We also have a critically injured research scientist in the infirmary.’

‘Sounds like we’re plagued with problems,’ George said.

‘That’s why we have no choice but to evacuate,’ Commander Best said.

‘We can’t abandon the planet,’ Tara said. ‘Billions of dollars have been spent setting up this facility. We can’t just walk away.’

‘Is there enough room on V2 for everyone?’ Raj asked.

‘We have spare sleep pods we can activate,’ Orson said. ‘We’ll make it work.’

Questions swirled about the colony’s financial backers. When Commander Best explained that the various corporations behind Alpha were hesitant to spend more money on colonising Mars, the colonists erupted with anger and disbelief.

‘Our venture teams have abandoned us. They’re bankrupt, morally and financially,’ George grumbled. ‘They’re refusing to help when we need them most.’

‘They should be held accountable!’ Tara said and others agreed.

Commander Best held her hand up to silence everyone. ‘The good news is that I’ve spoken to Cooper Borgstein and he’s agreed that we can use Ventura 2 to ferry people back Misty. He’s willing to front the cost.’

Some colonists seemed appreciative, but others remained angry. Intense discussion raged for several minutes. There was obviously a strong case for evacuating the colony, but it was a shame to let years of research go to waste. Mars held many resources and possibilities for future generations.

‘Yuri and his team have strived so hard for the success of the colony,’ Orson said. ‘We can make the repairs, we just need more time.’

‘We don’t have time,’ Commander Best said. ‘The dome is cracking and we can’t repair it quickly enough. There are air leaks everywhere. There’s no guarantee the power grid will stabilise and it’s a three day journey back to Misty where Yuri can get medical care.

We need to evacuate now.’

‘Unless you leave me behind,’ Orson said.

‘That’s a possibility,’ Commander Best agreed. ‘But not one I’d like to consider. It means the kids would have to return to Misty without you.’

‘I could stay here,’ Nash suggested.

Orson shook his head. ‘No, buddy. You need to go with the others.’

‘I won’t leave you, Dad.’

‘Alex needs you, Nash,’ Orson said. ‘He hasn’t got any other family or friends here.’

Nash glanced around the room. ‘Where is Alex by the way?’

‘Did he go back to the medical centre?’ Raj asked.

‘I just left there,’ the nurse said. ‘He wasn’t there.’

Nash’s instincts told him something was wrong. ‘We need to find him.’

The others agreed.

‘Please consider Cooper’s offer,’ Commander Best told the colonists. ‘I think evacuation is our only option, but we’ll discuss it further once we’ve located Alex.’

‘I’ll try to stabilise the power grid and see what I can do there,’ Orson said. ‘Felix, I’ll need you to help me.’

Overhead, the dome roof fractured even further. The weight of the dust was too much. Robots zoomed left and right over the ceiling, fighting to seal the cracks. The wind outside howled as red dust poured in through the widening cracks. While dust was coming in, air was flowing out. Everyone searched frantically for Alex throughout the dome. It soon became clear he wasn’t anywhere.

‘Hey,’ KC said, ‘where’s the bus?’

The kids looked around. The bus wasn’t where George had parked it.

‘He’s run away!’ Raj gasped.

‘He’s driven away, which is far worse,’ Nash said. ‘He could be anywhere.’

Teams mobilised to search for Alex outside the dome, suiting up and taking various small rovers. Nash and Raj set out doubling on a motorised bike, while KC rode another. The dust storm had passed over, but the air remained thick with red particles, making it difficult to see. The Space Kids had to use night vision goggles and heat sensors as they searched for Alex.

While Raj drove, Nash peered through the dust, searching for tracks or evidence of where the bus might have gone. In the distance, he spotted something with the heat sensor near a mountain range. He pointed. ‘Over there!’

As Raj steered towards the heat signal, Nash stood up on the back of the bike. ‘I think it’s the bus,’ he said.

‘What’s that mountain called?’ KC asked.

Nash checked the map. ‘Olympus Mons.’

‘That’s the biggest mountain in the solar system,’ Raj said.

‘Not just on Mars?’ KC said.

‘Nope, in the entire solar system,’ Raj replied. ‘It doesn’t look so big from here because it’s wide, but it goes up a long way. It’s bigger than Mount Everest.’

‘Woah!’ Nash said.

They soon reached the bottom of the mountain. Sure enough, there was Maxine.

‘Why would Alex come here?’ Raj asked.

‘Who knows?’ KC said. ‘I guess he’s upset about his dad.’

‘And blaming himself for his dad’s injuries,’ Nash said.

KC pointed to the ground. ‘Tracks!’

‘They look fresh,’ Nash said. ‘And they look about the right size.’ He placed his boot beside them. ‘Same size as my feet.’

KC looked unsure. ‘Now you’re an expert tracker?’

Nash gave a tight smile. ‘Let’s hope so,’ he said.

They parked their bikes and headed up the mountain on foot. Nash pressed a button on his helmet that projected his voice like a megaphone. ‘Alex! Where are you? Alex!’

‘This track looks well worn,’ Raj said. ‘Maybe they come here often.’

They trekked for half an hour before they got another heat signal. Up ahead, a figure sat hunched on the ground. ‘Alex!’ Nash called. He ran towards the boy excitedly, but Alex didn’t even look around. Nash reached out and grabbed hold of Alex’s shoulder. Inside his helmet, Nash saw that he’d been crying.

‘I’m so glad we found you!’ Nash said. ‘We’re getting you and your dad off Mars. But we have to hurry, we don’t have much time.’

Alex wrestled out of Nash’s grasp. ‘Leave me alone! I’m not going anywhere.’

‘We have to transport your dad to Misty so he can get medical care,’ KC said.

‘Take him,’ Alex said, ‘but I don’t deserve to go. It’s my fault he’s hurt. He won’t want me to come.’

‘That’s not true,’ KC argued. ‘Your dad loves you. He’ll never leave Mars unless you come too.’

‘That’s right,’ Nash agreed. ‘Besides, my dad said the accident wasn’t your fault. All the systems are failing.’

Nash saw the look of doubt on Alex’s face. ‘Is that true?’ he asked KC.

She nodded. ‘It’s a catastrophic failure. The entire colony has to evacuate.’

Alex stood up, his eyes wide with surprise. ‘Really?’

‘Ah, guys,’ Raj said uncertainly. ‘I think you should have a look at this.’

Nash turned to where Raj was pointing. ‘We need to move,’ he said. ‘Now!’