The Comet Caper

By Simon Haynes

Space Station Oberon is on high alert, because a comet is about to whizz past the nearby planet of Gyris. All the scientists are preparing for the exciting event, and all the kids are planning on watching.

All the kids except Hal Junior, who's been given detention.

Unfortunately the comet passes a whole lot closer than expected. Fortunately nobody is hurt, but the kids are trapped in one half, the adults in the other.

Never mind. They have air and supplies, and they can all sit tight and wait for rescue.

Or can they?

The scientists discover Space Station Oberon is now falling towards Gyris, faster and faster, and it's going to crash into the planet long before anyone can be rescued!

Now it's up to Hal Junior and his friends. Not only do they have to save themselves, they've also got to save all the scientists and the space station! But how?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon Haynes
• Release date: Nov 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463011324

Simon Haynes

Simon Haynes lives in Western Australia, where he divides his time between herding deadly spiders, dodging drop bears, and making up wildly inaccurate sentences like this one.By day he's an author. By night he's also an author.He loves wry, dry humour, and his hobbies include daringly inserting the letter U into words where -- in some parts of the world at least -- this simply isn't the done thing.As for his genre-spanning novels, they include epic fantasy (with robots), scifi comedy (also with robots), middle grade humour (featuring robots AND the wanton use of the letter U), as well as a series of historical mystery novels set in 1870's London. (No, of course there aren't robots in those. He's not completely out of his mind.)When he's not writing Simon is usually renovating his house, sim-racing online, using twitter (@spacejock), gardening, tweaking his book covers, pondering the meaning of the universe and reading, and if you think it's easy doing all that at the same time you should see what he can do with a mug of coffee, a banana and a large bag of salt.When he's not making outlandish claims he likes to count how many novels he's written, and how many genres he's written them in. (Lots and too many.)Finally, if you want to hear Simon reading one of his award-winning stories, you'll find an enticement to join his newsletter here: spacejock.com.au/ML.html

Book preview

Dedicated to all my nieces and nephews

Chapter 1

But mum, I want to see the comet!

Then you should have done your homework.

Hal Junior crossed his arms. How could his mother think of homework at a time like this? A comet was going to whizz past the space station! It was going to be the most exciting thing in the universe, apart from giant dinosaurs and exploding volcanos, and she wanted him to miss it? I'll do my homework right after, I promise.

His mum shook her head. I'm sorry, Hal. Homework first.

But mum…

"Please, Hal. I must finish this report."

It was evening, and Hal was sitting at the kitchen table in his family's quarters. His mother was at her desk nearby, typing on a terminal. She was the chief scientist aboard Space Station Oberon, and she was very busy preparing a report. Hal knew the report was important, because it was going to Commander Linten, the man who ran the whole space station.

On the other hand, the comet was getting closer by the minute, and Hal wasn't going to miss it for all the reports in the galaxy.

Everyone else will be watching the comet, he said, trying again.

I'm sure you'll see it next time around, said his mother vaguely.

Next time? Hal stared at her. Teacher said it only passes by every three hundred years!

Then you'll have plenty of time to finish your homework, won't you?

But they're going to shoot at the comet! There's going to be a probe, and a big explosion, and—

His mother turned to look at him. Should I ask teacher to give you double homework for the rest of the week? No? Then stop interrupting me!

Defeated, Hal looked down at his tablet. His teacher wanted two hundred words on the importance of recycling aboard the space station, and so far he'd managed four:

Recycling is important because...

He knew why it was important. It was important because everything had to be delivered from planet Gyris, and that cost a fortune. It was important because supply ships only came every two or three weeks, and the people aboard the station might run out of things in the meantime. It was really important, because they couldn't just make new air, or water.

The problem was, he didn't know how to say it. Every time he tried to write something down, it sounded silly, and Teacher liked to pick on him. Whenever Hal wrote an essay, Teacher would read the worst bits aloud, and everyone in the class would laugh. Hal laughed too, joining in on the joke, but he didn't find it funny at all.

Mum… what if I do some of my homework now, and the rest afterwards?

Hal Junior, if you don't leave me in peace I'll send you to bed without dinner. Is that what you want?

I could write my essay while I'm watching the comet. Then you'd have some peace and quiet.

In reply, his mother took out a pair of headphones and put them on. Hal could hear the music from where he was sitting, and he realised there was no use arguing any more. He looked at the chunky astronaut's watch on his wrist, and frowned. He'd set four different alarms, to be sure he didn't miss the comet's fly-by, and the first was about to go off.

It was so unfair, he thought. Why was Teacher asking all the kids for essays on recycling, when the little red robot already knew the answer? For a minute Hal thought about writing a two hundred word essay on why essays were a waste of time. Usually, if he really wanted to know something he just had to look it up!

Unfortunately, Hal knew his mum would insist on reading the essay before she let him go, and then he'd have to write another two hundred words. His brain was sure to explode from that kind of effort, and then he'd miss the comet anyway.

Hal's watch beeped at him, and he let it go off for twenty or thirty seconds. He hoped his mum would turn around to ask what the noise was, so that he could mention the comet again, but she couldn't hear the beeping over her music.

Hal gave up and silenced the alarm. He looked down at his unfinished essay, then glanced at his mum. She had her back to him, and was busy with her report. Then Hal glanced towards the door. He was sure he could escape their quarters without being seen, but there'd be real trouble when he came back. In a couple of weeks he was supposed to be flying to Gyris to stay with his friend Alex. He was looking forward to it almost as much as the comet, because he'd be sleeping in a real house, and running around in a real garden.

But if he sneaked away now, he just knew the whole trip would be cancelled.

The second alarm on his watch went off, and Hal realised there was only forty minutes until the comet flew past. Frustrated and annoyed, he turned to his essay and started to write.

Recycling is important because we can't make the things we need on the space station.

Hal read the sentence again, and decided it wasn't too bad. He kept writing, and for the next ten minutes there was peace and quiet as he and his mum both typed their work up. Hal was so busy he didn't look up until the third alarm went off, and then he saw his mum smiling at him.

Go on, she said. Go and watch the comet. You can finish the rest afterwards.

Really? said Hal, who could hardly believe his luck.

Yes, really, said his mum, with a kindly smile. Unless you want to wait three hundred years for the next one?

Hal didn't need telling twice. He abandoned the tablet and his half-written essay, and ran for the door.

Don't get in everyone's way! shouted his mother, but Hal was so excited he barely heard her.

Chapter 2

Hal's family lived aboard a converted old spaceship, which was joined to the space station by a long, flexible tunnel. As he ran up this tunnel to the rest of the station, Hal could barely contain his excitement. The comet was on the way, and he was going to see it!

Hal reached the end of the tunnel, where signs pointed left to C and D sections, and right to A and B. Everyone was meeting in A-section to watch the comet, so Hal turned right and ran down the big, curved passageway.

A-section was where the station's top-secret science labs were, and it was strictly off-limits to children. It was also the best place to watch the comet from, and so just this once, the kids from all sections were going to be allowed in.

Hal ran all the way to the guard post outside A-section, where a tall man stood next to a barrier. He looked very officious in his uniform and cap, but as he saw Hal running towards him, he smiled and stood back. You're just in time, lad. Go through.

Aren't you going to watch too?

I can't, said the guard, who had a tag with the name 'Murray' on it. I'm on duty.

I don't think there's anyone else around, said Hal, looking back along the empty passageway.

Guard Post

"A-section must have a