her breath.
“Uh-oh,” one of the ESA astronauts said. Everyone turned toward the spot where he was looking. They saw the small Beatle John. Right beside it a giant hand had reached out of the crater and taken hold of the rim. The robot started to pull its massive chromed body free of the interior. Once it gained a foothold, it looked around as though gathering its bearings. Then, as its horrid red eyes turned their way, the head locked into position. It began coming toward them at a determined gait.
“I think it’s really pissed,” Will said, as he jumped into the driver’s seat and looked at the gauges. Every one of them appeared to be flatlined at zero. Either that or their screens were blank. “We have a problem here,” he said.
Sarah looked into the interior. The charging footsteps of the robot could be felt through the soles of their boots.
“Is there a key?” she asked. She made sure the solar panels were deployed at the correct angle toward the distant sun.
As Mendenhall shook his head at the dumb question, he saw the key placed on the side of the steering toggle. Mendenhall turned it. The panel in front of him came to life. Several of the gauges flew over into the green as the sun’s merciful rays hit the solar panels and generated the energy the car needed.
“Everyone in. I think this thing may work,” Will said loudly as he looked around wildly for the charging robot.
Just as Sarah was about to climb inside the crowded car, she saw the large piece of mineral on the lunar surface. For no reason she could think of, she reached down and picked it up, and then she piled into the front seat.
“Anytime,” she said to Mendenhall.
Will pushed the steering toggle forward, hoping beyond hope that it also served as a throttle. His short prayer was answered as the machine shot forward. Soon they had caught up with Kwan and his men as they raced across the lunar landscape.
“Oh, shit,” Sarah said, as she turned and saw how close the robot was. It had covered a half a mile in as little as the time it took to get the car moving and had nearly caught up with Kwan. The robot covered the last ten feet by diving forward in an attempt to catch the vehicle. The men on the back hugged the metal frame of the car as the three fingers of the giant missed them by inches. The mechanical giant hit the lunar surface and rolled as its momentum carried it over and over across the pitted world.
“What was that?” Will asked as the vehicle jumped a foot from the impact.
“You don’t want to know,” Sarah said, gripping the rock.
“Hey, what do you have that for?” Mendenhall asked. His eyes locked momentarily on the meteorite that she clutched in her gloved hands.
Sarah didn’t answer. Instead, she pointed to the left of the racing vehicle.
“Crap, look!” she said.
On the far left, about three hundred yards away, they saw Jason Ryan as he tried his best to negotiate the light gravity of the Moon. He was bouncing as he tried to hurry back to Altair.
Mendenhall went off course just as the struggling robot gained its feet. The giant head swiveled and it caught sight of its target. Then it saw the man the target was racing for. It started running toward a rendezvous with both. Just as the vehicle approached, Jason saw the robot charging. He leaped into the air and prayed that he had timed his jump well. As the car approached, Sarah stood up, dropping the mineral into the floor of the vehicle. She reached out and Jason actually bounced off the steel hood of the car. He then bounded and almost flew past Sarah’s outstretched hand as well as the other reaching arms of the men who tried desperately to secure him. Finally Jason snagged on to the large roll bar and fell into the back of the vehicle. He struggled to sit up in the bulky suit.
“Holy bouncing ball, Batman,” he said as he slapped Will on his oxygen pack.
“I hope you can lift off at a moment’s notice, because in case you haven’t noticed we have the landlord of this place right on our ass.”
Jason turned and looked at the robot, which had switched course and was again trailing them at a fantastic speed.
Sarah leaned forward and caught sight of the first vehicle with General Kwan and the remnants of the Chinese Special Forces team. They also had three of the ESA men aboard. They had actually slowed so they could turn in case the worst happened when the mechanized killer made its leap. Now they were off and running again. That was when Sarah realized that the game would be played in their court. The general and his team would make it to Magnificent Dragon and word would reach home that the only thing they found that may help their future cause was buried outside the crater, not inside.
“Okay, Will, everything depends on you,” she said through her COM system. “Jason, how badly will an immediate liftoff screw up the rendezvous with Falcon?”
“We can adjust for that once we’re up. It may take a while but we’ll manage. The Chinese may have it worse since their command vehicle just passes overhead. Falcon is due in forty minutes. We may just make it.”
The lunar rover shot over a small rise and that was when they saw the tall structure that was Altair. The ladder looked inviting, but Sarah knew they couldn’t even approach it until they lost the murderous automaton pursuing them.
“We need a plan,” she said as Will swerved the vehicle around a small crater. “We know we can’t shoot it out with this thing, so as soon as we dip down into the lowland in front of Altair, you have to get out and make a run for it. I’ll lead the damn thing off and then join you after I trip him up somehow.”
“Oh, that ain’t happening, buddy boy. There’s no way I’m jumping ship when you try this stupid plan,” Ryan said as he saw that the robot had gained on them.
“Look, you most of all have to get inside Altair and fire that thing up. Don’t wait for me. I’ll make it,” Mendenhall countered, looking at the grated floor of the lunar rover. The meteorite was still there next to Sarah’s booted feet. He swallowed and looked at Sarah. She saw the look on his face and turned away.
Will cut the control toggle sharply and the vehicle turned to the left, leading away from the lander. When the robot changed direction to follow, he again tilted the toggle to the right. The vehicle responded. Then he steered for the crater closest to the lander. He made it to the far side and stopped.
“Everyone out!” he said, as the men hanging on to the back jumped free.
“No, you can’t beat this thing!” Ryan said, tightly clutching the roll bar.
“Get out, Jason. That’s an order.” Sarah turned to face Will. She ripped at a large, bloated patch at her shoulder and tore it free of her environment suit. As she did, small droplets of water were freed and fell gently to her lap. As Ryan jumped free of the vehicle with a loud curse, he was grabbed by the four others and hustled away, though he still strained to look back at Mendenhall.
“I saw your interest in the meteorite. Use this and the O transfer tube from your backpack. That will give you the reaction I think you’re looking for.”
Mendenhall reached out and took the water pack. Then he looked at Sarah, who couldn’t wipe away the tear that was rolling down her cheek.
“Take care of that Navy guy. He’s a real dick when it comes to blaming someone when the right result isn’t achieved.”
“I will,” she said, taking his gloved hand into her own smaller ones.
“Tell the colonel that I said this was his final test. Ask him if I passed. If not, tell him I think he needs to relax a little on the grades.”
Sarah just nodded as she stepped from the vehicle. She reached in and took the small meteorite, tossing it to Mendenhall.
“See ya, Will,” she said with a choked voice.
“Not if I see you first.”
Sarah stepped back as Will Mendenhall shot out from behind the crater. He sped to the right when he saw how close the robot was.
Sarah watched for a split second and then started bounding for Altair fifty yards away.
Will came close to panicking when he saw that the robot didn’t change course. It went after the men on foot instead of turning and following the vehicle. He turned the rover sharply to the left, bringing it up on two wheels and nearly tipping it over. The vehicle shot forward as soon as the tires gripped the dust. He steered straight for the
