Writing - Bobby Blinx

Bobby Blinx is the hero of a series of adventures that I am writing with my son Yogi. The manuscript is currently making it's way around Hollywood and New York, looking for a publisher and (perhaps) a studio to turn it into a movie.

Here's the prologue and the first two chapters.


Prologue
The Eldest was filled with even more anger, frustration and hate than normal. His three arm-tentacles twitched with aggravation and the mouths at the ends of each growled with rage. One eye glared balefully at the subordinates standing before him, shivering with terror. Another eye considered the detestable blue planet hovering on the ship’s main viewscreen.
As his crew waited for orders, the Eldest used his third tentacle, mouth, and eye to dig through his feeding tub after a particularly elusive youngster. Finally he trapped it and pinned it to the spongy wall of the tub with a spiny tusk. In one quick, satisfying motion he crushed the life out of the squirming youngling and slurped it down. He let out a brief grunt of pleasure. Killing and eating someone always made the Eldest feel momentarily better but a tide of loathing and fury quickly surged back. The Eldest sat back in disgust.
The third planet in this system stood in the way of destiny of his people and the schemes of the Undying Queen, Mother of All.
It must be destroyed.
The Enemy had protected this planet and hounded his people for thousands of years. Now the Enemy was gone and it was up to him to make sure that the way was clear.
He would not fail the Undying Queen. He would make sure there was no trace of the Enemy. Without the help of the Enemy, the puny inhabitants of this planet, these weak human beings, would be crushed easily. They would become a snack for the Undying Queen and her favorite.
Then the Eldest and the Undying Queen and their people would consume this galaxy.

1
The boy stood in the prow of the ferry where the cooler ocean breeze cut through the equatorial swelter. Behind him was the mouth of the Amazon River, the longest river on Earth at 4,300 miles. Ahead of him was his immediate destination, the Clarke Space Elevator, which rose 20,000 miles straight up into outer space. The Space Elevator, which was nicknamed the Beanstalk, brought people and cargo into space without using giant rockets to escape the gravity of the Earth.
“Amazing, isn’t it?”
The boy, who, at twelve, preferred to be called a young man, turned to his Aunt Kiwi with a grin. All he could do, however, was nod and turn back to the incredible view. The Clark Beanstalk had rendered him speechless. Videos and holograms didn’t do it justice. They couldn’t capture the mind-blowing experience of the astonishing magnitude. One edge was only a few yards thick but the other was a quarter mile wide. Then it stretched into the sky until it vanished into the hazy blue. It was like a skyscraper that was impossibly tall, but then never stopped being taller.
The fact that this structure, which was so obviously enormous, could shrink to invisibility put things in a new perspective for the boy who was making his first trip into outer space. He could get a sense of how small he was in relation to the Beanstalk, and then he could see how small the Beanstalk was in relation to the Earth.
And he knew that the Earth was a tiny part of a star system that was a tiny part of a galaxy.
Human beings were tiny creatures!
But human beings had built this impossibly huge thing that stood before him. And human beings were colonizing the Solar System and exploring the galaxy.
It was humbling and exalting all at the same time and stunned most people into hushed contemplation. The boy and his fellow passengers were silent as the ferry docked and they disembarked on to the huge floating island that served as the base of the Space Elevator. Even as they bustled into the vast terminal complex to check luggage and get boarding passes, they were quiet. There were thousands of people moving through the terminal but the building was like a library. Nearly everyone was staring worshipfully up through the glass ceiling at the monumental Beanstalk. The few that spoke, questioning guides or saying goodbye to loved ones, did it in a respectful whisper.
Each long side of the Beanstalk had twelve tracks and each track held an elevator car. There were two sides so there were twenty-four cars. One car was scheduled to leave the surface every two hours. Bobby was going on Space Elevator Car 17. He tried to figure out which one he was going on. His father was on that one.
“Hey Aunt Kiwi,” Bobby murmured, “What’s that thing made of?”
“It’s made of the strongest material known to man,” she whispered back, “Carbon nanotubes.”
“Carbon? Like coal and diamonds?”
“Yeah,” she replied, “Same element but just a different molecular structure.”
“Is that why it looks black but has that beautiful rainbow shimmer?” he asked.
“I don’t know really,” answered Kiwi. “The way things look can change a lot based on the molecular structure.”
“Like ice and steam,” observed Bobby.
“Exactly.”
“Why is it so strong?”
“Henry told me it’s because the nanotubes are long carbon molecules, thousands of miles long, bound together into cables,” she explained. “He says they’re probably the biggest molecules on Earth.”
“That’s amazing.”
Kiwi watched Bobby, as he gazed up at the Beanstalk. “It sure is,” she said softly. Her eyes were glistening. After a moment, Kiwi put her hand on Bobby’s shoulder. “I’m really going to miss you Bobby,” she said.
Bobby looked back at Kiwi and gave her a hug. She gave him a hug back and Bobby could tell she was crying a little.
Bobby was a little surprised that Aunt Kiwi was so upset - it wasn’t like he was moving to another Star System - but he figured it’s always hard to say goodbye, especially, it seemed, for grown-ups.
Because Bobby’s Mom was a Space Navy Captain and his Dad was a world famous scientist, they often had to be away from home. Aunt Kiwi had been helping to take care of him since he was born. Since the mysterious attacks on the outer colonies had started four years ago, Bobby’s Mother had spent nearly all of her time in space. Bobby hadn’t seen her since last Christmas. Finally, the Blinxes were moving to the Armstrong Space Colony where they could be together all the time – or at least more of the time. Besides that, Aunt Kiwi had a trip to make up the Amazon River that she’d been putting off for a long time. She was a biologist and studied exotic worms.
Suddenly, Bobby felt a swelling in his throat and hot tears in his eyes. It was like he caught the sadness from his Aunt like a yawn.
He was really going to miss her.
He hugged her and she fiercely hugged him back and kissed the top of his head.
“Car Number 17 is now ready for boarding.” The speaker murmured the announcement quietly in deference to the hushed terminal atmosphere. Bobby pulled away and looked up at his Aunt.
“You ready to go, kid?”
Bobby wiped tears from his eyes and nodded.
“You tell my brother that he owes me a hug,” Aunt Kiwi teased. Bobby smiled and nodded again. His Dad had ridden down from the space station but wasn’t getting off. He’d meet Bobby onboard. It made sense because getting off the elevator was much harder than getting on.  Every inch of your body had to be sterilized and examined to make sure travelers didn’t bring some alien disease to Earth. Dr. Blinx figured he’d just avoid the whole mess and stay in the car but Kiwi had been outraged.
“You’re going to come all the way down to Earth and not even step out?” Kiwi Blinx found her brother to be even more mystifying and infuriating than the rest of the world did.
“I can work when I’m on the Elevator,” replied Henry reasonably, “It’s one of my favorite things to do actually.”
“Henry, can’t you come out and give your little sister a hug?” she’d asked.
“Going through a strip search and getting my intestinal bacteria irradiated is quite a deterrent, Kiwi. Plus, it would put a large dent in the time I have to work. If I thought it was the last chance I’d get to hug you, I’d do it, but the odds of that seem vanishingly small. I would estimate 942 Million to one.”
“’Never tell me the odds, Professor,’” Kiwi had joked, but when Henry didn’t get the reference, she gave up and agreed to bring Bobby to the Elevator.
“Keep in touch, okay?” Aunt Kiwi gave him a last squeeze as they parted at the gate.
“I will,” Bobby promised.
“Be the best Bobby Blinx you can be,” she said with a smile.
Bobby grinned at the old shared joke and give her his traditional rejoinder: “You, too.” Then he gave her one last hug and walked into Clarke Elevator Car Number 17.

2

Calling number 17 “a car” seemed ridiculous since the structure Bobby entered looked more like a hotel than a car. On the other hand, most hotels didn’t travel into space. Of course it wasn’t anything like a traditional elevator car either, because it held 5,000 people and there were beds and bathrooms and a lounge and a dining room. It was something like a car on a train if a train car was 200 feet wide, 100 feet deep and 60 feet tall.
There were 12 cars on each side of the Beanstalk and landing and take-offs alternated every 60 minutes or so. The trip up to the Terminal Station, a huge satellite that hung in geosynchronous orbit far above them, took a little less than two days. Each car was counterweighted by a similar car on the other side of the beanstalk that would descend as the first one went up. As the descending car fell closer to Earth it would pull the ascending car up using what Bobby’s father called “the world’s tallest pulley.” Additionally, the ascending cars were driven upwards by high-powered, microwave lasers.
Bobby found his way to his cabin and was a little disappointed that his father wasn’t waiting for him there. Disappointed, but not surprised. Bobby's father was considered the most brilliant scientist of the 22nd Century, but his family knew he was remarkably absent-minded. When Henry Blinx was working, he often lost track of time. Bobby had learned not to take it personally.
 After he stowed his bags, Bobby found his Dad’s cabin and knocked on the door. There was a thump and a muffled cry of pain.
“Dad?”
“Bobby? Is that you?” came his father’s bewildered voice from the other side of the door.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, hold on.” Bobby heard another voice say something he couldn’t make out. A moment later, the cabin door opened and there stood Bobby’s father with a dazed grin on his face.
“Hi Bobby.” Dr. Blinx quickly shut the door to his cabin and then gave his son a hug and a kiss. It seemed like he didn’t want Bobby to see what was in there. “You hungry? Should we get some lunch and watch the liftoff?”
“Dad, is there someone else in your cabin?”
“No, he’s off.”
“What?”
“No, he’s off,” his father repeated, as if Bobby had not heard him rather than not understood what he meant.
“Dad, who’s in there?” Bobby asked with a laugh.
“No one - . . .no person is in there,” his dad replied, “As far as I know.” He turned and placed his index finger on the keypad to unlock the cabin. He then opened the door and looked in as if to check if anything had changed since he had left the cabin a few seconds earlier. Bobby looked in as well and saw a tremendous mess of electronic components and papers spread all over the tiny room. It looked familiar to Bobby - just like every space that Dr. Blinx occupied for more than 3 hours – except for one strange thing that caught his eye. There was something that looked like a glass box in the middle of all the clutter. For just a brief instant, it seemed like something moved inside it.
“What’s that, Dad?”
Dr. Blinx quickly closed the door again and turned to Bobby. “I can’t tell you, Bobby.”
“Why not?” Bobby asked.
“It’s either a secret or a surprise depending on what you were referring to,” Dr. Blinx explained, “So let’s not talk about it any more so nothing gets spoiled.” He started down the corridor.
“Okay,” said Bobby, “But I think I saw it move.”
That stopped his father in his tracks. 
He turned back to Bobby. “Which moved - the secret or the surprise?”
“The glass box. . .” Bobby began but his father cut him off with a quick finger to his lips.
“That’s the secret,” Dr. Blinx whispered as he opened the cabin door for a third time and motioned Bobby inside.
The cabin was really just big enough for a single bed and space to stand next it. With all the equipment on the bed and more spilling onto the limited floor space, there was barely room for Bobby and his father to place their feet. Once they were crammed inside, Dr. Blinx closed the door and picked up a small screen that was lying on the bed. On it was an image of the transparent cube. Bobby saw that the image was being transmitted by a small camera aimed at the cube.
“You saw movement when I opened the door?” asked Dr. Blinx.
“I think so,” said Bobby as he looked at the object. Now that he was closer, it seemed smaller than it had before and there was nothing moving inside it. It appeared to be a nearly transparent cube with no openings in it.
“What is it?” Bobby asked.
“I have no idea,” said his father with a smile. Dr. Blinx loved figuring something out but he loved not being able to figure something out even more. He reversed the video recording so that the screen was showing the cube a few minutes before. Bobby and his father watched the cube in the video. They saw the light change slightly as his father re-opened the door but they couldn’t see any movement in the cube. Dr. Blinx backed it up and watched again.
“I guess it was my imagination,” said Bobby.
“Certainly a plausible explanation,” murmured his father, “But not the only one. Bobby, pick it up and tell me how it feels.”
Bobby picked up the cube. “It’s warm and. . .soft somehow,” he exclaimed.
“That’s how I’d describe it as well.” There was a gleam in Dr. Blinx’ eyes. “But according to the best instruments, it emits no heat and it’s completely impenetrable. It’s harder than a diamond.”
“That’s weird.”
“I concur with your assessment of the situation Bobby. In fact, I would say it’s very weird.” Dr. Blinx looked at Bobby holding the cube for a moment as if he were considering something. Finally he shrugged. “Bobby, would you do me a little experimental favor and hang on to this thing for a while?”
“What do you mean?” asked Bobby.
“Keep it near you – in your pocket or something – while we climb the Beanstalk. I want to see how it might react to the contact.”
“Where did it come from?”
“I don’t want to tell you because it might affect the outcome of the experiment,” Dr. Blinx said. “Also, that information is classified,” he added as an afterthought.
“Sure, Dad.” Bobby put the cube in his pocket.
“Don’t tell anyone about it and don’t lose it or else I’ll be in big trouble with the highest authority in the Solar System,” said Dr. Blinx.
“The Solar Union?” asked Bobby.
“I was thinking of your mother,” explained Dr. Blinx, “But the government would be mad as well. Just keep it close and keep an eye on it. If anything changes, let me know.”

Bobby and his dad had dinner in the lounge - chatting and staring out the window as Car Number 17 rose higher and higher into the sky. They got a prime window seat because Dr. Henry Blinx was pretty famous, but no one paid much attention to them. The view entranced all but the most jaded travelers.
Bobby loved talking to his dad. Some of his friends back at the Mohave Base Middle School weren’t getting along with their parents, but Bobby hadn’t seen his Mom and Dad enough to be sick of them. Besides that, Henry Blinx was endlessly curious and never talked down to Bobby, so it was always fun to talk to him. Everything was open for discussion and they talked about Bobby’s old school, the new Amazon Rainforest (which was spread out far below them as they ascended past the 10 mile mark) and the best foods to use if you had to build an edible spaceship.
Their fellow travelers were quite a diverse group. There were people from all over the Solar System and beyond. Bobby noted, however, with a bit of disappointment, that there were no aliens. He was looking forward to seeing real live aliens almost as much as he was looking forward to living full time with his parents.
In outer space!
Bobby couldn’t help but grin at the thought as he looked around at his fellow space travelers. Then he noticed something else.
“Hey, Dad, why do you think there are so many Space Navy folks on the elevator?”
There was a pause as Dr. Blinx looked around the lounge as if seeing it for the first time. He glanced at Bobby and then at the table. He frowned and coughed and looked desperately around the room.
“I don’t know.”
Bobby had to struggle to keep from laughing. His father was the worst liar in the Solar System, maybe the galaxy.
Bobby knew that his Dad was consulted by the Solar Union and the Space Navy about all kinds of sensitive and top secret projects. When Bobby asked something that touched on one of those topics, his father would always cough, fidget and awkwardly change the subject as soon as possible.
Bobby tried not to take it personally.
“Look!” said Dr. Blinx, obviously trying to change the subject, “There’s Major Heberton.” He waved at someone across the Lounge.
 “Hello, Dr. Blinx,” the voice that rumbled behind Bobby was the deepest he’d ever heard from a real human being. He turned and looked up at the biggest person he’d ever seen.
“Wow!” The gasp was involuntary.
“Major, I thought Bobby might like to meet you,” said Dr. Blinx with a smile, “Bobby, this is Major Tenoclock Heberton.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you Bobby,” Heberton’s huge, knobby hand enveloped Bobby’s, “I’ve heard a lot about you from Captain Blinx over the years.”
“The Major was my bodyguard,” Dr. Blinx said, “and now he’s going to be-“
“I’m going to be teaching at the Space Academy,” the big man interrupted. “You can call me ‘Coach.’ I’ve retired from the Space Navy.” Heberton gave Dr. Blinx a significant look. Bobby pretended not to notice.
“It’s nice to meet you, Coach Heberton.”
“And you should start calling me something other than ‘Major,’ Dr. Blinx.”
“If you can call me Henry then I’ll call you Tenoclock.”
Heberton laughed and shook his head. “You called my bluff sir. I can’t call a commanding officer’s husband by his first name. I just haven’t got that muscle.”
Bobby found it hard to believe there was a muscle that Heberton didn’t have. The man had the physique of a superhero bulging out of his black t-shirt. There were muscles in Heberton’s forearm Bobby had never seen before. On top of that he was nearly seven feet tall. Knowing this man had retired from the Space Marines made Bobby feel a tiny bit less safe. He must have left a big hole in the force.
Major Heberton - or Coach Heberton rather – regaled the Blinxes with a few stories that illustrated what an extraordinary pilot Marie Blinx was. There was the time she glided to a landing on Mars after both her engines exploded. Then there was the time she narrowly avoided a deadly blast of solar radiation by darting behind a passing comet. Of course Bobby had heard these stories before, and he’d had a long journey to the Beanstalk, but he was still embarrassed when he had to stifle a yawn halfway through the third story. Soon after he excused himself and went to bed.
Bobby fell asleep wondering why his dad needed a huge ex-marine as a bodyguard. He also wondered what Coach Heberton was really going to be doing at the Space Academy. He got the distinct impression it wasn’t just teaching Phys Ed.