Desert Disaster Read Online Free Page A

robotics company. Lord Ludwick Leadpipe had gone on to become a multi-billionaire, while Grandpa had spent years as taxi driver, before he dusted off his workshop to make Cabbie for Jimmy.
    They stepped through the exit hatch onto the ramp that took them down to the desert floor. Jimmy was hit by the dry desert heat as he moved out of the air-conditioned atmosphere of the airship. It struck the back of his throat, making him instantly thirsty.
    Lord Leadpipe stood at the end of the ramp on a small stage that had been hastily set up. Somehow he was still wearing his usual formal suit and tie, even though Jimmy was roasting in just a T-shirt. As the racers came down the ramp, Leadpipe welcomed them all in his usual jovial manner.
    “Come, come! Gather around! I trust you have had a good trip?”
    “I’ve had worse!” Missy answered back.
    “Good, good!” Lord Leadpipe waited until everyone was silent and a couple of Robo TV camerabots were hovering in front of him. He liked an audience, especially an audience of hundreds of millions, eagerly awaiting his every word. “Welcome, one and all, to the Sahara desert, among the harshest environments on Planet Earth! Tomorrow’s race promises to begin one of the toughest events of your lives.”
    “Can’t wait,” whispered Missy.
    “You will travel from this point across the sands to a finish line that we have set up on the other side of the desert. The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed a difference in this leg of the competition.”
    Horace surprised Jimmy by being the first to notice. “Where’s the track?” he asked.
    “Precisely, Mr Pelly!” yelled Lord Leadpipe. “This time there will be no track! Your robots will have to trek across the sands to the finish line at a beautiful little oasis I know of. In fact, it’s where Lady Leadpipe and I had our honeymoon. The water is crystal clear and the palm trees are just lovely at this time of year—”
    Joshua Jackson coughed and Lord Leadpipe seemed to remember they were all there.
    “Anyway,” he continued. “The finish line is nearly twelve hundred miles away, but this race there will be no pit stops and no communication with your pit teams!”
    The assembled racers and teams murmured in surprise and panic.
    “Your robots will have to be fully adapted to carry all the fuel they need. Our own robot teams will check over the vehicles and rewire the Cabcoms so you can only communicate with each other. One of the checkpoints will act as your overnight stop, but you will not be allowed to change anything on your robots while you are there.”
    Horace looked up at his dad, Hector Pelly. Hector looked exactly like his son, with perfectly aligned white teeth, a straight nose and glossy hair.
    “This should be a piece of cake, Father. Zoom’s laser guidance system will work out the quickest route in no time!” he boasted.
    “Ah! That reminds me,” Lord Leadpipe overheard. “To make things a bit more interesting, our technicians will be removing any automated navigation systems.”
    “What?” said Horace and Mr Pelly in unison.
    “All Global Positioning Systems, sat-nav, mapping software and laser-guidance systems will be removed before the race. Instead, competitors will follow a set of clues from checkpoint to checkpoint, which will then lead you to the finish. You’ll be able to find the checkpoints by looking for the usual Leadpipe Industries’ logo, and following the clues you’re given. Each clue will provide you with a set of co-ordinates to the next checkpoint, and eventually lead you across the finish line at the other end of the desert.”
    “ What! ” exclaimed the Pellys again.
    “What sort of race do you call that?” added Horace.
    Jimmy grinned with delight and exchanged a look with Grandpa, who was looking a little smug. “I know what I call it,” said Jimmy to Grandpa. “A treasure hunt!”

Chapter 5 - The Starting Grid
    Jimmy woke up to the sound of engines. But it wasn’t the