Secret Weapon (4 page)

Wow!
The sense of freedom was incredible.

A moment later, Diesel appeared beside him, somersaulting over and over.

Peri heard Diesel’s voice in his ear, through the Expedition Wear’s com-unit. ‘Difficult to control, aren’t they?’

Peri crashed into him. ‘We’ll soon get the hang of it.’

They were both attached to the
Phoenix
by long, flexible, steel safety cables.

The hand-held rocket pack control was circular, with six arrows on it. One for up, one for down, one left, one right, one forwards, one backwards.

‘You’ll have to use your rockets to power forward,’ Peri yelled.

‘I got it,’ Diesel called as he zoomed past Peri.

It took some getting used to, but soon both Peri and Diesel had the controls figured out. Peri felt incredibly light and free.
It’s just like in those dreams where you can fly,
he thought,
except at supersonic velocity
.

‘Punch the rocket pulse button for a burst of speed,’ Peri told Diesel. ‘We need to jet ahead and catch that crab!’

Soon the copper-coloured shell of the Trojan Crab was below their feet.

‘Time to touch down!’ Peri called to Diesel.

They zoomed down and landed with a double thump on the Crab’s shell. Up close, it was obviously a living creature. The shell was covered with bumps and scars, and parasitic space-insects scuttled around on it.

‘Pass me that X-ray thing,’ Diesel said. He started clomping over the shell, sweeping around with the portable Elemental X-Ray Detector.

‘Careful!’ said Peri. ‘We don’t want it to know that we’re here. It’s omnivorous, remember?’

‘I meant to ask you about that,’ Diesel said. ‘What does “omnivorous” mean?’

‘It means it eats everything.’

Diesel’s hair started to turn white. ‘
Everything?
’

The ground beneath their feet began to tremble and quake before two eyes on stalks popped up from the edge of the shell. With a metallic whine, they swivelled round to stare at Peri and Diesel.

‘I think the Crab knows we’re here,’ Peri said.

Chapter 4

Eight pincers on long, flexible arms popped out from around the sides of the Trojan Crab and snaked their way towards Peri and Diesel.

‘Krawbanoxbazong!’
Diesel screamed.

Peri jabbed the ‘Up’ arrow on the rocket pack control. He felt a snapping pincer just brush his heels as he rose.

Already another pincer was coming for him. This one looked big enough to chop him in half.

He jabbed the ‘Back’ arrow. The pincer slammed shut centimetres from his face.

Every time I dodge one claw, I fall into the path of another one
, he thought.
I don’t know how long I can keep this up!

Diesel was frantically dodging the claws too. The shimmering, colourful Martian flag fluttered from his shoulders like a cape as he swooped left and right. The claws seemed to follow him hungrily. The Trojan Crab now seemed much more interested in Diesel than in Peri.

‘Let’s get out of here!’ Peri shouted.

‘No!’ Diesel’s voice crackled into Peri’s earpiece. ‘I’m not giving up now we’re this close to the Heart of Mars!’ He zoomed towards the creature. ‘I’m taking a closer look.’ He held the Elemental X-Ray Detector in front of him like a sword and charged towards the shell. A claw whipped in from the side and chomped clean through Diesel’s rocket pack. He pressed frantically on his hand-held control, but nothing happened. Another claw swayed towards him, pincers snapping.

‘Diesel!’ Peri shouted. ‘Grab the safety cable – pull yourself clear!’

A second later, Peri had to jet away from a deadly claw himself.

Diesel seized the cable that attached him to the
Phoenix
and started to climb up it hand over hand.

Thrum-thwack!
A crab claw sliced through the safety harness and latched on to Diesel.

‘Nooooo!’ Diesel yelled. His arms and legs waved wildly, but he wasn’t going anywhere.

Peri zoomed towards him. They would have to forget about the Heart of Mars. He needed to save his friend and take him back to the ship.

Before Peri reached Diesel, the Trojan Crab lashed at him with another claw. The blow sent Peri hurtling head over heels into space.

‘What’s happening down there?’ Otto’s voice boomed in Peri’s earpiece. ‘Looks like you’re having problems!’

‘A few,’ Peri said, still somersaulting.

‘I’ll save you,’ Otto said, ‘by blasting the Crab with the laser cannon.’

‘No!’ Peri said. ‘You might hit Diesel.’

‘True,’ Otto agreed, and Peri thought he could hear a smile in the Meigwor’s voice. ‘Let’s risk it!’

‘Stay away from that laser cannon!’ Peri commanded.

In the background he heard Selene say, ‘Don’t touch it, Otto!’

Peri finally managed to stop spinning. He ignored the queasy feeling in his stomach as he looked down to see how Diesel was doing. Peri felt a stab of fear, as if his heart had slammed on the brakes.

Diesel was clamped tight in the Crab’s pincer. His hands were braced against the claw as he tried to tug himself out, and his legs kicked wildly.

There wasn’t a moment to lose. That giant pincer could chop Diesel in half if the Crab exerted a little more pressure. Peri drew his phaser, but, before he could fire, the Crab released Diesel, and tossed him up into space.

‘Bleukenzzaminosh!’
Diesel shouted as he flew in a low, looping curve all the way across the shell. When he reached the other side, another claw arose and gently batted him back the way he had come. Then the first claw popped up again and knocked him back the other way. The creature’s stalky eyes widened as they followed Diesel’s progress back and forth, like a spectator at a tennis match.

‘What the
blooblazeez
is it doing?’ Diesel howled.

‘I think it’s playing with you,’ Peri said.

Diesel managed to draw his phaser in mid-flight. ‘I don’t want to play!’ he yelled as he blasted an energy ray at the Crab’s shell. The ray crackled and fizzed as it bounced off the Crab’s shell. Even on the ‘Standard’ setting this would have been enough to bring an elephant to its knees. But it seemed to have no effect at all on the Trojan Crab.

Peri jetted over to Diesel. When he was almost within reach, the Crab sent Diesel whirling through space again. Peri turned and zoomed after his friend, but he had barely got halfway when Diesel was sent tumbling in the other direction.

This is a cosmic game of piggy in the middle,
Peri fumed.

‘Help me!’ Diesel shouted.

‘I’m trying!’

Again, Peri jetted after Diesel. But now the Crab seemed to have tired of the game. It gripped Diesel in its pincer once again and carried him firmly to the front of the shell, where its eyes were.

Peri’s blood turned to ice.
Its mouth must be there too!
The Trojan Crab had been playing with Diesel, like a cat with a mouse.

And now it was going to eat him.

Peri drew his phaser and set it to ‘Max’. He took careful aim, making sure he had a clean shot at the Crab’s claw. He pulled the trigger and unleashed a long, sustained blast. ‘Yes!’ he said. He waited for the shell to crack or the monster to flail in pain, but nothing. The shot had had no effect. The creature’s shell was just too strong and powerful.

Diesel was lowered towards the Crab’s face. Peri lunged forward, determined not to let his friend be eaten!

He saw the creature’s mouth for the first time. It was under the lip of the shell – a black, rectangular opening, like a trapdoor. It was easily big enough for Diesel.

Peri grabbed Diesel by the leg and tried to pull him away. He strained with all his might. Nothing happened. The Crab was far too strong.

Another claw pushed Peri away.

He could only watch in horror as Diesel got closer and closer to becoming space lunch for the Trojan Crab.

At the last moment, the claw veered away from the mouth. Instead, the Crab began to stuff Diesel under its shell, where its cheek would be – if it had cheeks. Diesel strained against the claw, trying desperately to resist. But it was no good. He disappeared into the shell. The Crab pushed its claw underneath, poking him further in. As if it was storing him in a cupboard, to eat later.

Peri heard Diesel’s anguished scream in his earpiece.
‘Aaaaaagh!
’

Then the scream trailed away. There was silence.

‘Diesel?’ Peri said. ‘Can you hear me? Are you all right? Diesel?’

Chapter 5

Peri waited, feeling very small and alone, standing on the giant Trojan Crab in the silent emptiness of space.

After a few agonising moments Diesel’s voice came through loud and clear. ‘Hey! This is . . . weird.’

Peri felt a tingle of relief in his bionic circuits. ‘You’re alive! Where are you?’

‘In some sort of weird place. It’s like . . .’

‘Have you found the Heart of Mars?’ Peri asked.

‘No. But you wouldn’t believe how much stuff there is in here, Peri. It’s like . . . Aladdin’s cave! You’ve got to see this!’