Young Readers Science Fiction Stories — John Shaqi
Young Readers Science Fiction StoriesElam, Richard M. (Richard Mace)
Science
Young Readers Science Fiction Stories
Elam, Richard M. (Richard Mace)
Children's stories; Science fiction; Space travelers -- Juvenile fiction
“Yeah, Glen,” Skip’s reply was scarcely more than a squeak.
Glen looked down and ahead where a massive rock some ten miles in
diameter hung in the starry emptiness. “If we can make Phobos, we may be
all right.”
“We’re done for,” Skip groaned.
“We’re not!” Glen’s wits were sharpened by the danger. “We’re lined up
pretty well with Phobos. She doesn’t have any gravity to speak of and we
may be able to land on her.”
“We won’t make Phobos,” Skip argued. “We’ll either run into Mars’
gravity field and crash on its surface or float through space until our
air runs out.”
“Shut up, Skip!” Glen’s tone was sharp. “Listen to me. See if you can
pick up a little speed by kicking out behind with your feet and hands.
If you can catch up with the supply case, hang on.”
Skip didn’t reply but Glen saw his arms and legs begin to move. Glen
worked his own. It was a grueling effort, but Glen found that he was
able to increase his speed much in the manner of a space ship’s thrust.
By the time Glen touched Skip’s suit, both of them were sucking freely
of their precious oxygen.
“What’s the idea?” Skip asked as his gloved hand clutched the strap of
the supply case and Glen held onto him.
“We’ll use the case as a buffer to break our fall,” Glen explained.
“Remember, it’s covered with foam rubber so that it won’t shatter when
it hits.”
The two had been preparing to drop the emergency supply case on Mars at
the time of the accident. Glen was glad now that they’d donned space
suits.
Glen saw that the space ship was now only a tiny needle against the red
disk of Mars. He and Skip had probably not even been missed by the crew.
When they did find out, they wouldn’t know where to look for the boys.
Phobos was a jagged, frightening giant below, but Glen held nothing but
love for it. Their speed had increased slightly, but it did not look as
if they would hit the ground dangerously fast.
Glen felt Skip’s muscles tense for the landing.
“Steady, fellow!” Glen breathed.
He felt a rough jar in the pit of his stomach. Glen bounced off Skip’s
back as though he were rubber. He spread out his arms to ease his fall,
then was surprised to find his body settling down to rest as lightly as
a leaf.
Glen felt a prickly chill in his cheeks. “We’ve got practically no
weight at all!” he breathed. Skip had almost drifted off into space
again, but Glen grabbed his leg and pulled him back.
“It’s a crazy world, isn’t it?” Skip searched the rocky landscape that
sloped down from them on both sides. It was weird to be on a globe so
tiny you were conscious of its roundness.
Glenn nodded. “We’ve _really_ got to keep both feet on the ground!”
“What if they don’t find us, Glen?” Skip asked. “What then?”
“I don’t know, Skip,” Glen sighed. “Let’s see what’s in the supply
case.”
Glen was able to crawl better than he could walk over to the supply
case. Skip followed. Glen pressed a button on the case and the top
sprang up.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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