Chapter 19

Alex turned the key again. The engine choked and coughed then died.

‘Third time lucky,’ Alex said as he turned the key again.

The engine roared into life. Everyone cheered. Oxygen started pumping through the air vents and soon the kids were able to take their suits and helmets off.

The trip back to the colony was slow. The storm made it difficult to see and the wind buffeted the bus about. When they drove into the dome, the adults ran to greet them, Orson and Commander Best leading the way.

‘Well done,’ Orson said. ‘We were so worried! The storm put the comms out again and we couldn’t reach you.’

‘Did the other teams make it back?’ Raj asked.

‘They did,’ Orson said. ‘Moments before the storm hit.’

‘Good to see you’re back safe and sound,’ Commander Best told Alex. ‘Your father has been asking for you.’

Alex blushed. ‘I’m sorry I took off. I, I didn’t know what to do.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Orson said. ‘We’re just glad you’re okay.’

‘We’re evacuating right now,’ Commander Best said. ‘V2 is our only hope.’

Taking only meagre belongings with them, the colonists clambered onto Maxine. Yuri was loaded on in a stretcher. He was barely conscious, but his eyes flickered open when he saw Alex and he smiled wanly. Alex took a seat beside his father and held onto his hand.

‘I hope we can find V2 in this storm,’ Orson said, ‘and that she’s not buried under a mountain of sand and dust.’

‘I wouldn’t bet on it,’ said Nash. He watched the dome gates close behind them for the last time. ‘It’s a shame Alpha didn’t work out.’

Orson rested his hand on Nash’s shoulder. ‘This is only temporary. We’ll be back sooner or later.’

Nash shook his head. ‘Maybe we’re not ever meant to tame this planet. We already have Earth and an environment we should be looking after. Maybe we should focus on fixing that before we mess up another planet.’

‘Good point,’ Orson said, nodding thoughtfully.

Maxine chugged stoically on through the dust, her huge bulldozer tracks grinding everything beneath them. They made good time and as they headed west towards V2, the storm turned to the east. The sky cleared and the bus came to a stop. V2 stood before them, sparkling in the late afternoon Martian sunlight.

‘I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight in my life,’ Raj said.

‘Me either,’ Nash agreed with a laugh.

Everyone clambered onto V2. Yuri was carried up the ramp and into a pod where he was immediately put into sleep mode to ease his pain. Instruments and equipment were checked and within an hour, V2 was blasting into space.

The Space Kids watched Mars disappear beneath them. Nash was sad his time on Mars had been so short, but he was also glad to be heading home to Misty. He hadn’t been prepared for how harsh or unsettling life was on Mars, but he was glad he’d been lucky enough and brave enough to come on the mission. There were only four kids in the whole galaxy who could say they had been to Mars and he was one of them.

Once they were out of Mars’s atmosphere and into deep space, the sleep pods were activated, and the crew climbed into their beds.

‘See you in three days,’ KC said.

Nash gave the thumbs up. ‘Catch you on the flipside,’ he said, before turning to Raj. ‘And no pranks when we get there.’

‘Pranks? Me?’ Raj laughed. ‘Never!’