by Jacky Qian
"What you suggested isn't impossible." answered Hicks, "There are so many riddles in the universe just waiting to be solved!"
"It's exciting just to think of them!" Nicholas said enthusiastically.
"Guys" said Simons, "Thank you for your help in the adventure!"
"Thanks, captain!" replied Silverstar.
"Thank you!" Runt went up to shake hands with Simons.
"Captain" asked Nemo, "Titanic II has been destroyed. What shall we do now?"
"Huh! That is easy!" answered Simons, "Once a new one is built, I will be the first one to be in the cabin! Hah!"
"Regarding the new ship" interrupted Nicholas with a smile, "I believe that I could talk to my dad about it!"
"Thank you!" said Simons holding back his tears while hugging Nicholas.
"Thanks for all your help in the adventure!" said Catherine as she bowed politely to Mandis.
"Oh, it was nothing!" said the man humbly.
"Silverstar" said Runt, "You did a good job! Ha-ha!"
"So did you, doctor!" said Silverstar. He gave Runt a big hug at which the man became a bit embarrassed. Silverstar continued, "Now I'll have a new book of adventure stories!"
"Silverstar!" said Catherine as she pulled him aside, "Well, what did you say to me before we entered hyperspace?"
Silverstar gulped and said, "What did I say? I didn't say anything... did I? I don't know. I don't remember!"
"Really?" said Catherine as she drew in close. "Silverstar, but I remember it."
Seeing Silverstar's blushing face, she continued while shaking her golden hair. "We're just seventh-graders. We're too young for romance now, but..." She grabbed Silverstar by the collar and pressed her lips against his. The kiss was intense but fleeting. Then she stared at the boy for a moment before asking, "What happened?"
"I didn't see anything!" pretended Silverstar.
It was noon, and the sun beamed down upon the briny Atlantic. Standing at the head of the ship, Silverstar found it difficult to describe his happiness. He extended his right hand and swept it across the air as if to caress the sea's opalescent surface. He shouted merrily. Catherine shouted, too. Nicholas shouted even longer, and several adults joined in the fun.
Phase IV: More Adventures
When morning dews gathered at the tips of tree leaves before falling down softly, San Francisco's sunrise offered charming scenery. Golden sunlight climbed to the top of fir trees where humming birds were aroused and flew away. As crows cawed merrily and morning light shone through the window, Silverstar was writing on his desk.
"At the last moment, Catherine kissed me. My happiness was beyond description then. She is beautiful and brave. Nicholas is a good companion and a tough guy. He always cares about his friends. We are back at home finally. Oh, our great earth! I have witnessed your legend. We will do what we can to protect you to ensure a bright future and a healthy and happy life for all human beings!"
"Silverstar! You will miss your school bus!"
"I'm going now, Mom!" replied Silverstar happily.
"Have a happy semester!" said his mother.
Silverstar threw his pens and science reports into his schoolbag but then paused and said, "Oh! I almost forgot my summer research, The Earth's History."
The boy closed his thick book and wrote on its cover Magic Adventures in Ancient Time. He said to himself, "Yeah! Miss Forris is sure to like it! We had a field trip to learn about weather last time. Where will we go this time?" Anxious to find out the answer, Silverstar rushed out of his room, saying, "Bye, Mom. I'm going to school now."
A yellow old school bus was parked at the gate. The door opened immediately to allow him in. A smiling young woman with curly red hair said, "Finally, you've arrived. We've been waiting quite a while!"
"Thanks for waiting, Miss Forris!" said Silverstar. He walked down the aisle, high-fiving his friends as he wanted. Then he sat next to Catherine, who greeted him with "Welcome back!"
Miss Forris gave the command, and the school bus began to move forward. The common faculty uniform suddenly turned into sea of stars. Silverstar prepared himself for the launch.
"Hey, Silverstar!" said a handsome young black-haired boy. "I heard that you two have a thing together!"
"Be quiet, Carlos!" replied Silverstar, "It's a secret!"
"Well, good luck, buddy" said the boy, who then returned to his seat.
"Students," asked Miss Forris, "Do you want to know what the Fairy constellation looks like, which is tens of billions of light years away?"
"Yes, I do!" replied Silverstar, raising his hand.
"Oh, do you have to touch my tender spot?" said a boy in glasses sourly.
As Miss Forris cheered, the bus sped up. They felt a rush of acceleration, and moments later the fluffy white clouds were just outside the windows. Soon afterward, outer space came into view.
Silverstar and Catherine cheered hand in hand as the school bus flew past the moon, leaving behind a trail of fire. Under the light of the planet Earth, Forris pressed the button marked "Propulsion." With that, the school bus flew at an ultra-light speed toward the wonders of the galaxy.
THE END!
Acknowledgment
Thank you, Mom, for your continued support of my story writing.
My thanks also go to the faculty and students at William Crocker Middle School. Some characters in the story are based on my fellow students.
The series of Magic Adventures was inspired by my science class, to which I am deeply grateful.
I would like to pay homage to the movies and TV programs I referred to in the book. In Ossien’s Partners, seven characters are from other productions.
1. Dr. Alexander Isaac and Albert Whisk are inspired by the movie Resident Evil, adapted from the game and directed by Paul Anderson, in which his wife and my favorite star, Milla Jovovich, plays the leading role.
2. Vlad Tepes was the medieval Romanian warrior prince upon whom the legend of the vampire Dracula is based.
3. Rastapopoulos is a character from The Adventures of Tintin, created by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé.
4. Rum and Gin are characters from Detective Conan, created by the Japanese manga artist Gosho Aoyama.
5. Ying Zheng was the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty in China. Dragon King is inspired by a character from The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, releases by Universal.
6. En Sabah Nur is a character from the superhero comic-book series X-Men.
7. Musca R. Laputa is inspired by Laputa: Castle in the Sky, created by the Japanese cartoonist Miyazaki Hayao.
In Part III, Nina and her weapons were used to pay respect to Doraemon, created by the Japanese manga artist Fujiko F. Fujio. Doraemon has been one of my favorite works, to which I owe all the improvement in my writing.
Jacky Qian
July 12, 2017
