David bounced on his toes, the soft, powdery ground of the moon crunching beneath his space boots. "Ready, Sophia?" he called out, adjusting his helmet. Sophia, his robot dog, wagged her tail, her metallic fur shimmering under the light of the distant Earth. "Three, two, one, GO!"
David took off running, a giant leap carrying him twice as far as it would on Earth. He was competing in the annual Moon Games, a series of sports challenges designed for kids who loved adventure! This year, the big event was the Dinosaur Dash, a race through a simulated prehistoric landscape, complete with (thankfully) friendly dinosaurs!
He zoomed past craters, the ground a mix of gray dust and sparkling rocks. Ahead, a Stegosaurus munched on some space lettuce, its plates shimmering blue in the sunlight. A little farther on, a group of kids carefully navigated around a napping Triceratops, its horns gleaming like polished stone. David laughed, this was so cool!
"Incoming!" a voice crackled through his helmet radio. It was Sophia, her sensors picking up important information. He glanced up just in time to see a glowing moon rock hurtling toward him! Remembering his training, David jumped high, doing a flip in the low gravity before landing lightly on the other side.
"Nice move, David!" Sophia cheered, catching up to him. Her robotic paws barely made a sound on the moon dust. "That was a close one!"
The course took them through a field of towering, mushroom-shaped plants that glowed with an eerie light. A group of children were trying to coax a baby Brachiosaurus to cross a finish line, giggling as the long-necked dinosaur kept trying to eat their flags.
"Almost there!" David huffed, his legs starting to feel a little wobbly. He had been practicing for weeks back home in Chicago, but running on the moon was a whole new challenge!
Suddenly, the ground shook. A low rumble echoed through the air. David and Sophia exchanged a worried look. That sounded big.
A gigantic shadow fell over them, blocking out the light from the distant sun. David gasped. It was a Tyrannosaurus Rex, its teeth as long as his arm! Luckily, this one, like all the dinosaurs here, was friendly. It was all part of the challenge!
David remembered what the Moon Games instructors had taught him. "Distract it, Sophia!" he yelled.
Sophia, always eager to help, barked and wagged her tail playfully, zipping around the T-Rex’s giant legs. The dinosaur, distracted by the shiny, fast-moving robot dog, turned its massive head, its eyes the size of dinner plates following Sophia.
This was David’s chance! He sprinted toward the finish line, his heart pounding. He could hear the roar of the T-Rex behind him, and Sophia's excited barks.
He crossed the finish line just as the T-Rex let out a playful bellow. David collapsed on the ground, breathing hard but grinning from ear to ear. He had done it! He had conquered the Dinosaur Dash!
Sophia bounded over, licking his face with her metallic tongue. “We did it, David! We did it!” she chirped happily. David laughed, hugging her close. Winning was awesome, but having his best friend by his side made it even better!
