2 Exploring the islands

Chapter Two EXPLORING THE ISLANDS Cheng gazed down into the huge mouth of Mount Yasur. The molten rock in the volcano's crater glowed a fierce orange red. It looked like the skin of a bright, glowing animal that moved and breathed. Every now and then a little spout of glowing lava shot into the air. Clouds of ash rolled above the burning heart of the volcano.

"Wow," gasped Cheng. He turned to Leah, who was sitting beside him. "This is amazing!" The helicopter was pretty cool too. It had a curved windshield, and lots of levers and controls that made Cheng's head spin. Cheng was glad the Beagle had given them headsets so they could hear each other clearly, because the helicopter was noisy.

Behind the pilot's seat the helicopter's floor was gleaming metal. Stowed away were high-visibility clothing, cables and ropes, and something that looked like a bed. "A stretcher," said Leah. "This is a rescue helicopter! The winch is outside, look." And she pointed out of the window to the winch attached above the outer door.

The Beagle made a loud BEEP. Lights began to glow on the control panel, showing them how to steer the helicopter. "I think I get it!" Cheng took the controls. "The joystick makes it go forward and backward, this lever makes it go up and down, and these pedals make it spin. Hold on!" He pushed a pedal with his foot. The Beagle obediently spun around, its blades beating through the air. Cheng used the joystick to level, and the helicopter flew steadily away from the crater.

"Let's fly around," he suggested to Leah. "We need to find out what our mission is." Cheng gazed out of the windshield at the islands of Vanuatu. They looked like a string of green jewels stretched across the water. The beaches were splashes of white on the edges of the island. The darker green patches were swamps and lowland forests. The bright green of the rainforest stood lush and tall in the interior.

"The islands form a Y-shape," Leah said, squinting down. "Why are they scattered around like that?" "Volcanoes," explained Cheng. "Over millions of years, volcanoes on the seafloor erupted over and over again. Each eruption built up a new layer of rock. Gradually the volcanoes grew bigger and bigger, until they rose above the ocean to make islands. Isn't that amazing?"