The Little Book of Adventures

Zoe loved to wake up in the third top bunk of her grandparents Earth village. One of the most noticeable things about the place was all the different smells, like Grandpa's left over cooking of fresh green tree fish, to Grandma's books giving off a sweet mildew smell.

"It must be from all the strawberries" Zoe said to herself.

Feeling confident, she threw off the rainbow crochet blanket, slid down the ladder, passed the snoring old folks on the bunks below, and bounced into action to begin a new day.

Her mother was a xenolinguist on Mars studying newly found inscriptions of an alien languages. Zoe hated it but it did have one advantage, you could bounce anywhere you wanted to go, you couldn't do that here on Earth as the gravity was 'normal', so Zoe did everything in her power to make her visit anything but normal!

Though living in a trinity reserve tree cottage, Zoe's grandparents still had many modern conveniences. Such as the fusion powered preserver, which made the best instant strawberry jam, and a couple of bookshelf drones which recovered their merchandise off the cottage's occupants when misplaced.

Of all of her favourite things, was Zoe's Grandfather's study. She loved to sneak in and see what her Grandparents were truly up to. The didn't have occupations as far as she knew, though she was aware that both of her Grandparents served in the stellar wars on great battleships and they were commended for their honour as evidenced by all the ribbons and plaques on the walls. Zoe was certain that her Grandmother held 'the higher rank' by the way she bossed him around the kitchen.

Zoe eyed the grand desk in the study where she spotted, for the first time, a strange yet beautiful notebook in the centre of the desk, surrounded by many artefacts and with the morning light shining deliberately on the strange parchment. She was immediately drawn to the notebook as fish were to the succulent veins of water trees.

Zoe sat down as though to sit on air, but a small hover chair floated up and landed beneath her, contouring perfectly to her bum.

On the page, it spoke of a place far from the cottage, on another continent, in the Volscian town of Ninfa, where trolls presumably once lived.

"Trolls?" said Zoe out loud, suddenly cautious not to wake the Grand-folk. "There's never been Trolls on Earth!"

Zoe continued to read the myths about two grand races that formed a peace treaty that was to last the ages, after a dark time of sorcery and magic.

"All relatively believable circumstances." Zoe thought.

At the centre of the mystery, a turret at ruins of Ninfa. Archaeologists for centuries had tried to uncover the source of the mystery, but were stumped by a local prophecy that one day, a young girl from another world, and the progeny of two great warrior clans, would find her way to the ruins and uncover the secret.

Zoe was stunned and looked around the room.

"Are they talking about me?" She said.

Zoe began to tap nervously at the back of the notebook which popped open a small hidden compartment dropping a credit chip onto the table. She picked up the red see-through chip and held it up into the light revealing its value.

"Twenty thousand credits!" She exclaimed!

Zoe's eyes began curve back into the direction of the bed rack and the hover chair floated back so she could see through the door. Her Grandparents were snoring away loudly.

As soon as the cheeky smile exploded on her face, Zoe bounced up, with the notebook in hand, the credit chip tucked neatly back into its compartment, and rushed out the door of the study, grabbing her notebook from the bunk table, some hydrolysed snacks, a fresh strawberry and a jar of preserve from the kitchen...

"never know when that will come in handy"

…and stuffed it all in her knapsack, then ever so stealthily exited the cottage. She closed the great tree door leaving the light from the window shining on her Grandfather's excited grin.

Zoe walked along the cobbled path breathed in the fresh air and the enjoyed the formations of the morning dew reflecting in the sunlight.

The path came to an end over a hill and a massive blue city revealed itself. The grand space port of Admiralty Island. A beautiful city scape with tress entwined with hempcrete and glass, as energy efficient biofueled gliders took off across the sky. From there she could hire a sky hopper to Italy or even a capsule to a space platform. Either way it was so good to be so close to to an eco friendly space port right out of the forest.

Especially because of the burgers.

Zoe rocked up to a fast food joint at the spaceport where sentient Robots were servicing customers.

"Ah young Cloe" said the skinny Robot in it's staccato voice...

"It's Zoe, and can I have a burger please" Zoe quipped.

"Which flavour young Cloe" the Robot replied.

Zoe rolled her eyes "Strawberry based of course" she huffed.

Zoe gave the Robot a strawberry from her knapsack, the Robot held it with it's two metal fingers upside-down. The strawberry was a little squashed and the robot looked it up and down before shrugging, turning around, and placing the strawberry in the matter converter. The matter converter pinged and out came a burger with all the bio friendly packaging . Zoe then paid for it with the credit chip, took the burger and said "thank you" to which the robot replied:

"You're welcome Cloe".

Zoe rolled her eyes again.

As she walked away, Zoe stuffed her face with the burger, "ugh its so much better than tree fish" she cried out. Strolling towards the next available sky hopper to Europe, a holographic Woman on the platform wearing a top hat, sporting a cane and wearing the most unusual period specific militant uniform called out to the crowd.

"All aboard the European sky-hopper the David Farragut" due to leave in ten minutes."

The Holo-Woman looked down at Zoe.

"You there there young lady! Where are you headed?"

To Italy and the small ruins of Ninfa.

"Ooh sounds like quite an adventure, are your parents, you know, okay with you travelling alone?" The Holo-Woman stated.

"I'm an independent Woman". Zoe said.

"Of course you are dear, alright then step aboard, that will be five thousand credits please"

Zoe tapped the chip on the console at the base of the holoprojector feeling a little guilty about using her grandparents money.

"Well go on then, up the platform with you".

Zoe moved up the platform as the Holo-Woman charged her a little over the top, increasing the fee by ten percent, and tried not to be coy about it.

As Zoe walked up the platform to the pure white ship she noticed a commotion behind her, several Holo-Police, in rounded top hats with batons pointed to the Holo-Woman and cried out:

"There she is! We saw what you did to that you girl!"

The Holo-Woman made a run for it and the Holo-Police gave chase. Zoe couldn't help but laugh.

Zoe entered the very stylish sky hopper and sat in her seat. The were many attractions and holographic advertising in each seat and many other customers getting ready for take off. A bleep sound came from Zoe's credit chip and she saw the 10% 'off the top' restored.

" Folks we are about to take off please make sure you are locked into position and enjoy your flight with us today" said a voice with a broad Australian accent over the coms.

The pilot saw that all people were locked into their seats from the computer display and engaged flight. The white ship revealed itself to be bird like in its appearance which then flapped its great wings into position allowing the sky hopper to take flight with majestic grace. At an incredible speed the sky hopper reached the clouds and levelled off floating in the air. Zoe basked in the majesty, she's always wanted to travel on one of these new ships.

"Once again thank you for flying with us, please remain seated and prepare for sky jump". The attendant announced.

The sky engines roar into full power and built up to a basso profundo like sound and then with small a zip, the sky hopper lived up to its name and makes a sequence of small jumps around the globe until it reaches the grand continent of Europe.

On the last zip all the passengers were thrust forward in there seats until the normal engines took over and the puro glass trays stop shaking.

Zoe breathed out in surprise.

"Wow" she confirmed.

The bird like plane then glided down to its first stop. In the cockpit the onboard hologram support assistant informed the captain that a young girl was headed to Ninfa.

"First stop folks is Enrico Comani Spaceport and Ninfa" said the Captain

Zoe got all excited. The giant bird came into land via the antigrav hover port ring and rested comfortably in its new temporary station. Zoe disembarked and the beautiful smell of grape hits her nostrils.

There was small curious looking bike that looked like the old bus from London but shrunk in size to fit four people. The bus driver called out loudly:

"Anybody for the garden at Ninfa come with me".

Zoe sat on top of the bus with two other passengers, put on the goggles provided, and rode into the countryside. The light of the still early morning sun coming through the canopy reflected the flowers falling on the dirt road boulevard. The engine didn't actually make a sound but the driver has a sound horn playing the noise of its day.

Zoe finally reached her destination. The garden and ruins of Ninfa, once inhabited by the Volscians. Zoe walked through the gardens and came to one of the castle turrets where supposedly the secret lay. A magical looking place with several oaks, cypresses and poplars amongst the ruins. Zoe stood on the place where the stone with the strange alien carving must have been, now located in a museum in Rome according to the notebook.

Zoe felt a little disappointed.

"The place is beautiful but nothing is happening" she said to herself.

"You can't force anything" Her grandfather said as he came around the corner with her Grandmother.

"Grandfather? You took a teleporter to followed me, really?" she said snidely.

"Actually we were already here. Your grandmother and I came early and left holograms in our place.

"We wanted to know if you had your mothers instinct for adventure or linguistics, have you deciphered any part of the stone runes?". Said Grandmother.

"I'm not sure" Zoe said "Why are we here?".

"There's the prophecy, a girl from another world, a girl of two great houses such as ours. Zoe, it's time for you to know, we fought against each other during war and it was decisions made in battlespace by commanders like us which bought peace to the union, much like the legend in the myth surrounding that stone."

"But why do you think it has anything to do with me?" Said Zoe.

"We were hoping you could tell us that dear. Look down" Said Grandmother.

Beneath Zoe's feet the runes glowed blue in a circle. A mist rose up from the ancient stones and an alien in the form of a tall troll stood before Zoe. The alien form touched Zoe on the head. Zoe closed her eyes as the creature instantly learned her language.

Zoe's Grandparents stood back in shock.

The entity spoke in calm deep tone: "You have come before the council of worlds at a time of great unification. We have watched your world suffer and change and rise to the challenge of peace. You must now join us to discuss the emancipation of your doctrine. What proof do you hold to give this council that you are ready.

Zoe thought on it, and then reached into her knapsack and pulled out the strawberry preserve and handed it to the Alien.

"It's really blood good" Zoe says.

The entity turns to the Grandparents, who are still in shock and spoke to them in their minds.

"I shall return with your Zoe once the council of worlds has convened and decided upon your inclusion.

Zoe and the alien disappeared quickly into the mist.

Her Grandfather opened his mouth to speak.

"Well I wasn't expecting that!"

The only thing that remained was the little book of adventures.