Jonny Plumb and The Silver Spaceship: The Adventures of Jonny Plumb

By Kim Wheeler

The Adventures of Jonny Plumb Series

About Book 2

Climb aboard with Jonny and his friends as they travel across the universe in the Silver Flying Arrow Space Ship, which can travel at twice - yes, twice - the speed of light! Read in a

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mouse Gate
• Release date: Mar 23, 2016
• ISBN: 9781590954676

Kim Wheeler

Kim Wheeler was born in Romsey, Hampshire and is married to a retired Chief Diver RN. After living in San Diego for some years, she now lives between the UK and USA dividing time with family. Passions include classic literature, contemporary art, cycling, good coffee and Tottenham Hotspur FC ‘COYS’.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

JONNY GOES HOME

Jonny sat back and relaxed into the world’s most comfortable almost invisible chair. Legion and Legend, his ever faithful dogs, were at his side. Jonny watched with a tear in his eye as his little blue world slowly disappeared from view. He closed his eyes and pondered what was going to happen next when PAL, the spaceship computer, spoke.

‘Jonny, we are currently travelling at the speed of light, which as you know is?’

‘One hundred and eighty six thousand miles per second,’ Jonny replied, but had absolutely no idea how he knew.

‘Well, ok, then Clever Trevor,’ PAL said sarcastically. ‘So how long will it take to cover twenty eight thousand light years then?’

Jonny hesitated as his brain began the calculations.

‘Well, it takes one second to travel one hundred and eighty thousand miles. I then times that by sixty, which is er, er, ten million eight hundred thousand miles in one minute. So then I times that again by sixty and that equals six thousand, four hundred and eighty million miles in one hour. I then times that by twenty four and er, er, er…it’s very fast.’

‘Nice try Jonny, but sadly not the correct answer,’ PAL replied smugly.

‘Well then Mr. Smarty Pants, what is the answer?’ Jonny asked.

‘Not telling you, ner, ner, ner, ner, na,’ PAL replied childishly, ‘but to be honest Jonny it doesn’t really matter because…’ PAL paused for a second, and then continued…’Because we are already there.’

‘What?’ What?’ How can that be? We’ve only been gone a few moments,’ Jonny replied in stunned amazement.

Jonny jumped up from the world’s most comfortable almost invisible chair as the floor of the Silver Flying Arrow Space Ship became trans-parent. He stood open mouthed as he stared out at the most amazingly

beautiful, outrageously stunning, jaw dropping, pants wetting, hair raising, knee knocking, botty parping, nose running, head banging, eyes spinning sight he had ever seen.

‘This, Jonny, is the Sombrero Galaxy,’ PAL stated, as if he was introducing Jonny to royalty. Jonny stood transfixed, gasped and then stuttered.

‘Oh my God, it’s beautiful!’ His little legs shook as he tried to take in the entirety of the view. Legion and Legend stood next to Jonny as he gently placed his small hands on their vast muscular backs to steady himself. A tear fell out of his eye and hung silently in space as he said, ‘I feel like I know this place, but I don’t understand how I could possibly know it PAL.’

‘It will all become clear in time my son,’ a deep booming voice spoke from nowhere. Jonny gripped the black-as-midnight fur on Legion and Legend’s back.

‘Father, Father is that you?’ Jonny asked, as his wobbly knees knocked together.

‘Yes my son, this is your Father Spirit speaking. Your Mother Cheroo is here with me and wants to say something.’

‘Hello my darling son, welcome home.’ Her voice was so soft, even softer and gentler than that of Nanny Carole’s. Suddenly, a thousand images and memories rushed through Jonny’s head.

Jonny marvelled open-jawed at the sight of the silvery white disc full of billions and billions of giant suns, stars, moons, planets, auroras, and nebulas.

PAL started to explain all about the Sombrero Galaxy. ‘It is a spiral galaxy, fifty thousand light years from one side to the other, with a mass equivalent to eight hundred billion suns. The Sombrero Galaxy gets its name from its unusually brilliant light or bulbous core. This core contains over two thousand globular clusters, ten times as many as orbit Earth’s galaxy, and at its heart the Sombrero Galaxy harbours a massive Black Hole.’

Jonny started to giggle and then spurted out, ‘I know something else that has a massive black hole - Sloppy Botty.’

PAL ignored Jonny’s childish humour and continued explaining all about the Sombrero Galaxy, with its mass of a billion suns and the fact that, unbeknown to humans, it has nine moons.

Jonny, wasn’t listening as he was too busy curled up laughing on the pure white floor of the Silver Flying Arrow Space Ship.

Legion and Legend looked at each other and both tut-tutted while raising their eyebrows and went back to sleep.

PAL tried desperately to get Jonny to have his very first – actually, the only ever intergalactic space lesson.

Jonny finally stopped giggling while wiping the tears from his face and sitting back in the world’s most comfortable almost invisible chair. He leaned back and said, ‘Sorry about that PAL, but it’s probably best not to mention that again’

‘Ok, where were we?’ PAL asked the still smirking Jonny, ‘Ahh yes, right, I remember,’ PAL continued.

‘Unbeknown to humans, the Sombrero Galaxy has nine orbiting planets, which I may add, Jonny, you will have to visit. They are called, Bodha, which is the Planet of knowledge. Boddhi, the Planet of enlightenment. Suddha, the pure Planet. Jala, made entirely of the finest and purest water in the known universe. Turya, the Planet of deep sleep. Krodha, the Planet of anger and rage. Yajna, the Planet of sacrifice. You won’t like that one Jonny - Mithya, the Planet of falseness. Then finally, the last one you will visit before you go to Pashoo, is Tattvam, the Planet of reality. Do you understand Jonny?’

‘Yes,’ Jonny replied quietly. ‘I have to go to each planet to learn its secrets, and when I have achieved that, I can then go back to my home planet of Pashoo.’

‘Yes, that is correct, but not forgetting after Pashoo, you return to Earth.’

‘How long will all that take PAL?’ Jonny asked with slight fear and trepidation in his voice.

‘Oh about one hundred years,’ PAL replied calmly.

‘WHAT! I’ll be an old man before I return to Earth!’ Jonny shouted.

‘No Jonny, there will be no change, except that you will be one with the universe,’ PAL replied reassuringly.

‘But one hundred years, that will take, well, one hundred years,’ Jonny replied.

‘Well actually, it does not,’ PAL replied and added, ‘It would take humans hundreds of years to travel the distance we have just travelled, but as you know, we got here in seconds. Remember this Jonny, outside Earth there is no time. It does not exist, plus the Silver Flying Arrow Space Ship can fold time and space. Do you still have that bit of paper that Sir Ranulf gave you?’

Jonny went through his pockets and pulled out the neatly folded piece of paper.

‘Now Jonny open it up and draw a dot at the top of the paper and then a dot at the bottom. Now what is the quickest way to get from one dot to the other?’

Jonny thought for a minute then said, ‘I know - by travelling at the speed of light?’

‘Not even warm Jonny. Why don’t you fold the paper in two so both dots meet?’

Jonny carefully folded the paper in two and, as if by magic, both dots lined up.

‘Well, Jonny, that’s called bending space and time and that, is just one of the amazing things that this Space Ship can do.’

‘Ok then, so when we get to here,’ Jonny said while pointing at the second dot, ‘Does the page, err I mean, space and time, go flat again?’

‘Well done, Jonny that is correct.’ PAL replied.

Jonny paused for a second and then said, ‘I was told that I was being brought back here because Pashoo was under attack. Is this true?’

PAL was silent for a few seconds and then replied, ‘Well that is true, but the simple fact that you are here means that the attack has been null-ified - nullified until you have learned the nine worlds of wisdom, and…’ PAL paused and then continued… ‘Until you have found and saved Cosmos, and if you succeed, then and only then, will Pashoo be safe again. So it’s best that you start your very first test, and that starts now.’

* * * * * * *

In a flash of blinding light, Jonny found he was back in a very strange place, in a very strange place indeed. He was back in his bedroom with Nanny Noo, who was saying, ‘Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. Now come along, we don’t want to be late on your very first day.’

Jonny rubbed his eyes and shook his head, ‘Was that a dream?’ He asked himself.

‘Sorry, what was that? Was what a dream?’ Nanny Noo asked.

‘Going off in the Silver Flying Arrow Space Ship to the Sombrero Galaxy, with Legion and Legend?’ Jonny replied.

‘Oh that,’ Nanny Noo replied almost dismissively. ‘Well, yes that is true.’

‘Yes, but how come I’m back here before I even left?’ Jonny implored. Nanny Noo didn’t hear Jonny’s question as she had gone, walking down the stairs humming as she went. Jonny called out almost in tears of frustration.

‘Nanny, what the heck happened, what’s going on?’ Jonny implored.

There was no reply.

* * * * * * *

Jonny got dressed and rushed downstairs and into the warmth of the kitchen with the lovely smell of bacon and eggs cooking.

‘Well, Nanny Noo?’ Jonny asked again.

‘Well, what young Jonny?’

‘Well, what about travelling twenty eight thousand light years through deep space and coming home before I’ve even left?’ Jonny replied.

Jonny was getting really frustrated until he heard a voice he instantly recognized. It was the voice of Cheroo, his mother.

‘Jonny,’ she said in her beautiful voice, ‘you’ve been on an adventure of a thousand lifetimes. In time, you’ll remember it all, but for now try to remember what you’ve forgotten. Then try not to forget what it is you cannot remember.’

Jonny smiled to himself and tried to understand the enormity of what had just happened. He stood up and put on his new school blazer, threw the satchel across his back and walked out of the kitchen.

Standing in the hall as before was Sir Ranulf, Lady Kathleen, Nanny Carole, Charlie, Legion, Legend and Rabbcat.

Quick as a flash, Jonny put his hand out, took the piece of paper from Sir Ranulf’s hand, and said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be careful with the young fillies.’

Sir Ranulf scratched his head and whispered under his breath, ‘How on Earth did he know I was going to give him that piece of paper and make a daft comment about young girls?’

Jonny hugged Lady Kathleen and planted a big kiss on her pristine cheek and then did the same with Nanny Carole. Remembering what had happened that hadn’t in fact happened, Jonny quickly ducked before Charlie, the family gardener who loved Jonny like a son, could knock his cap off. Sadly, Jonny hadn’t noticed that his shoe laces were undone and tripped over, falling out the front door.

Jonny stood up looking very embarrassed as he wiped the dirt from his new trousers. He jumped into the waiting Jungle Queen, the family automobile, then waved goodbye as the old exhaust went chug-bang-parp, chug-bang- parp down the drive.

* * * * * * *

In a short time, Nanny Noo pulled up outside the school gates. She started to say ‘Go and find…’ but before she could utter another word, Jonny interrupted her.

‘And find the nearest teacher. Yes I know, Nanny Noo, I know.’

* * * * * * *

Jonny leapt out of the Jungle Queen, ran straight past the teacher up the slight hill into his school and into his allotted class. He slid into his seat and waited for all the other kids to arrive. He carefully removed the piece of paper that Sir Ranulf had given him and placed it in his inside pocket. Slowly but surely, a small trickle of new kids walked into the classroom and sat down. Then the class bully, Fat Wallet, walked in and sat down right next to Jonny.

‘Hello,’ Jonny said, smiling.

‘Who are you talking to, you scrawny little toad?’ Fat Wallet hissed.

Jonny leaned over and pressed his index finger into Fat Wallet’s temple.

‘Oh hello, my name is Mary and I like to wear girlies’ clothes,’ Fat Wallet shouted.

The teacher came in and introduced himself to the class, but this time Jonny didn’t respond to his silly name.

‘Ok class, this is all very new to you so let’s get all your names down on the register.’

Fat Wallet stood up, stuck his hand up in the air, and said in a loud, clear voice, ‘Sir, Sir, my name is