the scientist

August 2041 - Adrien Cooke is 12 (Julien and Melissa Cooke are 54).

Even during the summer, Adrien spends most of his days studying. He's a serious, motivated kid, and he knows if he wants to college, he needs to get a scholarship.

Adrien is a pretty solitary kid. He has a brother, but since Anthony went to college when he was only five, Adrien is effectively an only child. He's good at entertaining himself.

He also plays with the family's old cat Remy.

The Cooke family restaurant is doing great. People come from all over to eat Julien's gourmet cooking.

Adrien helps his parents by working as a waiter.

Waiting tables isn't very fun, but he makes good money in tips.

For his birthday, his parents bought him a large telescope, which he set up in his brother's old room. He's been spending a lot of time looking up star charts and learning about astronomy.

He doesn't really have any friends his age; he spends most of his time with his science books. But one afternoon he meets Libby Stanton in the lobby while she's visiting her mother, and they bond over a mutual love of astronomy.

The view from his brother's room isn't optimal, but it's still pretty good. He loves learning the constellations.

Mars is particularly bright this summer, and he makes some sketches of it in his observing notebook.

Everything is going great until one night when he's enveloped in a strange blue glow.

The neighborhood is quiet when the spaceship returns; no neighbors are awake to see it.

Adrien is pretty shaken up. But the next day he finds a generous college scholarship for students who have been abducted. It's nice to know he isn't alone, and he's also glad to be able to help his parents pay for college.