Chapter 14: Chapter Four: Starboard To Fossil Crater

Chapter Four

Starboard To Fossil Crater

 

THE ASTROPHEL CHILDREN tossed and turned all of the previous night. Wonderful fantasies invaded their thoughts. They’d dreamt of emerald green forests, blazing hot deserts, steamy tropical jungles, and fluorescent coral reefs, all on mortal-inhabited worlds whose nurturing arms surrendered the summit of its triumphs to an extraterrestrial visitor. Scotty and Joseph weren’t too sure about all of the alien artifacts that they’d seen in the repository, but Jasmine thought every bit of it was beautiful and worthy of praise and adoration. Had Galactic Research actually returned any of the specimens to planet Earth, or were the space scientists playing a cruel trick on the world? All three had questions and concerns, and as valid as those were, they seemed silly and inconsequential considering that in a matter of hours they’d be on a flight to Fossil Crater.

            “Well, I’m just glad we’re not spending our summer holiday here,” Scotty said. “I’ll live in the Outback for seven weeks, no problem.”

            “I’m not looking forward to it,” Joseph said. “I have a lot more freedom here in Sydney.”

            Jasmine rocked forward on a pair of gleaming white crutches that were as pretty as Piccadilly Avenue. They were near the very end of that street, and she’d been scrutinizing an old building that had once been used to store dangerous things that you would never want to mishandle. “Why don’t the grownups just bulldoze this old stuff to the ground? There should be grass and trees there.”

            “Check it out,” Joseph said, and extended his arm to one of the broken windows on the second floor. “What is that?”

            “Oh, cool,” Jasmine said, and attempted to see what her brother had discovered. “Vines maybe?”

            “Give me three seconds,” Scotty said, and locked his gaze onto a crown of twigs and leaves. “It’s a tree. Let’s go check it out.

                They walked a full block when a car that did not belong in the neighborhood turned onto Piccadilly Avenue. It was a Mercedes, a new one too, and the top was down, and every inch of it was clean as a whistle. The driver was a young man, had recently turned seventeen, but an adult all the same. His hair was as orange as a pumpkin, and he had a mouth full of new, sparkling white crowns. His passenger looked to be about the same age and boasted brunette hair and a sinister smile. They drove to Scotty and stopped. If Mr. and Mrs. Robinson would have spied these two near their foster children, they would have hit the ceiling.

            “Well, look who we have here,” the driver said as he scrambled out of the Mercedes. “I need to have a long talk with you, Scott.”

            An expression of fear fell onto Scotty’s face, and he was quick to speak. “Noah, we just got called in for lunch…we’ll have to talk-”

            Noah Anderson wouldn’t allow him to finish. “The word on the street is you and your dad are causing a lot of trouble. As a matter of fact, I was told by a very reliable source that you’re the one who colored my teeth.”

            Scotty said nothing.

The brunette got out and walked to where everyone was standing; she spoke while walking, “That cost his dad a lot of money.”

            Joseph moved his gaze to the abandoned building, probably to try and hide the smile that had crept onto his mouth.

            “Something funny? It won’t be so funny when you get dragged into court by my parents. My father says that your parents were kidnaped by some bad people, so they’re obviously too busy to help you nowadays.”

            He stole a few steps closer to them. “You shouldn’t have done that because now I can have your mom’s computer shop raided, and your dad’s computers confiscated by the cops. They’ll be hitting you up tomorrow or the next day, and you might get to spend your senior years in juvenal detention.”

            “You should stick to gaming,” Harper said. “There’s a lot less danger involved.”

            “I’m not afraid of being in danger,” Scotty chided.

            Noah puffed out his measly chest and took a couple of steps toward Scotty.

            “What would you know, Scott,” he said. “You’ve never been in danger, and you never will be. And if you three oddballs believe you’re actually gonna become cyborgs, think again, it’ll never happen. That’s right, the entire country knows about Galactic Research and its stupid cyborg program. Everybody hates those people. The secrets they keep from the rest of us, like they’re better than we are.”

            Jasmine’s mouth fell open, and Joseph wrapped his arms across his chest.

            Scotty’s anger was becoming uncontrollable. “How do you know about that?”

            “Do you know Aldrich Thompson? We have world history together.”

            They said nothing.

            “Scott, you know him. We’ve all known him for years. Thinks he’s hot stuff. He told me everything about you and your parents. Says they weren’t kidnapped. Says they just ran away. May have ripped the company off.”

            “I heard they’re working with a group of bad people,” Harper said.

            Scotty sat down on the pavement, reached out his hands, and uncurled his fingers. A few moments later his Helix was before him, and he went to work typing on the keyboard. Noah frowned at that and took a step backwards toward his car. Harper moved her gaze to him and was about to ask why he was backing away when she spied the hologram.

            “Hey, Scott, what are you doing? We’re just messing around.”

            “I’m gonna turn your new teeth red and green again,” Scotty said without looking up from his Helix. “Or maybe your entire face.”

            Noah got back into the car, and he stomped on the gas pedal before Harper could get the door closed. However, he didn’t go very far. At the first intersection Scotty watched in horror as Noah met a police cruiser and waved the officer to a stop.

            “Survival and evasion mode!” Scotty said. “To the haunted building.”

            They speed walked across the small concrete parking lot until they were at the front entrance – Jasmine trailing behind about ten feet, telling them to not go inside without her – and pulled the doors open. They ducked under a single rusty chain and padlock, into the unknown. The sun shone through the failing roof, raining bars of light down on to the wall-to-wall litter and ceiling tile that had become a rotting mess. Pigeons serenaded each other from the shadows. Spider webs were on every wall. Insects were everywhere. Scotty, Joseph, and Jasmine walked down a long hall and entered a large section that must have at one time or another been a warehouse or maybe a manufacturing area. There was a eucalyptus tree in there, tall and reaching for those bars of sunlight, but the dirt around its trunk was as dry as desert sand.

            “That’s so sad,” Jasmine said. “Its gonna die in here.”

            “Too bad we can’t dig it up and plant it in a park or something,” Joseph said.

            “Right,” Scotty agreed. “Or maybe it just needs some water.”

            “Scott, you get your laptop out and fix this beautiful tree. I know you can do-”

            But that was as far as he would let her get with that. “I don’t know how to, Jaz, and the builds take a long time to write. I think dad taught me one percent of the Geneware program. Just enough for a quick laugh.”

            Joseph said nothing.

            “The things you did to Taxi and the goldfish, and the neighbor’s cat, and that bullfrog, and the bandicoot, oh and that funny little turkey,” Jasmine said. “I know you can do something bigger. I bet you can do more than change the colors of feathers and fur.”

            “I tried already. Did you forget what I did to your knees?” Scotty said. “The builds I broadcasted to the backyard wildlife are simple and can never harm anything. In order to fix this tree, your legs, I’d actually have to be smart.”

            Jasmine shook her head to disagree.

            “Jaz, we don’t have time, “Joseph and Scotty said in unison.

            “Scott, you’re talented like dad is. I know you can come up with something to save this tree.”

            He crossed the large concrete pad to the eucalyptus for a closer look. Its leaves were turning colors and falling away and making a brown skirt at the trunk. It had come into existence in one of the larger fissures in the concrete. The seed probably placed in the dirt by an animal. But it was not meant to be, as it would either be bulldozed by the city or grow into the concrete and slowly wither away to something that resembled a giant twig. To create a build that would save this tree would be nothing short of a miracle. He touched it in a caring manner, took a leaf in his hand, and pulled it away from the branch, but then carefully stuffed it in his pocket.

            “Promise me you’ll keep quiet about your knees, and I’ll work on saving this tree.”

            That got her to smiling for the first time in several days. “Cross my heart. I won’t say a word.”

            Then he turned to Joseph. “And that means you too.”

            “Your secret is safe with me, but you need to fix Taxi and the goldfish and Aldrich’s mom’s pet cat too.”

            “Good, because if Hal and Milly were to find out, I’ll be grounded until I’m old enough to collect a pension.”

            Both Jasmine and Joseph smiled at that.

            “Now, let’s get back home. I need to finish packing.”

            After a thorough search for Noah and the police officer, they crept out the front door and walked back to the Alexander. Mrs. Robinson had prepared lunch, pineapple and vegetable kabobs and the dessert was chocolate pudding. They drank red punch, strawberry or black cherry flavor or maybe both, but they weren’t exactly sure what she’d served up. Mr. Robinson called the supper kiddo cuisine and made the decision to dine on authentic Mexican food, so he nuked a frozen burrito.

*

Late that same evening, Mrs. Robinson walked into the living room with the Astrophel children on her heels. They each had two bags stuffed with everything they’d need for seven weeks at Fossil Crater, and Joseph was toting their telescope. They were about to leave for the airport and Mr. Robinson had so many questions to ask. “Does anyone know why the goldfish are green? And does anyone know what happened to Dankworth’s mutt?”  

            To his surprise, Jasmine crutched forward and spoke for everyone; her siblings at least.

            “There was a mix up with the fish food at the pet store,” she said, and the expression of sincerity could not be ignored. “It’ll wear off in a few days.”

            Then Scotty spoke. “And Mr. Dankworth’s grandson is getting Taxi ready for World UFO Day.”

            Jasmine crutched across the wooden floor to the front door. “You’re not angry, are you? They’ll be back to their normal color in no time.”

            “Harold, I’ll check again tonight after I get back,” Mrs. Robinson said, and there was a touch of anxiety in her voice. “Ugh, I don’t know what I’ll do while all three of you are away.”

            Mr. Robinson exhaled an aggravated sigh. “That brings me to my next subject. Whatever you do, do not wonder off from that spaceport.”

            Mrs. Robinson shook her head impatiently, but Joseph never flinched. “We won’t want to, it’s in the middle of nowhere.”

            “It should have everything we need,” Scotty said.  

            Mr. Robinson groaned at that. “Well, I do hope so. However, if need be, I’ll send a care package or two.”

            They smiled at his enthusiasm.

            “Harold, their flight leaves in three hours,” Mrs. Robinson said. “We need to leave now.”

            “Yeah, we’ll be back in seven weeks,” Joseph said, while adjusting a backpack’s straps on top of his shoulders. “I’ll bring you back a bottle of sand.”

            While Joseph wrapped up his awkward goodbye, Jasmine and Scotty both crept through the front door in an effort to speed up the airport shuttle boarding process. The shuttle was Mr. Robinson’s station wagon.

            Mrs. Robinson eventually corralled them before the car and after a short discussion of who’d be riding in the front seat, she got all three and their bags loaded up and headed out to the Sydney airport.  

Mr. Robinson retreated to his new outdoor furniture to search the sky for UFOs and ponder on the type of worms that could change a fish’s color. His thoughts quickly turned to Sparta, Doctor Stratton, and everything he’d seen inside Orion Sanctum. Weird things were happening all around him, and his foster children were on their way to a secret spaceport in the Outback. A biomedical engineer and planetologist had been searching desperately for them because their parents had vanished into thin air; snatched up by someone and taken to who knew where. And as much as Mr. Robinson did not want to be involved in what was unfolding all around him, he was deeply and irreversibly involved. A most vile and dangerous man was also searching for the Astrophel children, and Mr. Robinson knew everything.

*

They arrived at the Sydney Airport at exactly seven o’clock. Mrs. Robinson drove up to the curb before the departure entrance doors, and Scotty and Jasmine were out and standing on the sidewalk before she had time to cut the engine off. She took Jasmine’s spinner luggage in her hands and escorted everyone to the check-in counters with Joseph trailing behind everyone, appearing unenthused and inconvenienced.

            “Now, all we have to do is find this Galactic Terminal. The flight leaves in less than two hours, and you guys will probably have to go through security, so we need to figure out where to go and we need to do it quick.”

            She had every reason to worry too. Before her was a long row of ticket counters boasting both static and digital signs with the names of all the airlines that did business there. But not one of them was for Fossil Crater, and it seemed there was not a single place to gather information on the flight.

            “Ugh, well maybe we’re at the wrong part of the airport,” Mrs. Robinson said. “Now, someone said they would send something.”

            Joseph scanned the departure area for anything that contained the words Fossil Crater. The clock was ticking. Their flight would be departing soon, and they did not want to miss that one. They wouldn’t be able to do too much walking either, not with Joseph moping around. Something big would need to happen.

            Scotty approached a check-in counter and asked the flight attendant if she had any information regarding his flight. The flight attendant had never heard of the Galactic Terminal, and when Joseph mentioned the spaceport, she laughed and returned her attention to the computer monitor, as though they were making it all up. They were becoming worried. Eighty-five minutes until their flight departed, and they had no idea where Galactic Terminal was located or how to get to it. They were lost inside one of the busiest airports in the world with a telescope, six bags, and three tickets to a place that seemed to not even exist.

            Sparta must have overlooked something, or Mrs. Robinson had simply forgotten something important during all of the excitement. Both Mr. and Mrs. Robinson should have been taking notes. The thought of using the telescope to locate a well-lit Galactic Terminal sign did cross her mind. The clock was ticking.  

            “Maybe I should call Harold. Oh wow, what is that?”

            The blast from a vehicle’s horn had pierced the noise in the departure area. Then the engine’s electronic hum was heard as it accelerated across the tiled floor. It was weaving around the sparse foot traffic as it made its way to where they were watching and attempting to figure out how this little green car was moving, as there was nobody at the wheel.

            It stopped before Scotty and fell somewhat silent, but only a few moments later electronic sounds were again emanating from its interior. The rear doors slowly opened, and before any of them had time to move, the trunk opened.

            Their eyes widened at the sight of the autonomous car. They dragged their bags to it for a better look but dared not touch the thing.

            “Mrs. Robinson,” Jasmine moaned, “what do we do.”

            “Well, no one is getting in that thing. There’s no driver, and I have no idea where it will take you.”

            “I think it’s here for us,” Scotty said, but he wasn’t too sure.

            “Yeah, it drove straight to us,” Joseph said, and he spoke with a suspicious tone. “How did it drive straight to us?”

            The car appeared as if it’d just left the showroom floor. Its instrument panel was illuminated by a nice array of green and purple lights. A ball of bright white light presented the interior to everyone; black carpet and grey upholstery, and yes there was a steering wheel and brake petal. A great sound system too, and a young, feminine voice flowed from the speakers and relayed information exclusively for the Astrophel children: “Scotty Astrophel, Joseph Astrophel, and Jasmine Astrophel, I am here to transport you to the Galactic Flight Center. Place your bags in the trunk and board through the rear doors. Your flight departs in – seventy-three minutes.”

            They exchanged expressions of wonder and excitement. Other passengers moved around them and the car to get to the check-in counter, not giving them too much attention. The flight attendant acted as though that scene was something that played out every night; she never once looked their way.

            “Well, the mystery is solved,” Scotty said. “I guess this is where we say goodbye.”

            Both Joseph and Jasmine laughed at that and all three walked to Mrs. Robinson for a farewell hug.

            “Ugh,” she said, “I don’t like the idea of you guys riding in a car that drives itself.”

            “We’ll be okay,” Scotty said, and stepped away to begin stuffing the bags in the tiny trunk. Joseph scooped up Jasmine’s spinner bags and loaded them last.

            They squeezed onto the rear bench, and Jasmine put her crutches in the front passenger seat. After several tense moments, the trunk closed and both rear doors closed, and then Mrs. Robinson was providing a few last-minute instructions.

            “Do not get yourselves into trouble,” she said, sounding uncertain. “Harold and I are putting a lot of trust in the three of you. Do be careful.”

            The car’s electric engine hummed to life. Mrs. Robinson placed one hand over her mouth and waved with the other. Then the car was moving. She waved with both her hands and walked a while, wanting to follow them to Galactic Terminal for another goodbye, but the little green car was accelerating quickly, then she stopped as the crowd surged forward and watched the taillights slowly disappear.

            The Astrophel Children watched their foster mother slowly disappear as the car weaved in and out of the large crowds of passengers. Windows and small doors lined the corridor. Not a lot to see, but they understood that this particular area would end at a giant glass wall. They knew because it was in their line of sight, and the car was racing straight to it and showing no signs of slowing.

            Closer and closer they moved to the wall.

            Several seconds later and still no signs of slowing.

            Then suddenly, without warning, a set of large double doors opened, and not a moment too soon because they were about to collide with the giant glass wall, and that would have been a bad thing. They sped out onto a massive concrete pad on the north side of the airport, and the car never slowed.

            The airport was an expanse of blue, green, and white lights; those were everywhere, and they could see the control tower off in the distance. Big jet airplanes were taxiing, taking off, and landing, and the sky above them was a beautiful canvas of soothing pastel colors.

            Then they were accelerating again, probably to over thirty, and crossing what Scotty recognized as a runway. Suddenly, the car made a sharp left turn onto a taxiway. Bright blue lights to the right and left flashed by, and the big airport with all its lights and fancy aircraft was falling way back behind them. Ahead was a dimly lit area boasting a massive hanger and two buildings. They crossed a small runway, the white lights not as bright as those close to the big airport, and to their relief, the car slowed down to a crawl.

            An illuminated sign was before a massive wing-shaped thin shell structure, it read: Galactic Flight Center. Upon seeing that, they were roused to giggles and expressions of admiration. The car continued to decelerate until it was inching across the asphalt pad. It crept to a stop on a freshly paved corner of the tarmac that was in a tangle of light and shadow.

            They got out of the car, collected up their luggage, and took a good long look around. There was a large hanger before them. Two business buildings, and one boasted a boomerang Galactic Research sign. Then the voice from the speaker system again: “Welcome to the Galactic Flight Center. Your flight departs in – sixty minutes.” They made it.

            The front doors of the massive hanger opened, spilling bright florescent light onto the tarmac. Then a shiny silver spaceplane was being pulled out into the night by a tow vehicle. They didn’t really know what to think as they weren’t sure what was being removed from the hanger. It didn’t look like anything they’d ever seen. To Scotty and Joseph, the spaceplane looked like something out of a science fiction movie.

Not a single person outside the walls of Galactic Research had ever seen this technological marvel up close. Its mirror-sleek exterior was breathtaking. The only aircraft marking was a Galactic Research logo: A yellow planet Saturn, tilted toward the sun and showing half its rings. It was larger than a corporate jet, with one large engine hidden within the frame. The passenger cabin was business class with leather seats and windows to allow the passengers a wonderful view during each flight.

*

The flight center’s glass doors whirred open, and an android stepped out and gestured for them to walk to where she was standing. Scotty and Joseph took Jasmine’s bags and walked across the tarmac; Jasmine followed carefully, her crutches slipping from time to time.

            As they got close, all three could clearly see that the woman was not exactly a woman because her legs were a mass of wiring and metal rods, and her arms were wrapped in something that only looked like skin. But the most important characteristics were the way her body moved and the way her face contorted into a charming expression once they were before her. She smiled at them and introduced herself.

            “Hello, my name is Myia, and I will be happy to assist you and answer any questions you may have. Follow me into the terminal.”

            They did.

            “Wow, cool,” Jasmine crooned. “So, you’re a robot too.”

            Myia moved her eyes to Jasmine and smiled. “Yes, I am a robot and a passenger service agent.”

            Scotty and Joseph giggled at that, but Scotty was a bit more curious. “But what kind of robot are you?”

            Myia moved her eyes to Scotty, contorted her face into an amusing guise, and spoke in a lighthearted tone. “Do you actually expect me to reveal all of my secrets. You must be an employee of a rival group who is here on a dangerous mission.”

            Joseph and Jasmine laughed at that, but Scotty said, “No, I – we have tickets for a flight to Fossil Crater. I think it’s getting ready to leave.”

            A few moments drifted by while Myia retrieved important information for them. “All flights have been authorized for early departure, so boarding will begin in thirty minutes. While you wait, feel free to use the observatory deck to confirm the positions of the Orion Spur stars or the Galactic Garden area to relax and to study.”

            Jasmine’s anxiety was slowly returning. “What does that mean?”

            “What does what mean?”

            “Why are we leaving early. She said the flights have been authorized for early departure.”

            A dark-haired boy walked to where they were standing. “I say it has something to do with whatever’s going on with Mars, but don’t bother asking why because no one will tell you. It’s all top secret. Isn’t that right, Myia.”

            She smiled and said, “Almost all business we conduct is top secret.

            “There’s not much to do here anyway,” the dark-haired boy said, “and there’s better food at The Zoo.”

            “Diego, Epsilon Eridani is approaching the meridian,” a girl with short brown hair said during a speed walk across the tiled floor. “I have the telescope ready. We have a little time before our flight.”

            “Sure, I’ll take a look in a minute,” Diego said, smiling.

            She stood next to him and reached out her hand. “Hi, my name is Madison Reynolds,” she said that and shook hands with the Astrophel children, and then moved her gaze to Diego. “This is Diego Lopez. This will be our second spacecraft recovery assembly.”

            “Well, we’re new, so…” Scotty said.

            “Oh, great,” Madison said. “Welcome to Galactic Research. When we get to The Zoo, you’re gonna feel overwhelmed and pulled in six different directions because a lot will be going on, but don’t let it get you down. Just give it one day and you’ll fall in love with the place.”

            Joseph and Jasmine exchanged expressions of concern, but Scotty shook his head to agree, as if he had a clue. “Well, we’ve heard a lot of good things about…wait, where did you say?”

            Diego and Madison spoke in unison. “The Zoo.”

            “Oh, well our flight is going to Fossil Crater,” Scotty edified, and his cheeks were blushing.

            Diego kept quiet, but Madison explained a few things. “Yes, you’re going to the spaceport in Western Australia, we’re all on the same flight. The Zoo is the codename for the spaceport, and Orion Sanctum is the codename for the headquarters building. Oh, and the codename for Zeus Terminal in Tasmania is Moon Rock Island.”

            “Cool,” Scotty said, and all three Astrophel children were blushing. “Well, I’m Scotty Astrophel, and my brother, Joseph, and my sister, Jasmine, will be at Fossil Crater with me.”

            “This is like any other flight you’ve been on. Just follow everybody and do what we do.” Madison said.

            “Oh, we will,” Jasmine said. “I’m not gonna miss this flight for anything. I’d hate to have to walk to Fossil Crater.”

            Madison glanced at the crutches and smiled at her choice of words. “Well, I’m off to my tele.”

            “Good luck,” Jasmine said.

            Once Madison was outside, Diego felt brave enough to talk freely.

            “She needs to be reading Introduction to Cybernetics and Introduction to Xenobiology.” 

            Joseph moved his gaze to the floor and tilted his head in aggravation. “Do we need to be reading those?”

            Diego smiled and said, “Yep. Last year we were in the Exoplanet program, but this year we’ll be trying out for the Cybernetics program, and you guys will be too, and if we make it, our lives will be changed forever.”

            “I hope so,” Joseph grumbled.

            “We’ll start tonight, after we arrive. Hopefully, I’ll get in with the right people, you know, someone who can help out. The Cybernetics program centers on this alien technology called Geneware. But you guys have probably never heard of it.”

            The Astrophel children said nothing.

“So, did you guys get your Helixes at Orion Sanctum?”

            “Yup,” Jasmine said. “We got them yesterday.”

            “Great, but those are entry level,” Diego said, and hit them with a big smile. “I’ll have to set you up with an update in the next day or two. Then you won’t have any problems pulling up the Galactic Chart or getting messages. You’ll spend a lot of time in your Helix.”

            “What’s the Galactic Chart?” Both Scotty and Jasmine asked.

            Diego’s smile widened and he took a look around. “Well, we’ll talk about it when we get to The Zoo.”

            Wow, a boy not much older than they were said their lives were about to change. They were preparing to board a spaceplane and travel to a secret spaceport in the Outback. A place codenamed, The Zoo. To live there, and to serve as cyborgs in the Cybernetics program. A top-secret program created and operated by the one and only Galactic Research; their father’s former employer. How ironic too, but how had all of this come to be. Had they actually been accepted into the Cyborg Corps, or did Doctor Stratton and Sparta have ulterior motives?

            “Well,” Diego said, “you guys can set your bags down in the hall over there and then follow me outside to the garden, if you want to.”

            They did.

Scotty and Joseph dragged their bags to the hall and shoved them against the wall, and Jasmine crutched along with them, as she didn’t want to get too far away from her brothers.

            “Follow me.”

            The three boys crossed the departures hall to a set of double glass doors that was the entrance to the Galactic Garden. Diego held the door open for the Astrophel children and was sure to tell Jasmine to watch her step.

            “It’s not well lit out here for a reason. I guess so you can sky watch and relax.”

            “Wow, it’s paradise,” Jasmine said. “Smells nice too.”

A floral fragrance sweetened the air within the garden.

Along the west side of a large concrete and clay brick patio were Epsilon Indi grape vines, their canopy lush with green leaves and loaded with grape clusters. Two small Ross 128 fruit trees were growing in wooden planters, and they were producing fruit, both blue and green. Four Eridani terracotta jar planters boasted Epsilon Eridani strawberry plants, the fruit as big as terrestrial apples. The north and south rims of the patio were both delineated by a lattice wall that was covered in beautiful Arcturus ivy, and the center piece of this garden was the Proxima Centauri b statue.

            “It is,” Diego acknowledged. “I always need to relax before a jump.”

            There was a small lapse in the conversation, and it was Scotty who broke the silence. “Before the what?” 

            “The jump,” Diego said. “That’s what it’s called. When a spacecraft transitions from high-hypersonic flight to Electrosonic flight.”

            They said nothing.

            “Electro is where you can fly at or above light speed.”

            Joseph attempted to contribute to the conversation, but he was struggling with suppressing his attitude toward Galactic Research. “In what, the Millennium Falcon?”

            “A Centaurus Zeus spaceplane,” Diego said. “That’s what you were looking at outside. Doctor Stryker landed in one a few hours ago. He’s wanting the flights to leave early, and no one knows why.”

            “Oh,” all three chorused, but before their imaginations could begin running wild, Diego spoke again.

            “Hey, just for fun,” he said, his smile returning. “What was the first man-made thing to ever break the sound barrier?”

            “Well, I guess the thing Chuck Yeager was flying,” Scotty said.

            “The rocket engine Bell X-1,” Diego said.

            “Oh…that’s right,” Scotty said.

            “No,” Diego said. “The bullwhip was the first man-made thing to break the sound barrier, as that sound the whip creates is actually a mini sonic boom.”

            That got Scotty to laughing. “So, whenever I pop Joey with a wet towel, I’m breaking the sound barrier.”

            “That’s right. If you pop someone with a towel and it cracks, you’re giving them a sonic boom on their butt.”

            Jasmine burst into laughter, and Scotty was next to erupt with giggles. “This is shaping up to be a lot of fun.”

            “We always try to have a little fun,” Diego said.

            “I hope so,” Joseph said. “All work and no play makes me tired.”

            Diego reached into a pants pocket and wrenched out a small foil and cloth bag. He loosened a string and took a tiny piece of red rock candy and dropped it into his mouth. Judging by his reaction, they had a feeling that it was delicious tasting candy.

            “Wow, where are my manners,” Diego said. “You guys wanna try a piece of not-of-this-world candy?”

            They each took a small piece and examined it for a few moments.

Scotty was the first to enjoy the sugary treat. “What’s this called?”

            “Epsilon Eridani rock candy,” Diego said, and placed another tiny red cube in his mouth.

            “Huh,” Joseph said. “Never heard of that. Is that in Germany or something?”

You are reading story J.C. Warren: Scotty Astrophel and the Star Nexus at novel35.com

            Diego shook his head to say no, and after he finished chewing, he said, “It’s just another one of many secrets, but this one we’ll have to keep to ourselves.” Then his crafty smile returned, and he was forced to laugh at everyone’s expression of confusion.

            Joseph and Jasmine smiled at that and sampled their piece of Eridani rock candy.

            “Try some green this time,” Diego said after they’d finished with round one. “Not quite sour apple, but close enough.”

            They stood under the stars and moon, eating Eridani rock candy, talking, and enjoying the evening. Diego had two other colors, which were orange and purple, and he retrieved them from his backpack after they’d powered through the bag of reds. He was storing the sweets in deep-space bags; plastic coated with a thin layer of metal. The Astrophel children sampled each one, and each one tasted just as delicious as the reds and greens with the purple maybe a little too sweet.

            Planet Earth had rotated enough to allow more bright stars to be visible without a telescope. The Orion Constellation was nearly directly overhead with Betelgeuse, Rigel, and Iota Orionis blazing in all their glory.

            Laughter echoed around the departure hall, and then the glass doors were opening. A pale boy who appeared to be no more than eleven walked into the garden with his Helix open and illuminated with bright green colors. He seemed to be searching for something in the Galactic Chart.

            “I think the Helix system is being updated tonight,” Diego said, and he intended it as a friendly reminder.  

            “Well, something big was supposed to have happened around Mars that we’re able to see tonight,” he said. “Like an artificial object that’s not supposed to be there. If I can get it in my scope, it’ll be just too much.”

            “I think we’re getting ready to board, so I don’t see the sense in setting up a telescope,” Diego said, “when you can do it at The Zoo.”

            “Well, maybe you’re right,” the boy said, and deactivated his Helix. “By the way, my name is Jerold Tuckerman.”

            The Astrophel children said hi and watched him leave.

            “He’s gonna have seven weeks to sky watch in the Outback,” Diego said. “I bet Madison has the chart out too.”

            He left to get something from his bags and returned with a camera. It was attached to a neck strap he’d pulled up over his shoulder; stars were on the glossy side and planets were on the matte side.

            “I have a great camera for astrophotography,” Diego said. “Follow me so I can get a better shot of the moon.”

             Then the glass doors whirred open again. It was Madison, and she had the Galactic Chart up on her Helix. She walked straight to Diego.

            “I have a clear line of sight to Epsilon Eridani. It’s really bright tonight, and with it being summer and we’re facing away from the center of the Milky Way, the view is incredible. A star that’s less than a billion years old and has an intrinsic luminosity that’s less than half of our sun, it’s best to look at it during summer.”

            The Astrophel children said nothing.

            “You’ve seen better pictures of that star, Madison,” Diego said. “I don’t know why you wanna look at it through a telescope.”

            “I like looking at them in their most natural state,” she said. “Even if their light is years and years old.”

            Diego pointed his camera at the moon and took a series of photographs.

Madison rotated the hologram for a better view of our solar system. “Since I arrived, we’ve traveled more than five hundred thousand miles across the Milky Way,” she said, and her tone was barely above a whisper. She zoomed in on the Martian planet to take a look at the spacecraft. “Oh wow, try to put Mars into focus. There’s an unknown object in orbit and nobody knows what it is.”

“I’ll try,” Diego said, and continued shooting the moon.

“My father is a science teacher,” Madison said. “Can you believe that. He talked me into applying for a research scientist position in the Exoplanet program. I couldn’t believe they took me, not with my grades, ha. But it’s in my blood. My uncle worked at an observatory years ago. He served as an astronomer’s helper.”

Scotty smiled at Madison’s outgoing nature as Diego packed up his camera.

“So, what else can you see with the Galactic Chart?” Scotty asked.

“All of the Orion Spur Stars,” Diego said.

Madison rotated the hologram and zoomed in on the Epsilon Eridani star system.

“This is Epsilon Eridani b,” Madison said, and zoomed in on the planet. “It’s an Earth-like world but just a bit smaller than Earth, but it’s chock-full of life.”

Scotty and Jasmine stepped closer to Madison for a better view.

Madison zoomed in further and placed an equatorial region into focus, and the Astrophel children spied a lush jungle canopy alive with Epsilon Eridani Starbirds.

“Wow, so is this an old video?” Joseph asked.

“No, it’s live,” Madison said.

“But how can it be a livestream?” Jasmine asked.

Madison and Diego both turned their attention to the Astrophel children, but their guarded expressions revealed their actual understanding of the Galactic Chart.

“Not sure,” Madison said.

“It’s all top secret,” Diego said. “But I’ll be the first to figure it out.”

Madison wrinkled her nose to him and returned her attention to Jasmine. “Fossil Crater has a very cool shuttle service, and everything is accessible, so you’ll do fine with your crutches.”

“I can do a walk without them, but only in my bedroom and the bathroom and places like that,” Jasmine said, and then wished she’d kept her mouth shut.

“Don’t worry, the residencia has an elevator, so you won’t have any problems,” Madison said, and locked eyes with Jasmine. “It’s three stories, and there’s a lounge on the first floor. It’s really nice.”

Jasmine liked the idea of having access to an elevator but wondered if she’d have a room all to herself. “Do we have roommates?”

“Most always,” she said. “I think they have singles though, not sure. Last year I learned that having a room to yourself is like a lot of other things at The Zoo. It’s a lot about your rank, but you can talk to the staff when we get there.”

“Oh,” Jasmine said, and then sighed, “Please, no sleepwalkers.”

“So,” Madison rolled seamlessly into the next conversation. “Did you guys get the flight assignment message?”

Scotty scratched his head during a moment of confusion. “Well, it wasn’t exactly an email, but we were told to check in at the Sydney airport.”

“No, you guys are gonna be assigned to a flight. We have Alfa flight, which is the observatory, Bravo flight, is the biodome, Charlie flight is the laboratory, and Delta flight is the launch facility, and there’s a lot going on there even though GalReach doesn’t put rockets together anymore.”

Their eyes widened as pictures of massive rockets blasting off from launch pads floated through their minds. 

“You’ll report to your flight pretty much every day,” Madison said. “But you’ll rotate out all over the spaceport. So, you’ll get all of your training, and it never gets boring.”

They smiled at Madison’s choice of words, especially spaceport, and Jasmine giggled at it all, as she was helpless not to.

“I’m in Bravo flight, and I love it because the biodome is just the greatest thing ever,” Madison said. “You’re mainly a zookeeper.”

“A zookeeper for what?” Joseph mumbled, but he actually didn’t want to know.

Without looking his way, she said, “You’ll see when we get there.”

Then she turned around and searched for Diego. She found him in the departures hall, inventorying a backpack. She gestured for them to follow her out of the garden.

They did.

“Diego, I’ve counted fifty-two so far, where is everyone going to sit?”

They have three flights,” he shouted so he could be heard over the noise the crowd was creating. Two androids helped Myia recite announcements and answer questions while a bubble of green Helix light ballooned to fully illuminate the accessway. Pygmy parrots squawked and whistled from their perches and called out the names of whoever they recognized. “There’s a third Zeus. One landed yesterday. It made the news too. I sort of figured they’d send three this year.”

“Oh, wow,” Madison said, “well maybe I’ll have more leg room this time.”

Jerold shambled by, dragging two bags, carrying his telescope on his back, and wearing a white space suit. “I think they’re trying to call us out to the pad, so I’m headed that way,” he shouted, and disappeared down the long accessway. A boy and a girl were behind him, dragging bags, and peering into a Helix. Five big tropical plants growing in stainless steel jardinières stirred and moved about as the crowd rushed by, and quite a few leaves were dripping water onto the floor.

“Those are Ross 154 Heart leaf plants,” Diego said, and smiled as a memory flitted through his mind. “The robots at the biodome say that they’re happy when they drip water.”

Jasmine was forced to smile. “Why are they happy tonight?”

“Probably because there are a lot of us here,” Diego said.

Myia was moving across the tiled floor to where everyone was standing, and she moved pretty good for an android. She approached Diego and Madison and stood before them. “It is time for everyone to report to pad number one, except for,” she said that with a relaxed tone and gathered the remainder of the message. “Scotty Astrophel, Joseph Astrophel, and Jasmine Astrophel are to remain in the departures hall, they are leaving on the last flight.”

“Oh,” Madison mumbled and took her bags in her hands, “well I guess GalReach is doing things different this year. Anyway, I’ll see you three at The Zoo.”

Diego collected up his stuff too, and without looking at the Astrophel children, said, “I’m sure they’ll have your suits and helmets in the Zeus. Also, remain seated at all times and keep your head and arms inside the spaceplane.”

They disappeared down the same long accessway.

The Astrophel children followed Myia through the departures hall and noticed that it had emptied out quickly. The android peered into their faces and exchanged smiles and various expressions of confusion and encouragement. She was listening to two spaceplanes talk to an air traffic controller as they taxied to a runway.

Several awkward minutes ticked by.

“The first two spaceplanes are taking off now,” she said, and moved her gaze to where she knew the runway to be. “Stand by for an electromagnetic disturbance.”

“A what?” They mumbled to each other, and just as they were about to peer into Myia’s face to see if she’d heard them, two bright strobes of blue light appeared outside, and then the power was out. The interior was dark but for Myia’s eyes and a sprinkling of emergency exit lighting. Then a noise that sounded like distant thunder rolled across the airport, and when it fully diminished, the lights flickered back on.

Scotty moved his gaze to the glass doors. “What was that all about?”

Myia smiled at his curiosity. “The sound barrier was broken, twice.”

“That means something was going fast,” Jasmine grumbled. “I don’t like fast. I don’t ride my bike fast.”

 “It is now time for you three to assemble at pad two,” Myia said, and entered the long dimly lit accessway. “Please collect up all of your bags and follow me.”

They did.

Outside, the spaceplane was where it’d been pulled to by the tow vehicle; odd electrical sounds emanating from the aft end, and the interior was illuminated. Milky light spilled from several windows, and small red and green lights atop the spaceplane were blinking. It looked like it was being prepared for a getaway, and someone was standing inside the flight deck.

Myia walked them to an area that had been roped off. “Set your bags down here. You can stand or sit on the ground, but please do not leave this area. You could be harmed by equipment or vehicles.”

They followed Myia’s instructions and watched her return to the flight center, then turned their attention to the spaceplane, and Jasmine was the first to spy its name; Just a Fun-Loving Robot was in big blue letters on the nose and below the star trackers.

*

Joseph Astrophel didn’t seem to mind at all to be standing just feet away from an autonomous spaceplane during the final minutes of its countdown to launch. Well, they didn’t know what to think at this point.

Doctor Stratton stepped out of the hanger and spied the Astrophel children. He walked to where they were hanging out and talking and dropped three helmet bags next to Jasmine. Then he was rummaging in his space suit, looking for a special gadget. He knew who was aboard Just a Fun-Loving Robot because he watched him through the passenger windows as he made his way to the rear entrance. Normally, they never used the aft door, but the Astrophels were considered VIP passengers.

“You guys need a ride to the spaceport?”

Scotty and Jasmine gave an enthusiastic reply - “Yes!”

He took the gadget in his hands and pulled it from his space suit; it looked like a remote control. He pointed it at the aft door and touched a blue button. Nothing. He sidestepped twice and engaged the remote again. Nothing. Ten times he punched the little blue button on the remote, until a voice was emanating from the passenger cabin; something about the batteries being low and it would open manually. Stratton mumbled a few choice words and stuffed the remote back into his space suit.

Then a single row of L E D overhead lamps was radiating intense light from the interior of the spaceplane. The aft door was opening, and that door was also a passageway with steps for easy access to the cabin. But there was a man standing on those steps, the aft door, and riding it down to the tarmac like a rock star being lowered to the main stage. He was decked out in a black and white space suit too, with patches sewn onto the sleeves and the collar turned up. His hair, which was parted down the side with the back just a little too long, was salt-and-pepper, and he was clean shaven. A pair of mirrored spectacles were dangling from the front of his space suit. He seemed to be a little amused.

“Great cosmic rays, Roger!” Stryker said, and then conjured up a humorous tone. “We land spacecraft on alien worlds, but you are struggling with the wireless controller.”

“A remote was a dumb idea anyway.”

“Bells and whistles,” Stryker said. “It matters not!”

Stratton took the helmet bags in his hands again, but this time he was handing them out. “You’ll need these for the ride. I’ll show you how to put em on in a moment.”

“Ah, the three VIPs! Do you not appreciate the showmanship?” Stryker said through a smile. “I was schooled in stage presence the year I traveled with the circus.”

“Christopher, please,” Stratton said.

The Astrophel children stared at each other for a moment or two without speaking. Scotty was first to get to his feet and begin collecting up his bags. He was sure to take Jasmine’s helmet bag in his hands, as he knew she would have too much with her crutches. When all three were on their feet with their bags and the small telescope, Stryker gestured with his hands for everyone to walk to the aft door.

They did.

All four walked up the stairs and entered the passenger cabin. It smelled of leather and plastic, similar to a new car. The primary color of the interior was white with brown items scattered around here and there. Once they were seated, both Stratton and Stryker sat with them to chitchat and to explain what was about to happen. The revelation did come as a big surprise to Joseph and Jasmine, but not to Scotty.

“Wow, I can’t believe I’m about to fly to a spaceport, and in something like this,” Jasmine said, examining the interior through narrow, nervous eyes. “Is this dangerous?”

            “Ha! Is this dangerous. Only if you stick your head out of the window.”

 And if you think our spaceplanes are cool, just wait until you see the Centaurus Boomerang. Those are our newest autonomous spacecraft.” Stratton said.

            An air of uncertainty rippled away from Scotty and Jasmine, but Joseph moved the conversation along.

 “And the stuff that we’ll do at the spaceport will help get our parents back,” he said, and the remark hushed his brother and sister down to a captivated silence.

            “Indeed, it will,” Stryker said in an unassertive tone. “But the first step will be to master Michael’s Geneware, so we can enter into the next phase of our Cybernetics program.”

            “Because if our Cybernetics program fails,” Stratton said, “We won’t be able to protect you three, and we’ll never be able to get Michael and Sarah back.”

            There were a few moments of awkward silence.

            Joseph exhaled a sigh of aggravation. “So, does anyone know where mom and dad are?”

Stryker sat on the floor before them so he wouldn’t have to raise his voice. He made eye contact with all three of them, Scotty, Joseph, and Jasmine. Then he peered through a window to regard the eastern sky and gaze at the rising stars, and he told the truth as he knew it to be.

            “Why, of course I do. Their every move is documented, and the data is stored in the Star Nexus.”

Scotty’s mouth fell open like a trapdoor, but he was at a loss for words.

“However, our archenemy is attempting to take possession of our beloved Star Nexus, and if he is successful, we will lose the ability to track Michael and Sarah,” Stryker said.

“And it will just be the beginning of a lot of genuine bad things for the entire world.

Jasmine hoped she’d receive a bit of good news. “Mom and dad aren’t in danger, are they?”

“Yes,” Stryker said. Then he steered the conversation in a direction he didn’t want it to go. “And the three of you are in danger, the entire Milky Way too.”

Joseph shook his head to disagree. “The only danger we’re facing is becoming genuine orphans.”

That bold remark forced Stryker to smile. “I guarantee this, you will never become orphans. Besides, what orphanage would accept a bushranger like you?”

Joseph’s face fell a bit, but Scotty and Jasmine smiled and forced down laughter.

“The technical issue regarding Michael and Sarah will no doubt be resolved,” Stryker said, and ran his hands through his hair. “And soon too.”

“But there is a lot of work to do,” Stratton said.

Stryker turned his attention to Scotty and pressed on. “You have been having a lot of fun with the Geneware.” He moved his gaze to Stratton and mushed his face into a comical expression. “Michael’s very own brainchild. His greatest invention!” Then he took Scotty’s shoulders in his hands. “Now we need you to become skilled in the Geneware, and you will need to be perfect. It is of the upmost importance!”

“The entire galaxy is depending on you,” Stratton emphasized.

Stryker scrambled to his feet. “But do not worry, young Scotty! I will assist you during your perils.”

            Joseph moved his gaze to his boots. “The only thing dad’s Geneware does is change tissue and cells, and for me it just makes things look different. Why is something so dumb so important.”

            Then Jasmine anted up. “Besides, you guys don’t know anything about us. How do you know we can do the things you want us to do?”

Stryker smiled, took in a big lung full of night air, and gathered his thoughts. After a few moments, he said this, “Scotty, pet color morphing extraordinaire, Joseph, he who hacks into the neighborhood’s giant voice, and, Jasmine, video game cheat programmer…circumstance placed you on this road, diligence will guide you to your destiny.” He kneeled and returned his gaze to the stars. “I own a special place that is full of life from around the galaxy. Beautiful creatures, both animal and plant, but all biological life, and there is a lot of work that has to be done. And it is very, very important that we fully develop our Cybernetics program. You see, we use extraterrestrial technology to lend a hand to the extraterrestrials that live in the biodome so they can thrive on this planet. It is surely worth our time and effort, is it not?”

They shook their heads to say yes.

“And, Scotty. If you will help us develop the Geneware and create good and useful builds that will help us move our space exploration program to the next level, I will make good things happen.”

“Extraterrestrials?” Joseph groaned through a smirk. He tilted his head to one side and glared at Stryker. “Am I expected to believe that?”

Both Scotty and Jasmine moved their gaze to their brother and prepared for what they thought might be an unnecessary tirade.

“Yes!” The director of operations said with a comical tone. “My first name is doctor, after all.”

Joseph rocked forward to Stryker. “We want our mom and dad back, and our old, boring lives too.”

Stratton shook his head to agree, but Stryker said, “We will find Michael and Sarah, but you might as well say farewell to your old lives because nothing will ever be the same.”

They didn’t know what to say about that.

“Over the horizon our destiny awaits!” Stryker said, extending his arms to the interior of the spaceplane. “The road will be long and dangerous, and mountains will get in our way, but courage will help us take a step forward every day. With cybernetics, we will move the mountains out of our way.”

“The Cybernetics program will be our saving grace.”

“Indeed, it will.”

“We will win the space race.”  

Both Stryker and Stratton placed their right hands before Scotty, Joseph, and Jasmine, and Stryker said, “Starboard to Fossil Crater, where you will live out what you have only dreamed of, while in the company of cosmic creatures from around the galaxy, all the while helping to solve the mysteries of the universe, or shall I give you a ride back to Piccadilly Avenue.”

All three placed their hands atop the Doctors’ hands. “To Fossil Crater!”

They counted to three and shouted, ‘our future is out there’, but Stryker, being the man that he is, made everyone do this preflight ritual until they got it right. It took five attempts before they recited it correctly.

For the next ten minutes Stryker prepared Just a Fun-Loving Robot for takeoff, and Stratton helped the Astrophel children wiggle into their space suits and helmets. He gave them a safety briefing and ordered them to remain seated at all times, no exceptions. When he was done tending to the three VIP passengers, he strapped himself in next to Stryker. Five minutes later the spaceplane was making the strangest of sounds.

Its engine hummed to life, and Scotty and Jasmine cheered happily; they were already smiling. Unnoticed by them, a small throttle moved forward, and the spaceplane rolled away from the parking apron. It taxied across the tarmac to the main runway where it carefully lined up with the centerline. Less than a minute later the onboard computer was preparing to launch.

They were hanging on to their safety harnesses when a second throttle moved forward, but only forty percent of that system was used. Then Just a Fun-Loving Robot was zipping down the narrow runway, but it only used a few hundred feet of it and three seconds later they were climbing through four thousand feet and closing in on Mach one. But before they whizzed into high-hypersonic flight the spaceplane transitioned into Electrosonic flight, creating a sonic boom over Sydney. They’d be over Fossil Crater after only five minutes of cruising at two hundred thousand feet. That’s if they could reach the target speed of 20,000 miles per hour or .00002.98 percent of light speed.

A group of local sky watchers reeled with excitement as a third unidentified flying object pierced the gloom, a shock diamond shooting from the engine as it climbed high into the night sky. Then suddenly, without warning, a bright flash of blue light ripped through the black, and seconds later a thunderous noise that all of Sydney must have heard rolled across the land. And like that, the unidentified flying object disappeared from sight.  

*

The big city glow quickly gave way to an expanse of lightless gloom. There was a thin layer of high clouds above them obstructing a lot of the starlight, and the ground was a black and grey quilt speckled with oddly shaped orange patches. They were rocketing over hills, lakes, and rivers and climbing to an incredible altitude. They stared out the window and watched the clouds drop below them and the ocean drift from view.

            Then the moon, which had been peeking over the airport while they sat on the tarmac, was between the spaceplane and the eastern horizon, and they had never peered down to look at the moon before; believed it was one of the coolest things they’d ever done. The stars seemed to be a lot brighter too. Scotty caught a glimpse of a small cluster of ground lights, but in only a few seconds it drifted away and was gone from sight.

            Jasmine wondered how fast they were moving, and Scotty attempted to figure out how high they were. He used hand signals to communicate with Joseph to ask him if he had any idea, but after a few seconds of confusion, gave up and returned his attention to the wonderous view. But he was able to inform both Joseph and Jasmine that something really cool was happening.

            All three peered into the eastern horizon, and for an entire minute they could clearly see the curvature of the Earth. The moon immediately moved into second place as this incredible sight took the top spot on a short list of ‘cool things to see during summer holiday’.

            Jasmine gestured with her hands to make sure her brothers were seeing what was occurring; a single arc with both her index fingers. They both acknowledged by shaking their heads. The thought of being in space did cross her mind, but she imagined that if they were in space, they’d be weightless. She took a good look around the cabin to see if anything was floating. Nothing was.

            Two minutes later and things were a lot different. The moon was above them, and the land was again flat. Very dark too. There were small hills in the distance, surrounded by a rolling, empty expanse of desert country. No lakes or rivers to see, only hills and flat uninhabited land. Inside the passenger cabin, the helmet bags had drifted away from a cubbyhole and were floating near the overhead lighting.

            As Just a Fun-Loving Robot drifted to the desert floor, it was moving more like an airplane than a rocket ship. It slowed down a lot and did a series of steep turns to the left and to the right. First the starry night sky, then the black desert ground, then straight and level flight. It moved in a straight line for a while, and then made a final turn to port, and when it was level again there was a sprinkling of ground lights before them.

            Directly below was a cool array of blue and white lights similar to the lights back at the Sydney airport. There was a dimly lit ribbon of asphalt cutting a mile-long path through the desert to the shallow area of an ancient crater; a shuttlecraft was before an iron gate with its motor running and its lights off. Scattered within the crater were illusive black squares of steel and glass and a lot of smaller, mid-century buildings beckoning all to enter with glowing lights. Farther away down the ghostly rim and hidden carefully in a hillside was a sprawling subterranean structure with no windows and only two glass doors. But a disc-shaped building whose exterior was illuminated with blue and green lights really captured the Astrophel children’s attention.

*

The spaceplane carefully transitioned to hover flight above the launchpad, and it took only a minute to descend to the concrete slab where it performed a perfect landing. The aft door opened, and the Astrophel children scrambled from their seats and walked toward the stairs and out into the bright lights scattered around the launchpad. They helped each other remove their helmets and space suits. Then Stratton was before them, placing Just a Fun-Loving Robot in a cone of flashlight light and typing on his Helix. “You guys enjoy the flight?”

            They laughed at that, and Scotty said, “Can we do it again?”

            Stratton smiled and continued inspecting the airframe.

            “Everyone, to the shuttle!” Stryker shouted. “They are going to attempt to offload pods tonight from a Boomerang that landed not too long ago. No time to waste!”

            “Okay, follow me,” Stratton said. “Walk with me to the shuttle, and watch your step. Both of you help your sister.”

            Walking as fast as their legs would allow, they followed Stratton and Stryker across the launchpad to an iron catwalk. The lighting quickly grew dim as they moved toward the narrow road, and Jasmine got her crutches stuck twice. Several minutes later they were crossing a smaller and much older slab of concrete and approaching the shuttlecraft.

            “I’ll drive us over to pad two,” Stratton said. “I know a short cut and the autonomous system will just take us to the residencia.”

            “Yes, well, I am sure everyone is at the launchpad.”

            Stratton hopped into the driver’s seat and steered the shuttlecraft toward a tiny sprinkling of lights on the westside of the launch complex. The ground was flat but for a mulga tree here and there, but he seemed to know where each one was located. Scotty sat quietly, trying to guess where they were going to now, and what they’d be doing once they got there. The dim orange lights grew big and impressive quickly.

            “I hope the control panel works,” Stratton mumbled as he approached the entrance to launchpad number three. With the touch of a button, the massive metal gate slid sideways, revealing most of the launchpad and the Centaurus Boomerang that was secured to the concrete pad. They drove down a dark gravel road, which appeared to run into the launchpad itself, until they found a small cluster of vehicles and personnel, where Stratton parked the shuttlecraft and watched everyone walk out onto the strip of gravel.

            “Watch your step out here,” Stratton said to all three. “It’s not well lit.”

            “We will,” they mumbled, and their eyes were fixed on the mission control building.

            Stryker scrambled onto the launchpad and turned his attention to the Astrophel children. “So, what do you think about the Boomerang?”

Without a lot of thought, Scotty said, “That’s a very cool looking spaceship.”

“Does it work?” Joseph chided, and he was sure to make eye contact with Stryker.

“Ha! Does it work,” he said, and extended his arms to the spacecraft. “What do you think this is? A boring museum!”

            They crossed a long strip of metal lattice to where the others were standing and staring at the Centaurus Boomerang robotic spacecraft.

            “Good evening, Galactic Gurus! Please tell me I did not miss a thing,” Stryker said.

            No one said a word.

            “Well, by all means, offload the pods and let us see what treasures the Milky Way has surrendered to us tonight.”  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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