jonny plumb and the silver space ship is a very popular book.
Jonny plumb and the silver space ship book start from jonny. Jonny sat back and relaxed into the world’s most comfortable almost invisible chair. Legion and Legend, his ever faithful dogs, were at his side. Jonny watched with a tear in his eye as his little blue world slowly disappeared from view. He closed his eyes and pondered what was going to happen next when PAL, the spaceship computer, spoke.
‘Jonny, we are currently traveling at the speed of light, which as you know is?’
‘One hundred and eighty six thousand miles per second,’ Jonny replied but had absolutely no idea how he knew.
‘Well, ok, then Clever Trevor,’ PAL said sarcastically. ‘So how long will it take to cover twenty eight thousand light years then?’
Jonny hesitated as his brain began the calculations.
‘Well, it takes one second to travel one hundred and eighty thousand miles. I then time that by sixty, which is er, er, ten million eight hundred thousand miles in one minute. So then I times that again by sixty and that equals six thousand, four hundred and eighty million miles in one hour. I then time that by twenty four and er, er, er…it’s very fast.’
‘Nice try Jonny, but sadly not the correct answer,’ PAL replied smugly.
‘Well then Mr. Smarty Pants, what is the answer?’ Jonny asked.
‘Not telling you, ner, ner, ner, ner, na,’ PAL replied childishly, ‘but to be honest Jonny it doesn’t really matter because…’ PAL paused for a second, and then continued…‘Because we are already there.’
‘What?’ What?’ How can that be? We’ve only been gone a few moments,’ Jonny replied in stunned amazement.
Jonny jumped up from the world’s most comfortable almost invisible chair as the floor of the Silver Flying Arrow Space Ship became trans-parent. He stood open mouthed as he stared out at the most amazingly beautiful, outrageously stunning, jaw dropping, pants wetting, hair raising, knee knocking, botty parping, nose running, head banging, eyes spinning sight he had ever seen.
‘This, Jonny, is the Sombrero Galaxy,’ PAL stated as if he was introducing Jonny to royalty. Jonny stood transfixed, gasped and then stuttered.
‘Oh my God, it’s beautiful!’ His little legs shook as he tried to take in the entirety of the view. Legion and Legend stood next to Jonny as he gently placed his small hands on their vast muscular backs to steady himself. A tear fell out of his eye and hung silently in space as he said, ‘I feel like I know this place, but I don’t understand how I could possibly know it PAL.’
‘It will all become clear in time my son,’ a deep booming voice spoke from nowhere. Jonny gripped the black-as-midnight fur on Legion and Legend’s back.
‘Father, Father is that you?’ Jonny asked, as his wobbly knees knocked together.
‘Yes my son, this is your Father Spirit speaking. Your Mother Cheroo is here with me and wants to say something.’
‘Hello my darling son, welcome home.’ Her voice was so soft, even softer and gentler than that of Nanny Carole’s. Suddenly, a thousand images and memories rushed through Jonny’s head.
Jonny marvelled open-jawed at the sight of the silvery white disc full of billions and billions of giant suns, stars, moons, planets, auroras, and nebulas.
PAL started to explain all about the Sombrero Galaxy. ‘It is a spiral galaxy, fifty thousand light years from one side to the other, with a mass equivalent to eight hundred billion suns. The Sombrero Galaxy gets its name from its unusually brilliant light or bulbous core. This core contains over two thousand globular clusters, ten times as many as orbit Earth’s galaxy, and at its heart the Sombrero Galaxy harbours a massive Black Hole.’
Jonny started to giggle and then spurted out, ‘I know something else that has a massive black hole – Sloppy Botty.’
PAL ignored Jonny’s childish humour and continued explaining all about the Sombrero Galaxy, with its mass of a billion suns and the fact
Jonny Plumb and the Silver Space Ship 3
that, unbeknown to humans, it has nine moons.
Jonny, wasn’t listening as he was too busy curled up laughing on the pure white floor of the Silver Flying Arrow Space Ship.
Legion and Legend looked at each other and both tut-tutted while raising their eyebrows and went back to sleep.
PAL tried desperately to get Jonny to have his very first – actually, the only ever intergalactic space lesson.
Jonny finally stopped giggling while wiping the tears from his face and sitting back in the world’s most comfortable almost invisible chair. He leaned back and said, ‘Sorry about that PAL, but it’s probably best not to mention that again’
‘Ok, where were we?’ PAL asked the still smirking Jonny, ‘Ahh yes, right, I remember,’ PAL continued.
‘Unbeknown to humans, the Sombrero Galaxy has nine orbiting planets, which I may add, Jonny, you will have to visit. They are called, Bodha, which is the Planet of knowledge. Boddhi, the Planet of enlightenment. Suddha, the pure Planet. Jala, made entirely of the finest and purest water in the known universe. Turya, the Planet of deep sleep. Krodha, the Planet of anger and rage. Yajna, the Planet of sacrifice. You won’t like that one Jonny – Mithya, the Planet of falseness. Then finally, the last one you will visit before you go to Pashoo, is Tattvam, the Planet of reality. Do you understand Jonny?’
‘Yes,’ Jonny replied quietly. ‘I have to go to each planet to learn its secrets, and when I have achieved that, I can then go back to my home planet of Pashoo.’
‘Yes, that is correct, but not forgetting after Pashoo, you return to Earth.’
‘How long will all that take PAL?’ Jonny asked with slight fear and trepidation in his voice.
‘Oh about one hundred years,’ PAL replied calmly.
‘WHAT! I’ll be an old man before I return to Earth!’ Jonny shouted.
‘No Jonny, there will be no change, except that you will be one with the universe,’ PAL replied reassuringly.
‘But one hundred years, that will take, well, one hundred years,’ Jonny replied.