Desert Disaster Read Online Free PDF Page A

making him look like a tank. They were perfect for the desert environment.
    “Check me out!” said Cabbie in a fake American accent. “I look a whole lot like Dug!”
    They all laughed.
    “The tracks should keep you stable on the sand, and spread the weight of the car more evenly when you need to get up those slippery sand dunes,” explained Grandpa.
    “But what about fuel?” Jimmy asked after a moment. “Will Cabbie make it all the way?”
    “I was just coming to that,” replied Grandpa. “I was a bit stumped about how to get more petrol in without making Cabbie too heavy. But then I remembered what you and Cabbie did in the Grand Canyon. So that’s when I fitted this .” He pointed to a fat metal tube fixed to Cabbie’s engine block.
    “It’s the sonic-booster Lord Leadpipe gave us back in the Arctic!” Jimmy exclaimed.
    “That’s right. But I’ve programmed it for a slow release. Instead of giving you a burst of speed over a short distance, it’ll help Cabbie go for an extra thousand miles. Clever, eh?”
    “It’s brilliant!” Jimmy said.
    HOOOONNNNKKKK! In the workshop, a giant horn sounded.
    “That’s the five-minute signal.” Grandpa looked at his watch. “Better get in, Jimmy lad, it’s nearly race time.”
    “Here we go!” Jimmy said. He gave his grandpa a hug, took the battered old helmet from his outstretched hand and hopped inside Cabbie.
    As they trundled slowly down the ramp to the starting line, Jimmy marvelled once more at the beautiful golden desert. He tore his eyes away from the curving dunes and shimmering heat to take in the grandstand, which had been erected overnight. Thousands of fans had come out in the hot sun to see the race. He saw waving flags and banners being bounced up and down, while the crowd chanted the names of their favourite racer.
    “WE LOVE CHIP! WE LOVE CHIP!”
    “KA-KO! KA-KO! KA-KO!”
    “COME ON, JIMMY!”
    Jimmy took his position at the starting line as safetybots buzzed around the track. Next to him, Horace sat in Zoom, with a large box now welded to his dashboard. Jimmy was about to complain that he had somehow re-installed his laser guidance system when he realized it was an air-conditioning unit to keep him cool. It must have been a gift from Horace’s sponsor, Gleam Toothpaste , because the unit had the picture of a pearly white tooth on it.
    As he looked about, Jimmy saw that most racers had been given something cool and useful from their sponsor. Chip had electronically tinted windows to keep out the desert sun from Luke’s Lasers . Missy was quickly checking over her robot with the help of a flashy new tool kit provided by Robotron Rocket Boots , while Sammy was sporting a new extra-lightweight breathable racing suit – just like the one Jimmy had wanted.
    Jimmy looked to his side at the gift from his sponsors – a giant carrier bag of fruit with the slogan, ‘your easy way to your five a day!’ on the side. Oh well , he thought. At least I won’t starve in the desert.
    The technicians cleared the track, which meant that the race was about to begin. Jimmy looked back to the edge of the airship’s ramp where Grandpa stood with other family members and crew. While the crowds were going wild around him, and the other parents hastily tried to shout extra instructions to their racers, Grandpa simply looked straight at Jimmy and gave a quiet thumbs-up.
    Then Grandpa and the other crews were herded up the ramp and back into the airship, which would take them to the halfway point.
    “Ready, Jimmy?” said Cabbie as the starting lights lit up.
    “Of course!” said Jimmy. His nerves had now turned into excitement. When he heard the voice of the announcer lead the crowd into a countdown, he felt his fingertips start to tingle. His body rushed with adrenaline once more as the engines revved and roared.
    Three! The crowd chanted.
    His foot hovered over the accelerator.
    Two!
    Sand started to fly as the robots spun their wheels on the