Chapter 1

Nash Steele sat in the apartment he shared with his dad on Misty Space Station. He was on a video call with his friend, Cole, who was in his bedroom on Earth.

Misty Space Station was the first – and only – privately owned, eco-friendly space station in the galaxy. The space station’s owner, Cooper Borgstein, and the crew who ran it were proud of the fact that they took Earth’s waste, recycled it, and redesigned it into reusable materials.

‘So, when are you coming home?’ Cole asked.

‘Not sure,’ Nash replied. ‘I love living on Misty. There’s so much to do up here. Just last week we went moon walking.’

‘Isn’t that the fifth time you’ve done it?’ Cole asked.

Nash could see his friend was sad. It was obvious Cole missed him. He missed Cole too but living on Misty – and getting to know his dad better after so many years apart – was too much fun to go home yet.

When Nash’s parents divorced and his dad, Orson, came to live and work on Misty full-time, Nash had been angry, thinking his dad had wanted to move away from him. But now, having lived on Misty for almost a year himself, Nash realised how exciting and interesting space was.

‘I have been a few times,’ Nash admitted, ‘but every time is different. We’re often testing new equipment and technologies, so there’s always something interesting going on. I guess I feel important and needed up here.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s hard to explain. I wish you could experience it for yourself.’

Cole looked away from the camera. ‘That’s never going to happen. Mum and Dad won’t let me. They say they can’t afford it and even if they could, they think it’s dangerous.’ He let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair, bouncing a handball on the floor as he did so. ‘It’s not the same without you. I understand it must be cool living on Misty, but don’t forget us little people on Earth, you know?’

Nash laughed. ‘I’d never do that!’

‘You know you’re a celebrity here,’ Cole said. ‘The kids at school follow all your adventures. They keep asking me to get your autograph.’

‘Really?’ Nash couldn’t believe it. He didn’t feel special enough or famous enough for anyone to ask for his autograph. ‘You’ve never said anything.’

‘I … didn’t want to bother you,’ Cole said. He bounced his handball a few more times before continuing, ‘I know you’re busy and have other things to worry about, but some kids don’t believe me when I tell them we’re friends. It makes me feel like an imposter.’ Cole gazed up at Nash across the many miles separating them. He smiled. ‘But I know the truth, so it’s all good.’

Nash couldn’t help feeling bad. He had neglected his friendship with Cole, but Earth seemed so far away and it was always busy on Misty. New passengers arriving, diplomats, celebrities, moon walks, billionaires and their super cool inventions, space races. Not to mention the fun he had with Raj and KC, the other kids on Misty.

It was hard keeping up with everything. And everyone.

Nash didn’t want to lose Cole’s friendship, though. They had been through so much and had played so many games of Thunderforce, their favourite VR game, together. They were more than friends. They were best mates.

‘I’m sorry,’ Nash said.

The bell sounded at Nash’s front door. Without thinking, he pressed the ‘OPEN’ button and in walked Raj and KC with Rex, Raj’s robot ferrog – a high-tech, metal version of a half-dog, half-ferret – yapping at his heels.

‘Honestly,’ Nash continued, ‘you’ll always be my best friend. No one can replace you or come close to that.’ Nash was so busy talking to Cole he didn’t see the look of shock and hurt on Raj’s face. At the other end of the video call, Cole gave a small smile. ‘I’ll do my best to keep in touch more,’ Nash promised. ‘And I’ll come and see you soon. In person.’

Cole’s face lit up. ‘That would be awesome. We’ve got some Thunderforce games to play!’

The boys hung up. Raj watched Nash with a strange look on his face while KC grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and threw herself on the couch. As usual, she was wearing an animal suit and was dressed as a hyena, complete with tufty hair on her hood. KC loved wearing animal outfits. Nash guessed it had something to do with the fact she loved animals … and her quirky personality.

‘What’s up?’ Nash asked, his mind still on Cole. He was worried about their friendship and didn’t know how to fix it.

Raj sat down silently, watching Rex buzz around his feet.

KC nudged him. ‘You okay?’

Raj sniffed. ‘Never better.’

‘So, why are you here?’ Nash asked. ‘What’s going on?’

Raj tilted his head and frowned. ‘It’s time for our weekly health checks. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?’

All crew, including the Space Kids, were required to pass weekly checks to ensure they were physically fit. Living in space took a toll on a person’s body, so it was important the crew stayed strong and healthy.

‘No, I haven’t forgotten,’ Nash said as he ran his hand through his hair. ‘I’ve got a lot on my mind, that’s all. Shall we go?’

Raj pulled a face. ‘You’re calling the shots, so why not?’ he said, storming out the door.

What’s wrong with him? Nash wondered as he grabbed his jacket and followed the others to the lifts.