THE LOCATIONS:

Helios - The sun which Planet Legoland orbits
Legoland - The planet where all the characters originate
Ground Control - Where the moon mission begins
Selene - The moon which orbits Legoland
Command Centre - The first settlement where everyone initially lives and works
The Crater - a geological feature between the Command Centre and Supply Station
Supply Station - Where provisions, building materials and fuel are kept.  It also acts as a Shipyard.
The Stadium - An area close to the Supply Base for recreational low-gravity football
The Dunes - A desert with steep inclines and sandy hills and mounds
Alpha Base - A Communication Hub with a large dish and rocket pad for satellite launches
The Plains - A flat but rocky void scattered with large rocks and boulders
Beta Base - A factory where wheeled rovers are manufactured
The Frozen Lake - A vast, smooth and slippery surface where strong icy dust storms are commonplace
Polaris Space Lab - An outpost where lab experiments and specialist equipment is fabricated
The Monorail - A tunnel near The Crater - Connecting Command Centre and Supply Station

HUMANS:

Condor - Mission Commander - Based at the Command Centre
Kestrel / Kes - Rover Mechanic, Driver and Pilot - Based at Beta Base
Eagle - Robot and Computer Expert - Based at Alpha Base
Falcon - Space Vehicle Designer - Based at the Supply Station
Hawk - Inventor and Scientist - Based at Polaris Lab

THE SKAYLOR AI ROBOTS:

Atlas - Male Assistant to Condor
Echo - Female Assistant to Eagle
Ratchet - Male Assistant to Kestrel
Ace - Female Assistant to Falcon
Guardian - Male Assistant to Hawk

THE SHIPS:

Raptor - Carries all of the crew and robots to Selene.  It crashes, but later repaired for the return journey
Explorer - A Cargo Vehicle used to transport materials and crew,  and escort Merlin
Interceptor - An unmanned scout drone which is linked to Ace
Merlin - A floating fuel depot located between Legoland and Selene

THE ROVERS:

Bulldozer - Used during the construction of the bases and roads/trails between the bases
Buggy - tankers were used for the fuel crisis, Then support for Explorer and Merlin
Dune Bug - 4 of these were made for the crew to search for Condor and they were later used for the Rally
Monorail - connecting the Command Centre with the Supply Station
Vigilante Snow Tank - Hawk, Falcon and Kestrel use this to travel from Supply Station to Polaris Lab

OTHER EQUIPMENT:

The Atomic Converter
Hydroponic Units
Large Claw Exo

ROMANCES:

Hawk & Kestrel

Falcon & Kestrel

Hawk & Echo


-----



The 12 chapters:


THE SKAYLORS:

Chapter 1: Destination: Moon

In the spirit of exploration, Legoland had conceived of a mission to colonise the moon of Selene which orbited Planet Legoland.

Eagle was an AI, Robotics and Communications expert.  She had designed and built five 'Skaylor' Robots.
Eagle's robots would be issued to each of the crew members as their personal assistants.

Commander Condor named his assistant 'Atlas'.  His face was distinguished and he spoke with eloquence.  He had extensive leadership experience.  He was also a skilled geologist from a wealthy background.  His role would be to oversee the construction of five Moon Base outposts - each with specific purposes.  Atlas had been trained as a specialist in Moon Base construction - including life support systems, electrics and plumbing.

Falcon was a stocky, muscular man with a strong work-ethic and problem-solving mindset.  He was respectful and conscientious.  His new robotic rocket engineering assistant (Which he named 'Ace') would help him to construct 'Raptor' - the ship that would take them to Selene.  

Kestrel put her robot through his paces, testing his mechanical knowledge and abilities.  She named her robot 'Ratchet'.  As well as being a fine mechanic, Ratchet was also a competent pilot and driver - as was Kes herself.  She had a playful personality - bold, confident and sassy.

Hawk was a man of few words - reclusive, quiet and inwardly thoughtful.  He had a scientific background and was an inventor.  He was very anti-establishment, however he was too useful to be disregarded.  His robot 'Guardian' would serve as the crew's medic as well as assisting Hawk in the manufacture of any specialist equipment that they might find they need during the mission.


The 5 astronauts made their farewells and boarded Raptor - a magnificent looking craft that sat majestically on the Ground Control launch pad.  All of them felt anxious and fearful.  The robots were already on board.

Kes would be piloting the ship with Ratchet as co-pilot, whilst Falcon and Ace monitored the engines and other on-board systems.  Atlas would be the navigator whilst Commander Condor supervised all of the crew and robots.  Guardian was monitoring the heart rates and general health of the crew.

Hawk seemed a little lost.  He wouldn't really have any important role until they reached Selene.  He watched the exterior cameras as the people of Legoland waited excitedly to witness the momentous launch.

After all the pre-flight checks were completed, the engines fired up with a roar.  They all strapped in and within seconds they were hurtling into the clear blue Legoland sky.  Once Raptor had passed through Legoland's atmosphere the ride got smoother.  Condor gave permission for the crew to unfasten their seat belts.

Although each of them had spent time with their robot companions, the crew members were actually meeting each other for the first time.  This was how it was on Legoland - things tended to happen spontaneously with plans put into play impulsively.  This was a good opportunity for them to get to know each other - sharing some of their background achievements and experiences.  Each of them was trying to get a clearer understanding of one another's personalities and quirks. They were all enjoying the interaction and the robots were also adding to the conversation, in-between focusing on the flight.

Suddenly an alarm sound interrupted their chat.  'What's that?' Condor asked quickly.  Falcon turned his eyes to his computer console to find the answer.  The fuel reserve for the main engines was almost entirely depleted. Falcon didn't want to accept the reading.  He felt ashamed to announce the news to the others.

'WHAT?!' shouted Condor, suddenly switching his demeanour.  'How is this possible?!'

'I must have miscalculated the fuel consumption... or perhaps there were some unforeseen forces upon the ship and the engines had compensated for it by increasing the intake.'

Falcon was hoping his second explanation would shift some of the blame off him and redirect it toward an unknown anomaly.

'Why didn't you notice this?' Eagle asked Ace.  She was feeling partially responsible as it was her that had created the Skaylor robots and they should not have missed such an important detail.

'I have no explanation for it' answered Ace. 'I am conducting further examinations' she continued.

Kestrel's mind was now racing.  She needed to formulate a strategy for landing the ship without fuel.  'We can use the retro rockets to help soften the landing' she said in an attempt to offer the others a glimmer of hope.

Falcon knew this wouldn't be enough.  'We're going to crash.' he said bluntly.


Chapter 2: The Crash

Raptor was now fast approaching Selene as it grew larger on their display screens.  They could no longer make out the horizon.

Kestrel decided that she would attempt a circling manoeuvre in an effort to slow down the approach.  She was able to pull the ship hard to the right.  The G-forces from this move made it difficult for any of them to function.

'We are veering from the target destination for the Command Centre' reported Atlas calmly.

'Kes - What are you doing?' asked Connor.

She didn't have time to explain.  Nobody bothered to respond to Atlas's observation.  They were now entirely focused on trying to survive the imminent crash landing.

Kestrel's intervention was partially successful - The descent speed had decreased, however they had now gone into a full uncontrollable spin.

At this point all of the human crew members had entered a state of frozen horror.  Only the robots were able to continue operating rationally.

Ratchet took over the flight controls activating the retro-rockets.  Atlas continued monitoring their location and trajectory.

Guardian was attempting to calm the human crew members down. 'Almost there now' he said 'Ratchet has taken over control of the ship' he continued, trying to reassure them.

Echo was busy diverting the ships systems to prioritize those which would assist the landing.

Suddenly the ship impacted onto the solid ice lake surface sending huge fractures and cracks through the shuddering ice and sending debris flying in all directions.
The human crew members were instantly knocked unconscious.  Parts of the ship collapsed and panels broke off - splintering to the floor of Raptor's interior.  Several fires erupted.

One of Condor's legs was caught in the flames.  The pain brought him around and he started screaming in pain.  Guardian quickly attended to him using a fire extinguisher to deal with the blaze and then dressing his burns.

Kestrel, Falcon, Eagle and Hawk were also regaining consciousness.

A huge split in the hull of the ship had exposed them to the outer atmosphere of Selene.  Ice-cold winds were now sweeping in.  All of them had kept their spacesuits and helmets on during the flight as per regulations.
They were all alive... for now.

The crew were still dazed but were now starting to assess their predicament.  Things were very different here to the life they were accustomed to on Legoland.  They were far from the landing site that had been planned as the location for their primary base - 'Command Centre'.

'What a mess!' thought Condor, trying to take his mind from the constant pain from his burned leg.  But each of them had done the best they could given the situation.  The Skaylor robots had proven themselves invaluable.  Without their interventions they would all surely have perished.



Chapter 3:  The Atomic Converter

Echo and Ace carried Condor out of the wreckage to join the others who were already standing on the ice - observing for the first time what remained of Falcon's ship.

Atlas once again reminded them that the mission had strayed very far off course and this stirred Condor to clear his head and take charge again.  Thinking aloud he said 'We will need to construct rovers in order to reach the Command Centre site'.

Kestrel was glad to see that he still had the drive to continue with the mission. 'I used to build Dune Bug's for fun when I was younger.' she replied.

'Could you build some - repurposing materials from the ship?' he asked.

'I could' she said.  'Most of what we would need is here.  However we don't have any rubber tyres.' she continued.  She thought this might be a show-stopper but then Hawk broke his silence.

'This my friends... is where I come in.' he said.  Hawk was carrying a strange device which resembled what could have been a large camera or even some sort of gun.  It had a sight fitted on one side and a number of unmarked buttons and dials.  Attached to the device was a hose which dangled down to the ground with a nozzle at the end.  It was like a camera which doubled as a vacuum cleaner.

Everyone stared at him looking both surprised and confused.  The device looked almost comical.

'May I present to you - The Atomic Converter' Hawk continued.

'Say what?' said Kestrel looking very doubtful.  They were all intrigued.

'This device.... believe it or not - collects small stones, dirt and dust from the ground and then breaks them down into compressed sub-atomic particles.  It then fires a particle beam from here' he explained, pointing to the front end of the device.  The particles and atoms are rearranged, creating completely new materials or components which can then be assembled in the form of equipment, building blocks or even...' he paused tuning the dials and pressing buttons on the device - 'Rubber tyres!'.  He held the device steadily, aiming it at the ice and pressing a trigger.  The particle beam was like a shaft of light shining onto the ice.  As he continued to press the trigger - a rubber tyre was materialising before them on the ground.  They noticed that a perfectly spherical hole in the ice had appeared directly below where the nozzle was dangling.  'It seems to work with ice as well' he added - seeming surprised himself by this.

The others stood open-mouthed and thoughts started running through their minds - questioning the potential uses for such a powerful device.  'Why had none of them ever heard of it until now?'.  It seemed like an absolute game-changer.  And it was.

Even Condor was unaware of the Atomic Converter.  He had only been given a brief overview of the mission and almost no information about his crew mates.  All he knew was that he would be teaming up with a small group of outstanding individuals - each with their own unique skills.  'Okay!... Well then... let's get to work!' he said - modestly playing down what he had just witnessed.

Condor's words set the team in motion.  He was unable to help out with any of the physical work himself and Guardian stayed with him, whilst the other four humans and robots got to work on building four Dune Bug's and another Buggy with trailers attached to the back.  Kestrel, Eagle, Falcon and Hawk would drive the Dune Bug's and Ratchet would drive the other Buggy.  Condor, Atlas, Echo, Ace and Guardian would sit in the trailers for the journey across the ice.

The pace of their combined teamwork was incredible.  The Skaylors never suffered from fatigue.  They were powered by internal nuclear reactors and did not require any recharge or rest periods.  They could work around the clock, always remaining focused on their given duties.

The rovers were ready - Four Dune Bug's and the other Buggy with the trailers hitched to the back.  Hawk had made all of the tyres using the Atomic Converter.  It was cold and unpleasant at their present location, so they wasted no time in setting off in the direction of the Command Centre site.


Chapter 4: Command Centre

The convoy of buggies reached the edge of the ice lake and they were now driving across a flat sandy plain.  There were large rocks and boulders scattered around, which they weaved their way through.  The landscape then seemed to change again.  They were now entering a desert of steep sand dunes.  Atlas carefully navigated a route through them which allowed them to avoid having to climb the steepest of them.  On a couple of occasions the trailers got stuck in the sand and they had to stop whilst the robots dug them free and they were able to continue on. Suddenly the convoy stopped and they dismounted - apart from Condor who remained in his trailer.  They had reached the edge of a giant crater.  It was too steep to go through it. but they were able to find a way around the edge of the crater in order to reach the other side.  They now had reached a mostly featureless flat sandy open area.  Atlas informed the others that they had reached the site where their first base was to be constructed.

The humans needed to rest after the long journey.  They lay down together on the soft sand.  Condor had wondered why there had been no mention of the building materials they required to build the Moon Bases.  He had assumed everything had been packed aboard Raptor before they left.  He had never spoken with Falcon or been given details of the cargo they might be carrying.  But now after Hawk's surprising revelation it was starting to make sense.  They didn't need to take any building materials because Hawk's Atomic Converter could provide them with everything they needed - the sands of Selene would be the only thing they needed - and there were endless amounts of it.

Atlas asked Hawk whether he could show them how to operate the converter, so that they could get started on the base whilst the humans were resting.

Hawk refused the request.  The others, overhearing this turned to look at Hawk.  They didn't expect this reaction.

'Only I have control and use of the Atomic Converter' he said.

'YOU WILL DO AS YOU ARE INSTRUCTED!' interjected Condor, feeling that his leadership was being undermined.

'The Atomic Converter is my greatest creation' answered Hawk calmly - trying to de-escalate the tone of the conversation.  'Probably THE greatest creation. Such a strategically important device must never be allowed to fall into the wrong hands.  Without my consent - nobody uses it.' he concluded.

Condor did not like Hawk's disregard for his authority but it seemed that he had no choice but to accept Hawk's demand.  He couldn't force Hawk to show them how to operate it.  The dials and buttons on the device gave no clues to how it functioned.  Condor didn't want to start a conflict with Hawk.  There was something odd about Hawk, but Condor couldn't exactly pin down what it was.  Sometimes geniuses could be difficult to work with.

Hawk had a slender build - somewhat frail looking.  Falcon considered this for a moment - understanding that if it came down to a physical fight - Hawk would be no match for him.

'It seems you have made yourself indispensable to us.' Condor said.

Hawk smiled for the first time that anyone had noticed.  'Ah... you see - I would be indispensable to you all regardless of my Atomic Converter.' he replied.

'How so?' asked Kestrel in a teasingly dismissive way.

'The original plan was that Raptor would make regular trips back to Legoland to bring supplies - Food, Octan and most importantly.... Oxygen.  It would seem that this part of the plan is no longer viable.'

Kestrel's eyes opened widely.  They had been so thankful to still be alive after the crash, and then they had turned their immediate attention to making the buggies in order to escape the freezing polar region of the moon.  Also everyone was feeling empathetic to Condors injury.  It was clearly extremely painful for him.  Even slight movements would cause him to flinch.  But now as they sat resting in the soft sand at the Command Centre site - a realisation was allowed to sink in - They were all now stranded on Selene.

Hawk distracted them from lingering on this by offering up a plan for the near future.  'If Atlas can provide me with a shopping list of parts needed to construct the Command Centre, I can start making them with the converter.  Once that is done, I must return to the crash site.' he continued.

'Why do you need to go back to the ship?' asked Eagle.

'Because my dear - That frozen lake is the answer to our oxygen and food problem.  Even your wonderful tin men lack the skills to set up a lab where we can start producing those.  I will need Atlas and Guardian to come with me.'

'Can't you just make the food and oxygen using the Atomic Converter?' asked Condor.

'The converter has some limitations I'm afraid.  It can't make liquids or gases - only solid objects.  If it could, I would have used it earlier to make extra fuel - whilst we were still aboard the ship.  We could have avoided the crash all together.' he explained.

A new question came into Condor's head - 'Could Hawk have deliberately sabotaged the mission?'.  They were together with him in the small crew area the whole time though.  There was no way he could have released the fuel without someone noticing - especially the robots - they didn't miss anything.  Also his actions so far had been positive.  He had provided the essential buggy tyres for them and was now offering solutions to other problems.

Atlas was also considering various possible scenarios.  He could wait until Hawk was sleeping and then take the converter from him.  Between them - they might be able to figure out how to operate it without Hawk's involvement.

'Why do you need those two particular robots to go with you?' Falcon asked Hawk.

'Atlas has the Moon Base building knowledge required to assemble my lab and Guardian has an understanding of the lab equipment that will I require.  With the two robots and the converter - I can get the lab operational far quicker - and time is against us.'

'But we need Atlas here to help build the Command Centre.' argued Eagle.

Atlas can instruct Echo, Ratchet and Ace how to go about assembling it.  They are all engineers.  I am sure they will be capable of putting the base together.  I'm sure even you, Falcon and Condor could even manage it at a push.  With all of you working together, you'll have the base up in no time.'

'There's something else we will need' added Kestrel.  'A bulldozer.'

'Add it to the parts list' sighed Hawk - realising that he would soon be spending a lot of time on the tedious task of making all the parts.


Chapter 5: Infrastructure

The days blurred with no sign of the workload easing for the Raptor crew and their robotic counterparts.  Hawk prepared all the parts using his Atomic Converter as requirements emerged.

Kestrel and Ratchet had assembled the bulldozer and used it to level an area of the ground.

The deck of the blue-coloured Command Centre was elevated slightly above the surface by utilizing several pneumatic supports.  There were two steps at the entrance allowing them to ascend to the airlock door.

Inside, a computer console was positioned at one end of the long rectangular structure.  A high-back rotating chair was positioned in front of the terminal.  This chair was reserved for Commander Condor.  From here he would oversee all of the mission operations.  Atlas of course did not require a seat, but this would be his designated location too as Condor's assistant.  In the middle was a small yellow-coloured table which allowed a maximum of two occupants at any given time.  This table would double as a desk for Condor to sit at whilst holding meetings or planning the tasks of the day, whilst also serving as the place where they all ate. They had their meals in shifts so that work never entirely stopped.  The seats either side of the table were smaller and more basic than Condor's chair.  The high back of the chair and the arm rests helped to symbolise his superior position as the leader, whilst the lower ranking team members did not get to enjoy such luxuries as lumbar support or arm rests.  Further along in the open-plan Command Centre were four make-shift beds - also in yellow to match the colour of the table.  This was where Condor, Kestrel, Eagle and Falcon had been sleeping thus far.  The arrangement was far from ideal as there was a distinct lack of privacy.  Set into two walls of the base were transparent yellow tinted windows which helped reduce the feeling of confinement, and offering an observation point for activities that were going on outside. The glass was specially designed to block out the intense daylight that was emitted from Helios - The sun which Planet Legoland orbited around.  The Skaylor robots could continue working whilst the crew members slept.  Each time they awoke from their rest shift, they would check the progress the Skaylors had achieved.  Their productivity was beyond anything Legoland was used to.  Back home, things were generally done more casually, but here it was critical to stay on top of the work as their survival demanded it.

The bulldozer that was initially used to clear the ground for the base had been further used to make a road.  The road had made the journey to and from 'Polaris Lab' far easier than their initial trip to the Command Centre site.  It was a long distance though.  Hawk was now living at the lab full time with Guardian.  He made regular trips using the buggy with trailers to bring fresh oxygen tanks and vegetables.  He had been successful in creating a hydroponic garden at the lab and the crew were grateful to be able to eat organic food that was far preferrable to the paste ration packs that they had been supplied with.

After Condor and Atlas had conducted some ground surveys a little way from the Command Centre, they had settled on a location for their next Base which would act as a Supply Station.  This would be where Falcon and Ace would be situated going forward.  Atlas would prepare lists of parts that they needed and pass them to Ratchet.  He would then travel to Polaris Lab using one of the Dune Bug's and hand the lists to Hawk.  Then, either Kes or Ratchet would return again to Polaris with the trailer buggy to load it up with the parts that Hawk had dutifully made.  Driving and piloting were really Kes and Ratchet's main roles on this mission, but being able to build and repair the rovers was also an essential part of their skill set.  Being a long-distance driver wasn't suited to everyone.  It took stamina.  Making the same monotonous journey repeatedly didn't affect Ratchet.  But Kestrel dealt with this aspect of her job well.

Hawk was now living quite a solitary life - which suited him.  He had Guardian to keep him company, however he did look forward to Kestrel's visits to Polaris Base.  He was now accustomed to her cheeky jokes and teases, and he was happy to play along with her little games.  Sometimes he offered her a special treat - Strawberries.  They were difficult to grow but he was able to make them in small quantities occasionally.

Eagle had been planning her operation which was to set up a communication network.  'Alpha-1 Base' would be the communication hub.  A number of rocket launches would be required in order to put several satellites into orbit around Selene and a large receiver dish would be needed to send and receive transmissions to the satellites.  Those satellites might even be able to open communications with Legoland.  Condor was also keen for Eagle to get started on this project, but they had to allow time for Hawk to fulfil his many requests - not only providing food and oxygen but also all of the parts for the new outposts.

Eagle had another project in mind.  This one she kept secret.  Eagle's long term goal was for her Skaylor robots to become her future business empire.  Once people had seen just how incredibly useful they had been on the Selene colonisation mission - there would be high demand for her robots.  To really showcase just how good the Skaylors were - she would have them work on a side project - an underground monorail train.  It wouldn't have to connect all of the bases - but it would be an example of what was possible.  Since the Supply Station was close to the Command Centre she would command the Skaylors to tunnel between the two locations and then lay the track and make the train itself.  This train would allow them to transport bulk amounts of supplies over to the Command Centre.  The robots could work on this side project in between performing their other tasks and only when everyone was asleep.  The monorail would be a surprise for her to reveal later on.  It's construction would take a while.

Falcon was in a similar situation.  He was building a supply stock of the parts and provisions that Hawk was providing, but he really wanted to get back to his true calling as a ship builder.  He had several schemes in mind.  Firstly to make a small unmanned hover drone which he referred to as 'Interceptor'.  This scout drone would be controlled remotely by Ace - his robot assistant.  The next more ambitious project was to make a general-purpose ship which he called 'Explorer'.  It would be able to carry cargo and crew around Selene much faster than the rovers could.  It wouldn't have the capability to get them back to Legoland - that would require a much greater effort.  He had played the events of Raptor's journey to Selene over and over in his head.  The fuel shortage was the problem.   His ultimate ambition now was to repair Raptor and get them home.  But he knew that they would likely face the same fuel shortage again on a return journey to Legoland.  His answer to this was to build another unmanned ship which he called 'Refueller'.  It would be a sort of floating fuel depot.  It only needed to position itself half way between Selene and Legoland.  Once in position, they could launch the repaired Raptor ship, fly it to dock with Refueller which would then allow them to complete the journey back home - and without any crash landings this time!  Falcon had not revealed his plan yet to Condor.  One reason for this was that Condor was busy coordinating everything.  He didn't have much time to talk with Falcon and any conversations that he had with him were related to supplies.

The final base that was planned was 'Beta-1'.  This base would be run and occupied by Kestrel and Ratchet and serve as a rover production and maintenance station.  Condor saw the rovers as being the only means of transportation on Selene.  He had no plan to make ships, although the idea of repairing Raptor was on his mind.  He just hadn't had a chance yet to discuss that possibility with Falcon.  He wasn't optimistic after seeing the extent of the damage at the crash site.  He thought that Legoland might attempt a rescue mission.  That scenario felt almost like an impossibility though at this stage.  Even if it did happen it wouldn't be soon, so for now his focus was on keeping them alive and completing the goals of the mission that he had been given.



Chapter 6: At All Costs

Those were the precise words Eagle had given to Echo. 'Keep the tunnel a secret - AT ALL COSTS'.  She had used this common expression but any nuance had been lost on her Skaylor robots.  The cost had been Commander Condor's life.

The robots had already made good progress in turning Eagle's secret monorail project into a reality.  One night, Condor was struggling to sleep.  His leg was still causing him issues.  He could barely walk. He stood up from his bed and wearily looked out of the window.  In the distance he could see four robots working away as usual.  But then suddenly they all descended into the ground.  Condor waited a while to see if they would return - but they didn't.  He went outside and hobbled over to the area where he had seen the robots.  There was a hole in the ground.  A steep slope led downwards towards an opening - some sort of dark cavern.  A lintel had been put in place to prevent the cavern entrance from collapsing.  Carefully he began climbing down the steep gravel ramp but he lost his grip on the loose earth and tumbled to the bottom.  He looked into the dark tunnel.  In the distance he could see lights.  Some of the robots had lights built into their heads and Condor recognised that this is what he was seeing.  The Skaylors had heard him and approached.  'What are you doing?' Condor asked.  They didn't answer.  Recalling Eagle's clear instruction they worked in unison.  Ace and Echo held each of his arms whilst Atlas pinned his ankles to the floor.  Condor fought frantically but it was no use.  Ratchet moved around behind him and leaned over him as he lay pinned to the ground.  He could see Ratchet's head - upside down from his point of view.  Ratchet removed Condor's helmet with precision.  Condor had a few seconds to express his surprise before gasping.  Without the helmet he soon lost consciousness.  The robots released his lifeless body and Atlas instructed the others to dig into the tunnel wall.  They threw Commander Condor into this hole in the tunnel wall and then proceeded to fill it in again - leaving no trace of him.

It didn't take long at all for the team to notice Condor's absence.  They were accustomed to regular communication and instructions from him and suddenly there was radio silence.

Hawk helped Falcon by providing the parts he needed to build his Interceptor drone.  Eagle then intervened in order to link Ace to Interceptor.  The drone was now like an extension of Ace - She could now be present in two locations simultaneously.  With the Skaylors' multi-tasking capabilities this did not present any issue for Ace.  This new setup enhanced the Skaylor's capabilities even more and Eagle was excited at the prospect of being able to offer the drones as an upgrade option.  At the right time - she would speak with Falcon about the idea of a partnership - him providing the Interceptor drones and she would focus on mass-producing the robots.  Part of the beauty of it was that the Skaylor's would be the ones working the production lines - Skaylors making Skaylors.  Eagle had already done the hardest part - making 5 working prototypes and convincing the right people in order to have them included in this high-profile mission.

'I will organise a search for Commander Condor' said Falcon.

'Leave that to me...' Eagle replied.  'I know more about the robots than all of you. They can conduct the search far more efficiently than we can.' she added.

Kestrel wanted to be involved with the search.  'I can't just sit here!... Knowing that the Commander might be close by somewhere - perhaps in need of help.' she announced climbing into one of the Dune Bug's and promptly driving away.

Falcon turned to Hawk. 'I suppose we should do the same.' he added, following Kestrel's lead and climbing into another of the Dune Bug's.

'With that injured leg Condor can't have gotten that far away.' Hawk reasoned.  He shrugged and also joined Kestrel and Falcon in another Dune Bug.

Once they had left, Eagle spoke to the robots.  'I am aware that you have started on my tunnel' she said.  I don't want the others to find it - not yet - It has to be a surprise.  Make sure the entrance to the tunnel is well hidden and then return here for further instructions.' she continued.  She was aware of the tunnel, but unaware that it was her own instruction that was behind Condor's mysterious disappearance or of the irony that his body was currently buried within that very same tunnel.

Kestrel, Falcon and Hawk's natural reactions were the same.  They all headed toward the huge crater which was close to the Command Centre.  They all had the same thought - having visions of Condor falling into the crater.  They parked up - reunited once again and looked down into the crater.

'No sign of him.' said Kestrel.  They knew that Condor was not an idiot.  He wouldn't be so foolish as to have allowed himself to fall into the crater.  Yet they still needed to rule it out.  Where else could he have gone?  The area around the Command Base was flat and open.  If he was there - they would have spotted him already.  It didn't add up.

When the robots returned after covering the entrance to the tunnel she gave them their next instructions.  'I want you to spread out around the Command Centre.  Conduct a search - monitor for any life signs.  Ace - use your Interceptor Drone to look for humans.  Work together so that you are not covering the same ground twice.'

The robots did as she had commanded.  They soon reported back that they had found something.  Her hopes were raised - But she soon learned that it was only Kestrel, Falcon and Hawk they had found.  They matched the description for what they were searching for.

Eagle was slightly angry at herself that she had not excluded them from her instruction.  With robots you had to be very specific about what you wanted.  Whilst it was obvious to any human that they should exclude Kestrel, Hawk and Falcon from the search - to the robots it was not obvious.  To the Skaylors - many of the things they were asked to do made no logical sense - but they obeyed their orders regardless.



Chapter 7: Hello Legoland

With Condor gone, the dynamic had changed.  Who was even in charge now?  Was it Atlas?  A robot in charge of the mission.

They were continuing with the mission objectives anyway, and the next one was to build the Alpha Base - Eagle's specialist department.  If they could get in contact with Legoland and update them on their situation it would perhaps open up new possibilities.  Plus they missed the connection to home.

'Why do we need to build it so far away from the Command Centre?' Hawk asked to Eagle as they unloaded parts from the trailers.

'One reason is - we need to launch rockets from here - to get the satellites up.  Rockets have this nasty habit of exploding now and then.  Another one is that we have a lot of monitoring equipment and machinery at the Command Centre.  Those can cause signal interference.' explained Eagle.

'I must say that your robots are quite remarkable.' Hawk continued.  'Having Guardian with me at the lab has been invaluable.'

'Believe it or not, I've never actually been to your lab.  I haven't been back to the crash site...' Eagle replied.

'No... I suppose you haven't.' Hawk said.  'We have really made some good progress over there.' he said - holding out his closed fist and slowly opening it to reveal some of the strawberries he had grown.

'Strawberries!' Eagle exclaimed. 'How did you...?'

Kestrel was also at the Alpha Base.  Her role was to transport the parts over to the new site.  She was a little way from Hawk and Eagle, leaning against one of the trailers.  She was just close enough to hear their conversation.  He was giving Eagle strawberries now.  Kestrel thought that gesture - that intimate moment they had shared alone at Polaris was something special.  It wasn't the only intimacy they had shared together at the lab.  They had been under constant stress since they arrived.  They all knew what they were signing up for though - that there would be danger.  Both of them appreciated the distraction - a little pleasure to ease the situation.  Also Kestrel respected Hawk.  He was clearly a genius, but there was something else about him.  When you spoke to him - his attention was intense.  He wasn't just listening to you, he was reading every detail - seeing into your soul.  He was considering all of your motivations, understanding at a deep level why you were behaving the way you were.  Kestrel liked having the attention.  But now that attention was focused entirely on Eagle and she didn't like it.

'Your robots are really the pinnacle of the electronic era.' Hawk complimented.

'I should hire you as my marketing agent' Eagle smiled. 'My robots really pale in comparison to your achievement.  The Atomic Converter is just unbelievable!' she said.  'I suppose we are both pushing the boundaries of technological advancement.'

'My work is more... biological... more... organic.' explained Hawk.  'The next leaps forward are going to be in Bio-tech.  In fact Guardian and I have been looking at an interesting possible adaptation to the Atomic Converter'.

'More biological!' Kestrel thought to herself.  Was he now going to get 'biological' with Eagle?

'What sort of adaptation?' Eagle asked.

'Well... I'm not sure about this, but I might actually be able to give your robots organic bodies - Bones, muscles, skin, hair - everything.' said Hawk.

'You just never cease to blow my mind Hawk!' answered Eagle.

Falcon and Ace were helping with the rocket launches.  Soon the satellites were all in place - equidistantly orbiting around Selene.

Atlas and Ratchet had assembled the huge communication dish and were tilting it toward the sky.

'Hello? Alpha Base to Ground Control.  Please respond.' Eagle said repeatedly into the microphone at her new terminal.

After a moment of silence a voice came from the speakers that were positioned either side of the new building. 'Hello Alpha Base.  It's wonderful to hear from you Eagle!' the voice said.

Eagle, Falcon and Kestrel let out a cheer.

'Well done Eagle...' said Hawk.  'Very well done!'.





Chapter 8: Games and Surprises

Eagle relayed the news about the crash, the loss of Condor and the progress of the mission back to Legoland Ground Control.  They had thought the worst having not heard anything from Raptor until now.  They would look into the feasibility of a rescue mission.

This contact had given the crew a renewed sense of hope but at the same time ominous feelings lingered as well as paranoia.  Condor's disappearance had caused suspicions to rise.  Had someone killed Commander Condor?  And if so - Why?

Guardian suggested the humans should take a little break from work. Their continued low morale, worry and physical exertion had taken a toll on them and this had not gone unnoticed by Guardian.

'What kind of recreation can we have here?' asked Kestrel.

'How about a game of football?' Falcon suggested.

The gravity on Selene was much lower than it was on Legoland.  Playing football here could be very interesting indeed.

They all liked Falcon's idea and agreed.

The robots were able to make a stadium of sorts without requiring much effort and marked out the pitch.

Atlas would act as the referee, whilst Ace, Ratchet, Echo and Guardian would spectate - offering encouragement to the players.

The humans teamed up - Falcon and Eagle would be competing against Hawk and Kestrel.  Hawk and Eagle would be the goal keepers, with Falcon and Kestrel battling it out for the ball which Hawk had kindly made for the occasion.

Atlas generated a whistle sound and the match commenced.

Falcon and Kestrel were going back and forth up and down the pitch - running in slow motion and trying their best to get control of the ball in their bulky space suits, leaving Hawk and Eagle with little to do but watch.

They were both laughing hysterically at the absurdity of it all.  They fell over numerous times.  They were pulling tongues at each other whilst trying their hardest to gain possession of the ball.

There was a chemistry between Falcon and Kestrel that Hawk had not noticed before.  They were both mechanics and shared many of the same interests.  They may not have been as intellectually gifted as himself or Eagle, but they were very good at what they did.  They worked fast and efficiently and rarely made any mistakes.  Kestrel had put together those Dune Bug's just from salvaged parts they could find from the wreckage of Raptor.  Normally you would have expected there to be some teething issues - but those Dune Bug's just worked - perfectly - right from assembly.  That was what gave people like Falcon and Kestrel the edge - They worked methodically, knew their craft inside out and avoided sloppy mistakes.  Seeing Kestrel like this with Falcon did hit Hawk though.  He had shared an intimate bond with her at Polaris, but recently they had grown apart.  He hadn't had much involvement working with Eagle until now and she was more on Hawk's wavelength.  Eagle was an attractive woman - but different from Kestrel.  Kestrel was bold, playful and sexy whereas Eagle was more elegant and reserved.  Hawk's conversations with Eagle had a deeper level of sophistication.  It was at this moment that he realised that he has probably lost Kestrel and he wasn't sure how to feel about it.  Hawk wasn't the best at emotional displays.  He operated more on logic than emotion and he understood now that he had failed to give Kestrel the emotional support that she needed.

Falcon was strong but Kestrel was agile and that gave her an advantage.  She had managed to get the ball finally and direct it towards Eagle's goal mouth.  She kicked the ball and scored.  Eagle was hopeless at physical games.  That really wasn't her thing.  Her entrepreneurial mind was her strength combined with an in-depth knowledge of computers, robotics and communications.

The successful goal seemed to naturally mark the end of the match and which was the winning team.  The event had achieved it's purpose.  They went back to the Command Centre to get drinks.  Whilst Hawk had some mixed feelings - he had found the game entertaining despite not really having any direct involvement in it.  The robots all left to start working on the final base - Beta-1.

Falcon and Kestrel were sitting on two of the yellow beds at one end of the base.  Hawk was sitting at the little yellow table and Eagle was spinning around in Condor's chair.  Kestrel was quizzing Falcon about his plans for Explorer and Refueller, whilst Hawk and Eagle were having a separate conversation.

'Tell me...' said Hawk.  'Do your robots keep video recordings of everything they see?'

'Yes - they do.' Eagle replied.  We keep an archive of them at the Supply Station.'

'I wonder whether those videos might give us some clues as to what happened to Condor.' Hawk continued.

Eagle stopped spinning the chair.  'I didn't think of that.' she said suddenly remembering something.

'All of you - come with me' she said.  'I have something to show you.'

She led them outside into the clearing.  She leaned down pulling on a plastic sheet that was covered in sand.  What was once a hole in the ground was now a stairwell.

Falcon, Kestrel and Hawk looked at each other in disbelief.

'Right this way...' Eagle smiled, leading them down the steps to the platform of the underground monorail - now complete with train.



Chapter 9: Ambiguity

This was a problem for AI robots.  Humans had a tendency to ask questions or give commands that were lacking clarity.  To combat this - the AI would attempt to decipher the most likely interpretation of what they wanted.

'Keep the tunnel a secret - AT ALL COSTS' - this was the instruction Eagle had given to all of her robots.

What was the scope for who they were keeping it a secret from?  They had deduced that since Eagle was the one that was making the request for the tunnel and to keep it secret - she already knew of it - so they would not be keeping it secret from her.  They also understood that since all of the robots are present - and are involved in digging the tunnel - they are not keeping it a secret from themselves.  So who were they keeping it a secret from?  Everyone else.  Anyone who is not within earshot of their present meeting, anyone else on the moon of Selene, anyone else that might arrive from Planet Legoland - or from anywhere else.

How long did they need to keep it a secret for?  Unspecified.  Therefore they would endeavour to keep the tunnel a secret indefinitely or until further notice.

What were the boundaries for how they should go about keeping it a secret?  AT ALL COSTS - Meaning - take any action necessary to prevent knowledge of the tunnel spreading.

The robots were all at the Beta-1 base now, and Eagle had shown Falcon, Hawk and Kestrel the tunnel.  But the robots were not aware of this fact.

If anyone other that Eagle even mentioned the tunnel in front of those robots - they were putting their lives in danger.  If Eagle started talking about the tunnel with anyone other than the robots - then she too would be in danger.

Eagle had not revoked the instruction and so it was still active.  Inadvertently she had turned her useful robots into murderous killing machines and it was almost only a matter of time before someone would trigger a slaughter.


The train was currently configured for passengers - an enclosed carriage with sliding doors and seating within.

'Are we going for a ride?' asked Kestrel.

'Of course!' answered Eagle, pressing the button to activate the sliding doors.  They stepped inside and Eagle pressed another button which caused the doors to close and the train began moving along the track.

The tunnel had no lighting and they were soon plunged into darkness.  'I will have to do something about the lighting' Eagle commented.

'It is JUST A LITTLE BIT SCARY!' Falcon said.

After a short while they arrived at another platform.  They disembarked and climbed another set of steps which emerged next to a stack of crates.  They were in a storage area right at the back of the Supply Station.

'Wow! I wasn't even aware this was here!' admitted Falcon.

It was time to start building spaceships and Falcon couldn't wait to get started.  Firstly they needed a way to lift and position the large panels, engines and other components into position.  The ships were a lot bigger than building little rovers.

Eagle summoned the robots to stop working on the Beta-1 base for now, and for all of them to come to the Supply Station to assist.  She was able to contact them via a computer terminal at the Supply Station.

The Skaylors were making use of the Trailer Buggy at Beta-1.  They were using it now to travel to the Supply Station.

'We need to build Explorer and we need to build Refueller.  But first we need to build an Exo suit.' said Falcon.

They all got to work on what they would refer to as 'The Large Claw Exo'.  It was like a giant blue humanoid robot.

Once completed, Falcon stood within the Exo using levers to control the arms and claws.  The Exo could swivel at the waist and could even walk using it's giant legs - not very well though, and it was a very bumpy ride for the occupant.

Hawk looked up at Falcon who was now towering above him. 'Errrr... I don't want to state the obvious but - How are we going to fuel these ships?' he asked.

The rovers were all electrically powered - running on nuclear batteries similar to the ones contained within the Skaylors.  But ships required fuel for the rockets and jets.

Even the Interceptor drone needed it - however due to it's smaller mass and the low gravity of Selene - it didn't require much at all.

Falcon looked blankly back at Hawk.  This indeed was a huge problem!



Chapter 10: Deceptions

'Can't we just dig for oil or something?' asked Kestrel.

'Fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas come from ancient organic matter that was buried and transformed over millions of years...' Hawk replied.

'There never was any ancient organic matter here.  No trees - no oceans, no fossil fuels.' he continued.  'But... it might be possible to find a source of helium-3 and utilize that in some form of nuclear fusion.' he pondered.

'I've heard that a nuclear fusion propellant system might theoretically be possible.' interrupted Falcon. 'But it's never been done.  Plus - we don't have any helium-3.'.

Ace stepped in: 'If we could create a bio-fuel and oxidizer that can offer a high performance clean burn - a biodiesel, ethanol or kerosene combined with liquid oxygen - this would be more compatible with our existing rocket-based engines.'

Ace had out-classed Falcon with her suggestion.  But Falcon wasn't a fuel expert - he was a mechanical engineer.  His face showed that he didn't like being out-smarted by a robot.

'I can't make that directly with the Atomic Converter' said Hawk.  'But I MIGHT be able to find a way of making it at the lab.' 

'I suggest that Hawk goes to the lab to try and make this bio-fuel.' said Atlas.  'Meanwhile we can be building the Explorer and Refueller ships in readiness.'

'I will need Guardian of course and possibly some others to help out.' said Hawk.

'I will need as many robots as possible that can assist with the assembly' argued Falcon.  Giving the robots commands and orders re-affirmed his dominance over them.

Whilst the others had been working on The Large Claw Exo, Eagle had been searching the Skaylor video archives.  A lot of the night footage had been deleted.  She wondered how or why it would have been deleted - but then she realised something.  All of the missing footage correlated with the time the Skaylors had been digging the tunnel.  She had told them to keep that activity secret - and so they had took it upon themselves to delete any video evidence of the tunnel work.  Could her robots have killed the Commander?  She decided not to mention this to anyone for the time being.  She had to think this through carefully.  If it was true - something like this would ruin her enterprise - she would be shut down at a minimum and at worst - held accountable for Condor's death.  She didn't want to be around the robots right now.

'Listen - I've been thinking' Eagle said to Hawk.  'I don't need Echo right now and she is not really the right robot to be building spaceships.  But perhaps she can be of assistance to you at Polaris Lab.'

'That would be perfect.' answered Hawk. 'Maybe you could come along too?' he suggested.

'No... I should get back to Alpha Base and keep the communications open with Ground Control' she said.

'Fair enough!' said Hawk.  'I will make whatever parts Falcon needs now and then I will take Guardian and Echo to Polaris in the Dune Bug's.  Are you sure you will be okay at Alpha Base on your own?'

'Yes - I can take care of myself.' she replied - slightly offended by the suggestion that she might not be capable.

Hawk had manufactured a huge pile of parts, and the Atomic Converter was now hot to the touch.  It generated a lot of heat when it was in use, and Hawk made a point of taking small breaks during intensive builds, to allow the device to cool down.

'Guardian, Echo - Come on!  We're going to Polaris Lab'. Hawk said.

He took another look at Eagle.  Her face had become more attractive to him.  'Don't worry - I will take good care of Echo.' he reassured with a smile.

Eagle was like an over-protective mother towards her robot creations - which was understandable.  She had put so much time and effort into developing them - and these 5 examples were the only prototypes in existence.

'Good luck!' she replied - unable to think of any other appropriate response to conclude their conversation.

Hawk climbed into one of the Dune Bug's and Echo and Guardian picked a Dune Bug each also.  Kestrel looked up from what she was working on to see Hawk's arm raised as he waved farewell - throwing up clouds of dust as the Dune Bug's sped away.  She rolled her eyes.

Echo noticed that Hawk was driving very fast - possibly recklessly.  He seemed to be very eager, but something was amiss.  They were heading toward the Command Centre - not Polaris Lab.

Hawk pulled up at the entrance to the Command Centre. 'Wait here a moment. I just need to get something.' he explained - pulling out an empty, flat zip-lock bag made of foil.  He went through the airlock into the Command Centre.

He wasn't in there long.  He walked back to his Dune Bug.  The foil bag now had something inside.

'What's that?' asked Echo.

'Just something I need - Don't worry about it.' he said dismissively.

Echo had noticed something about humans.  Sometimes they had the option to say 'I'm just going to get my helmet' but instead they would say 'I'm just going to get something'.  It would take no extra effort to replace the word 'something' with 'my helmet'.  She understood this to mean that the human didn't want people to know what that 'something' was.  So with that in mind - she ended her inquiries about it.

They were now driving around the crater on their journey to Polaris Lab.  The crater was impressive to behold.  Some ancient impact must have caused it.  Condor would have loved to have studied the crater in detail if he hadn't had other responsibilities.

'Is it okay for me to take the last Dune Bug?' asked Eagle.

'Sure.' said Falcon.  'We have the trailer buggy if we need it. But I don't think we will be going anywhere for some time.' he explained, looking over the daunting pile of spaceship parts.

She left, returning to Alpha Base.

Falcon and Kestrel stopped for a moment - they now had the outline of a delta wing shape - Explorer.


Chapter 11: DNA

Hawk gave Echo a little tour of the lab.  One area was reserved for the hydroponic garden, and there was mezzanine with a microscope, test tubes, vials and various scientific equipment and tools.  To the side of the garden, there were a series of large tanks and piles of spare oxygen tank backpacks.  'This is where we produce oxygen from the ice water of that frozen lake out there.' Hawk explained.

Finally he led Echo to an open area.  This was where Hawk had been using his Atomic Converter to make the parts for the moon bases.  Kestrel and Ratchet had made many collections from there.  For a moment his thoughts turned to Kestrel.  He reflected on the time when they had been alone together at Polaris.  They were not entirely alone of course - Guardian was there too, but he kept himself busy whilst Hawk and Kestrel were... getting better acquainted.

There was a new addition to this open area of the lab - a strange rectangular black slab.  What made it strange was that light seemed to fail to reflect off it.  Whilst it was smooth, it didn't shine or reflect.

'It's obsidian crystal.' Hawk said - pre-empting Echo's questioning. 'A very special form of obsidian crystal.  It has been modified with my converter.  It's comprised of very densely packed atoms.  This material has many potential uses, for example as a heat shield.  However it is extremely heavy so not really suitable for space launch vehicles.' he explained...



Similarly to Hawk, Eagle had also made a detour to the Command Centre.  She arrived there shortly after Hawk and the robots had left.  She took one of Condor's scanners down to the monorail.  She walked along the length of the platform scanning the walls of the tunnel.  The sounds from the scanner suddenly changed as she passed one particular area.  She used the controls of the scanner to conduct a further analysis.  It was Condor - She knew it.  She ran back to the Dune Bug in distress and headed to Alpha Base.



'I want you to extract a DNA sample from this...' Hawk instructed Guardian, tearing open the foil bag and revealing a transparent drinking glass.  It was the one Eagle had used whilst sitting in Condor's chair after the football match. 'We are proceeding with the experiment.' he added.  'Once you have the DNA, next I want you to go to the hydroponic garden and look for what we might use from there to make a synthetic bio-fuel as the one Ace described to us earlier.'

'Very well' Guardian answered.

Hawk put the converter down on to the obsidian slab and removed the control panel from it.  The hose was now detached from the back.  He started making some adjustments inside of it.  Echo watched closely in an effort to gather as much information about the converter that she could.  She noticed now that the sight which was attached to one side of the device had a camera on the front of it, and within the eye-piece was a small circular screen.  An on-screen menu was layered above the camera feed.  Now she understood that one of the dials allowed Hawk to scroll through the menu options and the buttons were to select an item, cancel or return to the previous menu.  She reasoned that it was most likely that the other dials toward the front end of the device were for adjusting the spread of the particle beam and the intensity.  Hawk's hand could barely fit inside the outer casing and it was impossible to see exactly what he was doing inside, but it looked that there were two printed circuit boards and what he was doing was disconnecting a ribbon cable from one of them and connecting it to the other one instead.

For a moment, Hawk left the open area of the lab and then returned with what was clearly a stand designed to hold the converter in a stationary position.  He slotted the handle of the converter into the stand and pointed the front end toward the obsidian slab.  Guardian approached with a data card - handing it to Hawk.

'Did you get a good DNA sample?' Hawk asked.

'Yes.' replied Guardian simply.

Hawk attached the data card onto the opposite side of the converter from the sight. 'Now Echo, I need you to lay down on this slab if you would be so kind' he said.

'What are you going to do to me?' asked Echo.

Hawk and Guardian lifted Echo onto the slab, laying her down flat on her back, and pushing her arms back in order to prevent her from rolling off the slab.

'Something wonderful' he answered finally.  There was that evasive word again: 'something'.

'For your safety - I recommend you wait outside' said Guardian.

Hawk started walking toward the front entrance of the base, stopping and looking over his shoulder several times before stepping out into the cold.



Before Falcon had assembled Ace's Interceptor drone, he had made a trip back to the Raptor crash site with Ace.  They had hunted through the ship - carefully collecting any residual pools of octan from the pipes and tanks.  There wasn't much - but enough to fuel the small Interceptor drone for a while.  He checked how much was remaining and figured they had enough to conduct one test flight in Explorer and then all of the fuel would be gone.  Atlas and Ace would be the test pilots and now that Explorer was finished, Ratchet moved on to assembling the next ship.

'You aren't just going to name it Refueller are you?' asked Kestrel.

'I was planning to - yes' replied Falcon.

'You need to give the ship a proper name.' she said.

Falcon thought for a moment.  'How about Merlin?'.

'Better.' said Kestrel.

Explorer's engines fired up and with Ace at the controls, the new ship started slowly rising vertically off the ground.  Atlas relayed some readings back to Falcon before Explorer started moving away from the Supply Station.



Chapter 12: Rebirth

Guardian came to join Hawk outside of the Polaris Lab.  'It is done.' he said.  They both went back inside.

'Okay Guardian - thank you.  Please return to looking at the bio-fuel solution now.' Hawk said.

He hesitantly walked toward the obsidian slab.  The robot was no longer laying on it.  Instead the nude body of Eagle lay there.  She looked precious and vulnerable.  Her figure was beautiful - like a porcelain sculpture.

Hawk looked upon her with awe - like an excited child who had just opened his favourite Christmas present.

'Eagle?' Hawk said.  She was completely motionless. 'This is not Eagle' he told himself.  This is Echo.'  Her appearance was identical to Eagle's.  He had never seen Eagle naked, but her face and hair were the same as the Eagle he knew.

Suddenly her eyelids started fluttering.  Hawk figured that her new biological brain might be busy re-organizing and restructuring all of her past memories.  Then her eyes opened.

'How do feel?' he asked.

'I... feel.' she said.  'I feel... cold.'

It was no longer Echo's voice.  It was Echo's words - spoken with Eagle's voice.  Hawk had to keep reminding himself - 'This is NOT Eagle!'

Hawk quickly went to fetch a blanket, lifted her to a sitting position and wrapped it around her newly born body.  As he did so he noticed her spine - how the perfect, pale skin moved across her skeletal frame. He climbed up onto the slab and sat beside her holding her hand and they both sat silently for a while.

Hawk watched her facial expressions change several times... at first looks of confusion, then she seemed to be thinking or remembering something and then at last a disturbed look.

'We killed him.' she said.  'We.... killed Commander Condor!'.

Her words hit Hawk like a bombshell.  He had considered the possibility that Eagle's robots may have been involved in Condor's disappearance.  He remembered now that Eagle was going to check the video footage.  She HAD checked the video footage and then - gone off alone to Alpha base.... without her personal robot.  Without Echo.  'Why?' he asked.

Before their conversation could continue - they heard a sound.  A ship was approaching the base.  They had finished the Explorer and now they were here.  Eagle's robots were here.

He tried to help Echo to her feet.  She couldn't stand - immediately dropping to the floor.  Hawk picked her up in his arms and carried her up some steps - Not to the mezzanine - but another set of steps that led to a part of the lab he had not shown to Echo during his little tour.  There was another room with a bed.  This was where Hawk had been sleeping during his time alone at the lab.  Kestrel was the only other person that had been in this room besides him.  He carefully lay Echo down on the bed.

'Wait here' he said.  'I will ask Guardian to bring you some food.  For now it might be better if the others don't know about your... transformation.'

He didn't want to leave her alone, but he needed to go and greet the crew of Explorer.

'Ace, Atlas - You did it!  How did you manage to get her here?' he asked the robots that had just disembarked from the top hatch of Explorer.

'Falcon had some left-over Octan.'  Atlas explained.

'She will need a few minor calibrations' added Ace.

'We will need more time before the fuel is ready I'm afraid.' Hawk said.  In reality he had not personally even started any research into the matter.  He had been totally consumed by his experiment.  He didn't want to be stood here in the cold with these robots.  He wanted to be back inside with Echo.

'Can we be of assistance?' asked Atlas.

'No.... I don't think you can.'  He answered.  'Would you like to come inside?' he asked.  This was a natural human gesture.  But the robots didn't need to come inside to get warm and drink tea.  They never stopped - day or night.  They worked relentlessly on their tasks until they were completed.

'That won't be necessary' answered Atlas.  'If we are not required here, we will be better served assisting with the build of the second ship.  May we take two of your Dune Bug's?' he asked.

'Yes - of course.  No problem!' Hawk replied.  He would be left with only one remaining Dune Bug and an empty spaceship with no fuel.  But he didn't want Atlas and Ace snooping around his lab, and he didn't want to have to explain who the beautiful woman was that is now eating vegetables from his hydroponic garden.

'I will let you know once the fuel is ready.' he called to the two robots who were already climbing into the Dune Bug's.



Chapter 13: Freedom

Hawk was now trying to come up with a bio-fuel.  It wasn't easy.  He found himself staying awake late into the night.  Guardian didn't have to sleep but Hawk did.

Now Echo had to sleep as well.  She also had to eat, learn how to walk, how to brush her hair and teeth and use the toilet.  There were many things that humans needed to do that robots didn't need to.

Echo was going through a sort of accelerated childhood.  Between working on the fuel problem, Hawk would stand a little away and ask her to walk toward him - catching her each time she fell.  Slowly she could go further.

Hawk was enjoying teaching her.  She had lost her independence and needed to regain it.  She also had a child-like innocence.  It was like she was experience everything for the first time.

She was fascinated and curious about everything - even small things like the sound test tubes make when they clink together.  She wanted to touch things to see how they feel.

She also had emotions now - laughter, anger, frustration, joy.  She could feel pain, pleasure, tiredness and everything that goes with the human experience.

She still had her robot memories but this was very much a new Echo.

'Damn it! We're going to have to start over again from scratch!' Hawk said angrily - banging his hand on the table.

'Hawk...' Echo said.

'Not right now Echo - I need to focus on this...'

'Hawk - I need to face my Mother.  I'm leaving.' she continued.

'What?  Your... Mother?  You mean Eagle.' Hawk said.  She had his attention now.

'Yes - I'm concerned about her.  I'm worried she might do something stupid.  I need to make sure she doesn't.'

'Echo... You are a free person now - and I want you to experience freedom - to make your own choices.  But this is dangerous.  There is no telling how she might react to seeing you.' Hawk said.

'I'm going.  I have to.' she said.  She was already wearing the yellow coloured spacesuit that they had made for her using the Atomic Converter.  Now she looked even more like Eagle.

She ran outside and climbed into the remaining Dune Bug.

Hawk ran after her.  'Echo.. Wait!' he shouted.  But it was too late.


He went back to his work - and now he had a renewed determination.  If he could make the fuel - they could fly Explorer and go after Echo.  He wasn't sure whether Guardian could pilot a ship.  He certainly couldn't.

Meanwhile - Falcon, Kestrel and the remaining robots had been working on 'Merlin'.  They realised now that they couldn't launch Merlin from the surface.

They would have to make parts that can fit inside Explorer's cargo hold.  They would fly them into space and then assemble it there.  They would need to space walk.

Once Merlin was assembled, then they would fly quantities of fuel to it.  They would need to make many journeys to and from Selene to fill the fuel tank.

When Merlin was fuelled up, they would send it either on an automatic pilot, or controlled remotely by either Ratchet or Ace.  Both were capable pilots.


Echo reached Alpha Base in the Dune Bug.  Eagle had seen that a rover was approaching and gone outside to see who it was.

Echo climbed out and the two stared at each other in silence for a moment.

'What the hell?' Eagle said.



Chapter 14: Confrontation

'I've clearly been in space too long - I'm hallucinating.' Eagle continued.

'No Mother - It's me - Echo!' she replied.

'I am not your mother! You are not Echo...'

'"Keep the tunnel a secret - AT ALL COSTS" - that was what you told us.' Echo said.  'Commander Condor found the tunnel.... so we kept it a secret.'

Eagle started to think.  Who else knew about this?  Did they all know?

'Hawk used your DNA and transformed me.' Echo explained.

Eagle was now remembering her earlier conversation with Hawk - he had spoke about making her robots biological.

'How did Hawk get MY DNA?' she asked.

'He got it from your glass.  From your drink - at the Command Centre - after the football match.' Echo explained.

Eagle remembered spinning in Condor's chair and being with Hawk.

'HE HAD NO RIGHT!' she shouted suddenly.  'HOW DARE HE?!'

'I thought you would be happy.' Eagle said.  Tears were welling in her eyes.  She felt a natural bond to Eagle.

'You have to tell them it wasn't intentional.  You gave us an instruction and we misinterpreted it.  I understand that now.' said Echo.

'HAPPY?! Do you think they will accept that?  I created you.  I am responsible for this.  They are not going to let me just get away with this!' Eagle shouted.

'I am your daughter.' Echo said.

'You are not my daughter!  You are abhorrent - an unnatural freak!' Eagle said.

Echo was now crying uncontrollably.  She just wanted Eagle to take her in her arms and hug her.

'My business will be ruined! I'll probably be thrown in prison for this!' Eagle said.

'I made you. I gave you life. And this is how you repay me?!' Eagle continued in rage.

'We did what we were told' Echo cried.

'Get out of my sight.  GET OUT!' Eagle screamed.  She was out of control.  She went back inside the Alpha Base and closed the door.

Echo stood for some time - crying and crying.  Finally she climbed back into the Dune Bug and drove away.


Chapter 15: Recall

Hawk and Guardian had finally been successful in making a suitable bio-fuel.  All they needed to do now was make a large quantity of it.

Echo drove the Dune Bug to the crater to process all the new emotions that were hitting her so hard.  She stayed there for a long while deciding what her next step should be.  She would return to Polaris.  Hawk had shown her kindness and supported her.  The other Skaylors were her family - but they couldn't feel things - emotions - not like a biological being can.  They wouldn't understand her feelings.

Guardian and Hawk were filling Explorer's fuel tanks with the new bio-fuel when Echo's dune bug arrived.  Hawk ran to her and hugged her tightly for a long time not speaking.  He was surprised by the impact her return had on him.  He had missed having her around and now here she was - safe and sound.  She cried a little again.  Clearly her meeting with Eagle had not gone well.

'Do you want to talk about it?' Hawk asked.

'Not right now.' she sniffled.  'What are you doing?'

'We made a breakthrough... We have fuel!' Hawk said trying to brighten the mood.

Echo tried to smile but she was still too emotional to carry it off.

Meanwhile, Eagle was starting to think clearly again.  She had to cover up everything.  The people on Legoland can never know what happened on Selene.  She started to plan.

'Maybe the others don't make it back to Legoland...' she thought.  There was an accident and she and her robots were the only survivors.  With the robots as her only assistants she was able to make a brave, successful journey back to Legoland.  Her and her robots would be celebrated as heroes - Eagle and her amazing robots - overcoming all the odds.  She needed her robots around her now - as protectors and to help her to stop any of the others from ever leaving Selene.  She used the communications equipment at the base to summon her robots.  The message was 'Stop whatever you are doing and come to Alpha Base - Immediately.'

Hawk and Echo were so distracted catching up, they didn't notice that Guardian had climbed into the Dune Bug.  When he started driving away - they did notice.

'Guardian!  Where are you going?' Hawk shouted to him.  He didn't react - just kept driving away at speed.

Atlas, Ratchet and Ace followed suit.  Atlas and Ratchet took two Dune Bugs and Ace took the Trailer buggy - All leaving the Supply Station suddenly.

Falcon and Kestrel looked to each other in confusion.

'Why would Guardian suddenly leave?' Echo asked.

'Eagle.' Hawk said.  'I will bet she has taken control of the robots now.'

'Well she hasn't taken control of me.' Echo replied - hugging him again.

Hawk thought for a moment. 'We need to get back to the Supply Station to warn Falcon and Kestrel.'

'But we don't have any rovers.' Echo answered.

'No... but we do have.... Explorer!' he said raising his eyebrows.  'Do you think between the two of us we can manage to pilot this beast?'

'I still retain all my training... from when I was a robot.' said Echo.  'Flying spaceships was not my speciality.'

'Well - I am certain you would do a much better job at it than I.' admitted Hawk.


Chapter 16: Flight

Explorer rose from the icy surface outside Polaris Base - swaying, unstable in Echo’s hands. One hand on the steering column, the other adjusting thrust. The controls felt too sensitive, too alive. Her breath caught as the ship tilted, then steadied.

Below, the VTOL engines blasted downward, kicking up a cloud of fine dust and ice crystals. They scattered across the landing zone in slow, weightless arcs—briefly suspended, then settling back into the crusted terrain.

Gently, Echo increased the thrust, sending the ship forward in the direction of the supply station.

'You’re doing great.' Hawk said softly.

Echo didn’t respond. She was deeply concentrating - eyes locked on the horizon, fingers tense on the controls. The ship surged forward, carving a silent path above the ice fields. Only the internal vibration of the engine and the faint hum of cabin systems marked their motion.

They’d driven this route before in the dune bugs, but from above the terrain felt different. The ridges looked sharper. The drops steeper. The scale—unforgiving.

'Eagle... didn't accept me.  She said horrible things to me - hurtful things.' said Echo suddenly breaking the monotony of the flight.

'I told her everything - The DNA from her glass, how you had helped me to become human... I tried to get her to admit her mistake - regarding Condor's death - that it was unintentional. I tried to tell her that it would be okay - we could fix it.'

'I bet that went down well' Hawk said.

'She was angry - REALLY angry... and cruel.  But she was only concerned with her damaged reputation and her business.  She said she was ashamed of me... called me a freak.'

'Oh Echo - You are not a freak.  You are beautiful!' Hawk said.

Echo adjusted trajectory, correcting for gravitational drift. Hawk stayed rigid in his seat, eyes fixed on the floor. He didn’t dare look out the window. Every tilt of the ship sent a fresh wave of nausea through his chest.

A ridge loomed ahead, Echo angled the ship upward, preparing to crest it.

The console flickered—routine diagnostics.

The ridge broke beneath them. And there it was - The supply station. 

Echo exhaled. She began the descent.

The VTOL engines fired as Explorer lowered toward the pad, another blast kicked up a fresh cloud of dust. It swirled briefly, then drifted outward in slow, silent spirals across the surface.

Echo steadied the ship. Landing struts extended.

Then - Impact. The ship slammed down hard. A jolt ran through the cabin. Hawk gasped, and then gathered himself. Echo’s hands stayed firm on the controls, absorbing the shock.

The hatch hissed open.

'We just thought we’d drop in.' Hawk announced, masking his terror.

Falcon and Kestrel stood open-mouthed.

'Eagle - you are here' Falcon said - confusing Echo with her.

'I don’t have time to explain everything - Echo’s human now. Eagle’s DNA, My Atomic Converter. The robots killed Condor on Eagle’s orders, and I’ve no idea what she’s planning next.' Hawk blurted.

'Oh that’s just great - so you replaced me with a flippin’ robot!' Kestrel interrupted after understanding that the person piloting the ship was not Eagle.

'She’s not a robot anymore.' Hawk said in defence.

'No—she’s your new test-tube girlfriend.' Kestrel taunted.

Hawk ignored her dig. 'Falcon - finalize the plan for Merlin assembly. Kestrel - you need to fly me and Echo back to Polaris now so we can make more fuel for your mission. Everyone - be on your guard - keep a look out for Eagle's robots.'

'YES SIR!' Falcon saluted with a sarcastic smile.

'Thank you!' Hawk replied.  He didn't have time to nurse Falcon's ego right now.

Kestrel calmly climbed into the pilot seat that Echo had just left, fingers taking naturally to the controls.  'Get your scag and let’s go.'


------

Chapter 17: Friends & Preparations

The return journey to Polaris was uncomfortable in a different way.  Kestrel was a skilled pilot and flying Explorer was second nature to her.  The discomfort was between the 3 occupants.  Echo knew that Kestrel and Hawk had history.  Even when she was a robot - such details did not go un-noticed, however they were then treated with indifference.  Kestrel's slurs toward Echo labelling her a 'Test-tube girlfriend' and 'Scag' were like daggers into an already open wound.  Echo had relived her confrontation with Eagle moments before whilst sharing it with Hawk, and then still in a vulnerable state came this new barrage of attacks from Kestrel.  Echo started crying again - quietly to herself.

'What's her problem?  Did she miss her latest firmware update?' Kestrel asked, mockingly.

'You are bang out of line!' Hawk said sternly.  'Echo has been through a lot recently.  She doesn't need this crap from you now.'

Hawk brought Kestrel up to date, explaining how Echo had been transformed and how he had raised her through a kind of accelerated childhood.  He told her how Echo had faced her mother in an effort to bring her to her senses and own up to her mistakes.  Kestrel listened to it all whilst navigating them back over the crater, the dunes, the rocky open plains, and finally the polar ice.  Everyone remained silent as she brought Explorer down, landing so softly that they were unable to detect that the craft had contacted the ground.

They exited the ship and carefully walked across the ice and through the entrance into Polaris Lab.  They removed their helmets.  Hawk started climbing the steps to the mezzanine.  Echo and Kestrel were standing by the Hydroponic units, looking through the trans-green glass at the plants and vegetables growing within.

'I'm really sorry.' Kestrel said.  'I wasn't trying to be mean to you - I was angry at Hawk.'  She looked Echo in the face noticing her resemblance to Eagle.  Her expression was different from Eagle's.  Eagle was bold, confident and defensive - full of self-importance.  But Echo had an openness - a childlike innocence.  'Friends?' she asked holding out her gloved hand.

Echo returned a weak smile shaking Kestrel's hand.  'Friends.'

Hawk called the others to join him on the mezzanine.  'I am going to show you both how to make bio-fuel' he told them.

The team worked tirelessly on the fuel.  Hawk took a break from that to start another side project.  He was starting to assemble a laser cannon - a defensive weapon for them to use against the Skaylors.

Kes and Echo chatted about topics only women care about as they worked.  Kes showed Echo how to brush her hair and apply makeup.  These were things Hawk couldn't teach her.

Once they had made enough fuel to fill Explorer's cargo hold, Kestrel transported it back to the Supply Station.  Hawk and Echo stayed at Polaris, continuing to make more fuel, working on the Ground Defence Laser Cannon and also discussing the repair of Raptor.

At Alpha Base Eagle instructed Atlas, Ace, Ratchet and Guardian not to allow any humans to leave Selene other than her.

The robots helped her to modify the large communication dish so that it could beam an EMP Pulse to target any vehicle that attempts to leave.

Whilst this work went on, Kestrel was busy shipping more bio-fuel from Polaris to the Supply Station, and Hawk completed the Defence Cannon.  He positioned it just outside the door of the base.

The cannon could rotate through 360 degrees and tilt allowing the weapon to aim at ground targets or flying objects.  A seat was mounted to the weapon at the back - this would also spin around and tilt as the weapon took aim.



Chapter 18: Merlin

Falcon and Kestrel start their space missions - assembling Merlin.
Eagle detects that Explorer has gone into orbit from her satellite array.  She targets and EMP pulse to fry Explorer's circuits - in an effort to eliminate Falcon and Kes.
Falcon and Kes scramble to bypass the fried circuits so that the life support equipment will start running again.  They finish assembling Merlin and then struggle to keep control of Explorer for the return to the supply station.

Eagle sneaks into the Supply Station using the monorail and discovers that both Falcon and Kestrel have survived.
She sneaks up behind Falcon intent on killing him but Kestrel catches her before she can strike.
Kestrel beats Eagle to death with a spanner that she happens to have to hand.


Falcon and Kestrel fly to Polaris to evaluate the Raptor repair.
Hawk returns with Falcon and Kestrel to the Supply Station.  Echo waits at the Polaris Lab.
The robots start working on rocket weapons with a plan to steal Explorer and hunt down the humans.
Hawk uses the converter to make parts for the Vigilante Snow Tank - an escape vehicle for Kestrel and Falcon.
Kestrel uses Explorer to drop Hawk back at Polaris.
Merlin is completed, fuelled and sent to the rendezvous point.
The Skaylors steal Explorer.
Kestrel and Falcon drive toward Polaris in the Snow Tank.  They are attacked by Interceptor - but manage to shoot it down.
The Skaylors fit their new weapons onto Explorer.
Raptor is repaired by Falcon, Kestrel, Hawk and Echo.
The Skaylors attack Polaris.
Falcon and Kestrel go inside Raptor and start the engines.
Hawk and Echo try to defend Polaris using the Ground Defence Laser.
Hawk instructs Falcon and Kestrel to leave without him and Echo.
Explorer is hit by the laser cannon, but manages to fire a missile that explodes close to Hawk and Echo.
Explorer crashes and the Skaylors are all destroyed.
Echo has been badly hurt - she's dying.  Hawk is also injured but not as badly.
Echo tells Hawk to convert her and himself back into robots as it's the only way they can survive.
Echo and Hawk look at the remains of the Skaylors and Echo says goodbye to her brothers and sister - wishing they could have experienced being human like she had.
'I wish I could have saved them too' Hawk says.
Raptor docks with Merlin, refuels and heads home to Legoland.
The two robots stand together holding hands - standing at the crater as the sun sets.
Will you miss Legoland? Echo asks.
'Legoland was an empty waiting room for me.  I was waiting for my life to begin.  But here - facing constant dangers and challenges, falling in love - I've never felt more alive'

'Falling in love?' Echo asked.

'Yes... with you.'






Kestrel and Falcon launched Merlin and quickly went to the monorail station.  They went to the Command Centre so that they could use Explorer to escort Merlin part-way to it's destination.  They had to turn back.  On the return journey they realised they were in grave danger of running out of fuel.  When Falcon reached the point where he believed they wouldn't make it - he revealed his love for Kestrel.  She admitted that she loved him too.
Falcon had felt protective of Kestrel in the beginning but over time those feelings had transformed into romantic love.
Ace monitored this interaction as she was linked into the onboard computers of both Marauder and Explorer.  Ace decided to inform Hawk of Kestrel's confession in order to cause a rift between them.
Eagle was still dwelling on the disappearance of Condor.  She realised that they had never checked the video footage from the robots from that time period.  When she started looking for those video files she discovered that a number of the video files had been deleted - Not corrupted or lost but purposefully deleted.  When she questioned Echo about this, the robots understood that she was on to them.  They decided to silence her permanently.  Echo told Eagle that they would need to leave Beta-1 Command Base and visit the Space Command Center as this is where the robot's video archive and backups were stored.
She went to the monorail train and boarded it with Echo, but just as the doors of the train were sliding shut - Echo darted back out, leaving Eagle alone inside.
Eagle tried to open the doors and pause the train using the emergency override button - but the button would not respond.  She realised that Echo had disabled the override.  She looked through the train window at Echo who was standing on the station platform.  The monorail train started moving with a jolt.  Normally it would increase speed gently for the comfort of the passengers, but this time it was accelerating fast.  Her heart started pounding as the train got faster and faster.  It was never going to be able to stop when it reached the end of the line.
The monorail train hit the solid wall at the end of the line at the Space Command Center platform with violent impact.  Eagle was thrown to the front end of the train - smashing into the wall before dropping to the floor.


Falcon began working on his most important project - repairing Raptor.  He was going to need help from everyone for this one.
He started to contact the others to ask them to meet him at the Space Supply Station (Where he was typically located).
Echo replied to Falcon stating that Eagle would not be able to attend the meeting as she was very busy on something.
'But this is top priority' Falcon replied.  'I need her participation - let me speak with her'.
'She's not here at the moment' Echo replied without elaboration.
'Where is she?' asked Falcon, sensing that something was wrong.  Generally the robot assistants would follow their masters around - helping out wherever possible.
'She is at The Space Command Centre' Echo replied truthfully.
'Would you like me to go and look for her?' asked Ace.  'I can send Interceptor over there....'
'No - I need you here to help repair Raptor.  I NEED EVERYONE HERE!' he said, starting to lose his composure.
At that, Ace suddenly started leaving the Space Supply Station toward the monorail station.
'Where are you going?  GET BACK HERE!' shouted Falcon but Ace ignored him and continued.
Falcon ran after her but by the time he got to the station platform he just caught a glimpse of Ace vanishing into the dark tunnel along the track.
'Why didn't she call for the train?' he wondered - Not knowing that the train was now out of service.
Atlas, Ratchet, Echo and Guardian also left their masters suddenly - all of them gathered at the Space Command Center
Hawk and Kestrel arrived at the Space Supply Station to meet with Falcon.
'Where is Eagle? Does anybody know?' asked Kestrel.  None of them did.
They were aware that all the robots had gone to the Space Command Center so they suspected that the answers would be found there.
They used 3 of the Dune Bug's to head over to the Space Command Center.
The 5 robots were stood silently in a defensive line blocking entrance to the Command Center.
On seeing the crew - Ratchet climbed into the Bulldozer and started advancing menacingly toward them.
'What do we do now?' asked Kestrel.
'Let's go to the monorail station' suggested Hawk.
They went down the steps to the platform where they discovered the crashed monorail train and Eagle's shattered body.
'Suffering Supernovas!' exclaimed Falcon.  Hawk and Kestrel just stood in shock without speaking.  They paused for a while contemplating what had happened.
'They most likely killed Condor as well.' Hawk said finally.
'...and now they are going to kill us too!' shouted Kestrel tearfully.
'Oh no they're not' replied Hawk. 'We're getting off this rock.'

Chapter ?: Running to Polaris

'We will have to do it without the robots' said Falcon.
'I don't think we should go back up those steps' said Kestrel, now shaking with terror.
'Come on' said Hawk. 'We'll use the tunnel to get back to the Supply Station.  Everything we need is there.'
They climbed down off the platform on to the track and started slowly walking into the darkness, pressing their arms against one of the tunnel walls to guide them through the darkness.
It was a long walk, but finally they reached the Space Supply Station again.
Hawk used the Atomic Converter to seal the entrance to the monorail station just incase any of the robots tried to follow them that way.
Falcon checked on the computer to see whether the robots were still at the Space Command Center.
Atlas, Ace and Guardian remained at the Space Command Center.  Ratchet had returned to his usual station at Alpha-1 Rocket Base and Echo had gone to Beta-1 Command Base.
This left Polaris-I Space Lab unoccupied.  It was the most distant of the Moon Bases, positioned closer to Selene's polar axis.
Dust storms were common near Polaris-I.  It was the most inhospitable of the bases - being constantly blasted with icy cold dust clouds.
Falcon remembered the last time he was there - that kiss with Kestrel.
Kestrel built the 'Vigilante Snow Tank' with the help of Hawk's atomic converter.  It took longer than usual without having any help from the robots.  This armoured tank could carry 3 people.  It would protect them from the robots.  The tank was suited to the colder conditions at the Polaris-I Moon base.  It had a turret which could rotate 360 degrees and front and rear hatches for the lower section.  The turret carried a large gun and shielding to protect the gun operator from incoming attacks.  They fuelled up the tank and set off for Polaris-I.
Hawk manned the turret, Kestrel was the driver and Falcon lay down on a bed in the back of the tank.  He would need to reserve his strength for building Raptor.
They were tired after the long walk from The Command Center to the Supply Station, but they didn't dare waste any time - not knowing what plans the robots might have next.
It seemed that they had taken control of most of the outposts and they were not taking orders from the humans anymore.
Hawk kept wiping the dust from his helmet visor as it was obscuring his vision.  Suddenly he spotted Interceptor speeding towards them.  He turned the turret trying to get a fix on the Interceptor.  After some adjustment he locked onto it and fired.  The gun fired a projectile toward the Interceptor.  The interceptor attempted to avoid the collision by swerving, however the projectile had an in-built guidance system which reacted, correcting the course resulting in a successful hit.  Interceptor spun through the sky, exploding into a fireball before crashing onto the rocky surface.
Kestrel continued on toward Polaris-I.



Echo takes the snow tank to beta base and returns to polaris in the bulldozer.  Hawk is concerned

echo says something like... the skaylors are my brothers and sisters - would they harm me?
Hawk reminds her - think back to when you were a robot - following orders without question



Chapter ?: Leaving Selene

The Vigilante Snow Tank had now stopped at the entrance to Polaris Space Lab.  The dust storm was in full flow now.  Hawk, Falcon and Kestrel braced themselves for a quick dash to get into the warm interior of the Base.
Detecting their presence, the lighting system activated itself - illuminating the interior of the Base.  This was the place that Hawk had called home since the 5 bases were first established back in February.  But no longer did he have the luxury of his own personal assistant robot - Guardian.  Falcon explained that they would need to clear all the lab equipment out of the way so that they could start manufacturing all the components of Raptor.
Raptor needed to be bigger than most of the other ships that Falcon had built.  Merlin was massive and so would be Raptor.  Their original transport - The ill-fated Raptor was also huge.  It wasn't that the living quarters were particularly large.  Most of the ship composed of the large fuel tanks that were required in order for those ships to travel between Legoland and Selene.
Although Falcon and the others would have liked to have started building Raptor immediately, they were all in need of sleep.  The heating system provided a certain amount of relief from the freezing temperatures outside, but it was still a little uncomfortable living at Polaris-I.  Fortunately it had been equipped with plenty of thick blankets.  They each grabbed one and wrapped themselves in them, finding cushioned beds to lay down on.  Hawk dimmed the lighting to a low level and the constant hum from the heaters created a comforting ambience.  Hawk soon fell into sleep.  Kestrel was still shivering and Falcon was too concerned with all the work that lay ahead.  Kestrel decided to snuggle up with Falcon sharing the same blanket.  It felt good to finally be close to him and feeling his strong arms around her, but at the same time, Hawk's nearby presence left them both feeling uneasy.  Hawk knew the score, but he had not openly reacted to having lost Kestrel to Falcon.  They didn't know how he might react upon waking and finding them sleeping together.  But their very lives seemed fragile at this stage and so they decided to indulge in the experience despite the consequences.
Several hours had passed - they didn't bother to check how many, but when they woke, they all jumped into action under Falcon's direction.  Hawk still had not mentioned anything about Kestrel and gave no clues to his feelings regarding this.  They worked feverishly.  Unfortunately the Hauler vehicle was still at the Supply Station so they would have to live without it this time.  It had served it's purpose however during the construction of Merlin.  Falcon hoped that Merlin was still in position waiting for them to arrive, but there were so many potential setbacks which could hamper their return home.  Instead they built a 'Large Claw Exo' - a sort of giant robotic exoskeleton.  Falcon stood within the Large Claw Exo, using it to lift the large panels into place whilst Kestrel and Hawk secured them into place one by one.  Once the framework was completed, Falcon and Hawk turned their focus to installing all of the many intricate engine components, pipes, wires and computer monitoring equipment.  Hawk's Atomic Converter device was being used so heavily during the construction of Raptor - it was starting to overheat.  There was another danger which Hawk deliberately kept to himself.  If the Atomic Converter burned out through over-use, it would put an end to any chances of escape.  Relentlessly they worked on, hour after hour.  Knowing that their survival rested on this work - they ignored the aches, pains and discomfort.  The exertion kept them warm, but their fingers were still numb from the cold of Polaris-I Lab.
Finally it was done.  The three of them stood back and took a moment to admire their creation - a truly impressive looking craft.  Suddenly a detector alarm started sounding in the base.  Hawk ran to the display to find out what it was.  A ship was approaching.  It was the Robot Deployment ship, heading their way.  They quickly opened the massive shutter doors and used the Large Claw Exo to push Raptor outside.  The storm had passed now and the skies were clearer.  Falcon lowered the underside ramp and he and Kestrel started running inside.  Hawk remained nearby looking to the distance, deep in contemplation.
'Come on!' urged Falcon.
'You two get inside and get the ship fired up.  I'm going to try and slow down those robots.'
'NO!' shouted Kestrel but he seemed decided.  Falcon took her arm and they hurried inside Raptor, flicking switches on the flight deck as different systems came online and ran self-diagnostic checks.
Hawk started running to the Cannon.  He climbed into the seat just as Explorer soared over his head.  It was heading toward the Vigilante Snow tank.  Ratchet was piloting and the other robots were stood within the open hatches in the mid section of the drop ship.  Guardian threw an explosive device from the side hatch.  It fell directly into the centre of the turret, causing the tank to explode.  It was ripped apart.  Some shards of metal shrapnel embedded themselves into one side of Hawk's face - smashing the visor on his helmet.  He was still able to breath by pulling the air hose over his mouth.  Meanwhile Explorer circled around for another pass.
Laser cannon fire was all around Hawk now as the ship screamed toward him.  He had to ignore his injury, using one good eye to target the ship and open fire.
The deployment ship was hit.  The front windscreen shattered and Ratchet had been completely destroyed.  Within seconds, the robot deployment ship crashed right into the Polaris-I Space Lab building, throwing the remaining robots out of the side hatches.
Raptor was now ready for lift off.  Falcon used his radio to message Hawk, giving him one last chance to join them.  But one of the robots from the crashed ship was still moving.
'Just go!' shouted Hawk.  'Get out of here while you still can.'
Kestrel was frozen.  She wanted to speak but was unable to - overcome by everything which was unfolding so quickly.
'Good luck Hawk - and thank you!' said Falcon into the radio as Raptor left Selene on it's perilous journey home.
Raptor's departure had thrown up a huge cloud of dust.  Through the dust Hawk could see a figure crawling towards him.  Echo was severely damaged.  Her legs were crushed and she was dragging herself toward him.  As she got closer Hawk could make out her face.
'It looks like it's just the two of us now' said Hawk. 'You know you were always my favourite robot.  Are you going to kill me now?  Or save me?'

Raptor reached Merlin and they were able to dock successfully.  Falcon was checking that everything was in order but took a moment to hug Kestrel.

'Let's go home.' he said.


Should I include this ending?

For generations young hopefuls of Legoland gazed up to the Selene Moon - and recalled the legend of Hawk and Echo - marooned symbols of eternal love.

------

Hawk’s past relationships with Kestrel and Eagle crumbled, each for different reasons, each leaving behind wounds that made him doubt whether love was even possible for him.

But Echo was different—what started as something unexpected, maybe even impossible, became the most genuine, lasting connection of his life. Unlike the others, Echo truly saw him, understood him in ways no human ever could, because she wasn’t just learning love—she was redefining it.

Their love wasn’t conventional, wasn’t expected—it was something entirely new, something that neither humanity nor AI had ever known before. And that’s why it worked.

In the end, Hawk didn’t just find love—he found something beyond human boundaries, something eternal. Absolutely unforgettable.