The Shrinking Race Read Online Free

Candy’s hands.’
    Finbar was right. Until that happened, there was still a chance… Kip put Candy out of his mind and focused on the Baltians’ problem.
    â€˜Deprogramming the Aerobots is the next step,’ he said. ‘Wiping their memories is the quickest way.’
    Back on Earth, robots had memory failure all the time. Their circuits over-loaded, or sometimes they just wore out.
    An idea nagged at Kip. Something he’d heard back in Space Scout training… ‘Siberian robots wear out more often than others,’ he said, thinking aloud.
    Blutor and Finbar stared at Kip. It was a bizarre time to be babbling about Siberian robots!
    â€˜The Earth’s magnetic field is very strong in Siberia,’ Kip continued. ‘WorldCorp’s scientists think the magnetic field wipes the robot’s memories!’
    Kip turned to Blutor with a grin. ‘I happen to know of a very powerful magnet that might do just that for you.’
    â€˜MoNa’s new MagnaSweep!’ said Finbar. ‘Brilliant idea.’
    Kip looked down at his SpaceCuff. He tapped out a message.

    There was a split-second pause. Then Kip’s SpaceCuff buzzed furiously.

    She’s right, Kip thought. He hated it when that happened.
    But Kip now knew his deprogramming plan wouldn’t work without this important piece of information.
    â€˜Where do the Aerobots live, Blutor?’ asked Kip at once.
    â€˜When the Aerobots grew powerful, they moved out of Cobaltville,’ Blutor said grimly. ‘We don’t know exactly where they live now. And our people have grown too afraid to leave the safety of the city.’
    Kip could see that Blutor hated how weak the Aerobots had made the Baltians. Finbar gave Blutor an understanding smile.
    â€˜There are rumours the Aerobots have settled in the Badlands,’ Blutor went on.
    â€˜The Badlands?’ Kip asked.
    â€˜The unexplored territory on the dark side of Cobalt,’ Blutor said. He explained that a Baltian day was hundreds of Earth years long.
    â€˜Which means the other side is totally dark,’ finished Finbar.
    Kip asked Blutor if he had information about getting to the Badlands.
    â€˜They’re on the other side of Shifting Flat,’ said Blutor. ‘It’s north of here.’
    Kip flicked his SpaceCuff to Compass mode. He turned until the digital needle pointed north.
    â€˜Ready?’ asked Finbar, trying to sound cheerful.
    Kip knew Finbar wasn’t looking forward to meeting those screeching Aerobots again. But they had to get on with the scouting mission.
    â€˜Let’s go,’ Kip said.
    Finbar put Blutor down. He waved Kip and Finbar goodbye. They turned, crossed the sugarmelon field and left the city behind them.
    Venturing into unexplored territory on an alien planet. Hunting for powerful winged robots in the darkness.
    It sounded incredibly dangerous.
    But Kip knew it was what he and Finbar had to do. For the sake of Earth’s future – and Cobalt’s!

CHAPTER 8
    Outside the city, the sandy ground was bright blue. Lush sugarmelon bushes grew everywhere. Kip couldn’t resist picking more sugarmelons.
    But the further from the city they went, the fewer sugarmelon bushes they found. Soon, all Kip saw were dead plants.
    He guessed that the plants would have once been fresh vegetables. Now they were brown and wilted.

    Hiking to the Badlands will take ages , Kip realised. He had heaps of energy from the sugarmelons, but Finbar didn’t like them. For Finbar, the trek would be a struggle.
    Time to test our new Hummingbird Pros! Kip decided, reaching down to his boots.
    The back of each pair of Hummingbird Pros was fitted with tiny, flexible wings.
    They ran on rechargeable batteries in the boots’ sole. The batteries would not stay charged forever. But they’d get Kip and Finbar some of the way at least.
    At the touch of a button, the wings popped out. Suddenly Kip and Finbar were lifted