Desert Disaster Read Free

The rooms were equipped with the latest technology – a fully computerized whiteboard hung from the wall, and rising up from their desks came individual 3D holo-screens. The familiar Leadpipe Industries logo of a revolving ‘L’ floated in mid-air a few centimetres above Jimmy’s desk. But one thing was the same, Jimmy thought as he felt a kick on the back of his chair and looked round to see Horace behind him. I’m thousands of miles from home, but I still have to put up with Horace Pelly!
    “Oops, did I kick you?” Horace asked. Jimmy tried to ignore him and turned back to face the front. “Oops, did I do it again?” Horace said, kicking once more.
    Horace stopped as the teacher came in. He was an old man, thin and so frail that it looked like he could be blown over in a strong wind, but he held himself like a soldier, with a straight back and chin held high, even though he walked with a stick.
    “Who’s this old loon?” whispered Horace.
    “Do sit down,” said the teacher. “My name is Sir Rupert Huxley, and Lord Leadpipe has brought me on board to teach you survival skills.”
    “Blimey!” whispered Horace. “He doesn’t look as though he’ll survive the lesson!”
    “Thank you, Mr Pelly,” said Sir Rupert. “I may look ancient, but my hearing is tip-top, thank you very much.”
    Horace shut his mouth and sat back in his seat sulkily. I think I’m going to like Sir Rupert! Jimmy thought with a grin.
    “I’m going to teach you how to cope when you find yourself in the most extreme environments on earth. You never know when you might find yourself in a tight spot without a safetybot in sight,” Sir Rupert said with a knowing wink towards the racers.
    Jimmy and the others nodded. There had been a close call in the last race when a glacier had almost crushed them all. There hadn’t been anybody within 50 miles to help them, and the robots Lord Leadpipe had created to protect them from danger had malfunctioned in the cold weather.
    “We already know all about that.” Horace interrupted. “We’ve all just completed a race in the Arctic, after all.”
    Sir Rupert nodded. “True, true. I expect you utilized a lot of techniques that I will remind you of. I myself have trekked to the South Pole three times. I only meant to go twice, but I left my toothbrush behind once and had to go back for it,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. The class laughed. “Negotiating a cold environment is a tricky thing. Snow and ice can be killers, but may also save your life by providing water and shelter. Antarctica is a particularly interesting place to visit, I think – did you know that it is the largest desert on earth?”
    “Don’t be ridiculous!” Horace interrupted rudely. “Everyone knows that deserts are hot and sandy.”
    “Pay attention, Master Pelly, and you might learn something helpful ,” Sir Rupert perched on his desk and pointed with his cane. “Actually, a desert is anywhere where there isn’t much water. In fact, deserts get less than twenty-five centimetres of rain each year.”
    “Oh yeah!” Missy said. “Antarctica is full of ice and snow, but there’s no water because it’s all frozen.”
    “Very good. Miss McGovern” said Sir Rupert. “You seem to know a bit about this subject.”
    Missy shrugged modestly. “I grew up in the Outback. Out there you have to know the land, or it could kill you.”
    Sir Rupert smiled and he seemed to come alive, a light coming on behind his eyes. “So true! If you learn one thing out of this lesson, it is to respect the land and your environment. Never underestimate it!”
    “Are we supposed to go around hugging trees? Or kissing the ground we walk on?” Horace sniggered. But no one else seemed to see the funny side.
    “Um, I think Sir Rupert means we should be careful,” said Jimmy.
    Horace shot him a scowl. “I know what he means, Roberts ! My father says that land is there to be tamed. There’s no problem that can’t be solved by a