Space kids, p.1
Space Kids, page 1
SPACE KIDS
Blast Off!
Written by Aleesah Darlison
Illustrated by Nancy Bevington
Copyright © Aleesah Darlison
First published 2022
Copyright remains the property of the authors and apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission.
All inquiries should be made to the publishers.
Big Sky Publishing Pty Ltd
PO Box 303, Newport, NSW 2106, Australia
Phone:1300 364 611
Fax:(61 2) 9918 2396
Email:info@bigskypublishing.com.au
Web:www.bigskypublishing.com.au
Cover design and typesetting: Think Productions
Printed in China
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry
ISBN:
SPACE KIDS
Blast Off!
Written by Aleesah Darlison
Illustrated by Nancy Bevington
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
About the Author
About the Illustrator
Chapter 1
Beep! Beep! Beep!
‘Warning, Master Steele!’ a computer-generated voice sounded in Nash’s earpiece. ‘Oxygen levels at fifty per cent.’
‘Don’t tell me what I already know,’ Nash murmured. He tried to block out the warning and concentrate, but it wasn’t easy.
At that moment, Nash was wearing a spacesuit and helmet and was clinging to the exterior of Misty Space Station as it orbited the Earth, high in outer space. He was trying to tighten a stabilising bolt that had come loose on an air conditioning unit. The job was taking longer than it should, longer than he’d promised Dad that it would.
Nash had never felt more vulnerable. His hands shook and sweat dripped from his hairline into his eyes. Inside his helmet, he puffed his breath out of the side of his mouth to blow the sweat away.
‘Stupid bolt. Why won’t you move?’ Nash couldn’t get enough leverage to tighten the bolt. Or was he simply not strong enough?
Beep! Beep! Beep!
‘Warning, Master Steele! Oxygen levels at forty per cent.’
Nash felt a tap on his shoulder.
‘Everything okay?’ It was Dad, come to check on him.
Nash frowned, feeling like a failure. ‘You said I could do this on my own.’
Orson Steele was Misty’s Safety Officer. Tall, strong, confident. He was good at his job and was one of the most knowledgeable and respected engineers in space. It was his role to oversee the maintenance of all electronics and machinery on Misty.
Never in a million light years would Nash have admitted as much, but he wanted to prove himself to Dad so he would be proud of him. They hadn’t always had the closest relationship, but now he was spending more time on Misty Space Station where Orson worked, Nash hoped that would change. Helping out and taking responsibility was part of the plan to show Dad that he was capable and reliable.
Dad smiled behind his visor. ‘I was worried,’ he said. ‘It’s no big deal.’
Nash tried not to get annoyed. He also didn’t tell Dad that he was low on air, otherwise he might be sent back inside before he could finish the job. Instead, he slotted the spanner onto the stabilising bolt once more and said, ‘Okay, give me a minute.’
Beep! Beep! Beep!
‘Warning! Oxygen at twenty-five per cent. Calm your breathing or restore air.’
Nash’s heart rate picked up several notches. In his haste, Nash tugged too hard on the wrench. It slipped off the bolt and went spinning away. Nash whipped his hand out to catch the spanner but missed. The movement knocked him off balance and he was propelled backwards in the same direction as the spanner.
‘No!’ Nash cried as he cartwheeled into the black void of space.
This was Nash’s worst nightmare. He loved visiting Dad on Misty Space Station and had fought to overcome his fears of robots and space travel. But his absolute greatest fear was being adrift in space.
‘Help, Dad! Please!’ Gasping for air and flailing about, Nash rapidly chewed up more of his limited oxygen.
‘Nash!’ Dad’s voice sounded in his earpiece. ‘Stay calm. I’m coming.’
In his panic, Nash had forgotten that he was wearing a safety tether – a steel cord – that secured him to the space station. Hand over hand, Orson reeled the tether in, bringing Nash along with it. When he was about a metre away, Nash reached out and fell into Dad’s arms.
‘You’re safe now, buddy.’ Nash heard the relief in Dad’s voice. ‘I’ve got you.’
Barely able to control his shaking legs, it was all Nash could do to keep breathing.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
‘Oxygen levels critical. Ten per cent remaining. Restock immediately.’
Dad checked the external reading on Nash’s oxygen tank. ‘We need to get you inside straight away. Come on.’
Dad helped Nash into the airlock then into the space station where they both slumped to the floor. ‘We made it!’ Dad pulled Nash’s helmet off then his own. ‘Don’t ever do that to me again.’
Before Nash could reply, his friend, Raj, came racing towards them. Tall and clever, Raj was the captain’s son. ‘All hands on deck!’ he shouted excitedly. ‘We have incoming!’
Chapter 2
Nash and Dad followed Raj towards the lobby where all new arrivals – whether they be visitors, space tourists, or crew members – first entered Misty upon disembarking their shuttle at the docking station.
They weren’t expecting any new tourists today. Not as far as Nash knew, because there were already quite a few onboard.
Who could the mystery arrivals be? Nash wondered.
Nash and Raj’s other friend, KC, was coming out of the gymnastics centre as they passed by. She called out to them, telling them to wait up. She’d also heard that a shuttle had just docked and was almost as excited as Raj about the surprise guests.
KC’s full name was Katarina Constantine Milanovich. She didn’t like being called Katarina, so everyone called her KC. Nash thought that KC was cute, but somewhat annoying at times. She loved wearing animal costumes – today she was dressed as a raccoon. She rarely sat still and always brimmed with energy and good humour. Like Raj, she lived permanently on Misty Space Station because her parents worked full-time on the holiday ship.
Nash on the other hand still lived on Earth, although he was now spending more time on Misty than he’d originally thought he would. He hadn’t wanted to come to space at all initially. But on his first trip to Misty he’d had such a grand adventure that he’d barely been able to wait to return. He’d pestered Mum so much that she had finally relented and let him return before the school term had ended. On the condition that he kept up with his schoolwork, of course.
Bustling past crew members and narrowly avoiding bumping into tourists, the kids raced off, quickly leaving Orson behind. ‘Slow down in the hallways!’ he called after them. ‘Mind the passengers!’
Nash and the others slowed momentarily, but their excitement got the better of them and they were soon racing again. Nash pulled KC’s raccoon tail, trying to overtake her, but she was too fast for him.
‘Who do you think it will be?’ Nash asked as he jogged beside Raj.
‘I know!’ KC shouted back at the boys. She twirled her raccoon tale and grinned. ‘But I’m not telling!’
Nash groaned. ‘Why does she always tease us like that?’
‘It’s part of her charm,’ Raj said.
‘Is that what you call it?’ Nash puffed as a stabbing pain erupted in his side. ‘Wait! I’ve got a stitch.’
Raj laughed. ‘Me too.’
The entry pod doors opened as the three friends burst into the foyer. The two boys were panting, trying to catch their breath. KC hadn’t even broken a sweat.
‘Welcome to Misty Space Station, the first privately owned, eco-friendly space station in the galaxy.’ A female computer-generated voice – known as Vera – played over the speakers. ‘We take Earth’s waste, recycle it, and redesign it into reusable materials. Everything on Misty is here for our guests to enjoy.’
The lobby was decorated in browns and greens. Large hand-woven mats were scattered across the timber floor. Paintings and flatscreen TVs adorned the walls. The foyer resembled a luxurious, hi-tech jungle tree-house. There were even real plants, some of which were flowering yellow, red, and pink buds.
A middle-aged man with dark, wavy hair and a boy about Nash’s age stepped into the foyer. The man was tall and well-built, with a lean waist and arms thick with muscles.
He looks like he works out, Nash thought.
The man’s blue eyes sparkled as he grinned from ear to ear. He wore black denim jeans, a crisp white collared shirt, and green sneakers. There was no missing them. They were bright and clean and shiny.
The boy was a miniature version of the man and was clearly his son. He was also tall and well-built with dark, wavy hair. The only difference was his eyes were hazel, not blue.
He wore black denim jeans and a white T-shirt and the coolest sneakers Nash had ever seen – they were green with white trim and had orange flames on the side. The boy seemed to be gliding on the air, not actually walking on the floor.
Nash did a double take. Are they hover shoes? Nash had always wanted hover shoes, but his parents hadn’t been able to afford them.
Captain Malik, Raj’s dad, rushed forward to meet the new arrivals, shaking hands with them. ‘Mr Borgstein. Finn. Welcome to Misty. It’s been a while since we’ve seen you up here, sir.’
Raj nudged Nash. ‘That’s Cooper Borgstein, the owner of Misty.’
‘He’s a billionaire!’ KC hissed loudly.
Nash glared at her. ‘I know that! Be cool, would you?’
The adults chatted for a while then Cooper turned to address Nash and the others. ‘Hey, guys. This is my son, Finn. He heard about you Space Kids and the adventures you’ve been having up here and wanted to meet you.’
Nash was about to reply when a high-pitched chattering filled the air.
‘Yikes! What is that?’ Raj drew back in fear. He pointed in horror as a furry animal scurried up Finn’s arm. ‘You’ve got a rat on you. A great big dirty rat!’
Chapter 3
‘It’s a rat!’ Raj shouted, totally freaked out. ‘That thing needs to go into quarantine. It’s probably full of diseases!’
‘Raj,’ Captain Malik said calmly. ‘Please be mindful of your manners. I’m sure Mr Borgstein wouldn’t have a brought a diseased rat into space.’
Raj had lived most of his life in space so had never had much to do with real animals. This had clearly made him hypervigilant about them ... and more than a little scared now he’d come face to face with one. For the first time, Nash realised how lucky he was to have been able to experience living both on Earth and in space.
‘That’s not a rat.’ Nash patted his friend’s arm. ‘It’s a possum.’
KC clicked her tongue. ‘It’s not rat or a possum. It’s a marmoset.’
‘A marmoset?’ Raj said. ‘Phew! That’s way cuter than a rat. I’ve heard of them. They’re New World monkeys and they eat insects and fruit.’
Nash smiled at Finn. ‘And so, I introduce you to Misty Space Station’s own Walking Encyclopedia.’ He waved his hand with a flourish at Raj.
Finn laughed. ‘And this is Pluto.’ He held the creature out towards them on the palm of his hand. ‘He won’t hurt you. And he doesn’t have any diseases. I promise.’
The marmoset was tiny. He had short black fur on his head, fluffy white grandad whiskers above each ear, and a thin tail with black-and-white bands all the way along. The marmoset’s brown eyes shone as he held his paws in front of him looking like the sweetest, cutest, most innocent thing in the world.
‘He’s adorable!’ KC cooed, reaching out for a pat.
Pluto bared his teeth and hissed angrily. KC squealed and drew her hand back.
‘No, Pluto!’ Finn gently scolded the marmoset. ‘I’m so sorry. It’s his first time in space and he’s still learning to be his best self.’
‘That’s okay,’ KC said warily.
‘Pluto’s actually just made history by being the first marmoset in space,’ Cooper said.
‘Wow!’ Nash said. ‘That’s really cool.’
‘I have loads of animal costumes if you’re interested in dressing up,’ KC told Finn, motioning to her racoon suit. ‘You can borrow one if you like?’
Before Finn could reply, in raced Rex, Raj’s ferrog, which was half-ferret and half-dog … and all robot. When he saw Pluto, Rex barked and wagged his robot tail excitedly. The marmoset screeched and jumped off Finn’s hand and onto KC’s head. KC shrieked and ran around in circles trying to shake the marmoset off. Rex made chase, running behind KC and Pluto until the marmoset leapt off KC and onto to Raj then onto Captain Malik then Orson. The little guy leapt from head to shoulder to head again, screeching the entire time.
Raj yelled at Rex to calm down, but the ferrog ignored him. The marmoset eventually ended up on Rex’s back, riding him like a miniature furry cowboy on a horse. Shrieking, barking, and shouting filled the air. It was pandemonium!
‘Silence!’ Captain Malik roared above the din.
The room fell silent. Everyone froze, even the marmoset and the ferrog. ‘Okay, children,’ the captain said. ‘Why don’t you head off and show Finn around? And take those noisy animals with you.’
‘That would be great,’ Cooper said, flashing his brilliant smile at the Space Kids. ‘It’s Finn’s first time up here, so look after him, will you?’
What? Nash thought. He’s a billionaire’s son and he’s never been to space before? That’s weird.
Raj saluted dutifully. ‘Sure thing, Mr Borgstein. You can count on us.’
Nash groaned inwardly, but Cooper didn’t seem to mind. ‘That’s the way.’ The billionaire’s eyes twinkled as he rewarded Raj with another flashy smile. ‘And call me Cooper. Or Super Cooper. Whatever you prefer.’
Raj stared at Nash. ‘He said I can call him Cooper!’
Nash snorted. ‘I have ears, you know.’
As they turned to leave, Nash heard Captain Malik say, ‘I’m so glad you’re here, Mr Borgstein. I have important matters about the other stations to discuss with you. We’re seeing more space junk from Worldlink than ever before.’
Over twenty space stations were dotted throughout the Milky Way. Some were owned by governments. Others were owned by multinational corporations like Worldlink and Starcorp. Misty was the only privately owned station.
‘That’s disappointing to hear,’ Cooper replied. ‘I would have hoped the International Space Conventions would have kept a lid on that.’
‘I’m afraid not,’ Captain Malik murmured.
Nash caught Raj’s eye. ‘That doesn’t sound good.’
‘It sure doesn’t,’ Raj replied.
Chapter 4
‘I thought you would have been to space heaps of times with your dad,’ Nash said to Finn as they left the foyer.
‘He’s the best dad ever,’ Finn said, ‘but he does work away a lot. Sometimes I don’t see him for months. I guess I’ve just not had the chance to come up before.’ Then, as if to change the subject, he said, ‘Hey, do you like my hover shoes?’
‘They’re totally rad, bro,’ Raj said.
Nash lifted an eyebrow at his friend. ‘Why are you talking like that?’
Raj shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’
Shaking his head in exasperation, Nash led the way through Misty Space Station, pointing out all the fun and important places to Finn. The billionaire’s son was as excited as Nash had been when he’d first come to Misty.
They showed Finn the swimming pools and water slides, the indoor grass skiing slopes, the tennis courts, the 4D virtual games arcades, the grand ballrooms and cinemas, the gymnasium, and the domed rainforest with fake butterflies and birds.
As they wandered through the rainforest, KC asked Finn, ‘So, why are you guys here anyway?’
Finn lifted Pluto off his shoulder and let him scamper up a nearby tree. ‘Dad’s running the Inaugural Milky Way Space Race,’ Finn said. ‘Dad loves being first at everything. Second is never good enough.’
Nash thought he detected a note of annoyance in Finn’s voice, but he didn’t know him well enough to dig deeper. ‘The Space Race sounds like fun,’ he said.
‘If Dad’s organising it, I’m sure it will be,’ Finn said. ‘I’m actually looking forward to it. Several billionaires, company leaders, and government agencies are coming to race. Dad has invited them all. And he’s taking me with him.’
Nash could feel his excitement building. Before today, he’d never spoken to a billionaire, or a billionaire’s kid. He stole a glance at Finn. He really was good-looking and tall and strong ... He had everything going for him, including an ambitious dad and stacks of money.
