Nora (0:08)

Hello friends and welcome to Sleep Tight Stories. Nora has asked her father for some help with the Storybook. He didn't believe it could actually work, but he has agreed to have a look at it. Nora's mom does not want to speak their last day tinkering in the pod. She wants to see the large settlement near the river called Charlottetown. Nora's dad does a quick scan before they head out and they decide to take the Storybook with them when they leave. Will he be able to figure out why it can still work? Nora Finds an old artifact Part 4 I brought some tools which I left on our pod. After we eat our first meal, I'll take the artifact and see what I can discover. It's a more interesting mystery than I thought, Nora's father said as he returned the Storybook to Nora. You brought some tools from work? Her mother said loudly enough to sound unimpressed. We are supposed to be on vacation. You know, it's just a scanner or two or three, Norah's father said, laughing. You never know when the opportunity to analyze interesting old artifacts might arise. Sure, Nora's mother said, rolling her eyes. You two eat your food. This is our last day on the island and I would like us to visit that large ancient settlement by the river called Charlottetown before we head back to the Pandora tonight. Nora ate her food as fast as possible so that she could quickly take the Storybook to their pod for her father to examine. She hoped the stories it told her were not just a dream, but because that would mean she would have to visit the medical bay on Pandora and the robots there did not have a good bedside manner. She walked to the door of the pod, which recognized her and opened to allow her to come inside. The lights glowed to brightness and the air was already the perfect temperature. Good morning, Nora, the pod announced. I hope you are enjoying your short vacation. Most devices, pods, tools and homes had some kind of intelligence, and with this intelligence came personality. The pod they arrived with on Prince Edward island seemed quite service oriented, while Nora's glass seemed more intent on antagonizing her with its frequent reminders to do homework. It was like having an older, successful brother who was always picking on you. Shortly after she entered the pod, her father arrived, still chewing his food. You ate fast this morning, he said. Yes, I'm excited to see what you discover about the device, Nora said, taking the Storybook from her bag and placing it on a work surface. Well, I must admit Nora, I do find this an interesting mystery. I thought perhaps you were at first just having vivid dreams brought on by our deep space travel. Something a trip to medical might clear up. There are so many of these old discarded devices all over Earth, though of interest to some anthropologists they are mostly useless relics. None I have seen are quite as well preserved as this one though, her father said, scratching his chin like he was thinking deeply. Lets see what information Scan1 can provide us, her father said as he pulled out a sleek device from his work bag, no larger than the potatoes they had eaten. Unlike devices from the Storybooks era, the tools Nora's people use have no buttons or displays. They work independently and automatically relay any information to whatever other device you want it to. Nora and her father could read what Scan One had discovered via their respective glass. It has identified an erratic energy source inside the device, which may account for its inability to respond to commands or the use of the old control buttons. I also see that the circuitry of the Storybook appears to be inoperative, as does the built in battery which I expected. I haven't seen this kind of energy source before, so whatever is inside was added later and is somewhat independent of the Storybook itself, but I don't really know what it is. We really do have a bit of a fun mystery to solve, don't we? Nora's father said with a great big smile. Let's go you two. Nora's mother called from outside the pod. You can spend all your time analyzing things when we return to the Pandora. Let's go off to the main settlement and see a little bit of ancient history and maybe eat more of those potatoes and ice cream. Lets put the device away for now and we can look at it again when we reach Blue or Pandora. The energy it produces doesn't seem to violate any security protocols so we should be able to take it with us, her father said as he put Scan one back into his bag. Leaving the pod, Nora set aside her thoughts of the Storybook for a time as she and her mother and father slowly rode to the ancient settlement called Charlottetown. They enjoyed viewing the patchwork quilt of green and brown that covered the countryside as they rode. There was still farming here, done primarily by farming robots, since most people had left the countryside many years ago. Occasionally they would ride by a small farm still occupied by people who chose to work their land largely by hand. Nora found this amazing and slowed to watch them work. It was like watching a little bit of human history. Nora learned how to grow food in school and spent a long time in botany class, but there was a vast gulf between her effort. Growing food at home was particularly easy, and the hard labor that these people needed to do their time in Charlottetown was short and was filled with food. Nora tried island strawberry ice cream this time, and they watched plays and visited museums. As they loaded the pod for the ride back to Pandora, Nora turned her focus back to Storybook. She was excited to try and discover its secrets. They packed light, so it only took a short time before they were in their seats for the ascent to the orbiting ship that would take them back to Alpha Centauri and their planet Blue. Sitting beside her, her father quietly whispered, let's work on the Storybook tomorrow. I might be a bit tired this evening and want to be wide awake when I try to learn more about it. Okay, nora said, trying not to sound too disappointed. She was a bit impatient. The pod lifts off with little in the way of noise or disturbance. It floats upwards more than launches. Still, during the ascent, Nora, her mother, and her father experience a brief period of high acceleration as the pod gains speed and altitude, reaching Earth's upper atmosphere. The pod announces that they will be docking in 10 minutes, depending on traffic. That night, after drinking various medicines and nutrient concoctions designed to protect them from anything on Earth that might want to call their bodies home, Nora cleaned up and prepared to sleep. She took the Storybook out of her bag and placed it by her bed, and it immediately started to glow, as if it knew what it was supposed to do. I'm going to sit beside you tonight as you listen, her father said as the Storybook started its routine. Hello, kids. My name is Storybook. Every night a new story. To hear a story, just click the green button, the device said. Nora reached down to click the button, but it continued before she touched it. Lay down and close your eyes as I tell you tonight's story. Nora did as it asked. She lay down, closed her eyes, and the Storybook started. Welcome to tonight's bedtime story. Our bedtime story tonight takes place in a magical town called Sherwood, where life is filled with happiness and wonder. It's a place with many trees with big green leaves that turn beautiful colors in the fall, just like a rainbow in the sky. The town is cozy, with cute little houses with colorful doors and friendly neighbors who are always eager to say hello. When you walk through Sherwood, you might even spot some animals. Squirrels scamper around, playing hide and seek among the trees. Birds sing cheerful songs and build their nests in cozy branches. And if you're lucky, you might come across a fluffy bunny or a wise old owl who can Share their wisdom with you. Sherwood is also a place where you can go on incredible adventures. You can explore the forest in the large park, discovering secret paths and maybe hidden treasures. You can have picnics in sunny meadows surrounded by colorful flowers and butterflies fluttering around. And most importantly, you can make wonderful friends who will be there for you no matter what. Once upon a sunny afternoon in Sherwood, a young girl named Camille went on an extraordinary adventure. Camille possessed a remarkable gift that set her apart from others. She could communicate with animals. This gift allowed her to make many friends with the animals in the forest, and she loved every moment spent in their company. On this particular afternoon, as Camille walked in the forest near her home, she stumbled upon a lost and frightened baby bunny named Rosie. The little bunny's eyes were filled with tears, and Camille couldn't bear to see her so sad. Rosie told Camille how she had hopped and hopped and somehow lost her way from her family. Without hesitation, Camille scooped Rosie into her arms and promised to help her find her family. Determined to help Rosie, Camille called her mom and told her what she was about to do. After promising to be home by dinner, Camille and her new furry friend set off on a short but challenging journey. As they ventured deeper into the forest, following the path people often used, they encountered Oliver, a wise old owl perched gracefully on a sturdy branch. With his keen eyes and extensive knowledge of the woods, Oliver offered to join their journey as their guide. The three of them continued their expedition, Camilla kicking up fallen leaves as she walked. Crunchy leaves were one of her favorite sounds. They walked past her neighbor Charlie, who often brought freshly baked cookies to her house, and Sylvia, who often came by Camille's house to have tea with her mother. Both were out for their afternoon walk. As Camille and her two friends continued, it wasn't long before they came across a mischievous squirrel named Sammy, who was darting from tree to tree with seemingly endless energy. They weren't sure initially whether Sammy would want to help. Still, they soon realized that his quick ability to jump from tree to tree and funny sense of humor could make him a great part of their team. Sammy eagerly joined their adventure, bringing laughter and excitement to their little group. As they journeyed through the forest park, the friends encountered various challenges. They crossed a babbling brook, scaled a steep hill, and walked through dense vegetation. Yet with each hurdle they faced, their friendship grew stronger. Camille learned the importance of teamwork, trust, and friendship. She also learned to share the snacks she took with her. Time seemed to fly as the sun shone brightly through the trees. It was a challenging walk, but with her new friends. Despite all their differences, Camille felt like anything could be accomplished. Finally, after a few hours of walking through the forest park, they arrived at a grassy meadow. Camille's eyes sparkled when she spotted Rosie's family looking for her in a field of fresh clover. Rosie was excited and relieved when she hopped toward them. As Camille watched Rosie give her family hugs, she knew it was time to say goodbye to her animal friends. It was getting close to dinner time, and she didn't want her mother to worry. After promises to meet again, they bid each other farewell as they went their separate ways. As Camille returned home, she couldn't help but reflect on her short adventure with her new friends. Friends are not defined by appearances or species, she thought, but by the compassion and support they offer. From that day forward, Camille often walked into the forest and spent time with her friends. They would talk, share snacks, and go on adventures when time permitted. Later, when Camille had a family of her own, they would also go for long walks through the park, meeting new animal friends of all kinds and helping them as much as they could. After she had finished washing, Nora's mother saw as she went to her room to go to bed. Nora was asleep with her father lying asleep as well. The storybook had helped them both fall into a deep sleep. And that is the end of this part. Good night. Sleep tight.