Lost in Space: An Up2U Action Adventure - Up2U Adventures Set 3 Read online

  UP2U

  A d v e n t u r e s

  A C T I O N

  Los

  Lo t in

  i Sp

  S acaec

  by Jan Fields illustrated by Oriol Vidal

  Lost in Space

  An U p2 U Ac t ion Adve n t ur e

  by Jan Fields

  illustrated by Oriol Vidal

  An Imprint of 1

  Magic Wagon

  abdopublishing.com

  For Col in, who knows how to make every day an adventure. —JF

  To my family, the best ones. —OV

  abdopublishing.com

  Published by Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO, PO Box 398166, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439. Copyright © 2018 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc.

  International copyrights reserved in all countries. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

  Calico™ is a trademark and logo of Magic Wagon.

  Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota.

  052017

  092017

  Written by Jan Fields

  Illustrated by Oriol Vidal

  Edited by Bridget O’Brien

  Design Contributors: Christina Doffing and Laura Mitchell Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Fields, Jan, author. | Vidal, Oriol, illustrator.

  Title: Lost in space: an Up2U action adventure / by Jan Fields ; illustrated by Oriol Vidal.

  Other titles: An Up2U action adventure

  Description: Minneapolis, MN : Magic Wagon, 2018. | Series: Up2U adventures Summary: Nick is the only kid on the first planet-based space colony, so when he receives a robot for his birthday, the duo sets out to explore the outside world, but they get lost along the way and it’s up to the reader to help them find their way.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2017930886 | ISBN 9781532130304 (lib. bdg.) |

  ISBN 9781614798675 (ebook) | ISBN 9781614798729 (Read-to-me ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Plot-your-own stories. | Birthdays--Juvenile fiction. | Robots--

  Juvenile fiction.

  Classification: DDC [Fic]--dc23

  LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2017930886

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Happy Birthday, I Think ...................................................4

  Forbidden Field Trip ............................................................12

  Catch or Caught? ..................................................................19

  Guess Who Is for Supper........................................24

  With the Greatest of Ease ......................................29

  Don’t Help Me So Much ................................................34

  In the Deep Dark ................................................................. 40

  Ending 1: Into the Hive .....................................................48

  Ending 2: A Battle of Giants .................................59

  Ending 3: Anything to Survive ...............................70

  Write Your Own Ending ................................................80

  Chapter

  1

  Happy Birthday, I Think

  Nick began drawing a venus flytrap next to

  a pitcher plant and a sundew on his computer

  table. He imagined the plant’s special leaves

  snapping shut to catch bugs. He knew he’d never

  really see any of the cool, different Earth plants

  that ate bugs.

  The colony gardeners mainly grew beans and

  lettuce. They also grew a few other things to

  eat. Of course, even if the gardeners would let

  Nick grow venus flytraps or any of the other bug-

  eating plants, he wouldn’t have any flies to feed

  them.

  4

  Nick spun in his chair. He looked out the one round window in his room. His mom once told

  him there were always bugs buzzing around you

  when you went outside on Earth.

  Nick didn’t get outside much here on Colony

  Alpha. But when he did, he’d never seen any

  bugs.

  Through the window, he saw blue-green moss

  carpeting the ground around the colony and the

  shadowy edge of the fluff tree woods. Moss and

  fluff trees were boring. Nick was pretty sure the

  first Earth colony was on the most boring planet

  in the universe.

  Nick sighed. He wouldn’t be so bored if his

  mom were home. She’d be making a birthday

  cake and telling him Earth stories. She’d have

  some great present hidden.

  But his mom was overdue from a mission with

  five other scientists. No one knew where they

  were.

  5

  Nick pressed his nose against the window. I miss you, Mom.

  Before they left, Nick begged to go along. If

  they had let him go, he might have found some

  cool plants and animals. And he would know

  exactly where his mom was. He never got to go on

  any of the missions. He barely got to go outside.

  Nick’s dad said it wasn’t safe outside of the

  colony. He said Nick was special. But Nick didn’t

  feel special. As the only kid on Colony Alpha, he

  was miserable, lonely, and bored.

  There was a sharp knock on the door. Nick

  spun around in his chair. His dad stuck his head

  through the doorway. He looked tired. He had

  looked tired ever since Mom left on the mission.

  Now he hardly ever came back to their quarters.

  Dad’s hair stuck up in spots from running his

  fingers through it. Mom called it Dad’s puff. Nick

  could hear her saying, “You can always tell how

  hard your dad is working by the size of his puff.”

  6

  Dad tapped Nick on the head. “Happy

  Birthday! I bet you thought I forgot! Come with

  me to the lab. I have a present for you.”

  Nick hopped up and followed his dad out of

  their quarters. He really was surprised his dad

  remembered his birthday.

  It was always his mom who planned birthdays.

  She found fun things for Nick to do, while Dad

  disappeared into the lab. This year, Nick hadn’t

  thought anyone would celebrate his birthday.

  With the shushing sound of an air lock seal,

  the lab door opened. Nick’s dad pointed to a

  robot standing in the middle of the room.

  “This is the project I’ve been working on for

  the past month. The first one is just for you.” He

  tapped the robot on a shiny shoulder. “Say hello

  to Nick.”

  Lights winked on in the robot’s face. It turned

  to look at Nick with bulging camera eyes. “Hello,

  Nick.”

  7

  8

  “A robot,” Nick mumbled. “Thanks, Dad.”

  The colony was full of robots already. Some

  were small and scrambled around on multiple

  spikey legs. Some were bigger than a person and

  rolled along on thick treads. Some never moved,

  staying rooted in one spot to do their job. They

  had robots
to collect samples and robots to build

  things. They had robots to grow food. They even

  had robot doctors.

  Why would his dad think Nick needed another

  robot around? “What am I supposed to do with

  it?” Nick asked.

  The robot spoke in a flat voice. “We can play

  games and have lots of fun together, Nick. I have

  a full encyclopedia of jokes and riddles, Nick.

  Why did the feathered farm creature cross the

  road, Nick?”

  “Feathered farm creature?” Nick said, looking

  at his dad.

  “A chicken.”

  9

  Nick turned back to the robot. “I don’t know.

  I’ve never seen a real chicken. Or a road.”

  “Input accepted. Updating joke file.” The

  robot whirred softly for a moment. “Why did the

  colonist cross the corridor, Nick?”

  “I still don’t know.”

  “To get to the other side, Nick.” The robot’s

  whirring grew louder and it made an odd

  wheezing noise. Was it supposed to be laughing?

  Nick rolled his eyes and turned to his dad.

  “Can you make him stop doing that?”

  His dad looked confused. “Doing what?

  Telling jokes?”

  “Well, yes, that too. But can you make him

  quit saying my name at the end of every sentence?

  It’s creepy.”

  “I can stop saying your name at the end of

  every sentence,” the robot offered in its flat voice.

  “But I really like telling jokes. I like to have fun,

  Nick.”

  10

  At that, his dad clapped his hands. “See? You two will have a great time.”

  Nick looked at his dad’s happy grin. Then

  he looked to the robot’s fixed stare. An icy chill

  slipped down his back. Why do I have the feeling

  this is the worst present ever?

  11

  Chapter

  2

  Forbidden Field Trip

  Nick saw his dad’s smile fade. He really was

  trying. “I’m sure I can do lots of stuff with a robot

  like this,” Nick said, trying to sound excited.

  His dad smiled again. “You can. This is a totally

  new design in biomechanical original building. I

  wanted to make a robot who could think for itself.

  If robots can think, they can deal with changing

  situations and unexpected problems. Then they

  can be sent alone on missions. This is the first

  robot from my new design.”

  Nick felt a rush of anger. If his dad had made

  the robot sooner, it could have gone on the

  12

  mission. Then his mom could have stayed in the colony where she was safe. But he knew there

  was no point saying that to his dad. “That’s really

  interesting,” he said instead.

  “The robot will learn problem solving and

  decision-making from you. You’ll be its teacher,”

  his dad said. “Plus, it is connected to the colony

  data cloud. It can help you with your homework.

  That means it’ll be like a teacher for you too.”

  “Sounds great,” Nick said. A teacher is the

  perfect birthday present to go with his rotten life.

  His dad shook his finger. “Keep in mind, it

  won’t do your homework for you. No cheating.”

  “I don’t cheat, Dad,” Nick said.

  “No.” His dad laughed nervously. “Of course

  you don’t. That was a joke. A bad joke, but a joke.”

  Fits right in with the robot’s jokes. Nick peered up at the robot’s face. “So what do I call it?”

  “Whatever you want. Why don’t you guys

  play catch in the gym? It would be good for you

  13

  to get more exercise, Nick.” His dad flapped his hands at them. “You don’t want to start looking

  like your old dad.”

  Nick rolled his eyes as he trudged to the door.

  The gym was turned into a hydro-garden months

  ago. His mom would have known that. “Sure,

  Dad,” he said. “Come on, Bob.”

  “Bob?” the robot echoed as it clumped after

  him. “Is that my designation, Nick?”

  “I meant it more as a nickname. Dad said

  you’re a biomechanical original build, so I’ll call

  you Bob. If that’s okay with you.”

  The robot turned its blank stare to Nick. “Bob

  is an excellent choice. According to the colony

  files, no other robot has a nickname. Only people.

  I like having a nickname. Thank you, Nick.”

  When they reached the hall, Nick put his

  hands on his hips. “So what do I do with you?”

  “We could play catch, Nick,” Bob said.

  “I thought you were going to stop that.”

  14

  The robot whirred softly. “Stop what, Nick?”

  “Stop saying my name after every sentence.”

  “I did stop. I instituted a new pattern where

  I only say your name at the end of each block

  of conversation. The blocks may contain several

  sentences, Nick.”

  “It still sounds creepy. How about you cut

  back to only saying my name when you need to

  get my attention for something, okay?”

  “That is acceptable. Do you want to go play

  catch now?”

  “We can’t. The gym is gone.”

  “I am aware of all changes in the colony map.

  We cannot play catch in the gym,” the robot said.

  “We can play catch outside. It will offer more

  space for physical activity. And it will allow me

  to interact with unplanned situations. That will

  be helpful to my programming.”

  “I’m not allowed outside alone,” Nick said.

  “You would not be alone. I will be with you.”

  15

  “I’m not sure.”

  The robot’s insides whirred. “Maybe you

  would like to hear another riddle. Why did the

  colonist throw a digital timekeeping device out

  the colony doors?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “He wanted to see time fly,” Bob wheezed.

  Nick couldn’t imagine listening to Bob’s jokes

  all day. “Enough jokes. Let’s go outside.”

  The robot easily opened the code-locked outer

  colony doors. Nick peeked out at the clearing and

  17

  fuzzy, blue-green moss. His mom had gone out that door and never come back.

  Nick stared across the clearing and wished

  his mom would appear. She would step from

  between the tall, skinny trees and wave.

  Bob reached out and gave Nick a push. “Come

  on. Unless you are a feathered farm creature.”

  “I’m no chicken,” Nick snapped. Then he

  stepped through the door into the forbidden

  world beyond.

  18

  Chapter

  3

  Catch or Caught?

  The thick moss in the clearing was softer

  than the floors in the colony. Nick felt like he

  was walking on soft springs. He wondered if he

  could jump higher outside. Maybe he would have

  the robot measure it sometime.

  If his mom came home soon, maybe she could

  help. She always helped Nick find answers. He

  looked at the robot�
�s blank face. Bob stopped in

  the middle of the clearing. Getting answers from

  the robot would not be the same.

  “This will be a good place to play catch, Nick.”

  A small compartment slid open in Bob’s chest.

  19

  The robot reached in to pull out a ball. Nick laughed as Bob threw a smooth pitch. The ball

  smacked into Nick’s hands. Having a robot might

  be fun after all.

  They tossed the ball back and forth. But

  Nick kept an eye on the colony doors. Even

  though coming outside was Bob’s idea, Nick

  knew which one of them would get yelled at by

  his dad. Nick’s mom liked exploring, but his dad

  liked safety.

  Now and then, the doors slid open and one

  of the colony robots rolled out. The robots didn’t

  pay any attention to Bob or Nick. They rolled

  through the clearing and into the trees. When

  the robots passed, Bob stopped playing and

  watched them.

  At one point, Bob stepped in front of one of

  the robots. “Hello! My nickname is Bob.”

  The robot simply changed direction and rolled

  around Bob.

  20

  Bob turned its blank face toward Nick. “These other robots are different from me.”

  “That’s for sure,” Nick agreed.

  “I would like to follow one and see how it

  carries out its mission.”

  Nick shrugged. “Sure, that might be fun.”

  He really thought it sounded boring. The colony

  robots never did anything interesting. But Bob

  had played catch with him. They could do

  something Bob liked now.

  They followed a small, four-legged robot. The

  scientists often used them to gather samples.

  As with the other robots, it marched across

  the clearing without seeming to notice Bob or

  Nick.

  The robot walked down a narrow, worn path

  into the woods. Nick knew the colony woods

  were different from the ones on Earth. The

  colony trees were thin, smooth cylinders with

  balls of fluff on top.

  21

  The small robot marched through the quiet cluster of trees. It stopped when it came to

  one tree that looked different from the others.

  The other trees had smooth, silver trunks that

  shone in the shadowy light. The strange tree had

  a gray-green trunk with ragged gouges that leaked