George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt by Lucy Hawking

sounding interested.
    George and Emmett listened in complete bewilderment as Annie chatted to the computer.
    â€œCosmos, you rock!” said Annie. “Can you help us find out who’s been messing with our robot?”
    â€œWord,” replied Cosmos. “I’m on it.”
    As he whirred away, Annie turned to face the others with a smug grin on her face.
    â€œHe said I was cool!” she exclaimed happily. “And look…,” she said, breathlessly. “The door to the Universe!”
    A little beam of light had shot out from Cosmos’s screen, and on the other side of the room, he was drawing the doorway through which George and Annie had once walked into the Universe. The door swung open, and behind it they saw a dark sky peppered with stars that shone much more brightly than when they were seen from Earth.
    A red planet was coming into view.

    George took a step toward the portal, but before he could get any closer, the door slammed shut in his face. On it was pinned a large poster with the words KEEP OUT scrawled in big letters. They all jumped as loud electronic music blared from behind the door.

    â€œAnnie, what’s going on?” asked George.
    â€œWell, I’m not really sure,” she said. “But Cosmos sounds like the older kids at my school back home. I mean, he’s speaking the way they do when they think they’re really cool.”
    â€œHow old are these kids?” asked George.
    â€œOh, about fourteen, I suppose,” said Annie. “Why?”
    â€œBecause,” said George, who had worked it out, “Cosmos started out with baby computer language when we first got him going. And Emmett moved him on but couldn’t update him totally. So that means that now—”
    Annie finished the sentence for him: “Cosmos,” she said with fear and wonder, “is a teenager .”
    â€œWhat’s your dad going to say?” asked George.
    â€œI think we’d better not tell him. At least, not yet.”
    They heard the front door open downstairs. “Quick!”said Annie. “Emmett, close Cosmos down!”
    Emmett shut down the computer, and they shoved Cosmos under Annie’s bed. Footsteps came up the stairs, and when Eric opened the door to Annie’s bedroom, he found the three kids sitting in a row, looking at a book he had written.
    â€œNice to see you all getting along,” he remarked.
    Annie slung an arm around Emmett’s shoulders. “Oh yes,” she said. “We’re friends now, aren’t we?” She poked him lightly. “Speak,” she whispered in his ear.
    â€œYes, I can confirm that,” said Emmett mechanically. He hadn’t yet recovered from seeing Cosmos open up the portal.
    â€œGood, good,” said Eric. “I see you’re reading one of my books. The Large-scale Structure of Space-time. How are you finding it?”
    â€œIt’s very interesting,” said George politely. He hadn’t understood a word of it.
    Emmett came back to life. “You’ve made an error on page one hundred and thirty-six,” he said helpfully.
    â€œIs that so?” said Eric, smiling. “No one’s ever spotted that before, but that doesn’t mean you’re wrong.”
    â€œI have a suggestion as to how to rectify it,” said Emmett.
    Annie groaned, but George gave her a stern look. “I mean, well done, Emmett,” she said.
    â€œOkay, good,” said Eric slowly. “I was going tosuggest we all go out for ice cream. But if you’re all absorbed, then I won’t disturb you any further—”
    â€œIce cream!” Annie and George jumped up. Emmett stayed sitting on the bed, his eyes still glued to the book.
    â€œEarth to Emmett!” said Annie. “Ice cream! You know, the cold sweet stuff that kids like! Let’s go have some!”
    Emmett looked up, unsure. “Do you actually want me to come too?” he