Free Lunar Colony by Patrick Kinney Page A

Rollins asked. “Did Salerno—?”
    “I’ll tell you what this means,” a voice said. They all looked up and saw Roger McNabb enter the room. Slayton braced himself, realizing that he could be in real trouble for failing to bring Salerno home. But before he could offer an explanation, McNabb said, “This means that the space program is saved. Salerno’s discovery and this young man’s bravery have rejuvenated people’s interest in space. Have you seen the crowd out there? Well, the president has, and he’s decided to restore all the funding we need to keep the program going.”
    They all let out a cheer as McNabb added,“Young man, why don’t you go out there and let the people see what a real hero looks like?”
    “This is pretty cool, isn’t it, Glen?” Mr. Johns asked his son as they walked toward the exit.
    “It is, Dad,” Glen said. “But next weekend maybe we can just go fishing instead.”





« NEWS FLASH! »
    Hey-ya, listeners, welcome to WADV AM Radio and The Adventure Hour with your courageous, audacious, and fearless host—me!—Illinois Johnson.
    Buccaneers, have I got a scoop for you. This isn’t just breaking news—this is smashing, shattering, splintering news!
    Are you ready for it? Here goes . . .
    Eccentric billionaire Harold Mews is about to announce a contest for “treasure hunters and seekers of fame, fortune, and glory from across the globe.”
    The details of the contest are as yet undisclosed, but one week from today, all will be revealed! Harold Mews will make the announcement from the Mews mansion in Bucky Cove.
    So all you globe-trotting thrill seekers—be there or be left out!
    For now, this is Illinois Johnson signing off from WADV AM—the radio home for adventurers, swashbucklers, and thrill seekers!

Flyby
    Annie Perkins adjusted the propane burner and heard the familiar
whoosh
of flame as the hot-air balloon climbed higher into the sky. She tilted the outboard motor’s propeller (that was of her own special design, allowing her perfect control of the balloon), and the balloon picked up speed, moving swiftly through the air, surrounded by nothing but bright blue sky.
    Annie checked the height gauge. She was 379 feet up in the sky, but she was as calm and relaxed as if she were lying poolside. Annie was comfortable by herself—she always had been. And that’s why she knew she’d go down in history as a legendary adventurer.
    “Getting close, now,” Annie said aloud.
    The small bay town of Bucky Cove was coming into focus. Treetops and the slanted crestsof houses and shops dotted the horizon. As the balloon floated closer, Annie could even make out the famous MEWS FOUNDATION sign atop Harold Mews’s mansion.
    Harold Mews—Annie’s hero . . .

    It was one week earlier that Annie had made the decision to travel to Bucky Cove and enter the contest. She had been washing dishes at Perkins Dine-In, the small restaurant her family owned. As usual, Annie was listening to WADV AM Radio—it was
The Adventure Hour with Illinois Johnson
. That day, Illinois had broadcast news that grabbed the attention of adventurers across the globe—news about Mr. Harold Mews’s million-dollar contest!
    Annie could hardly believe her ears.
One million dollars!
Perkins Dine-In was in trouble, and Annie knew that if her family failed to pay back the loans, it wouldn’t be long before the bank took away the restaurant. One million dollars would be enough to save it!
    Annie told her parents she planned to enterthe contest—but they were
not
having it. “You don’t even know what the contest will be!” her mother had exclaimed. “No one does! That Harold Mews is a reclusive nut!”
    Annie had just smiled at that, because Annie knew more about Harold Mews then anyone! Since she had been old enough to lift a book, Annie had been reading about Mews’s exploits: his journeys deep into the Sahara, his treks across the Andes, his voyages to the North and South Poles.
    All his