The Adventures of Ren: A New Life in Cyber City

By Roger Spachman

The Adventures of Ren: A New Life in Cyber City takes you on a journey from the forests of the Highland to the tall buildings of Cyber City with an 11 year old girl discovering herself while traveling with her alien friend between two different cultures radically changed by global warming. Her story begins 200 years in the future where she just lost her parents to a hovercraft accident. She must move from the secluded forests of the Highlands to the tall buildings of Cyber City to live with her aunt, uncle, and two cousins in an urban environment completely different than that which she had experienced in her past. During her adventures with her family and friends, she bridges the differences between the two places gaining insight to discover “what’s right” with herself and the world she encounters.

Even though Ren’s story takes place in the future, her adventure touches upon timely topics that preteens her age encounter today such as bullying, prejudices, adapting to different environments such as a new school, loss of a parent, peer pressure, making new friends, changes in the home life and running away. During her adventures, she also learns about alien cultures, virtual school, robots, and flying through the amazing amusement park - Androtium. Her story takes the middle grade reader on a journey of self discovery and as she grows through each situation she encounters, every person reading this book will too.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roger Spachman
• Release date: Feb 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9780988834125

Roger Spachman

Roger Spachman lives in Rhode Island with his wife Robin. He is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island. For the past 15 years he has worked with children with disabilities. Besides writing, he loves his family and his dog Lucky.

Book preview

THE ADVENTURES OF REN

A New Life in Cyber City

By

Roger Spachman

Cover design and illustrations

By

Robin Jackim

The Adventures of Ren: A New Life in Cyber City.

By Roger Spachman

Copyright © 2012 Roger Spachman

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Zenday

P.O. Box 3415

Peace Dale, RI 02883

ISBN 978-0-9888341-2-5

March 2013

Dedicated to Robin Jackim:

Without her there would be no story.

Special acknowledgement to:

Janet Acheatel, Olivia Beegle, Glenn DiPaola, Lisa Herbert, Linda Jackim Werlein and my friends, family and co-workers for helping me with editing and giving me advice.

An extra thanks to:

Christine Nichols R.N. for inspiring me to write when I was in the South County Hospital Intensive Care Unit in June 2011.

Table of contents

One - Leaving the Highland

Two - Cyber City

Three - Breakfast

Four - Androtium

Five - Virtual School

Six - Everything Changes with Reeb

Seven - Mail

Eight - Back to School

Nine - An Accident

Ten - The Council

Eleven - Home

About the Author

Leaving the Highland

As Captain Christopher’s green transporter lifted out of the dense forest, a young girl with blond pigtails stared through the window from the main deck. She saw an elderly man waving to the transporter from the clearing below. The eleven year-old girl raised her right hand against the glass to wave goodbye. In the next instant, the forest was gone and the ship propelled into outer space.

Seated in his control room chair, the young captain glanced at his passenger sitting next to him. She had not spoken since lift-off. Thirty minutes to the city, he said. Do you want to take the controls?

She slapped her hand on the arm of the chair and yelled out, I don’t want to go!

Captain Christopher saw that she was crying and he looked right into her blue-green eyes and said calmly, Ren, I’m not sure what you mean, but that’s not what I am asking.

He handed her a tissue. Do you want to pilot the ship? he asked again.

Ren wiped the tears from her face and said, I never learned how, and I don’t want to.

Why not? he asked. Most people have completed all their piloting courses and are certified flyers by the age of ten.

Ren jumped out of her seat and ran into the lounge area. She buried her head in a pillow on the couch. Captain Christopher turned the ship on autopilot and walked back to the lounge area. What’s wrong, Ren?

She lifted her head and slowly sat up. My parents died last month in a hovercraft accident. That’s why I have to live in the city with my aunt and uncle.

I’m sorry, said the captain.

Did you know them? she asked.

I’ll tell you in a minute, he replied.

The captain turned toward his control panel and said, Autopilot report.

Ren heard an announcement come out of the console. Twenty-five minutes before descent, Captain. All systems are perfect. Do you wish to hear a detailed report?

That’s fine for now, he said. Report back to me two minutes before descent.

Yes, Captain, replied the autopilot.

Once the captain heard that everything was in order, he sat down in a chair across from Ren. I met your father two months ago on a research mission exploring deep caves in the Arctic Circle, he said. I just got home from those caves yesterday, and my father asked me to take you to the city.

Thanks, said Ren. Why didn’t he take me himself?

I often go to the city for supplies for our colony, said the captain. My dad doesn’t like to go because he can’t stand the robotic humanoids.

Ren wrinkled her forehead and gazed out the window at all the water below. As she turned her head to look back at the captain, she noticed the sunlight reflecting brightly off the brass buttons on his dark blue uniform.

You mean androts, said Ren. What’s wrong with them?

That’s a long story, said the captain as he walked over to the refreshment area. The people of the Highland think differently about them than the people of Cyber City.

He turned to Ren and asked, Soda or juice?

Orange juice please, said Ren.

The captain turned back toward the refreshment area and spoke into a speaker that was built into a console on the wall. Two glasses of orange juice.

A bright light flashed down from the center of refreshment area and suddenly two tall glasses of orange juice appeared on the counter. Captain Christopher picked up the two glasses of juice and walked over to Ren.

In a few minutes we’re going to land, said the captain. "Before we land, I’ll try my best to