Chapter 1: Neo-Toronto Nights
The city lights of Neo-Toronto stretched far and wide, casting a glow that seemed to blend with the stars above. Flying cars zipped past, their engines humming softly as they left streaks of neon blue and orange in the night sky. From her bedroom window on the 47th floor of the Orion Tower, Zara Mitchell could see it all — a futuristic city buzzing with energy, life, and endless possibilities.
Inside, Zara's room was a complete contrast to the sleek, high-tech world outside. Her walls were covered in blueprints, sketches, and photographs of space missions. A cluttered workbench sat near the window, covered in circuit boards, wires, and half-finished inventions. A telescope — her favorite creation — stood tall, pointing toward the Moon.
Zara wiped a smudge of grease from her cheek as she adjusted the lens. Her frizzy brown hair fell forward, partly hiding her sharp green eyes. "Almost perfect," she muttered to herself. The telescope was designed to capture the smallest details on the Moon's surface, and Zara spent hours every night fine-tuning it.
Tonight, like every night, she dreamed of the stars — the deep azure galaxy filled with unexplored worlds, and the mysteries waiting to be discovered. Unlike other kids her age who were glued to their holoscreens or playing hoverboard races, Zara's heart belonged to space.
"Zara, dinner's ready!" her mom's voice echoed up the hallway.
"I'll be down in a minute!" Zara called back, not taking her eyes off the telescope.
Her parents worked at the Lunaris Base, a sprawling research colony on the Moon where they studied new energy crystals that could power Earth's future. Zara missed them terribly, but she knew they were doing important work.
Just then, her wrist communicator beeped softly. She glanced down — a message from Kian.
"Still tinkering? Meet me at the old hangar later. Got a new gadget to show you."
Zara smiled. Kian was her best friend and fellow inventor. With his spiky black hair and tool belt always slung over one shoulder, he was a wizard with machines. They shared dreams of space adventures and building incredible inventions together.
She quickly typed back, "You bet! Can't wait."
As Zara turned back to the telescope, a sudden flash of green light streaked across the Moon's surface. Her breath caught. That wasn't a meteor.
Her heart pounded as she zoomed the telescope in. On the Moon's dark plains, shapes moved — robotic creatures with eyepatches, lunging in strange, jerky motions. The lunar base's signal flickered and cut out entirely.
A wave of unease washed over Zara. Something was very wrong.
She grabbed her wrist communicator, but the screen remained dark.
"No signal," she whispered.
Outside, Neo-Toronto seemed quieter than usual. Even the flying cars felt distant, as if the city was holding its breath.
Zara's fingers trembled as she stared at the blank screen. Her parents were in danger, and the rescue teams would take hours to arrive.
But Zara wasn't about to wait.