Dragging himself up he launched himself back into space. Inadvertantly he looked out towards one of Jupiter’s moons Io. Reds yellows, oranges and blacks. Huge volcanoes were erupting, throwing up vapours some 200 miles high.
Mesmerized, Turbo’s jaw fell as he watched Io spin round Jupiter, distorting itself into an elongated shape pointing towards its father planet. The planet’s shape changed along its orbit as it followed its egg shaped path.
With 400 active volcanoes, Io is the most geologically active object in the Solar System. Some of these peaks are taller than Mount Everest. One of the ten highest peaks is called Euboea Montes.
The estimated volume of the debris apron is about 25,000 km3. If this is true, then Euboea Montes has arguably one of the largest debris aprons in the Solar System.
The ground of Io kneaded and sprewed. Io was producing such heat that Turbo panted, and almost wished he could crop himself out of the picture. Io he remembered produced almost as much heat as the Sun. Eight huge umbrella shaped forms pulled up from Io. Brilliant shades of orange yellow and white enveloped the little dog’s view. Darker clouds of the planet showed the larva solidifying.
It triggered off something in Turbo’s memory and he remembered watching Marina toast sandwiches of tomato and cheese under the grill. Io’s geysers and eruptions reminded him of baked tomato and cheese pizza. How to conciliate pizza and volcanoes? he thought impulsively, he sniffed at the air and…..

He was overtaken by the deeper clouds and the smell of hydrogen sulphide, bad eggs. The gases were tingeing the clouds orange and brown now. Dark and light clouds formed round the little dog.
He looked about him and did a quick retake. The gases had become liquid. The ocean had been transformed from cloudy and colorless to one of liquid silvery metal.
“To explain minimises ” breathed Turbo. “This must be the same hydrogen helium mixture but the pressure is high so the hydrogen becomes like metal.”


