Chapter 1. Hooray! Summer Break!
Dedication
To my beloved son Artyom-Thomas
who dreamed of this story long before the stars aligned,
and who lives forever in every light that shines on this journey.
And to all children of the Earth —
may you never know tyranny.
May you grow up in peace,
as free people under open skies.
Prologue
By the beginning of the twenty-second century, Earth had no secret bases, no armies, no bombs, and no guns. Oceans sparkled without the shadow of warships, skies carried only peaceful travelers, and borders were nothing but lines on old maps.
The very idea of killing each other—for land, for cities, or to impose one way of life over another—was unthinkable. The most important rule was simple:
A person had the right to live the way they wanted. To be friends with whomever they chose. To go wherever they pleased. To be free.
But there was one condition: your freedom must never harm another. And that, as it turned out, was the hardest lesson of all.
Once humanity learned it, happiness spread a thousandfold. Of course, not everyone was happy—no era could promise that. There was still heartbreak, unrequited love, arguments, and the occasional envy or bitterness. Not everyone could be kind.
Yet in a society that followed the rules of goodness, your anger, foolishness, or jealousy remained your problem—not society’s. People became more tolerant. And one emotion was absolutely mandatory for everyone: a sense of humor.
“Smile,” doctors would say a hundred years from now. “Smile, and you’ll feel better.” And it worked—better than any medicine ever could.
For a time, it seemed nothing could shatter this peace. But the stars have a way of keeping their own secrets… Аnd one day, those secrets began to move toward Earth.
Chapter 1. Hooray! Summer Break!
The wind rushed past Anastasia’s face as she raced her bicycle through the streets of Sankt Augustin, the sun flashing between the green leaves overhead. Her cheeks glowed with joy; even the warm air seemed to sing along with her.
The backpack on her shoulders felt light as air, and the way home from school had never seemed so short.
Why?
Because summer holidays had just begun in every school in North Rhine–Westphalia!
Anastasia skidded to a stop in front of her house, propped up her bike, and burst into the living room—nearly colliding with her mother, who was just coming to meet her.
She let her backpack drop to the floor, collapsed onto the couch… and froze, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.
Her mother watched her carefully.
“Sweetheart, did something happen?” she asked in a cautious, quiet voice.
“Something did…” Anastasia replied just as softly, still smiling.
Then her eyes lit up. “Well of course something happened, Mommy! Summer break has started!”
She leapt to her feet and began bouncing around the room, singing a little song she’d just made up:
“Vacation time, vacation time, summer vacation time!
Happy summer holidays! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!”
“They’ve started—thank God,” her mother said, still puzzled. “But I don’t quite understand why you’re this wildly excited about it.”
“Mom, seriously—did you forget?” Anastasia’s voice now carried a hint of disbelief.
“Thomas and his family invited us—and Anton’s family—to Riga! To the exhibition of future spaceships! It’s already started, and that’s why we’re flying to Riga tomorrow…
To Riga, Mommy. To Riiiga!”
And though neither of them knew it yet, that trip would be the first step into a world far beyond anything Anastasia had ever dreamed.
To be continued… Stay tuned to discover what adventures await Anastasia and her friends!
Next chapter will be released on August 14, 2025.
