Space Race (Space Race 1) Nathan Hystad (ebooks children's books free .TXT) 📖

lingered in the distance below our position, covering most of the island of Maui from our sightlines.

Without another word, the Racer rose from the east, pushing through the dense clouds, with Bryson controlling it with his Tab. He slid fingers and tapped icons with practiced perfection, and it arrived a minute later. The Racer was a beautiful specimen, and for a second, I felt guilty leaving Capricious behind.

Luther whistled as it landed a hundred meters ahead. It was larger than the projection from the other night. I tried to gauge the size and estimated it was two hundred meters from nose to thrusters and maybe forty wide, twice that at the wingspan near the aft section of the ship.

Six legs protruded from the underside: thick black metal feet that acted as the landing gear. A slender ramp lowered between them, and a robot walked in our direction. It wasn’t like the serving bots from the other night. As we crossed the brown, dust-covered landscape, I saw it was painted red and black, with the number 11 on its chest, with two white rings around the digits.

“Team, this is R11. He’s been outfitted with our latest SeaTech innovations, and I think you’ll find him extremely capable. Say hello, R11.”

The robot shifted on his feet. “Hello, R11.” His voice was clear, not monotone like most robots.

“Was that a joke?” I asked him.

“Only if someone laughs,” R11 replied, and he had me. I obliged his request, and the rest joined.

Jade was on R11, poking and prodding with a finger. “Where’s his access hatch?”

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours. It’s a fair trade,” R11 said, and Jade backed away.

“Bryson, how did you do this?” she asked.

R11’s head was shaped to mimic human form, instead of being faceless like the majority of bots. His eyes even shifted in sockets, his mouth opening and closing. Despite all this, he was meticulously painted to match our ship, so there would be no mistaking what he was, as per the law.

“Can I see the blueprints? I have to know—”

“All in good time, Jade. For now, let’s tour your new home,” Bryson suggested.

No one had to ask me twice, and I was the first onto the ramp leading to the Racer. I bounded up the incline with more energy than I’d had in a year. The team was right behind me, and Holland stared at the cargo hold with wide eyes. “Don’t tell me you haven’t seen this either,” I told him.

“Dad was adamant that if I were to be a team member, I had to experience it with you.” Holland walked over to the black wall and used a manual lever to open a hold. Inside was the shiniest Pod Sprinter I’d ever seen. The ship’s hold was twenty feet high, and twice that in length, and I entered while Holland traced a finger over its hull. It was designed to mirror the larger Racer, and I had to admit I was humbled by this entire operation.

“Think you can beat those Primary Pods with this, son?” Bryson asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“If I can’t, then I don’t deserve to be CEO,” Holland said softly.

“You guys have to see this,” Jade called.

She was already out of the cargo room, and in the central corridor that led to the bridge. She stopped halfway down the hall, staring into the engineering room. The Core shone brightly, and I marveled at the drive’s containment box. Usually, they were shrouded in layers of protective barriers designed by Luna Corp, but this was coated with no more than clear walls.

“What is it?” Jade rested a hand on the box. “I’ve heard the theory of using a polycarbonate and metaflex hybrid, but I didn’t think any of them could withstand the heat generated by the Core.”

Bryson stepped beside her, hands on hips, and he nodded along. “That’s right. This is unique.”

The engineering room was much smaller than usual, probably half that of Capricious’, and it was far cleaner, with smooth finishing, with humming machines hidden from sight. A rail of white light shone from the bottom and top of the bulkheads.

“Where’s the bridge?” Judging by the shape of the vessel from outside, it was in the center, and just like that, we found it. I climbed a set of rungs and entered the cabin with my breath caught in my lungs.

There was a single seat, smack dab in the middle of the glowing dash. To the right was a long screen, with thruster controls and various functional mechanisms at the tips of my fingers. I sat in the chair, looking in both directions through the curved viewer. It gave me a one-eighty picture without having to shift the cameras. The dash was comprised of three primary screens, the left filled with a radar mapping screen. The middle and right held a multitude of actions, like sensor readings, fuel consumption, and timers.

I’d never seen something quite so wonderful.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Luther whispered as he arrived. There were four seats at the rear of the bridge, two on either side, facing their own individual screens. They were labeled with the team members’ first names, and I saw that Holland was seated next to R11. He didn’t seem to mind sharing a corner with a robot as he plopped down, touching the console to life. My spot was front and center.

“Looks like you didn’t get a say.” Luther pointed to the pilot’s seat, and I saw the stitching in the black material.

Hawk.

I grinned as my fingers grazed the lettering. “Guess not.”

“What do you think?” Bryson asked, climbing to join us with R11 at his tail.

“I think we have a race to win,” I whispered.

Bryson went over the details, but it was difficult to pay attention as I stared at my new office. It was by far the most advanced vessel I’d ever stepped foot on, and after seeing the sheer effort put into engineering, I suspected there were a few surprises on