"Blast off now!" she ordered him.
He didn't even need to look back at the controls. He slammed one fist against the big red button.
CHARTER 3
The spaceship shot up like a firecracker. Nicola peered down and saw her crazy great-aunt Annie scoop Jessie int
o her arms and point a warning finger into the sky that Nicola was pretty sure meant: "I'm going straight inside to wake your parents." Poor Mom and Dad, snoozing happily away on their comfy bed.
Then Grammy's house, street, and suburb melted away into a patchwork quilt of glimmering lights. Seconds later they could see the massive curve of Earth's surface.
"I've never felt so unprepared for a mission." Nicola gestured at her pretty dress and held up empty palms.
"It's not like you were fantastically prepared for the other missions," said Greta.
"Luckily, your genius of a big brother is prepared." Sean grinned smugly and held up a backpack. "Guess what's in here?"
"Your dirty old sneakers?" guessed Nicola.
Sean opened the bag and pulled out a long, gold-wrapped chocolate bar that was instantly familiar.
"ShobbleChoc,"breathed Katie.
Their last mission had been to the planet of Shobble, home of the most exquisitely delicious chocolate in the galaxy. Sean handed around bars and everyone took huge bites.
"I've also got the Micro Mirth Missiles," said Sean. "We just throw them at our enemies and they'll go weak with laughter."
The people of Shobble had been so grateful for the Space Brigade's help overthrowing an evil commander in chief, they had presented them with a treasure chest full of chocolate and weapons.
"Why did you have the backpack with you at Grammy's party?" asked Nicola. (She wished she'd been the one with the chocolate and weapons. It would have made her look so capable.)
"I've been taking it everywhere I go," said Sean. "Just in case."
"At least we've all got our buttons," said Katie. She pulled at a large, shiny, gold button hanging around her neck.
The people of Shobble had also given each of them a "limited edition gold button" telling them it had "unusual functions they might appreciate one day." Katie had threaded each button onto a thin chain and they had all agreed to wear the buttons around their necks at all times. The buttons had become like Space Brigade membership badges.
"Pity we don't have any idea what they do," said Greta. "If anything."
"We'll find out one day," said Nicola.
"I've been thinking about Georgio and Mully," said Katie thoughtfully.
Georgio and Mully were Shimlara's parents. Everyone in the Space Brigade was fond of them. Georgio was a zany university professor with a huge mustache, who was full of enthusiasm for anything and everything. Mully was lovely and full of surprises (for example, she was an ex-officer of the Globagaskar army). They appeared pretty much like normal parents except for the fact they were close to twelve feet tall. This was because people on Globagaskar were about twice as tall as Earthlings. Even Shimlara's little brother, Squid, who was just three years old, was the same height as Nicola's dad.
"Remember when we picked up Shimlara before our last mission?" said Katie. "Georgio took a phone call and came back looking all serious. I wonder if that call has something to do with why they've gone missing."
"That's a good point. I'd forgotten about that," said Nicola.
Now Katie was showing her up. Nicola was suddenly filled with insecurity. Maybe she should ask the others if someone else would like to be leader this time? She was about to speak, when Tyler said, "Prepare for landing, folks. That's Globagaskar just to your right."
Goodness. He sounded like he'd been piloting spaceships all his life. Everyone else was becoming more confident with each mission, whereas Nicola appeared to be losing confidence.
As the spaceship raced through Globagaskar's glittering outer atmosphere, Nicola caught her first glimpse of the planet's two suns radiating beams of cherry-colored light across majestic snowcapped mountain ranges. She remembered her first trip into space, after Georgio had picked her as the Earthling Ambassador.
Now Georgio was in trouble and he needed her help. Nicola took a deep, bracing breath. This was no time for insecurity. This was a time for action.
After Tyler deftly landed the spaceship in the Gorgioskio backyard, they all went inside to look for Shimlara.