The epic sequel to "The Astronites"! A year after defeating the manic Zsar Endgon in his latest march on the UEF, Natalie Hope and the Astronites are called back to the Astronic universe for a second mission. A mysterious message is emanating out of...
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Natalie Hope had not thought about field trips in a long time, but that changed on a chilly fifth day of September when she stepped out of the house for her daily run. The sun was hidden behind a thick, misty curtain of gray clouds. The grass on Aunt Missy's front lawn was bedazzled with dew that evaporated in the morning heat and opened Natalie's nose. She moved aside her braided golden hair to insert her earbuds and find a decent playlist to listen to. After stretching her arms, legs, and back, she descended from the patio and commenced her journey into the morning.
Once the music played, the outside world became a silent film. Five minutes was all it took for Natalie's legs to develop a mind of their own and cycle forward like a well-tuned engine. They brought her to Silverstone Park, where she ventured down a worn-out path that snaked along a creek. She jumped over a fallen tree, kicked up muddy sand, and came to a stop on top of baby pebbles nursed by the creek's bank. She paused her music, caught her breath, and looked around. The only sounds to be heard were rushing water and chirping finches.
Natalie picked up a fine, marble-smooth rock and massaged it beneath her fingers. She skipped it across the creek and counted four splashes of water. She tried again three more times. They resulted in three splashes, four splashes, and then one giant kerplunk!
Huh, she thought. How did Barbara skip her rock six times in a row all those years ago?
Natalie plopped herself down on a large boulder and clapped mud off her fingertips. She thought back to the fourth grade when her friend, Barbara Miller, miraculously skipped a rock six times across the broad Delaware River. It was during a field trip to the Riverfront Aquarium. Barbara wore a pink coat that day and kept practicing her ballet routines in front of Natalie.
"See! I told you it was easy," said young Barbara, hands on hips, to little Natalie.
"I just don't understand how it's possible!" Natalie exclaimed. "You have to be cheating!"
Barbara flipped her hair back. "Don't sweat it. Not everyone can be a water princess."
"Jake! . . . Adam! . . . Look at this!" Natalie shouted to the boys, who were preoccupied seeing who could throw the farthest rock. "Can either of you skip a rock six times?" she asked them.
Jake puffed out his chest. "Of course, I can."
He picked up the nearest rock and pitched it out over the water. His rock only lasted five skips before sinking into the waves.
Barbara's smile grew wider. "See? It's not for everyone — not even the mighty Jake Washington."
Jake shook his head in disbelief. "Wait a minute! Let me try again!"
But second, third, and even fourth attempts were no better than the first.
"I don't get it!" He stomped. "It's impossible!"
Barbara inspected her pink fingernails. "Not everyone can be the best," she sighed.
Adam patted Jake's back with a bionic hand. "Stick to the long throws," he advised him. "Like I said, you've got a quarterback's arm. Your finger placement is very precise."
