The Shrinking Race Read Online Free Page A

a few centimetres off the ground. The boots’ wings buzzed loudly and Kip and Finbar took off at top speed. They glided along like mid-air rollerbladers.
    Soon, Kip noticed Cobalt’s sun dipping low in the sky. The sky faded to black. They were nearing the dark side of Cobalt.
    When their Hummingbird Pro batteries were flat, Kip and Finbar touched down. Blue sand stretched out in every direction. It was like a huge, blue desert.
    On the gloomy horizon, Kip could just make out some twisted rock formations.
    â€˜Think this is the Shifting Flat?’ Kip asked.
    But Finbar just stood staring at his feet. ‘Feel that?’ he said softly.
    â€˜What?’ asked Kip.
    Suddenly, a jet of sand shot a hundred metres straight out of the ground. It looked like water shooting out of a whale’s blowhole.
    â€˜THAT!’ Finbar yelled.
    The sand jet finished spraying. Then another one shot up, millimetres from Kip’s feet. Suddenly, sand jets were exploding all over the place.
    â€˜Run!’ said Kip. ‘Head for the rocks!’
    They bolted. Sand jets sprayed up and then disappeared until the gloomy air was thick with stinging blue sand.
    Kip weaved around the sand jets as best he could. It was impossible to tell where the next jet would shoot up!
    â€˜Look out!’ Kip yelled to Finbar. The sand behind Finbar had started to shift.
    Too late! The sand jet shot into the air. It took Finbar with it, high into the sky. Finbar was in mid-air, surfing on sand!
    That almost looks fun , Kip thought, despite the danger Finbar was in.
    Without warning, the sand jet dropped down again. Finbar smacked into the ground. He got up and kept running.
    â€˜There are some rock formations to our left,’ Finbar panted. His wolf eyes were reliable, even in the low light. ‘The Shifting Flat finishes there, I think.’
    Relieved, Kip and Finbar raced to the rocks. They collapsed behind the nearest one. The ground underneath them was rocky and solid.
    Some blue sand had got into Kip’s helmet through the airlock. But he didn’t want to take his helmet off to shake it out.
    I’m not risking snotty sneezing in the Baltian air , he thought. That’d be way too gross.
    His eyes were adjusting to the gloom. He looked around at the rock formations.
    Lots of nooks and crannies , Kip thought. The perfect spot for Aerobots…
    With Finbar leading, they picked their way between the rocks. They stayed absolutely quiet. The slightest sound could alert the Aerobots that they were there.
    Suddenly, Finbar stopped walking. In the darkness, Kip almost ran into him.
    With one paw to his helmet, Finbar reminded Kip to be quiet. He pointed.
    Finbar had spotted an Aerobot! It was sheltering in the darkness of a rocky crevice. It stood there, perfectly still, and a row of lights blinked softly on its metal chest.

    Kip scanned the rocks in front of him. Now he knew what he was looking for, he spotted Aerobots everywhere. There were hundreds of them. No, thousands!
    Resting. Waiting.
    Inside Kip’s helmet, a grain of sand flicked up into his left nostril.
    His nose began to tickle.
    Ignore it, he told himself sternly.
    But the tickle built. And built. Soon, it was a ferocious itch.
    Don’t you dare sneeze, Kip Kirby , he thought. But…
    AAAAAAAA-CHO!
    Too late!
    A huge sneeze rattled Kip’s helmet.
    That was all it took to wake up the Aerobots.
    Metal wings stirred and beat the air furiously. Terrible screeches filled the night. The Aerobots were about to attack!

CHAPTER 9
    Hot with fear, Kip dialled MoNa on his SpaceCuff.
    â€˜Engage MagnaSweep 169 kilometres north of Cobaltville, on the dark side of the planet,’ he yelled.
    Aerobot screeches filled his ears.
    For once, MoNa didn’t make any jokes. She knew the situation was deadly serious.
    â€˜I’ve got a lock on your location,’ she said. ‘Engaging MagnaSweep now.’
    The Aerobots’ wings sounded like swords