Craggy 2: Another Last Flight for Craggy Read Free

nightmare.'
    'So don't,' said Cragg.
    'How else can we work on the thrusters?' said Breeze.
    'I'm just looking at the options,' said Cragg. 'I agree that lifting it will be a major job. So, why not leave it where it is, and dig a channel around it. Expose all the rear end and you'll be able to get to the thrusters.'
    Dillow and Breeze stared at Cragg. 'How do you do that?' Dillow asked. 'So easy but we never thought of it.'
    Cragg chuckled. 'I'm like that ship. My wiring's a little different to most people. Tell you what. You carry on, I'll go have a word with my old pal, Shamini Singh. We'll have a trench around this bird in no time.'
    'Thanks, Craggy,' said Breeze.
    'Glad to be useful again.'
    Dixon Cragg got back in the buggy and set off to find Singh.

Chapter 5
    'O f  course, when the girls asked me to help out, I was only too pleased to do it,' Cragg told Shamini Singh at the entrance to the new mine.  'So, I suggested they leave me to organize all that.'
    Singh said, 'And you need to excavate around the base of the ship.'
    'Easy for a man of your calibre,' said Cragg. 'A couple of days on a dozer and you'll be done in no time.'
    'Hang on a minute. Freddie. Got a job for you.'
    Freddie Morcurry was a short barrel of a man in his late fifties. He wiped the dust off his face and said, 'Yeah? Oh. Hi, Craggy.'
    'Hi, Freddie. That alien bird. Needs a trench around it so we can get at the thrusters.'
    Freddie thoughtfully scratched his chin. 'I took a look at that ship when it came down. The ground's pretty soft around there. Need it done right away?'
    'As soon as possible,' said Cragg.
    Singh said, 'Follow Craggy in the dozer. Don't take all week over there.'
    'As if. Come on, Craggy. After you.'
    Cragg hopped on the buggy and Morcurry rumbled behind in the multi dozer. It took half an hour to get to the ship. Morcurry jumped down and lit up a smoke as he contemplated the situation. Cragg joined him.
    'You want a sort of trench dug around the entire ship?'
    'Yep. So it goes a little way under it. Especially at the back, under the thrusters.'
    Morcurry nodded. 'Shouldn't be a major.'
    'Just don't you go scratching the paintwork. I don't think it's insured.'
    'Consider it done.'
    * * *
    'I told you not to interfere.'
    'Misty. I'm just helping out a bit,' said Cragg, wishing the fish was chicken. 'I wonder what goat tastes like?'
    'I'll take a slice off you and find out.'
    'Highly amusing. I hope Freddie doesn't hurt that damn ship.'
    'Then I suggest you go keep an eye on him. This was your idea, so you are responsible. Finish that and get going.'
    'On my way,' said Cragg, pushing the half eaten meal away. 'That was very...fishy. See you in a few hours.'

Chapter 6
    C ragg was amazed at the progress. 'You, Freddie Morcurry, are a star.'
    'Soft as muck, this stuff. I've dug a trench to take any rainwater away. That's something I didn't think I'd hear myself saying on this planet.'
    'Yeah. Weather forecasts used to be, windy, cold and dusty. Now it's watch out for showers.'
    'I'll have this done in a few more hours. What I don't get done today, I'll have done in the morning. Right. Back to work.'
    'I'm just going to see the girls,' said Cragg, heading up the ramp.
    'Hello, Craggy,' said Stella. 'Is all that racket nearly over?'
    'Freddie is going as fast as he can. Probably a few hours in the morning to finish off. Winning with the computers?'
    'The backup power supply is running low, I think. The main generation system is still a bit of a mystery.  I'm laying off so I don't risk losing data.'
    Cragg asked, 'What runs the power? Lights, that sort of thing? Solar?'
    'It looks that way. There are what looks like solar panels in the outer surface. Energy is stored in some strange liquid in a tank. That converts it to power the ship's electricity supply.'
    'But you don't think it's working?'
    Stella shook her head. 'Engineering has looked at it. I don't think they understand it much.'
    'And we can't hook up one of our own power