QK Agent Round - Super Space Nerd

Title: The Adventures of Kirby Daring
Entry Nickname: Super Space Nerd
Word Count: 35K
Genre: MG Science Fiction


Query:

Kirby Daring is so not an action hero. He’s an eleven-year old super-genius who would much rather spend his time aboard Space Station Delta reading holo-comics or inventing a new device to help him get his chores done faster. His life would totally be easier if his best friend Jake would stop dreaming up new and exciting ways to get them both killed, such as taking a space cruiser for a joyride during a solar flare. Spoiler alert: explosive decompression is involved.

Even frequent near-death experiences aren’t Kirby’s biggest problem, however. It’s his dad, the famous Dr. Daring. Sure, being the chief scientist on Delta is kind of a big deal, but is his job really more important than his son? Couldn’t the man come home for dinner, like ever?

Nothing, not even Kirby being nearly eaten by a very nasty Snaarl seems to get Dr. Daring’s attention. Kirby starts to think he’d be better off on his own, but when his dad disappears just before a Snaarl warship attacks Delta, Kirby learns how wrong he was. To make matters worse, everyone else on the Station assumes Dr. Daring is a traitor.

Kirby embarks on a quest to find his dad and clear his name, but every clue he uncovers only implicates his father further. When he stumbles upon the Snaarl’s true plan, and a secret weapon that could threaten the entire galaxy, he’ll have to make some very un-Kirby like choices, such as breaking into a restricted Science lab, eating some questionable fruit, and… sneaking aboard a massive Snaarl warship? He’s going to have to hero-up big time for this one.

First 250:

Kirby Daring was full of great ideas. He also had good ideas and sometimes even OK ones. He glanced over at his best friend Jake Merriweather, strapped into the pilot’s seat of an XJ-27 space cruiser, practically vibrating with excitement.

If Jake likes it, it's a horrible idea.

It all started last week when Jake, hotshot member of the Jr. Space Pilots, would not shut up about the new high score he set in the flight simulator. After listening to a few hours of non-stop bragging, Kirby stupidly said, “Who cares? Just because you can fly a simulator doesn’t mean you can fly a real space-ship.”

And so here they were, down in the lowest level of Space Station Delta, in the early morning hours while everyone else was sleeping. Taking an XJ-27 for a joyride, with Kirby suffering from a mild panic attack and Jake looking like a kid on Christmas.     

Worst. Idea. Ever.

Kirby re-checked the safety harness pulled tight over his chubby belly. Still fastened.

Jake had calmed himself enough to focus, and was now busy going over the pre-flight checklist. “Navigation systems?”

Kirby looked at the display in front of him. All lights were green. “Navigation systems, check. Can we talk about this?”