Chapter 16: Chapter Two: Sparta’s Overture

Chapter Two

Sparta's Overture

 

WHEN THE ASTROPHEL children returned to Piccadilly Avenue, Mrs. Robinson was waiting by the front door. She knew they had changed the color of the goldfish and Mr. Dankworth’s golden retriever, and all three would pay for aggravating Mr. Robinson and staying out past lunch. A floral fragrance drifted across the front yard, and a strange-looking man was standing on the other side of the street; white space suit and sunglasses, and he was keeping watch on the Alexander.

            Sand and pebbles crunched beneath her shoes as she tiptoed around the children. “That’s the last time any of you will leave this property except to catch the bus to school,” she said, and attempted to take Scotty’s arm in her hands, but he hopped backwards and escaped her punishment. Frowning, she extended her arm and patted Jasmine’s crutches with a sassafras switch, but she smacked Joseph on his thigh and just a bit too hard because the little stick snapped in half, and Jasmine was immediately roused to playful laughter.  

Mrs. Robinson moved her gaze to Scotty. “I’ve finally sussed out what the three of you are doing, and the next time I catch any of you creating mischief with your computers, I’ll toss it all into the garbage bin.” 

            “But we need our laptops for homework,” Scotty said, and smiled, a big polished fake smile. “We make better grades when we use computers.”

            “Rubbish!” Mrs. Robinson yelled, her skirt flapping in an afternoon sea breeze. “School is out for summer holiday.”

            Mr. Robinson stepped out onto the veranda, locking eyes with Scotty as he went.

            “I have a long list of chores for all three of you. Old man Dankworth’s mut was in the front yard again. It left you a stink package and-”

            “Yeah, we were gonna watch the premier of The Last Space Pirate at five,” Joseph said, and was immediately rewarded for his sassiness.     

            “You can go to the theater tomorrow,” Mr. Robinson said. “Movies are always better the second time.”

            That got Scotty to laughing, but Jasmine anted up with this. “Are we doing this again? Doesn’t matter, I have track and field this evening,”

            “You, a runner,” Mrs. Robinson said, and exchanged expressions of disbelief with Mr. Robinson. “That’ll be the day. No, all three of you will do chores until supper. Lots to do.”

            “Okay so-” Joseph attempted but was silenced with a quick snap from Mrs. Robinson.  

            “And another thing, the three of you had better hope my goldfish survive whatever it is you’ve done to them,” she said, nearly growling. “And as for Mr. Dankworth’s dog-”

             That got Mr. Robinson to laughing, a slow, guarded laugh, and he was sure to keep his eyes on Scotty as he spoke. “Mildred, what could the three of them have done to…they can’t change the way things look. They can’t make…they’re not good at anything, they’re kids!”

            Mrs. Robinson paid the remark little attention. What she did do was usher everyone inside and peer over her glasses at the flower garden as she slammed the door shut behind her.

            The day the Astrophel children moved in, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson vowed to have them disconnected from the modern world in less than a week. To have them appreciating a simple life without complicated gadgets and hard-to-understand technology. The sun had set on that day two months previous, and those lofty endeavors were slowly withering away to nothingness. The Robinsons were actually in the process of searching for a new foster home to move them to.

            Scotty Astrophel was a rising star in the programmer community. He could make his own video games by typing blocks of code into a computer, and he had established a large fan base for his creations.

Mr. and Mrs. Astrophel had taught him everything too, but Mr. Astrophel had introduced Scotty to the world of cell-engineering and the technological miracle that they’d both created. It was a combination of computer coding and extraterrestrial bio software that was top-secret. Geneware was what they had named the program, and within the walls of Galactic Research it was tip-top secret and coveted by a lot of bad people. 

            Scotty did not like having to explain to Joseph and Jasmine how Mr. and Mrs. Astrophel had disappeared. The police force and their foster parents both claimed that they had disappeared under circumstances that were complicated and hard to understand, so there was a lot to wonder about and to talk about. Especially after they discovered the message boards on the internet. Message boards dedicated to explaining how a cellular scientist and a computer scientist could vanish into thin air. The local consensus was that Mr. and Mrs. Astrophel were both being held by a rival company, probably somewhere in Australia, but there was the possibility they were working in a secret research station on the Moon. 

            Mr. and Mrs. Robinson had taken the Astrophel children’s cell phones the day they’d arrived, and the only reason they allowed them access to their laptops was to finish homework assignments. There was no Wi-fi, no satellite or cable, and the one and only light inside their bedroom was controlled by Mr. and Mrs. Robinson. During their Saturdays and Sundays away from school they were forced to work in the sewing shop, the jewelry shop, and the vegetable garden, and the only toys that they had to entertain themselves with were Mr. Robinson’s old board games.

            Scotty and Joseph wore homemade suits just like the ones Mr. Robinson wore; grey, blue, and sometimes brown, and their shoes were always cleaned and polished daily. Jasmine wore homemade dresses cut from the oddest fabric this side of the Pacific Ocean: greens and oranges and random starbursts and boomerangs. All three were a little too thin, and they each boasted dazzling blue eyes and sandy blonde hair that they were not allowed to touch. Mrs. Robinson wrapped Jasmine’s hair into a donut bun, and she combed Scotty’s and Joseph’s hair in place with help from Queensland Hair Dressing Pomade. 

            Mrs. Robinson marched all three of them across the backyard. The sun was in the western sky, and shadows were growing long across the lawn. She opened the door to the storage shed and handed out the shovels and rakes, and Scotty pushed the infamous reel mower to where Joseph and Jasmine were standing.  

            “Jasmine, keep those crutches out of the garden,” Mrs. Robinson said, and turned her attention to Scotty and Joseph. “And if the two of you get a speck of mud on your clothes, you’ll be on laundry duty the entire summer holiday. Ugh, shoes off, give them to me.”

            Barefoot, they cut the grass, moved a pile of mulch by hand, repaired the flower garden, and washed the outdoor furniture. A horrible way to start their summer holiday: Yardwork, switches, and being confined to a small suburb with nothing to do but play board games. Scotty understood that toying around with his parents’ Geneware could lead to big trouble, but maybe Mr. Robinson and Aldrich were right, maybe he wasn’t good at anything, after all he was just a kid.

            Three hours later Jasmine and Joseph were gathering grass clippings to spread on the vegetable garden while Scotty mused over the brilliant sunset and a scarlet plasma trail that was drifting to the north.

            “Someday, I’m gonna do something big and important,” he said to the backyard. “Someday, I’m gonna fly across the sky like Zeus.”

            Thunderstorm clouds were building over the North Harbour and a column of rain marched across the beach, soaking the sailboats and the piers. Then Mrs. Robinson’s voice was piercing the evening air. “Get inside and put the bags on your feet!”

            They walked into the cool air of the kitchen. Three bowls of split pea soup were on the table along with their refreshment; a glass of cool tap water, and they were expected to enjoy their drink.

            They gobbled down their tiny meal and glugged the tap water. Sitting at the table and talking was not allowed. Once their plates were empty, Mrs. Robinson would always send them away, and that evening was no different from any other evening. “To your room, and not a sound tonight,” she said, and kept her gaze fixed on Scotty. “Harold and I will watch our favorite TV shows tonight. Bedtime is seven. Wash your feet before getting into bed.”

            Carefully, they crept across the wooden floor in their bagged feet, walked into their bedroom, went to their laptops to engage the power button, sit, stare at the monitor, and wish they had internet service.

            However, to their surprise, their laptops were on, and a webpage was floating in the monitors.

            At the very top was the title: Galactic Research Portal.

*

“Wow, GalReach is trying to contact us,” Scotty said, and examined the front page, and he was sure to read everything. “They’ve installed something in the house, and our laptops have a Geneware launcher. How is this happening? We don’t even have Wi-fi.”

            “Seriously!” Joseph snapped, yanking little, spiny stickers from the bottom of his toes. “What do they want? To try and convince us that mom and dad were abducted by aliens.”

“No, someone there wants us to take over the search and rescue operation at the coffee shop,” Jasmine said, pulling the bags from both her muddy feet.

            “Real funny, guys,” Scotty said, appearing preoccupied with his own curiosity. “Let me read the message.”

            What they did know was that someone had made accessing the internet from within the Alexander possible, and the motives behind it had everything to do with Mr. and Mrs. Astrophel.

            Both Jasmine and Scotty were showing a grand fascination with the portal, but they each hoped that it would produce something special inside their foster home. A software program that would allow them to video chat with their parents would be nice. One that would allow them to see the things that are hidden from their eyes. Something that could help them solve all the mysteries of the universe. It would not be too far from that.

            “Okay, so I’ve read everything,” Scotty said, and sat on the metal folding chair. “This is sort of weird.”

            Joseph and Jasmine exchanged expressions of both wonder and uncertainty.

            “So, mom and dad are on Mars,” Joseph said.

            Jasmine groaned and pulled several bobby pins away from her ponytail. “Joey, stop it.”

            Scotty leaned back in the chair and wrapped his arms across his shoulders.

            “Someone is ordering us to download and install a Geneware build,” Scotty said, and his tone was laced with excitement and wonder. “It’s called Quantum Placement four point three.”

            “So, what’s the big deal?” 

            “Scott, we download software all the time,” Jasmine said.

            “Well, this software was created in the Cybernetics program,” Scotty said. “They’re using our Geneware.”

            “Well, what’s the problem, you’ve mastered it already,” Joseph said, but the lack of conviction in his voice was thick.

            “What do they want us to do?”

            Scotty ran his hands through his hair and exhaled a groan of aggravation.

            “Download the Quantum Placement build and then download a build for our eyes. It’s one that will digitally modify our eyes to allow us to see things that GalReach keeps hidden from the rest of the world. We’ll be changing the cells in our eyes.”

            Joseph and Jasmine exchanged expressions of uncertainty once again.

            “I actually don’t want to mess with my eyes,” Joseph said.

            “I had a build installed into mine last year and nothing bad happened. Remember dad’s telescopic vision mod? It’s like this, everyone who’s ever been employed by GalReach has had this build installed so their vision can be modified. The headquarters building is above top secret, and there are things in there that no one can be allowed to see because there are plenty of people and governments who’d do anything to do what they’re doing. Except they’d use it all to create bad things, and nobody wants that to happen, so everything is hid with the Nebula Cloud technology.”

            Jasmine reminded Scotty of something important. “Dad installed builds in us too.”

            “So, you two are okay with doing this?” 

            A wave of anxiety broke over Jasmine, but she shook her head to say yes, and Joseph said, “I’ll go last.”

            “Okay, so, the retina scanner is connected to my laptop’s camera,” Scotty said, and peered into the tiny lens. “I’ll need someone to move the cursor to the download button and give it a click.”

            Joseph did as his brother instructed, and a status bar immediately populated, and in less than two minutes the build installed into both of Scotty’s eyes. Jasmine was next, and she too modified her vision with a build from the Geneware. Joseph was last, and he was surprised at how fast and easy the process was. Now, during the course of their lives, they’d see things from time to time that no one else will ever see.

            “So, now what do we do?” Joseph asked.

            Scotty peered into the display. “It doesn’t say.”

            “Well, now someone has some explaining to do.”

            Then the most peculiar thing happened. A voice emanated from inside the bedroom.

            “I will be more than happy to answer all of your questions.”

Scotty scrambled to his feet, and all three turned to the sound and discovered someone was standing by the window. He’d been there for over two hours, watching the Astrophel children work in the backyard. Listening to Mrs. Robinson as she complained about how slow they were progressing through their chores. Growing angry while the three of them wolfed down a pathetic meal of soup and water.

An expression of irritation spread across the android’s face as he listened to Mrs. Robinson growl at Mr. Robinson.

“Ugh, you might have to go out and turn the antenna, Harold.”

The android walked to the Astrophel children and shook their hands. Scotty and Joseph noticed that its fingers looked real enough but moved in a mechanical way, and the electronic light sparkling within its eyes fascinated Jasmine.

“Well, the build definitely installed correctly,” she said with an excited tone.

“You three are quite hard to find,” the android said in a human voice that was warm and friendly. “But here I am, standing before you and talking freely.”

“Wh-who are you?” Scotty asked, and carefully returned to the metal folding chair. “Did you put the networking tech in our house?”

“My name is Sparta. I am a research robot created by roboticists and programmers. And no, the robot Corus tricked your foster father into placing the remote Helix inside this structure.”

Mrs. Robinson’s voice rippled across the living room. Sparta closed his eyes and covered his ears with his hands, as her shrill voice was like a Procyon whale frog that’d been kicked in the butt.

Jasmine narrowed her eyes in confusion. “A Helix?”

“So, what’s going on? Lots of trouble, right?”

Sparta became amused by Joseph’s choice of words. “Why of course not. Nobody is angry with any one of you. I am here to deliver important information, wonderful information.”

“We’d offer you something to drink,” Joseph said, “but we only have tap water.”

Without hesitating, Sparta laughed and launched into a lengthy spiel. 

“I do not require h2o, and I do not require nourishment. I am not assigned lodging, as I do not sleep. I do daydream, but my musings center on the amazing path that Galactic Research is traveling down. It starts on secret outposts on planet Earth and wanders through our neighboring star systems. It is caressed by the fiery fingers of orange giant stars and beautiful blue stars, and stretches across the plains of Pollux b and plows through the jungles of Struve 2398 c. And where will it conclude? Why, the universe is infinite, and infinity is eternal, so I must assume that this road we are all on has no end.”

Scotty got to his feet and walked to the door to listen for signs that Mr. and Mrs. Robinson had discovered their guest.

“We didn’t mean to anger you.” 

“Ha,” Sparta laughed again. “I could never be angry with any one of you. The three of you are next-generation cyborgs, and you will soon do the most amazing things.”

Scotty walked to where Sparta was standing and gave him a careful visual examination. He looked like something you’d see in a science fiction movie, intriguing and mystifying. Then Sparta turned and sat on the medal folding chair and moved his gaze around the bedroom, admiring the Astrophel children through his electronic eyes.

“Your standards must be low,” Joseph said.

Sparta scrambled back to his feet. “Do not get me started on the lackluster lineup we have at Fossil Crater. Most of the staff needs to be replaced.”

“The staff?” 

“Yes, the men and women who direct the Fossil Crater Spaceport. The Doctors, Exozoologists, and the faster-than-light propulsion engineers.”

“Did they send you?” 

“No, the director of operations sent me to talk you three into spending your summer holiday at the spaceport. Doctor Stryker and Doctor Stratton need you three in the Cybernetics program. This involves your parents’ Geneware.”

“This must be what Aldrich was talking about,” Scotty said.

“But why?” Joseph and Jasmine asked in unison.

“To help us finish your greatest invention…ah, the Geneware,” Sparta said. “If it is not fully developed, our Cybernetics program will be stuck in the dark ages.”           

“But doesn’t GalReach have other people who can do that?”

“No, no one. And mistakes have been made, big mistakes, but we are extremely concerned that the spaceport will be plundered. The spaceport is home to a few bad characters.”

“How many?”

“I believe there is a small group. Less than ten, but a couple are the upper echelon.”

They were silent for a few moments.

“We can’t leave,” Scotty said. “We have to run our mom’s shop until…until…her and dad are found.”

“You no longer need the computer repair shop. But we need the three of you. You will get to do things you have only dreamed of doing. And you will see things that are both beautiful and full of wonder.”

An expression of sadness spread across Jasmine’s face. “Our foster parents will never let us go. They’re really mad at us.”

“Yeah, actually I think we’re grounded.”

Sparta smiled at that. “Do not panic. I have a plan for that. I assure you, once I am through with those two, they will be on board.”

“Oh, I don’t think you should mess with them,” Scotty said.

“But I only have one plan.

Jasmine’s expression hardened.

“Yes, it will be rather easy and fun too,” Sparta said, and laughed excitingly.

Suddenly the television went silent. Then the sound of footfalls rippled across the wooden floor to the bedroom, and Mrs. Robinson was shouting, “I said I wanted nothing but silence from the three of you this evening.”

“Hurry, hide somewhere,” Scotty said, but there was actually nowhere for Sparta to hide. There was only one bed and one chest of drawers in the tiny room.

“Do not panic, only the three of you can see me,” Sparta said. “At least for now.”

“What do I need to do to get my point across,” Mrs. Robinson growled, the broken switch in her hand, both hands on her hips and balled into fists. “Make you sleep outside! If I have to return, all three of you will be moving into the storage shed.”

She left the bedroom, slamming the door as she went.

“Wow, someone needs a vacation,” Sparta said.

“Now what do we do!” Jasmine said as an expression of anger fell onto her face.

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

“Yeah, we’re in more trouble now.”

“Ha, all of it is about to disappear,” Sparta said. “Remain inside your lodging until I call for you.”

He energized his Helix and touched an icon floating in the display. Then, suddenly and without warning, Sparta dissipated into a green vortex that contracted into a pinpoint of light, and as quickly as it appeared it vanished from sight. With that, Sparta was no longer inside the Alexander.

*

Strange sounds began to emanate from the television.

            Buzz, crackle, whizz.

            Mr. Robinson peeked over the top of the newspaper to find Cake Chronicles replaced with a test card and the words: OFF THE AIR.

            He got to his feet and walked to the entertainment center. He took the channel knob in his fingers and changed the channel, and to his surprise all seven stations were displaying the same test pattern. It seemed as if all the networks had gone off the air. But he was wrong to think that.

            “Ugh, what did those kids do this time?” Mrs. Robinson groaned.

            “I have no idea,” Harold said, and gave the stations a second look and stopped on channel seven. “Maybe I shouldn’t have turned the antenna.”

            Then the buzzing returned for a moment and was followed by a loud pop, and the test card was instantaneously replaced with Sparta, from the neck up. An expression of pure joy was on his face. His eyes were two storms of electronic light. Behind him was a Galactic Research wall banner, and he was holding a thick stack of papers. It appeared as if he was attempting to pass himself off as a news reporter.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” Sparta said, quelling a desire to laugh. “This is a special report from Galactic Research.”

Mrs. Robinson sipped carefully from a teacup.

Sparta peeled away a page from his phony news report and tossed it behind him. He laughed excitingly and continued the charade.

“Scotty Astrophel, Jasmine Astrophel, and Joseph Astrophel have been accepted into the Galactic Cyborg Corps, and in two days they will fly to Fossil Crater to attend a seven-week spacecraft recovery assembly. They will soon become researchers and help protect all of the critters in the Milky Way.”

Mrs. Robinson dropped her teacup on the wooden floor, and Mr. Robinson stumbled backwards and collapsed in a chair.

“What is this guy talking about?” Mr. Robinson asked.

“I am talking about your foster children leaving your squalor and moving to a secret spaceport in the Outback.” 

Mrs. Robinson made an annoying whining noise.

“How did you do that!” Mr. Robinson growled and got to his feet. “How can you hear us talk? You’ll pay the price if you’re trespassing.”

Sparta wadded up a second piece of paper and pitched it over his shoulder. It struck the banner, bounced back, and collided with his head. That easily got him to giggling.

“Tomorrow, at approximately nine in the morning, a mode of ground transportation will arrive at Piccadilly Avenue to chauffeur Scotty, Joseph, and Jasmine to our headquarters building in downtown Sydney. They will be given a grand tour of the secret facility.”

An expression of pure befuddlement fell onto Mr. Robinson’s face.

“Please note that in forty-three hours, Scotty, Jasmine, and Joseph will be required to check in at the Sydney airport, and they are limited to three bags each. They will leave from the Galactic Terminal. Departure time is 11 am Coordinated Universal Time, or 9 pm for you two civilians.” 

“What are you talking about?” Mr. Robinson’s temper was slowly returning. “Who are you?”

Sparta giggled at his question. “Ah, of course, my identity. My name is Sparta. I am a research robot for Galactic Research, and I am currently stationed at Fossil Crater.”

Mr. and Mrs. Robinson didn’t know what to say.

Sparta took a good look around the living room, and he seemed to admire all of the atomic age home décor. There was the starburst wall clock, the atomic light switch outlet covers, the mid-century atomic cat wall décor, the blue kidney bean coffee table, and the atomic sculped chalkware table lamps.

But when he moved his gaze to the wilting houseplants, his smile shrank back into a frown. He energized his Helix and scrolled through several hundred files, and while Mr. and Mrs. Robinson attempted to try to understand what was happening, he located an icon that made his smile return. He touched it, and in a matter of seconds all of the houseplants were upgraded to bouquets of flowers that emanated both light and warmth, that of which neither Mr. or Mrs. Robinson had ever experienced.  

“Ross 154 lilies,” Sparta said. He spied the confusion in Mr. and Mrs. Robinsons’ eyes and restarted his news reporter imitation. “Oh, I do apologize. The Ross 154 star is relatively cool, and the Earth-like worlds in its planetary system receive between five hundred to nine hundred watts of power in the form of electromagnetic radiation, so the botanicals have developed a unique technique to provide its blossoms with warmth and light. On Ross 154 C, the average temperature during spring and summer in the equatorial region is less than ninety degrees Fahrenheit. So, if you ever visit that particular planet, be sure to take a jacket.”

The Robinsons’ expressions were somewhere between fear and befuddlement.

“Sorry, sorry. It is very cold there.”

Sparta laughed excitingly and spun himself around in what must have been a type of office chair. “But we are working on that!”

Mrs. Robinson carefully moved her gaze from the television to the lilies that were scattered around the room, and the matriarchal expression of grimness slowly fell from her face as an expression of wonder forced her to smile, unquestionably for the first time in many years. Then Mr. Robinson, forcing down an upwelling of emotion that he was not familiar with, said, “How is this happening? What are you?”

“Ha,” Sparta said, and quickly poised himself. “I am a research robot. With the help of advanced technology, software, and a few things that I am not allowed to mention, we explore the cosmos for planets, elements, and for life. To collect cartographic data and samples of rare and new elements, and to return biological life to planet Earth for reasons of conservation, education, and research. We are preparing a generation to become the caretakers of the Milky Way and to assist with preparing other Earth-like worlds for colonization. It is a very important job, and not just anyone can do the work that we do. Whew, out of breath.”

There were a few uncomfortable moments, and Mr. Robinson broke the silence with this gem. “Do you really think I’m gonna allow those kids to spend seven weeks with the things you keep at that place in the desert!”

“Yes, and actually they should have been fully briefed by the both of you and in the process of packing their bags. Where are the three prodigies by the way? Are they working barefoot in the backyard again?”

“No, they’re in their room, and about the work, it’s good for them to get fresh air.”

Then all at once Sparta’s voice became a lot louder, and it seemed like someone had turned the television’s volume all the way up. “Researchers! Scotty, Jasmine, and Joseph! Please relocate to the entertainment area of your provisional squalor.”

They did.

All three crept into the living room, experiencing emotions of both fear and wonder. They were not exactly sure about anything that was happening around them, but they believed that this was an important part of their new reality; their developing life.

A big smile fell onto Sparta’s face as they shuffled in and stood shoulder to shoulder.

“Just look at them,” he said, “ready to go to the edge of the Milky Way to save birds, bees, flowers, and trees. Ready to travel seventy thousand light years away from home to turn down the temperature of a star. Ready and willing to set foot on a planet that is ten thousand light years from nowhere to simply fill up an empty riverbed with fresh drinking water for both fauna and flora.”

Scotty believed that that was an endeavor worthy of his time and energy. “I’ll do that, space travel and walking on other planets.”

That got Sparta to giggling, again.

“Well, first we need to get the three of you out of here,” he said, and moved his gaze around the living room, but he was insinuating that tiny Corroboree was below the Astrophels. “And transfer you to the spaceport.”

They moved their gaze to Mr. and Mrs. Robinson.

“I am sure that you have your passes to Orion Sanctum,” Sparta said.

They returned their gaze to Sparta, and Scotty asked, “Our what to where?

            Sparta’s face pulled back in a frown.

            “Seriously,” he snarled in a deep tone. “So, are the two of you actually attempting to deny the ASTROPHEL CHILDREN the opportunity of a lifetime? To become cyborgs in the Cybernetics program!”

            Mr. Robinson groaned and then pleaded his case. “I don’t like what you people are doing, and I still don’t know who you are!”

            “Ha!” Sparta shouted, and then lowered his tone. “You know everything. You know what happened to Michael and Sarah, and you know that we have been desperately searching for their children to get them to the safety of the spaceport. Scotty is the only one who can save the Star Nexus from the imminent danger. If it were to be destroyed, Mr. and Mrs. Astrophel will be lost forever.”

            They were struck speechless with that, and the Robinsons decided to just keep their mouths shut.

            “As for I,” Sparta said, and reached out his arms into the living room, making eye contact with Mr. Robinson as he did, and when he uncoiled his fingers a ball of black and white pixel static blossomed into existence. It quickly began to balloon, and in only a few seconds it was touching the ceiling and all four walls. “I am a research robot created by roboticists and programmers.”

            Then Sparta was crawling out of the television and onto the wooden floor. He slowly got to his feet, and he stood seven feet tall and appeared much larger than he actually was.

            “My name is Sparta,” he said, his mouth stretched into a crafty little grin, exposing his lustrous teeth and casting out flashes of lily light. “Now, what is the price for trespassing?”

            The Robinsons said nothing.

Then comets and asteroids were darting through the living room, and planets were orbiting around the Robinsons. Stars too: red, orange, and blue, and Sparta smiled at what was before him. He moved his gaze all around, admiring the stellar show and acting as if he’d never seen that sort of thing before. A flowery fragrance was floating through the air, and Mrs. Robinson welcomed everything with a second smile.

“I’ll tell you,” Sparta said, and clapped his hands together. With that, the interior of the house snapped into what appeared to be a dark, empty sector of the Milky Way, void of all astronomical objects and light but for the Ross 154 lilies. “Zero.”

Mr. Robinson attempted to get to his feet, but quickly discovered that he was weightless and could not move in any direction. He flailed his arms and legs in all directions and within seconds was out of breath and sweating.

The Astrophel children were experiencing the same phenomenon but seemed to enjoy every bit of it.

“How can you make this happen, Sparta?” Scotty asked, floating through a swath of violet light.

Sparta smiled at his curiosity. “You will soon know.”

“Yeah, finally!” Joseph shouted. “I’m weightless!”

“Look everyone!” Jasmine called from across the room. “I can dance. Mrs. Robinson, look, I’m doing your Bush Dance routine!”

 With that, Joseph erupted with uncontrollable giggles and followed Jasmine through the air, Irish step dancing as he went.

“You see this darkness that is all around us, Harold and Mildred?” Sparta chided, his face lit up by a scarlet light, his voice deep and eerie. “This is what will befall planet Earth if Scotty Astrophel does not finish his family’s masterpiece, mankind’s greatest invention, the universe’s defender technology. He is our galactic knight.”

Then Jasmine and Joseph were floating back through the living room, performing backflips as they went.

“You should listen, Mr. Robinson,” Jasmine said. “He looks like he knows what he’s talking about.”

“Yeah,” Joseph said. “He is a robot after all.”

“I, I see that,” Mr. Robinson stammered.

 “Do you like this? Is this what you desire for the universe?”

“No,” Mrs. Robinson said, and then giggled at her own courage. She too struggled in the zero gravity. “No, it is not.”

“How about you, Harold!” Sparta shouted; his face scrunched into an expression of madness. “Will Scotty, Jasmine, and Joseph be allowed to help create a better future for planet Earth and the entire universe?”

Mr. Robinson, shuddering under the crushing weight of the things he didn’t understand, said nothing.

“Quickly!” Sparta shouted, his voice booming like thunder. “I have to know now. This very instant!”

Silence for a moment.

“Why are you doing nothing? What is it you are so afraid of?”

“I don’t like the things you people make,” Mr. Robinson said. “I believe it’s all bad stuff and will be used to do bad things.”

Sparta had a hard time believing what he was hearing. “We are making life for extraterrestrials much better. We are saving our neighboring Earth-like worlds and the extraterrestrial fauna and flora whose homes are threatened.”

“No,” Mr. Robinson growled, “you’re exploiting defenseless animals.”

“Nonsense!” Sparta roared. “Galactic Research is making the Galaxy a better place for all life.”

“You can’t control everything you bring back from space!” Mr. Robinson yelled. “There are weird looking things crawling all over Sydney.”

“And Wolf 359 blue ferns in your flowerbeds,” Sparta said, smiling. “Oh, and the grass that is in your backyard is Alpha Centauri star grass.”

Mr. Robinson said nothing.

“However, we have never lost one of our extraterrestrial critters,” Sparta said, but there was a lack of conviction in his tone.

“Well, too many people are fighting over the fancy things you invent,” Mr. Robinson huffed, “and it’s all trouble waiting to happen if you ask me.”

“Well, do not forget, metalsmithing was once cutting-edge technology.”

Mr. Robinson made a groaning noise and opened his mouth to speak, but Mrs. Robinson had a little extra courage. “Ugh, I actually don’t know of any reason why the children can’t go on the tour tomorrow.”

Mr. Robinson moved his gaze to his wife, currently floating upside down. “Well, I’ll need, we’ll both need to accompany them because I have a few questions to ask.”

A big smile spread across Sparta’s face. “Best decision you ever made.”

Then a brilliant pinpoint of light blossomed into existence. It sliced through the darkness and pushed it away to the far corners of the house. For the Astrophel children, it was reminiscent of the sun rising over the Sydney Harbor; believed it was beautiful. The Robinsons were just happy to have their home return in one piece and exactly the way they had left it but for…

Quite a few things had changed inside the Alexander.

Everyone was where they’d been before Sparta crawled out of the television, with the android standing in the center of the room peering into his Helix.

“Then it is settled. I will inform Doctor Stratton of the good news. Tomorrow at nine in the morning, all five of you will be whisked away to Orion Sanctum to tour the headquarters building and for these three to begin in processing. And one other thing, be sure to take your telescope with you to Fossil Crater, you will need it.”

“But how did you make that happen?”

“Sorry, but I am overdue for a very important meeting, and I must be going,” Sparta said. “They are waiting for me at the observatory.”

He handed everyone a day pass for Orion Sanctum.

“You will need to keep your pass with you at all times as you tour the headquarters building,” Sparta said. “Do exactly what the other robots say, do not touch anything extraterrestrial, and never, under any circumstances venture off by yourself. I cannot stress that enough. Do not get lost inside Orion Sanctum.”

Then he touched an icon in his Helix, and the green vortex was again swirling at his feet. It coiled around his humanlike body, making him seemingly disappear, and then resolved into a pinpoint of light that only a moment later snapped into nothingness. And like that, Sparta was once again gone from the Alexander.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can find story with these keywords: J.C. Warren: Scotty Astrophel and the Star Nexus, Read J.C. Warren: Scotty Astrophel and the Star Nexus, J.C. Warren: Scotty Astrophel and the Star Nexus novel, J.C. Warren: Scotty Astrophel and the Star Nexus book, J.C. Warren: Scotty Astrophel and the Star Nexus story, J.C. Warren: Scotty Astrophel and the Star Nexus full, J.C. Warren: Scotty Astrophel and the Star Nexus Latest Chapter