The Spaceship Took Us to Octavia Read online

  Arthur blushed.

  “Sometimes it is indeed boring,” muttered Carol.

  “Maybe you will find our lessons here less boring,” Florence said. “Alright. You must be guessing what this is all about and why we invited you here. I will start from the beginning, so you will know the whole story.

  Many centuries ago, peace and order reigned on the Earth. People who lived at that time were interested in creating, expanding their abilities, and exploring. Until, one day, Ortigon visited our planet. He is from another cosmic civilization, where beings are experiencing different things comparing to us, let’s say different in a negative way. He liked our planet and decided to conquer it. Ortigon won almost all of the Earth’s territory—the one where you live. He put spells on people that limited their potential and abilities. That is why they started to experience more negativity than it was before. Ortigon is an unspoken ruler of your world for many centuries now.

  The only area Ortigon couldn’t subjugate is Octavia, the place where we are now. It is a small town which remains as it was before. It is hidden from Ortigon, but unfortunately, he knows about us and wants to conquer Octavia because it will make him the only ruler of Earth and will allow him to operate the entire planet.”

  River, Arthur, Carol, and Vic listened to Florence in shock. They sat in silence, not knowing how to react.

  “But…” started Carol. “ May I say, please?

  “Sure!”

  “Our world is not perfect … but it is not that bad, right guys? It is just hard to believe that we live under someone’s spell.”

  “Of course, it is not bad. Let’s say half of the things that you experience in your world is something that we experience as well. Ortigon’s spells make another half. Do you think wars, environmental issues, diseases, and illnesses—is something that every person would like to experience? These are the consequences of mainly Ortigon’s actions.”

  “No, of course, I don’t think so...” said Carol.

  “Ortigon aims to make people forget about their true essence. To not let this happen, through portals, we privily inviting people from your world to Octavia, like you, to show the truth and to help recollect forgotten knowledge. And by observing, comparing, and learning, once you come back home, you can make a difference. We already see positive changes in recent years, there are many who wake up from Ortigon’s spells, which gives us hope for a better future. We want to reclaim the former planet, so everyone lives by the original laws.

  Also, we had cases when people refused to believe what they saw in Octavia, and we had to send them back with wiped memories. They don’t remember ever being here. That is why we invite mainly children, as they are more receptive to this knowledge than most of your adults.”

  “But what about our grandfather? He thinks we are at school now!” Carol said worriedly.

  “We have sent clones in your place that will act just like you and live in your world with your family while you are here. These clones will go to school and socialize with your friends and everyone else. They won’t misbehave any more than you usually do; they will probably behave even better. These clones have access to your informational field. And they also depend on your energy level, so you have to be careful with that. We put a lot of effort into developing this system. Ortigon knows about it, but he never been able to trace our clones.”

  “If he finds a clone, what will happen?” asked River.

  “It is hard for him to do so, but if he will, most probably, he would be able to trace a connection between a person and a clone. And that connection could lead him to Octavia.”

  “What will happen to us after we go home?” Vic asked.

  “When you return home, you will spread the knowledge of what you learned here. This knowledge makes Ortigon’s spell powerless.”

  “But what if we do not want to stay here, can we return today?” asked Vic, and everyone looked at him.

  “You will be sent home after you wish so. In that case, all of the information obtained here will be automatically wiped from your memory. You won’t remember even a bit of what happened during your time here. We had to make such rules for yours and Octavia's safety.”

  “And if we decide to stay, how long will we be here?” Arthur asked.

  “The learning program lasts three months.”

  “I wanted to ask about Octavia, how people live here? And also, where will we live here?” Carol asked.

  “The way of life here, of course, differs from yours. But most of the things that will be new to you at first, you will perceive like something that you forgot a long time ago and just remembering about it. People are creating families here, raising children. I have a husband, together with him, we are managing Octavia. We’ve got two children, our son Alex and daughter Patricia. Patricia is your age; by the way, you will meet her tomorrow.

  We have a special territory—a camp built for our guests. You will sleep, eat, and spend your time mainly there. The camp has various laboratories where you can obtain new information, skills, and practice them. Our elders will help you to master new knowledge. You will get to know the local inhabitants and other guests. You will also have the opportunity to participate in various events if you desire so.”

  Florence glanced at the children. “Well, and now I have to ask you. Do you wish to stay?”

  “Yes!” River, Arthur, and Carol answered together. Only Vic nodded his head indecisively. He looked pensive.

  “If you have any questions, you can ask the elders, and they will help you. Or you can send me a letter. Just write my name on an envelope. Our postal system is flawless. Letters are teleported within seconds from sender to recipient.”

  “Teleported?” Vic asked confusedly.

  “Yes, and people can be as well,” Florence continued, causing the kids even greater confusion. “Soon, you will find out more about all this. And now you probably want to see the place where you will stay. Gamp!”

  A barely visible image of Gamp appeared in the air in front of the kids, becoming more visible with every second.

  “Please take our guests to the camp,” Florence instructed. “Enjoy the rest of your day, and see you soon!”

  “After me, everyone!” Gamp said.

  They went back to the hallway, where Gamp knelt on the floor and lifted a hidden hatch. The kids could not believe their eyes when they looked inside of it. There was a half-transparent tunnel. Instead of the ground around the tunnel, there was outer space with stars and planets in the distance. Gamp gestured into it, inviting them to go for a ride.

  “Do we need to jump in this?” Arthur asked hesitantly.

  “Yep, it will be much faster and more enjoyable than traveling there on foot,” Gamp smiled. “Chop chop. Why don’t you be the bravest and go first?”

  “Isn’t there any other way to get to the camp? A less extreme one? Where you don’t need to jump into space?” Arthur asked.

  “There is nothing to be afraid of. It feels almost like a rollercoaster.”

  “Ok,” Arthur said, and afraid of seeming a coward, he took a deep breath and leaped into the tunnel.

  The others followed him. The ride resembled a slide in a tunnel. But as the tunnel was almost transparent, the kids could see everything around them while riding. It took them ten seconds to reach the destination. Before landing, the speed smoothly decreased, so they were able to stand on their feet firmly. Upon arriving, the space dissolved, and a new image emerged around them. They were standing in a spacious hallway with a large spiral staircase leading upwards.

  “Right now, we’re in the main house. Some of your lessons and events will be held here. You’ll have a chance to look around later in here. For now, we’ll go outside, and I’ll show you the camp and where your tents are,” Gamp said and directed them toward the entrance door.

  Opening the door, they saw a road with ancient, branchy oak trees growing on either side. The road led into the forest. Small lights were visible through the trees, where the gu
est camp situated. Dusk fell, and darkness thickened all around. Entering the forest, they saw tents on the small clearings. Tents looked bigger than usual ones and resembled small cabins. Some people sat around the campfires, most of them were having dinner and talking. Gamp led them to one of the tents. Walking inside, they appeared in a spacious bedroom.

  “River, Vic, and Arthur, you will stay here. Carol, your tent located nearby. A girl, who arrived just a few days ago moved in there. I hope you will get along. You all are probably tired, Mrs. Lindon will bring you dinner soon. Ah, yes—we copied your clothes from your world, so you don’t need to worry that you didn’t bring your stuff with you. Some pieces we altered a bit for our conditions, though. Clothes are in a wardrobe by your bed. Alright, I have to show Carol her place,” Gamp said and left together with a girl.

  After a few minutes, a woman with a big tray piled with food came to the boys’ tent.

  “Good evening, boys. Welcome! My name is Mrs. Lindon. I am one of the cooks here. I spend my time mainly in the main house’s kitchen, so if you ever need me, you can find me there. I hope you will like this dish. It was made especially for our new guests! Enjoy!”

  Seeing the food, each boy remembered exactly how hungry he was after such a long day. Mrs. Lindon left their tent and headed toward Carol’s.

  Shoveling down his meal, River shared his thought with the boys, “I still can’t believe all the things that are going on here.”

  “Yeah, it’s crazy. But I think that all this is unbelievably awesome!” Arthur said. “Where else can you fly in a spaceship? Everyone is only dreaming of that!”

  “I want everything to work out, so Ortigon’s evil spells stop acting on our world.”

  “What if there is something they’re not telling us…” Vic suddenly stopped eating. He folded his arms across his chest and continued, “What if everything turns out to be the opposite, and they lured us here, I don’t know, maybe to carry out some kind of experiment?”

  “Then, this is the coolest experiment ever!” Arthur concluded jubilantly.

  “For now, we’ll have to take them at their word. As it seems, we don’t have many options. Anyway, we can return home if we wish any time,” River said.

  Gamp informed the kids that their first lesson would start next say in the morning. When it was time to sleep, the boys lay down in their beds. Arthur and River fell asleep the moment their heads hit their pillows. Vic lay awake a while longer, trying to think over everything that happened that day. That day was not like any other. He could never believe that anything of this sort would happen. He wanted to trust Florence, but something stopped him. Vic felt as there was a barrier dividing the world he was accustomed to and believed to be the only one, and this new world with all its wonders and riddles.

  Chapter three

  Planet Bokstel

  Through his sleep, Vic heard a bicycle bell. He opened his eyes; at first, he couldn’t quite understand where he was or what was going on. Sitting up in bed, Vic looked around the tent and suddenly remembered everything that happened the day before. For a moment, he thought he might still be asleep and that he dreamed of everything. But a voice calling from outside the tent suggested otherwise.

  “Hey, guys! Can I come in?”

  “Eh, wait a few seconds,” Vic yelled back before turning to the other boys. “Hey, get up!” But rousing River and Arthur turned out to be no easy task.

  Vic yelled again, “Fine, come in.”

  A girl peeked her head into the tent. She appeared to be close in age to the boys. She seemed to be an albino, as her skin and hair were very light in color.

  “Hi, everybody! I’m Patricia. Today we are going to ride bikes, so get dressed quickly and come outside. We’ll have breakfast when we get to where we’re going. I’ll wait for you outside.”

  As soon as she left, Arthur’s joyful shout rang out through the tent, “It’s not a dream! Are we dreaming or not, River?”

  “I believe we are not,” River answered yawning.

  Quickly gathering their things, they went outside. Not far from the tent, they saw Patricia talking with Carol under a tree.

  “Great! Now we can go,” Patricia said when the boys approached. “Take whichever bike you like”—she pointed at three bicycles lying nearby—“and follow me!”

  Together they rode around the camp, which turned out to be much bigger in daylight than it seemed the previous night. While riding, they noticed that nonhuman creatures were among those at the camp. Most often, these guests resembled humans. Sometimes, though, the kids came across those with very unusual appearances. Patricia said they were from different planets and civilizations.

  “This family is from the constellation Cassiopeia. Their mission is to help other civilizations to develop. They came to us this time to share some of their discoveries. And over to the right, you can see the flying house of our friends from Alpha Centauri,” she pointed to the multi-story golden spaceship on the outskirts of the forest.

  Riding out into a narrow forest path, Patricia came to a halt and said, “Earlier, I planned for us to spend the day somewhere around here, not far from the main house. But now I have a better idea: my brother Alex is creating his planet. Everything there is still at an elementary level; the only inhabitants right now are various, unusual plant species. But it’s stunning over there, and I think you’ll all like it. Plus, I bet you’re still not used to flying on bicycles, and it’s a lot of fun!”

  “Are you trying to say we are about to fly to a different planet on bicycles?” River asked.

  “Pretty much.”

  “I’m for it!” Arthur exclaimed.

  “Wonderful! Then grab your handles tightly and follow me! When I start to rise into the air, try to make your wheels lift off the ground with your mind, focus all your thoughts on this task. When you are focusing on something for a long time, it begins to work. It might be hard for the first time, and if so, just say: ‘Follow Patricia to Planet Bokstel! Davriada!’ and you will automatically fly after me. Davriada is a word that beginners use to manifest wish instantly. But first, try to train your strength of mind, that’s the most important! Don’t rush to say davriada right away.”

  Patricia began to ride faster, and everyone else followed after her. Suddenly, the wheels of her bicycle lifted off the ground. She rose into the air. “Try it! It will work for you! Don’t think it’s impossible! Doubts will not help you!”

  River was the first to lift off the ground without calling upon davriada.

  “Amazing! I got it to work!”

  “Good job! Don’t forget to keep pedaling,” Patricia warned.

  “I can’t lift it!” Carol shouted with a note of despair.

  “Just imagine you already did it, this may help you.”

  “I’m trying! But nothing’s happening––ahhhh!” Suddenly her bicycle also began to rise but wobbled from side to side. “I’m going to fall!”

  “Don’t worry! All bicycles are programmed to hold you!” Patricia flew over to her and helped steady the bicycle, gripping one of the handles with her left hand. “Well done! Now keep riding along with me. Vic and Arthur, you’ll get a chance to train more later. For now, you can say davriada.”

  “I want to do it myself without this word,” Arthur yelled back.

  “We don’t have much time now, and we all need to go together,” Patricia persuaded him. “You’ll get it next time!”

  “Oh, all right. Follow Patricia to Planet Bokstel! Davriada!” Arthur rose into the air as well.

  “I’m not going anywhere!” Vic said. He was the only one whose bicycle was still riding on the ground.

  “Vic, don’t be silly!” Carol called after her brother, “Just say davriada already!”

  “I don’t want to. It’s all just… not normal.”

  “Vic, you have to fly with us or go back to the camp,” Patricia told him.

  “I will go back to the camp!”

  “Are you sure?”

 
“Yes.”

  “Vic, I’ll go with you!” Carol shouted.

  “No!”

  “But I don’t want to leave you alone there!”

  “I am fine. Just go!” Vic yelled.

  “Wait for us at the camp then,” Patricia said. “In the meantime, we’re going to gain speed. I opened a portal, so we’ll get there very quickly! Don’t stray from the path!”

  The path through the sky, which was also a portal, led to Bokstel. The kids were riding through it at rapid speed. Drawing closer to the planet, they could see the outline of mountains, seas, and rivers. But everything on that planet seemed brighter as if an artist chose only the most dazzling colors for his palette. The sky arching over the planet was the most startling of all—instead of light blue, a great expanse of shiny purple stretched overhead.

  Patricia and the others landed on the meadow. Laying their bicycles off to the side, they sat in a circle. Patricia reached into her backpack for some sandwiches and a thermos of tea.

  “Do you like it here?” she asked.

  “Yeah, looks as we are inside of a videogame. And the road was just crazy!” Arthur replied.

  River nodded, chewing his sandwich with appetite. Unlike the others, Carol looked somewhat upset. She was worried about Vic and regretted that he didn’t come with them.

  “Carol, don’t be sad. He just needs a little more time,” Patricia said.

  “They won’t send him home without me, wiping his memory, will they? If they decide to do that, I’ll have to go back with him.”

  “No one is going to send him home. You don’t need to be worried; everything is going to be fine,” Patricia hugged Carol trying to cheer her up. “Now, I want to give each of you a journal.” She pulled three large journals out of her backpack and handed them to each. “In these journals, you will record your assignments. Today we will get started on your first task. Each of you must create something that you like to do or would like to do in the future if you could choose anything you want. Don’t limit your imagination. It could be something that already exists in your world, or it may be something new. For this assignment, we made such conditions that for a few hours, you’ll be able to bring into physical shape almost anything you want.