Race to Mars Read online

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the

  product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to

  actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 by Drew Brockington

  Catstrofont software copyright © 2016 by Drew Brockington

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the

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  property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review

  purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher

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  First Edition: April 2017

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Brockington, Drew, author, artist.

  Title: CatStronauts : race to Mars / by Drew Brockington.

  Description: First edition. | New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2017. |

  Summary: “With national pride and valuable scientific research on the line, the

  CatStronauts race against the CosmoCats and others to be the first cats to

  Mars”— Provided by publisher.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2016042317| ISBN 9780316307482 (hardcover) | ISBN

  9780316307505 (trade pbk.) | ISBN 9780316435215 (ebook)

  Subjects: LCSH: Graphic novels. | CYAC: Graphic novels. | Astronauts—Fiction. |

  Space flight to Mars—Fiction. | Cats—Fiction.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.7.B76 Caw 2017 | DDC 741.5/973—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016042317

  E3

  FOR

  SIMON & MARCELINE

  CHAPTER 1

  Due to their heroic

  performance saving the

  world from a catastrophic

  crisis, on behalf of the

  Global Energy Council,

  we’d like to present

  the first ever Gold

  Star Award to the

  CatStronauts.

  Here we

  go again.

  A recipe for leadership: Take 3 parts

  “duty,” 2 parts “responsibility,” and

  1 part “heroism.” Mix together well

  with teammates.…

  Pom Pom, aren’t you

  excited to get this award?

  Waffles, we’ve been

  given so many awards

  recently. You must have

  100 of them.

  At least the

  food’s good, right?

  Keep it down, guys,

  he’s getting to the

  good part.

  Sorry.

  We were faced with

  an incredibly delicate

  task in the harshest

  environment known

  to cats.

  When duty calls,

  you have to

  answer.

  The CatStronauts accepted the Gold

  Star Award earlier this week, making

  CATSUP* the most decorated space

  program on the planet.

  * Center for Aeronautical Technology

  and Space Underlying Programs

  Just last week, Blanket, the team

  Technical Specialist, accepted a

  large grant to form a new division

  at CATSUP for experimental

  rockets and robotics.

  Pom Pom, the Chief Science

  Officer, has been nominated

  to be head of the Global

  Physics Council.

  Waffles, the team pilot,

  received the Pilot of the

  Year award at last month’s

  annual pilot picnic.

  And the team’s Commander,

  Major Meowser, has been seen

  instructing the next generation

  on the finer points of leadership.

  You can almost

  feel his bravery!

  There’s no

  telling what the

  CatStronauts

  will do next.

  Though one thing

  is for sure—they

  aren’t slowing

  down.

  Blech! Turn it

  off, Bianca!

  I can’t stand to

  listen to this garbage.

  Everywhere you

  go, it’s always

  CatStronauts this, or

  CatStronauts that.

  It’s true, Petrov!

  They sell T-shirts

  with their dumb

  faces on it!

  I am so over these

  CatStronauts.

  We are the

  CosmoCats. We

  were the first

  cats in space.

  But no one

  remembers us

  anymore.

  Now we are

  nothing.…

  No, Petrov,

  we’re not.

  Come with me.

  Where are

  we going?

  Last night, I had a

  special meeting with our

  Prime Minister.

  Operation

  Zdorovo is

  clear to move

  forward.

  But I thought

  that program

  was terminated

  months ago?

  Now that every cat in the

  world is excited about space

  travel again, things are

  different.

  The Super

  Rocket will

  actually launch?

  Yes, Petrov. The

  CosmoCats are

  going to Mars.

  Come.

  There is much

  to be done.

  *SOCKS:

  Society Of Cosmic Kittens

  CHAPTER 2

  HERE THEY

  COME!!!!!

  Hiya,

  everybody!

  Always remember,

  anyone can be a

  leader.

  Waffles, I don’t

  know how you can

  eat so much.

  I like dinner.

  I’m in a food coma.

  Well, rest up,

  everyone.

  Tomorrow we have a

  dedication in the morning,

  and then a meeting with the

  directors of CatStronauts:

  the Mewsical.

  You going to bed,

  Pom Pom?

  Do you ever

  miss space,

  Blanket?

  Sure do. How

  could you not?

  All we’ve been doing

  lately is going to

  award dinners and

  dedications.

  We never even

  talk about space

  anymore.

  I miss it. I miss

  my experiments.

  Don’t worry; I’m sure

  Mission Control is

  working out
our next

  mission as we speak.

  Don’t stay up

  too late.

  Glumdalum, isn’t

  this the best?

  Sure is, Ozzie!

  Work is so slow,

  we’re getting

  paid to dance!

  You guys mind keeping it

  down? Some of us are

  still working here.

  Elvis! Buddy! What

  are you working on?

  It’s a new booster rocket

  prototype. It uses less fuel much

  more efficiently, allowing for

  faster travel in space.

  It could get us to the

  moon and back within

  a few days, instead of

  a week.

  Come on, Elvis. The next

  mission hasn’t even

  been announced yet!

  Yeah, quit working so

  hard! Take a break and

  have a little fun.

  Don’t you two ever think

  about the future?

  You mean like

  flying cars and

  cyborg fish?

  Forget it. I’ll

  find somewhere

  else to work.

  Aww, c’mon,

  Elvis.

  I didn’t mean it

  like that, buddy.

  Forget him. He was messing

  with our groove anyway.

  C’mon, Ozzie,

  shake your tail!

  That’s more

  like it!

  Ha-ha,

  OK!

  CHAPTER 3

  With great pleasure,

  I declare Spaceland

  open to the public.

  And remember, if you

  shoot for the stars, you

  can definitely land on

  the moon!

  Major, will the

  CatStronauts join

  the space race to

  Mars?

  What is the

  plan to beat the

  CosmoCats?

  What are you

  talking about?

  I assure you, if something

  was happening, we would

  know about it.

  CatStronauts,

  you are needed.

  Yes! Back

  to work!

  Sorry to butt in like

  that, but we’ve just been

  handed a real doozy.

  What’s the problem,

  World’s Best Scientist?

  We’ll telecommunicate

  with Flight Director

  Maisy in Mission

  Control to bring you

  up to speed.

  Hi, CatStronauts. We’ve just

  received confirmation that

  the CosmoCats are planning

  a mission to Mars.

  Their preparations

  are well under way.…

  They’ve already

  launched an unmanned

  vessel of supplies to the

  Martian surface.

  From our data, we

  estimate the supplies

  contain extra food,

  water, and habitat

  shelters for living on

  Mars.

  It’s clear that they not only

  want to set the first paws

  on Mars but they want to

  stay for a while.

  That’s not all: Two other space

  programs have also announced their

  plans for going to Mars.

  The newly formed

  MEOW* is sending

  Über, an engineering

  genius, and Gemelli,

  a science wiz.

  * Modern Explorers

  of Other Worlds

  COOKIE* will be represented by

  Yogi, an up-and-coming ace pilot,

  and Uma, one of the most brilliant

  minds in the space industry.

  * Center Of Obvious Knowledge

  and Interstellar Exploration.

  So, we’re already

  in last place?

  If you want to think of

  it in those terms, yes.

  Wait. Are we

  going to Mars?

  You bet your tail we are.

  CATSUP is currently the

  world’s most trusted

  space program.

  If we lose this race,

  we could be looking

  at some major

  budget cuts.

  It’s Mars or bust,

  CatStronauts. Our best

  minds are on the job.

  But we’ve got a lot of

  catching up to do.

  Thank you, Flight.

  We’ll be there

  shortly.

  All right, kitties, we’ve

  got a lot to do and no

  time to do it. I want

  ideas on how to get to

  Mars pronto!

  Let’s build a

  transporter!

  Let’s build a

  space elevator!

  Let’s build a

  bridge to Mars!

  Let’s stow away

  on the other

  team’s ship!

  Cats! I need

  viable solutions.

  Flight, I’ve been

  working on a new

  booster rocket

  prototype.

  If we retrofit the existing

  Saturn VII rocket with new

  boosters, we should be able

  to make the journey.

  These prototypes use

  less fuel and produce

  more thrust. So we

  won’t have to store as

  much fuel on board.

  The unused portion of the

  hull can be converted into

  a larger spacecraft for

  interplanetary travel.

  But these boosters are very

  experimental. There have

  been no tests done on them.

  Ever.

  Anyone got a

  better idea?

  What about a

  giant slingshot?!

  Congratulations, Elvis.

  You just got promoted. I

  want you working around

  the clock on this.

  You can count

  on me, Flight!

  CHAPTER 4

  I have just

  received word

  from SOCKS.

  Everything is

  progressing as

  scheduled.

  The supply units

  have arrived at

  our landing site

  on Mars.

  Oh, Bianca! This

  is wonderful!

  Soon we will be

  setting our paws on

  the red planet…

  …And the world

  will know that the

  CosmoCats are still

  the best.

  When will the

  launch be ready?

  In a few

  days’ time.

  That will not work.

  We want to stay

  ahead of the other

  space programs!

  Attention, workers

  of SOCKS…

  To increase productivity, you

  will now be required to work

  through your lunch break.

  You will be given

  only 1 litter box

  break a day.

  And anyone caught standing still for

  more than 47 seconds will be fired.

  That is all.

  Petrov, aren’t you

  being a little harsh?

  I AM NOT

  BEING HARSH!

  I am not going to lose

  another important

  discovery to the

  CatStronauts or any

  other space team!


  The Red Planet is

  within our grasp.

  I can feel it.

  Fear not,

  Petrov...

  We will be

  the first on

  Mars.

  We will not be ready!

  There is no way.

  If the CosmoCats are

  launching in a few

  days, we must too!

  Gemelli, this is our first

  space mission ever!

  We don’t have the

  resources that the

  other programs have.

  It’s true, Über. But

  we have the brains