300 Minutes of Danger Page 13

  Commander Washington hung in the air next to her. A tube led from a machine to a needle inside his elbow, dripping a transparent fluid into his bloodstream.

  It took him a moment to notice that she was awake.

  ‘Jessie,’ he said. He had never called her by her first name before. ‘Can you hear me?’

  She tried to nod, but her neck was stiff. Washington seemed to register the movement.

  ‘I owe you one,’ he said. ‘You’re a great kid.’

  ‘Wrong,’ Jessie croaked. ‘I’m a great astronaut.’

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Thank you to Venetia, Chris, Redvers, Mum, Dad, Tom, Clare and the enthusiastic team at Scholastic, particularly Tiffany and Angie. Thanks also to Booked Out, the ACT Writers Centre and the army of booksellers, librarians, teachers and readers who made this book possible.

  JACK HEATH was born in 1986 and published his first novel as a teenager. He is now the award-winning author of fourteen books for young people. He lives in Canberra with his wife, their son and their dog.

  Published by Scholastic Australia

  Pty Ltd PO Box 579 Gosford NSW 2250

  ABN 11 000 614 577

  www.scholastic.com.au

  Part of the Scholastic Group

  Sydney • Auckland • New York • Toronto • London • Mexico City

  • New Delhi • Hong Kong • Buenos Aires • Puerto Rico

  SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

  First edition published by Scholastic Australia in 2015.

  This electronic edition published by Scholastic Australia Pty Limited, 2015.

  E-PUB/MOBI eISBN: 978-1-760271-27-5

  Text copyright © Jack Heath, 2015.

  Illustration and design copyright © Scholastic Australia, 2015.

  Additional illustrations: Poster lettering © DesignSensation | iStockphoto.com; Grunge Border © Rochakred | Dreamstime.com; mountain icon © AnnaFrajtova | iStockphoto.com; submarine icon © AnsyAgeeva | iStockphoto.com; nuclear, snowflake, temperature and poison icons © Ecelop | iStockphoto.com; diamond icon © nkuchumova | iStockphoto.com; syringe icon © nadyaillyustrator | iStockphoto.com; train icon © Jacartoon | iStockphoto.com; rocket icon © istrejman | iStockphoto.com; Jack Heath photo credit Ash Peak, 2013.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, unless specifically permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 as amended.