Astrosaurs 18 Read online

  Contents

  Cover

  About the Book

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Warning! Think you know about dinosaurs?

  Talking Dinosaur!

  The Crew of the DSS Sauropod

  Jurassic Quardrant Map

  Chapter One: Mission to Outpost Q

  Chapter Two: The Lightning-Bolt Legend

  Chapter Three: The Snarling Unknown

  Chapter Four: A Voice from the Past

  Chapter Five: Breakout!

  Chapter Six: Flight Into Fear

  Chapter Seven: From Danger to Where . . .?

  Chapter Eight: Hidden Menace

  Chapter Nine: Battling Battalasks

  Chapter Ten: Sound and Fury

  About the Author

  Also by Steve Cole

  Copyright

  About the Book

  DINOSAURS . . . IN SPACE!

  Meet Captain Teggs Stegosaur and the crew of the amazing spaceship DSS Sauropod as the ASTROSAURS fight evil across the galaxy!

  The reappearance of a dino spaceship lost for 300 years spells danger for Teggs. How has a pack of savage sabre-tooths got on board? What menace is chasing them through space? Only the astrosaurs can unravel the mystery – they hope!

  To Joel Hales-Waller

  WARNING!

  THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT DINOSAURS?

  THINK AGAIN!

  The dinosaurs . . .

  Big, stupid, lumbering reptiles. Right?

  All they did was eat, sleep and roar a bit. Right?

  Died out millions of years ago when a big meteor struck the Earth. Right?

  Wrong!

  The dinosaurs weren’t stupid. They may have had small brains, but they used them well. They had big thoughts and big dreams.

  By the time the meteor hit, the last dinosaurs had already left Earth for ever. Some breeds had discovered how to travel through space as early as the Triassic period, and were already enjoying a new life among the stars. No one has found evidence of dinosaur technology yet. But the first fossil bones were only unearthed in 1822, and new finds are being made all the time.

  The proof is out there, buried in the ground.

  And the dinosaurs live on, way out in space, even now. They’ve settled down in a place they call the Jurassic Quadrant and over the last sixty-five million years they’ve gone on evolving.

  The dinosaurs we’ll be meeting are part of a special group called the Dinosaur Space Service.

  Their job is to explore space, to go on exciting missions and to fight evil and protect the innocent!

  These heroic herbivores are not just dinosaurs.

  They are astrosaurs!

  NOTE: The following story has been translated from secret Dinosaur Space Service records. Earthling dinosaur names are used throughout, although some changes have been made for easy reading. There’s even a guide to help you pronounce the dinosaur names on the next page.

  Talking Dinosaur!

  How to say the prehistoric

  names in this book . . .

  STEGOSAURUS – STEG-oh-SORE-us

  IGUANODON – ig-WA-noh-don

  TRICERATOPS – try-SERRA-tops

  HADROSAUR – HAD-roh-sore

  DIMORPHODON – die-MORF-oh-don

  APATOSAURUS – a-PAT-oh-SORE-us

  DRYPTOSAURUS – DRIP-toh-SORE-us

  PTEROSAUR – teh-roh-SORE

  THE CREW OF THE DSS SAUROPOD

  Jurassic Quardrant

  Chapter One

  MISSION TO OUTPOST Q

  “There it is,” said Captain Teggs Stegosaur. “Outpost Q, the secret space-observation station – and we’ve got to guard it!”

  Teggs was an eight-ton, orange-brown stegosaurus. He had a reputation for bravery, daring and pie-eating unrivalled throughout the galaxy. His spaceship, the DSS Sauropod, was the finest in the Dinosaur Space Service, and his best friends – Iggy, Arx and Gipsy – were the coolest crew members he could ever hope to have.

  And yet, as he looked at Outpost Q on the Sauropod’s scanner screen, he had a strange feeling of foreboding. The station itself seemed unremarkable, like a steel box in space with a shining cylinder sticking out of the top. But Teggs felt a tingling in his spiky tail that spoke of danger and death-defying adventure ahead.

  “I don’t get it,” grumbled Iggy the iguanodon, the Sauropod’s chief engineer. “We’re top-class, extra-tough astrosaurs. Why are we being sent to look after some mouldy old telescope?”

  “It’s a super-amazing Megascope,” Arx corrected him; the wise green triceratops was Teggs’s super-scientific second-in-command. “That thing is a million times stronger than any telescope, and a billion times more valuable. Carnivore war-planets won’t like the way we can spy on them from the other side of space. They might try to steal its secrets.”

  “Or destroy it,” said Gipsy, the high-powered stripy hadrosaur in charge of the ship’s communications. “Is that all Outpost Q is then – a spy satellite?”

  “It’s much more than that,” Arx explained. “It was built here at the edge of the Jurassic Quadrant to give the DSS early warning of any dangers from outer space – menacing meteors, approaching comets, even alien invaders.”

  “I hope it doesn’t pick up too many of those,” said Teggs, chomping on the lush ferns that grew inside his control pit. “Not before I’ve had my breakfast, anyway!”

  Gipsy smiled – the captain was on his twelfth breakfast already, and it was only nine o’clock in the morning. Suddenly, her communicator beeped. “Video message incoming from Outpost Q,” she reported. “It’s Chief Spotter Speck.”

  Arx’s horns waggled with excitement. “Speck is the Megascope’s creator, a real genius. I can’t wait to see him!”

  Teggs smiled. “Let’s show him on the scanner then.”

  Gipsy whistled to Sprite the dimorphodon, leader of the Sauropod’s flight crew of daring dino-birds.

  He swooped down from a perch and hit the scanner switch with his beak. At once the image of Speck – a yellow, slightly podgy apatosaurus – filled the screen.

  “Welcome, astrosaurs,” said Speck, though he sounded more grumpy than friendly. “Thank you for coming to guard my outpost – though there really was no need.”

  “The DSS disagree,” Teggs told him. “Remember, a triceratops scout ship spotted an unidentified flying saucer in this part of space a few days back. The saucer streaked away before the triceratops could challenge it, but they reported it was covered in weapons – and heading straight for you.”

  “Preposterous!” Speck spluttered. “I would’ve spotted such a ship through my Megascope.”

  “It might have camouflaged itself and sneaked past,” Arx said gravely. “Now you’ve managed to make your invention so much stronger, Outpost Q has become a top target for enemy attack.”

  Teggs nodded. “The DSS is building a mega-strong defence system to protect you – force fields, pursuit probes, the lot. It’ll be ready in a few days. Until then, we will patrol this area in case that flying saucer shows up again – and attacks.”

  “Sounds like a lot of fuss about nothing,” said Iggy bluntly. “I still don’t see what makes this Megascope so super-special.”

  Speck smiled. “How is your knee? I saw you bump it as you came aboard the Sauropod.”

  “What?” Iggy frowned. “How could you know that? No one was around, and we were on Tri Major – half the Vegetarian Sector away.”

  “That’s no distance for my Megascope!” said Speck. “I’ve been following your progress since you left Tri Major so I knew when to expect you!” He sighed. “Oh, well. I suppose you won’t go away until you’ve come on board Outpost Q to see my invention for yourselves . . .”

  “Wa-hooo!�
� Arx shot across to the lifts so fast that Teggs’s ferns rustled in the breeze.

  Teggs grinned. “We’re on our way, Chief Spotter Speck. Over and out!”

  Chapter Two

  THE LIGHTNING-BOLT LEGEND

  The dimorphodon flew the Sauropod to Outpost Q, and within half an hour the astrosaurs were safely on board the space-observation station.

  “Wow,” said Gipsy, looking down a huge white corridor. “This place is enormous!”

  “The crew of Outpost Q are all apatosaurus,” said Teggs, and Speck lumbered over to greet them. “They’re huge. They need the extra room or they would get stuck every time they got out of bed!”

  “Ah, there you are,” said Speck, who still seemed grumpy. “I can only give you a brief tour, I’m afraid. We have a lot of space to study here – we can’t afford any delays.”

  “Pardon us for being alive,” Iggy muttered as he, Teggs, Arx and Gipsy followed the big yellow leaf-eater.

  “First stop on our tour is the Data Room,” said Speck. He opened a massive door to reveal hundreds of computers whirring away in a gleaming white chamber. An apatosaurus was checking the screens and making notes on a digital clipboard.

  “Oooh!” Arx cooed. “I suppose everything you spot through the Megascope is recorded, sorted and filed away here.”

  “Correct,” said Speck.

  “And yet you never spotted this mysterious flying saucer on your doorstep?” asked Teggs.

  “Certainly not.” Speck shook his head. “I believe it was nothing more than a smudge on that triceratops ship’s scanner screen.” He turned and strode away down the corridor. “Now, on your left you will see the entrance to the Star Chart Library – but I’m afraid we can’t go in at this time.”

  Teggs saw a big sign on the door – LIBRARY CLOSED FOR CLEANING.

  Arx looked longingly at the door, but Teggs nudged him along with his tail as Speck led the astrosaurs up a staircase to the next level.

  “Now,” said the Chief Spotter, “you are about to see Outpost Q’s control centre – and the Megascope itself!”

  As Teggs sprang up the steps, a sliding silver door opened to reveal the largest control room he had ever seen. The huge square walls and domed ceiling were thick glass, and through them Teggs could see the mind-boggling, mile-long Megascope jutting out into silent, star-spangled space.

  Arx’s jaw dropped in awe as he entered the room, and even Iggy seemed impressed. Gipsy marvelled at the busy instrument panels stretching right round the room, while Teggs watched the three apatosaurus carefully working the Megascope.

  “It must take a lot of skill to operate one of these,” he remarked.

  Speck puffed up his chest. “The real skill was in creating the Megascope. It works by magnifying starlight with giant galactic mirrors—”

  “And passing it through a special space-lens to see halfway across the universe,” Arx concluded, bubbling with enthusiasm. “No other dinosaur has worked out how to make the lens so strong. How did you do it, Chief Spotter Speck?”

  “That’s top secret, I’m afraid,” said Speck.

  Suddenly, one of the Megascope’s operators jumped up. “Sir!” she spluttered. “The scope’s spotted something. Something amazing!”

  “Really?” Speck galloped over to join her, the astrosaurs at his heels. “What is it, Jodril?”

  “I . . . I don’t know how to tell you.” Jodril was light blue, with enormous eyes and thick fluttering lashes. It was clear she could hardly contain her excitement. “I’ve spotted a spaceship!” she gabbled. “A very old, very battered spaceship . . .”

  Speck peered at the controls. “It’s a long way out – about fifty trillion miles beyond the Jurassic Quadrant.” He pressed a button and a faint lumpy image appeared on the screen beside him.

  “It must be an alien craft,” said Arx.

  Iggy peered at the picture. “It looks to me like an old Dungmaster One. That’s a dinosaur design – a real antique.”

  “And look, there’s a name on the side,” said Jodril.

  Gipsy nodded. “It says . . . Lightning Bolt.”

  “Lightning Bolt?” Speck looked like he’d just been struck by one. “Are you certain?”

  “That’s the Lightning Bolt all right,” Teggs murmured, a little shaken. “It belonged to the Jurassic Explorers – that brave band of dinosaurs who mapped out space in the early days of the Star-Dino Empire. They’ve always been my heroes.”

  “I remember reading about the Lightning Bolt,” said Arx. “It went missing without explanation three hundred years ago, never to be seen again.”

  “Until now,” breathed Jodril.

  “The last message it ever sent mentioned fanged monsters, terrible weapons and big trouble,” Teggs recalled with a chill. “But space static cut the signal short. Rescue parties went looking, but the ship was never found.”

  Iggy whistled. “Must be a right old wreck by now. Drifting in space.”

  “But that’s just it,” cried Jodril. “It’s moving too fast to be drifting – and in a dead straight line. The Lightning Bolt is being steered on a set course.”

  “That means there’s somebody on board,” Teggs realized. “But who?”

  “I don’t suppose we’ll ever know,” said Speck briskly.

  “We certainly will,” Teggs declared. “Because the astrosaurs will investigate!”

  Speck frowned. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

  “That ship is a valuable piece of history,” Teggs insisted. “We can’t just let it disappear.”

  “Especially if someone really is on board,” said Gipsy. “They could be the great-great-great-grandchildren of the Jurassic Explorers.”

  “Or else they’re thieves who have stolen the Lightning Bolt,” said Arx.

  Iggy bunched his fists. “If they are, we’ll soon sort them out.”

  “I must protest.” Speck glared at the astrosaurs. “You were sent to guard Outpost Q!”

  “He didn’t want us here a few minutes ago,” Gipsy muttered.

  Teggs nodded thoughtfully. First a strange, unknown vessel had been detected near the Megascope – and now the Megascope had spotted a legendary spaceship.

  Could the two events be linked somehow?

  “All right, here’s the plan,” said Teggs. “Arx, you stay here on Outpost Q with a team of ankylosaur security guards. Iggy, Gipsy, you come with me in the Sauropod. We will intercept the Lightning Bolt and find out who or what is on board.”

  Arx saluted, Jodril beamed and Speck grumbled under his breath.

  “See you soon.” Teggs turned and ran from the room, racing back to his ship. “The Lightning Bolt may have been away for three hundred years, but I don’t aim to waste a single second in getting it back!”

  Chapter Three

  THE SNARLING UNKNOWN

  Teggs sent Alass, the tough ankylosaur leader of the Sauropod’s security crew, to help Arx guard Outpost Q – along with ten more ankylosaur guards, twenty dimorphodon to use as flying sentries, and three of the ship’s six shuttles to patrol local space.

  The astrosaurs held their farewell briefing in Outpost Q’s docking bay.

  “Travelling at top speed, it should take us a day to reach the Lightning Bolt,” Iggy told Teggs.

  “And another to bring it back with us,” Teggs realized.

  “We’ll keep the outpost well-guarded until then,” Arx said confidently.

  “Too right we will!” boomed Alass, thwacking her tail against the floor and startling several dimorphodon into flight. “Er, sorry.”

  “We’ll keep an eye on you through the Megascope,” said Jodril.

  “And as soon as you’ve brought that ship back, I’d like you off my observation station,” said Speck briskly. “I can’t afford so many silly delays.”

  “I’ll miss you too, Chief Spotter,” said Teggs with a straight face.

  “The Sauropod’s engines are started, Captain,” Iggy reported.

  “And I’m sendin
g out a greetings message to the Lightning Bolt already,” said Gipsy, “so we can make contact as soon as possible.”

  “Excellent,” said Teggs. “Good luck, everyone. Let’s go!”

  Hours stretched on and on as the Sauropod sped through the endless night and nothingness of deep space.

  Teggs checked the radar every few minutes to make sure the Lightning Bolt hadn’t disappeared.

  Gipsy listened out for signals or messages coming from the ancient craft. So far there had been none.

  Iggy kept the engines well-stoked with steaming dung and helped Sprite and his dimorphodon at the controls.

  “Just four hours to go until we pull level with the Lightning Bolt,” Iggy announced.

  “I’ll send yet another greetings message,” said Gipsy. “If someone is steering that ship, they’ve got to hear us soon . . .”

  Suddenly – “ROARRR! SNARRRL!!! SNAP!” The ferocious growls and rumbles echoed around the flight deck and the dimorphodon screeched and clattered about in alarm.

  Teggs jumped out of his control pit. “What is that?”

  “I’m not sure.” Gipsy frantically fiddled with her controls. “Maybe it was space static.”

  Iggy shook his head. “Sounded more like something big and bad-tempered with a bellyache.” He frowned. “And look – the Lightning Bolt’s changed course!”

  Teggs saw he was right. “Follow that ship!” he ordered, and the dimorphodon flapped into action. “Gipsy, those snarls – could they have been a reply to your greetings message in some strange language?”

  “It’s like nothing I’ve ever heard before,” she admitted. “But if there are aliens on board, who knows what they sound like.”

  “We’re catching them up!” Iggy reported, and sure enough, Teggs could see the battered old Lightning Bolt just a small way ahead of them on the scanner.

  “Fire dung torpedoes well ahead of them as a warning to stop,” said Teggs.

  “Launching torpedoes,” Iggy reported – and seconds later, a big brown explosion splattered into space on the scanner. The Lightning Bolt tried to steer past – but another stinky blast erupted close by, and the old ship’s hull was sloshed in sizzling dung. Moments later, the crumpled craft ground to a halt.

  “Did it!” Iggy cheered.

  Teggs ran to Gipsy’s communicator. “Attention, Lightning Bolt,” he said. “We are astrosaurs. Please identify yourselves.” There was no answer.