Legend of Otherland:
Adventure in Space
by Chuck Kelly

EXCERPT

THE MIRACULOUS NEW SPACESHIP

Chapter One

Bunker woke up feeling awesome. He had just finished a batch of homework?and now it was time to go have fun! He rolled out of bed and pulled back the dark blue curtains. Fresh air blew gently through the room and he inhaled deeply. Multicolored birds flew swiftly past his open window high above in the ancient castle. Down below rolling hills and winding roads zigzagged their way through the rich green countryside. In the distance he could see the deep blue waters of the mysterious Unknown Sea. And in the far distance, planet earth and its moon hung peacefully in the sky. The beauty of Otherland from Bunker’s window was breathtaking.

Bunker Charles was next in line to rule the small planet of Otherland. But that was the last thing on the handsome thirteen-year-olds’ mind this morning. He brushed his teeth and then looked in the mirror as he combed his wavy brown hair. His sharp features and firm jaw he got from his Dad. His dark eyes he acquired from his attractive mother. He dressed in a form-fitting gray with black trim outfit, pulled on his black boots and went down to the king's chambers for breakfast. He and his twelve-year-old friend Gittel had made plans to ride through the countryside on their sleek cobacycles that morning.

Bunker had been cooped up in the castle for most of his young life and he welcomed the excitement of almost any kind of adventure. Meeting Gittel had been his introduction into the world of intrigue and adventure. He had seen her being kidnapped and through a series of wild adventures; had rescued her from the evil queen and brought her home to the good side of Otherland. They both learned that evil does exist on their peaceful planet.

Recently, they had barely escaped death when Bunker was kidnapped and taken underground to the center of Otherland. Fortunately, Gittel had come looking for him and between the two of them, they managed to escape and return home unharmed. It seemed that whenever Bunker and Gittel got together wild outrageous things started to happen.

In her private life Gittel had the responsibility of working at the Guidance Center to help out her mother, Hannah Carmichael. Her father had disappeared twelve years ago when Gittel was a baby. Hanging with Bunker was a new and exciting activity for her and when the two were together, strange wonderful things started to happen.

“Your favorite breakfast, Bunker,” his mother Ava Charles said dishing out a plate of eggs topped with tomatoes, black olives, peppers, and smothered in melted jack cheese. She placed a thick plate of warm sourdough toast and two jars of grape and strawberry jelly on the table. Ava was a pretty woman in her forties with long dark hair that cascaded down her back to her thin waistline. She preferred the more comfortable mode of dress used on earth rather than the avant-garde form-fitting one-piece articles of clothing both men and women dressed in on Otherland. She liked to wear long colorful dresses. They made her feel more like a woman than the one-piece outfits. This morning she sat down for breakfast with the other members of the royal family, her son Bunker and husband Steven Charles.

“What’s on your agenda today, Bunker?” his father asked, reaching for a slice of the warm bread. The whole kitchen was filled with the aroma of newly baked bread and freshly brewed coffee. Steven Charles, the King of Otherland, was crippled from the waist down from an automobile accident that happened back on planet earth. Steven was a sensitive good looking man in his mid-forties, who wore a one-piece brown outfit with chocolate trim, dark brown belt and matching boots. There was a striking resemblance between Steven and his son, Bunker. He got around on a three-wheeler he had invented. The powerful three-wheeled machine could maneuver and climb the castle stairs with ease, and would also do 60 mph on a straightaway.

“Oh, nothing really,” Bunker said, not wanting to give away too much of his plans for the day. Like most kids his age he felt his parents were overly protective of him and he hesitated to tell them everything. “I’ll probably meet Gittel and we’ll go for a ride on our cobacycles.”

“How would you like to check out my new spaceship before I take it for a test ride? You can ask Gittel to come over if you like,” the king said, spreading a generous amount of grape jelly on the sourdough bread.

“Test ride?” Bunker asked. He knew his dad was working on something…he was always working on something. Being an inventor before he had become the King of Otherland, Bunker witnessed many marvelous creations by his Dad.

The cobacycle was Steven Charles’ favorite invention. He had combined four popular methods of travel into one useful machine: the motorcycle (cobacycle), airplane (cobaplane), submarine (cobasub), and the underground digging machine (cobamole). This versatile device was the most popular form of transportation on Otherland.

“Yeah. I’ve finished the prototype on that new gyro-magno spaceship I’ve been telling you about and I want to take it out for a test run. Should be fun. This’ll be the first voyage for that ship.”

“Oh, yeah. You’ve been down in the dungeon doing a lot of research, I know that,” Bunker said, and then crunched down on a big bite of hot buttered toast.

Steven smiled. “Yeah. I’ve been reading some amazing accounts about other space travelers who have come and gone from this small planet. It’s amazing, the information they left behind.”

“Did they leave their names and phone numbers so you could call and ask them how they did it?” Bunker asked. He and his father often joked with each other. They were close as father and son and enjoyed each others’ company.

Steven laughed. “No, but just about. They left the plans and diagrams of some of their spectacular spaceships and it’s amazing how they designed them. It really is.”

“You got all this from that dusty old book, Legend of Otherland?” Bunker asked, his curiosity growing.

“That information and I used some common sense of my own,” Steven replied. “And you know what?”

Bunker shook his head.

“It’s as simple as doing you’re A-B-C’s.”

“Yeah, maybe to you, because you’re a scientist and inventor. But, how simple would it be for someone who’s not very technical? A nerd like me, for instance?”

“You’re not a nerd, Bunker you’re just a silly goose,” he laughed, “but even you could understand the theory.” Steven Charles got a curious look on his face and popped a fork full of eggs into his mouth. “I’m serious. It’s that simple.”

“You built a new spaceship from those old plans? And I could understand it?” Bunker asked. He trusted his dad but knew that he was a mechanical genius. What might have been easy for him may not have been so simple for Bunker.

“Yes, if you followed their layout. I drew everything on my computer. Of course I customized it a little,” Steven answered with an intense look on his handsome face. “It really wouldn’t take you long to understand the theory of what makes a gyro-magno spaceship work.”

The resemblance between Steven and Bunker was remarkable except in size. They both had the same fine features. Their hairline was the same, except Steven’s was slightly graying and Bunker’s was still dark brown. The one-piece, form-fitting suits they wore accentuated their trim appearances. These suits were serviceable and comfortable and they came in many colors. The matching boots were made of a strong plastic material that would never wear out.

Steven Charles washed down his breakfast with hot coffee and then asked, “When do you want to come see it? I’ll take you now, if you like.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Dad,” Bunker said, trying to be nice. “Gittel and I had plans to go for a cobacycle ride.”

“I can’t believe you don’t want to go at least take a look at my new spaceship. Why, most kids your age would die for a chance…”

“Most kids don’t have a dad that invents things all the time either,” Bunker protested. “I want to go for a cobacycle ride. I just finished a bunch of schoolwork…and I wanta be free. Gittel and I made plans…”

“All right,” Steven Charles said, a little annoyed. “You want to be free to do what you want to do. But you don’t have time to look at someone else’s project…that they’re very proud of.”

Bunker saw the disappointment in his father’s eyes and replied, “I didn’t know it was that important to you, Dad. Of course I’ll go take a look. I’ll tell Gittel and maybe she’ll come have a look too. She loves that sort of thing.” Bunker took another bite, and said with a mouthful. “No problem. I’ll call her and tell her our plans have changed. We’ll take our ride later.”

“Good,” Steven Charles replied with a smile. “First, I want to take you down to the dungeon and show you those plans. They are incredible!”

Ava looked at her husband and asked, “You will be back for dinner this evening?” A busy woman, she kept herself occupied doing artistic projects around the castle, seldom interfering with her husband’s work. She preferred to do her own cooking rather than to hire it done because she liked to cook. She had recipes she used from several cookbooks and always presented a good-tasting nutritional meal for her family. Cooking was another creative outlet for the attractive wife of the king.

“Of course, dear,” Steven answered, then a wink to Bunker. I’m just gonna fly around the castle a couple of times.”

“Well, be careful,” Ava offered with a pleasant smile and went on about her own business.

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