supply.
âGeorge, switch on the pumps!â called Parker.
George entered a code into the panel in front of him. There was a sharp thump, and from the machinery in the walls came an unsteady throbbing sound.
At that moment, Commander Ferguson collided with the airlock window. He thumped against it with a heavily gloved hand. Parker closed the outer door and then opened the inner one to let the Commander in. He tumbled forward, clutching at his space helmet. Josh and Amira helped him to remove it.
âAshâs backpack blew,â he gasped. âI saw a flash.â
âBut the packs on those suits are MegaZone Premium-A,â said Parker. âTheyâre normally very reliable.â
âWell, that one wasnât!â snapped the Commander. âAnother of my crew gone!â
Parker was clearly upset. The Commander, on the other hand, seemed to be lost in thought.
George was struck by another of those icy feelings of fear. He quickly turned to Josh and Amira and ushered them into a corner of the room.
âI just thought of something, guys. I know we were wondering about whether Dwayne was the saboteur, but what if weâre wrong? What if the saboteur was Commander Ferguson himself?â
âWhat?â said the others together.
âThink about it â Ash had just gathered vital DNA evidence, which would help reveal the identity of the person whoâd caused the explosion. What if that person was the Commander? What if he fought with Ash, outside the station, when they were both out of sight and cut off from all communication? What if heâd done something to Ashâs backpack? What if the Commander got rid of Ash in order to get rid of the evidence too?â George blurted out in a hushed voice.
Josh and Amira looked stunned. The idea seemed absurd.
âWhy would the Commander want to wreck his own space station?â whispered Amira. She paused. âBut then again, as Parker said, those backpacks are very reliable. Iâve read all about the countless tests they go through before they are fit for human use. Isnât it a strange coincidence that precisely the evidence needed to find the saboteur was in the pocket of the person whose backpack went wrong?â
âOr maybe Ash was the saboteur?â suggested Josh. âSuppose the Commander realised this and arranged an âaccidentâ, in order to hide the fact that one of his loyal crew members was a spy?â
George and Amira nodded eagerly.
âWhat if Ashâs backpack break-down was all a con?â continued Amira. âCould he have secretly set his backpack to shoot him far out into space? What if, at this very moment, heâs linking up with a shuttle somewhere, instead of tumbling to his death?â
They all looked at each other.
Josh said, âNow I donât have a clue whatâs going on.â
Just then, Dwayne appeared around the corner. âWhere have you been?â said Amira.
âNone of your business.â Dwayne went slightly red.
âParker,â said Commander Ferguson. âI thought I told you to watch these kids?â
âThey were helping me operate the air pumps, sir,â said Parker. âWeâre safe. George switched the back-up feed on for me.â
The Commander sniffed and cocked his head to one side. The machinery behind the panel George had operated was still making that strange, unsteady noise.
âDid he now?â said Commander Ferguson. âParker, why are those pumps sounding like an ancient steam engine?â
âItâs possible they could have been â â began Parker.
With an almighty cracking sound, the wall beside them suddenly buckled and bulged inwards. The lights in the corridor spluttered and died.
âWhatâs happening now?â cried Josh. âSurely things canât get any worse?â
Chapter Six
Falling to Earth
Things were getting much worse.
There was an electrical