Ready, Set, Blast Off!

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1 The Zoomers

  Chapter 2 Back to Araxie

  Chapter 3 A-Maze-ing Race!

  Chapter 4 On to Circulus

  Chapter 5 Ring around the Planet

  Chapter 6 Collision!

  Chapter 7 End of the Line?

  Chapter 8 Zack the Pilot

  Chapter 9 Star Hopping

  Chapter 10 Team Zoomers

  About the Author and Illustrator

  Chapter 1

  The Zoomers

  Zack Nelson stared out the window as stars zoomed by, twinkling brightly. Planets of every color, size, and shape filled the galaxy.

  Zack loved space travel, especially with his friends. Any chance to be near stars made him happy.

  He was sitting next to Drake Taylor. They had been best friends since Zack’s family moved from Earth to Nebulon. Seth Stevens and Sally Zerbin sat behind them. Seth and Zack didn’t get along when Zack first moved to Nebulon, but now they were good friends. Sally had been in Zack’s idea group for the Intergalactic Science Fair.

  He and his friends were going to Araxie, the water planet. They were in a racing club called the Sprockets Academy Zoomers. The Zoomers were picked to represent Nebulon in the Interstellar Space Race.

  “Araxie is a really grape planet,” said Zack. “I went there for vacation with my family and Drake.”

  “Yes, I learned how to swim right before that trip,” Drake said. “Can you believe that I used to be afraid to swim? Now I love it.”

  “Me too,” said Sally. “Araxie is the best place for swimming, diving, and riding astro-powered surfboards!”

  Zack and Drake excitedly agreed.

  Then Seth spoke up. “Well, there will be no swimming on this visit,” he said. “I just want to win this race.”

  “We are going to do great in the races,” said Drake.

  “Yeah, we have a stellar team and the best spacecars. I can’t wait to finally see the cars we designed in person,” said Zack.

  Everyone nodded in agreement. The team had spent weeks working on the designs for each car.

  Then Zack’s hyperphone began to ring. “It’s my mom and dad,” said Zack. He pushed a button and his parents’ faces appeared on the screen.

  “Hi, honey. Did you pack extra socks and shin guards?” his mom asked.

  “Uh, Mom, we don’t need shin guards,” Zack explained. “I only wear those when I play hover-soccer.”

  “Well, make sure you buckle up and stay safe, Captain,” said his dad.

  “Don’t worry, Dad. I always do,” Zack said.

  Zack knew his parents were worried. To be honest, he was a little nervous too. His friends had all competed in big races before, but this was his first time entering a racing championship.

  Ms. Rudolph, Zack’s teacher, tried to get everyone’s attention. She was the team’s chaperone.

  “Mom, Dad, I have to go now,” said Zack.

  “Good luck, Zack,” said Mom. “We love you.”

  “Get ready to blast off, Captain!” said Dad.

  “Uh, right, Dad. Love you both too.” Then Zack hung up his hyperphone.

  “Okay, Zoomers, we are almost at Araxie,” said Ms. Rudolph. “I know that you have all prepared for the race, but let’s review the rules one more time.”

  Everyone quieted down and listened carefully.

  “There are three wild rounds of competition,” she explained. “The first round is here on Araxie. You will be racing in the Aqua Track Underwater Maze. The second round will be on the planet Circulus. You’ll compete on the Race Rings, ten gigantic rings that wrap around the planet. Then the final round will take place on the spectacular Magna Stella 4, where you will be racing through the famous Star Speedway.”

  “Yippee wah-wah!” Drake shouted.

  “Sounds so grape!” agreed Sally.

  They looked at one another excitedly as their teacher continued.

  “The Stellar Robots pit crew will assemble each team’s car before every round. The team cars will match the designs that you submitted earlier in the school year. Of course, your goal is to finish each course as quickly as you can while avoiding any speed bumps. Speed bumps will freeze your car for a short time before you can continue. Are there any questions?” Ms. Rudolph asked.

  “No, we are ready to race!” everyone cheered together.

  “Okay, then. Zoomers, prepare for landing!” exclaimed Ms. Rudolph.

  Chapter 2

  Back to Araxie

  “I cannot wait to speed through the Aqua Track!” said Drake.

  “Yeah, this first race will be a piece of cosmic cupcake,” said Seth.

  “That is right,” agreed Sally. “The first place trophy will be ours.”

  “You bet!” replied Drake and Seth.

  Then they all laughed and gave one another a special team handshake.

  Zack was happy to see his friends pumped for the race. He wanted to be as excited as they were, but the more he thought about the race the more anxious he became. He looked out the window as Araxie came into view. The beautiful blue planet was almost completely covered in water. Zack was amazed by the thousands of tiny islands scattered across the ocean. He felt his nerves begin to calm down.

  “There is the spaceport!” cried Sally.

  “Look, it floats!” said Drake.

  Right then a voice came over the space cruiser’s sonic speakers with an announcement. “This is Captain Blurzok. We are about to land on Araxie. Please remain in your seats and fasten your seat belts.”

  There was a tall metal tower with a round landing pad on top. Zack watched as they safely touched down on the floating spaceport.

  Ms. Rudolph led everyone off the cruiser and onto a hover-sailer just above the water. Zack watched as bright blue waves curled in the brilliant sunshine.

  They soon arrived at a group of cabins that floated just above the water.

  “We will be staying in these anti-grav cabins during our time on Araxie,” said Ms. Rudolph.

  Zack, Drake, Sally, and Seth were amazed by their cabins.

  “Okay, Zoomers, we all need to get some rest,” Ms. Rudolph reminded them. “Tomorrow is game time!”

  Early the next morning, the Zoomers arrived at the Aqua Track. The track was filled with kids from all over the galaxy that were here to race. They were busy working with the Stellar Robots to put the finishing touches on their spacecars.

  After Ms. Rudolph checked them in, the Zoomers walked around to look at the other spacecars. There was one that looked like a water bug and another one that looked like a seahorse. Zack really liked seeing what the other teams had invented.

  Then finally they came to the spot that was reserved for the Sprockets Academy Zoomers.

  “And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Here’s your spacecar!” said Ms. Rudolph. “Wow, it really does look like a jellyfish.”

  The round, curved shape looked like an open umbrella.

  “That was the plan! It may look like a jellyfish, but it will race like a speedy submarine,” said Zack with a smile.

  The Zoomers climbed into the car as their teacher wished them good luck. Drake settled into the driver’s seat. Then he shifted a rainbow dial to turn on the car. Lights flashed across the control panel as the spacecar dunked under the water. Zack looked down through the glass floor of the car. Rays of light extended deep into the ocean.

  “The lights look exactly like jellyfish tentacles!” said Zack, delighted.

  “Those light rays will give us extra hydro-boost in the water,” Drake said.

  “Okay, let us go over the final checklist,” Sally said. “Power lights?”

  Drake switched each power
light on and off. “Check!”

  “Hydro-boost cylinders full?”

  Seth checked all of the monitors. “Check!”

  “Stellar harnesses on?” continued Sally.

  “Check!” replied the boys.

  “Emergency GPS activated?”

  “Yes, activated,” replied a voice.

  “Wow, who was that? That sounds a lot like Ira,” said Zack.

  “I am Cara, your Car Automated Robotic Assistant. All preparations are finished,” Cara confirmed.

  “Cool,” said Zack.

  “Thanks, Cara,” said Sally.

  “Okay, Zoomers! Get ready to blast off!” Drake exclaimed.

  Chapter 3

  A-Maze-ing Race!

  Each team eagerly waited as the start lights changed color.

  Red, yellow, green! Race time!

  The Sprockets Academy Zoomers were off! Drake instantly sped past a bunch of other teams.

  The maze was made up of many twisting tunnels that continuously changed direction. As Drake drove by a car, a buzzer went off.

  “Good job, Zoomers!” said Cara. “You passed another car and are now in fourth place.“

  “It is all thanks to my dad’s hydro-booster,” said Seth. “He built the prototype for Nebulonics’s most powerful underwater engine.”

  Seth’s father worked at Nebulonics with Zack’s dad.

  Zack spoke up. “You know, it was my idea, and my dad also worked on—”

  “Move downward, Drake,” Sally said, cutting Zack off. “We need to get under those tentacles!”

  Snake-like arms extended from the walls.

  “Hey, are those octopus tentacles?” asked Seth.

  “Yes, that is correct,” said Cara. “They shoot out black ink that will freeze your car for five seconds.”

  “Okay. Hang on, guys!” said Drake as he steered the car down. Suddenly, a black cloud was released into the water. Drake took a sharp left to avoid getting hit.

  “Good job!” cried Sally. “According to my nav-chart, we need to turn right at this corner and then make two lefts.”

  Drake lead the team through the maze exactly as Sally instructed. They continued to glide along when the buzzer went off.

  “We are now in third place,” said Cara.

  “Only third?” muttered Seth. “We are moving as slow as a Gluconian slug.”

  Zack hoped that Drake didn’t hear Seth. He tried to cheer on the team. “You’re doing great, Drake. We moved up one ranking.”

  Drake started to fidget in his seat.

  “Step on the hydro-boost pedal!” Seth yelled out, but Drake was too focused on the racetrack.

  Damp sweat dripped down Drake’s face as Sally calculated their next move.

  “Here! Turn left here, now!” she called out.

  Drake pushed hard on the brakes. The spacecar swung left and landed in front of a dead end. A jet of black ink shot from a waving tentacle.

  “Oh no a speed bump!” cried Seth. “Now look what happened! We are frozen for five seconds!”

  Cara counted down: “Five . . . four . . . three . . .”

  “Get ready to back up, Drake,” said Sally.

  “Two . . . one!” Cara finished.

  “Now!” exclaimed Sally.

  Drake quickly backed up and turned the car around.

  “Step on the hydro-boost pedal,” Seth repeated.

  This time Drake heard Seth. He quickly zoomed ahead.

  The buzzer went off again. “We are now in fifth place,” said Cara.

  “What? Fifth place? I—” Seth began.

  Before he could continue, Zack interrupted as he pointed up ahead. “Look!” he cried. “It’s the exit flag!”

  “We can still make up for that speed bump. Time to turn on the rear igniters!” said Drake.

  A burst of speed pushed them past three cars and across the finish line.

  After a short pause, there was an announcement that blared out over the intercom. “Racers, in second place: The Sprockets Academy Zoomers!”

  Chapter 4

  On to Circulus

  “Great finish, Drake!” said Zack.

  “Yeah, that was grape!” said Sally.

  “Yeah, nice recovery,” said Seth. He seemed to be in a better mood.

  “Thanks, you guys!” said Drake. He parked the spacecar in their lot as the robot pit crew helped.

  Ms. Rudolph was waiting for them. She was so excited. “That was a great first round, Zoomers!” she said. “Your spacecar for the next round will be waiting for you on Circulus. Now let’s go grab your things from the cabin and head to the space cruiser. Next stop, the Race Rings!”

  “This race will be tricky,” said Sally. She studied the nav-chart aboard the space cruiser. “Circulus has ten rings that cross one another in all different directions.”

  “Not to worry—after all, I will be driving,” said Seth. “You can sit back and enjoy the ride. I have got this under control.”

  “Sounds like a grape plan! Plus, the aerodynamic wings that Zack designed for this race course should really help,” Drake said.

  Zack smiled. He gave his friend a Nebulon handshake.

  After three long hours, the Zoomers finally landed on Circulus. They immediately headed to the track to see their new spacecar. The Stellar Robots were busy installing a top wing.

  “There are four wings—left, right, top, and bottom. That way, no matter which direction we are flying in, Seth will have control of the car,” Zack explained.

  “That is a fantastic idea,” said Ms. Rudolph.

  “Thank you,” Zack replied with a smile.

  “Yeah, but it is the driver who really counts!” boasted Seth.

  Zack shrugged as Seth turned to get a better look at the car. Maybe Seth was too excited to realize how rude he sounded?

  Right then one of the robots called out, “Installation is complete. Beginning wing adjustments.”

  Ms. Rudolph spoke to the team as the crew wrapped up final tests.

  “Each team must drive around all ten racetrack rings in order to complete this round,” she explained. “It’s not as simple as it sounds. As you fly around you will see arrows on the track. These arrows will change directions without warning and can cause driving mistakes.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Sally. She was in charge of navigating this race course too.

  “The arrows show racers which direction they are allowed to drive,” said Ms. Rudolph. “If you go the wrong way, you’ll have to redo the entire ring again.”

  “Relax, Zoomers. I am the best at following directions,” said Seth. “With me behind the wheel, we cannot lose.”

  Zack wasn’t sure that Seth was right, but still he was relieved to not be driving. The Circulus ring course looked dizzying. I’m happy being the team’s engineer, Zack thought.

  As the robots finished working, Zack thoroughly inspected the spacecar.

  “Everything looks good for the race tomorrow,” confirmed Zack.

  “Great! Now, is anyone else starving?” asked Drake.

  The kids agreed as their stomachs growled, so Ms. Rudolph took them to the nearest diner before heading to their cabins for the night. They needed lots of energy for tomorrow’s race!

  Chapter 5

  Ring around the Planet

  The next morning, the kids waited anxiously at the starting line of the Race Rings.

  “All systems ready,” said Drake. “Round two on Circulus begins in thirty seconds.”

  “Navigation ready,” said Sally.

  “Wings are in position,” said Zack.

  Seth secured his stellar harness. “And pilot is ready!” he exclaimed.

  The lights flashed until finally, they were off! They sped around the blue ring as the buzzer sounded out. Cara announced they were in first place.

  “Yippee wah-wah!” they all shouted.

  “Watch this next curve,” warned Sally as she checked her nav-chart. “This ring is very steep.”
<
br />   Suddenly, a left arrow appeared.

  “Follow the arrow onto the next ring!” shouted Sally.

  “I got it,” said Seth. He switched into the left lane.

  Just then an alarm went off beside Zack.

  “What is that?” asked Drake.

  Zack pulled up a vid-screen that showed the spacecar’s engines. “It looks like engine one is overheating. I’m going to switch us to engine two.”

  Zack put on his headset to communicate with the Stellar Robot crew for help.

  Meanwhile, Sally kept her eyes glued to the arrow on the track. One mistake could cost them the race.

  “I see the arrow, Seth! There it is! Go right!” Sally cried.

  “We have to shift to the next ring!” shouted Drake.

  “Will everyone please be quiet?” Seth asked. “Just let me focus.”

  “We were just trying to help,” Sally said quietly as she slumped down in her seat.

  When Zack finished switching the engines, he pulled off his headset. He could tell something strange had happened. Seth was focused on the road, but Drake and Sally seemed sad and were being extra quiet.

  “What did I miss?” Zack asked.

  The mood in the spacecar didn’t feel like they were winning anymore. Drake told Zack what had happened. Sally was frowning with her eyes closed.

  “Sally,” Zack said, “don’t let Seth get to you too much. Without you to give directions, the Zoomers would be stuck circling the rings forever!”