The Adventures of Todd Tuttle: The Adventures Of Todd Tuttle, #1

By Trey Nace

When two arch enemies are transported across the galaxy, they must team up to get home

More than rivalry stands between teen Todd Tuttle and his enemy, Max, as they make their way home. These two members of the Charles Dickens school for boys- a school for the sons of the rich and powerful- must put aside their differences and find a way to banish an evil lurking in the universe.

Todd must remember everything he knows about Greek myth and legends as well as stay sharp.

With danger around every corner,the two enemies search for a way home. Along the way, they work to thwart the plans of an powerful evil entity while dealing with their own struggles with one another and themselves. Two teenagers tasked with saving the galaxy quickly learn that victory isn't promised, but adventure certainly is!

Join this duo as they go through the universe trying to do the right thing and not make matters worse.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trey Nace
• Release date: Apr 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798987581117

Book preview

Chapter 1

Todd Tuttle was out of breath. Running, for what felt like your life, did that to a person. He was being chased by the bad boys again. Max, the leader of the gang, Todd’s number one enemy, for whatever reason, loved tormenting, picking on, and making life difficult for Todd. Although Max was only a couple of months older than Todd, he was a grade ahead and felt like he had the right to push the younger boy around. Today’s chase had ended in the lower levels of the Charles Dickens school for boys on Marcus III in the Dyson system. The CD, as the boys called it, was an elite boarding school for the sons of the rich and famous. Todd was making his way to one of his best hiding spots, a maintenance closet that he had built a false back wall into, so even if the bad boys looked inside, all they would see would be cleaning supplies. Todd had to be one step ahead of his tormentors because Max could pick any lock and bypass almost all of the school’s security systems. His family, although wealthy, had not gained their money by normal means; they lived outside the law. The rumor was they were smugglers and because of this, Max had developed several shady skills. Todd put on a burst of speed, trying to give himself a cushion so when he reached the closet he wouldn’t be seen going inside. He rounded the corner and made it to the closet. A quick glance behind him showed that the coast was clear, and he slipped inside as quietly as he could.

Todd and Max could not be more different in both physical stature and personality. Todd was tall and lanky, with shocking blonde hair and an easygoing manner, fair skin since his ancestors were mostly from Europe, though he didn’t know what parts. Max, although older, was short and stocky, what at one time was called a fireplug, with jet black hair, a furrowed brow on most occasions, as if smelling something foul, and a stern disposition, tan with a mixed ancestry, possibly with ancestors from the Pacific islands. Both boys were a mix of earth’s bloodlines, as were all of the kids at the school. Humankind had been blending for ages.

Suddenly there was a noise in the hallway, and through the false wall he had just finished putting back in place, Todd could hear Max say, Where is that little weasel ?

He has to be nearby, said Jay, Max’s lieutenant. He wasn’t that far ahead of us.

Alright, boys, Max said, Spread out, track him down.

Todd could hear the gang trying doors along the hallway, and a moment later, the door to the maintenance closet opened, and Adrian, an acne-scarred boy, said, This closet is clear.

Max replied, Okay, keep searching. Slowly, the sound of the bad boys faded. I’ll give it a couple of minutes, thought Todd to himself. When the time had passed, he eased the false wall aside, replaced it carefully, and listened at the door for signs of Max and the gang.

The coast seemingly clear, Todd gently opened the door and proceeded into the hall. As he was about to start to make his way back up to the dorm level, a door slammed in the next corridor over. Todd quickly dashed down the hall, taking him into a region of the school he had never been to before.

There he is! A voice echoed behind him. Running as hard as he could, Todd went deeper and deeper into parts unknown. As his pursuers closed in on him, Todd saw an old wooden door; what? Thought Todd as he rushed past the door. Wood? Really? In this day and age? With Max and his gang closing in, he had no time to think about the situation and continued dashing away. Even though he was in uncharted territory, Todd had a great sense of direction and, after a couple of twists and turns, was able to circle back to the hallway that contained his hiding spot without being seen. Once again securing the false wall, he hunkered down to wait for the pursuit to end.

Max’s voice shouted, Where did he go? He has to be here! I know I heard something.

Adrian replied, I don’t see him. He must have headed back upstairs.

Check that closet again! Max shouted at Adrian.

Still clear, was the response.

Todd giggled to himself and hoped they would give up soon.

Alright, back upstairs. I don’t know how he keeps slipping away, but we will corner him next time. Max said disgustedly.

Thinking he would wait longer than a couple of minutes, he now had time to think about the wooden door. What in the universe? Wood was never used any more for doors, much less furniture. Everything was made out of a high-tech composite. Wood was considered passe. Todd’s natural curiosity had been sparked. He would definitely have to come back after class tomorrow and take a better look. After more than a few minutes had passed, Todd checked his data pad and saw that dinner time was getting close. He needed to get a move on. Missing dinner would get him in trouble. He slowly exited his hiding spot, making sure no one was waiting for him.

Todd made his way back upstairs. Using as much caution as he could, his head on a swivel looking for signs of the bad boys, he made his way out of the lower levels, through the dish pit of the kitchen, and up the backstairs to his dorm and his single room. For the prices that the Charles Dickens school for boys charged and the fact it was a place for only young males, they decided long ago that boys growing into men should have their own room. Upon entering his room, he glanced at his data pad and saw that he had time to wash up and then rush to dinner. Luckily, all the boys were assigned seats at meals ,so that he would be with his classmates at dinner, and Max and the bad boys would be across the dining room with the older kids.

Todd suffered Max’s glare of dislike as he headed to his chair, but that was normal. Someday soon, things were going to come to a head between him and Max. Max had been picking on Todd from day one. Todd was not exactly sure why, but he knew that the dislike was mutual. Max had some excellent skills and did well in school, so he was no slouch intellectually, but Todd found him to be an arrogant bully who picked on younger kids because he could. The schoolmasters had sat Max down to talk to him about his behavior, but Todd knew Max was also blessed with a silver tongue and could talk himself out of any situation. Another skill learned from his family.

Waiting for the meal to be served, he fiddled with a scanner he was trying to repair. He was hoping this small device might give him an edge when being hunted by Max and his gang. Before long, the food arrived and Todd tucked away his project and dug into his roasted meat and veggies. He pondered his own skills. For his size, he was quick and could run for a while, this afternoon was an exception being out of breath in the maintenance closet, but the bad boys had been chasing him around the school for over an hour before he ducked into his hidey-hole. You would think that they had better things to do with their time. So he would cut himself some slack for being winded. Todd could fix almost anything mechanical, having been taught by his parents all about the workings of machines and technology. As a deep space prospector, like his parents were, you often found yourself off on your own and had to rely on your repair skills to get things fixed. No handy maintenance shop nearby when your star drive breaks down on Rainbow Delta 2. Todd could appreciate Max’s computer skills, but you still needed to be able to work with your hands and fix things, technology can take you far, across the galaxy for that matter, but if it didn’t work, you’d be stuck in a hanger going nowhere. Thank the heavens; his parents, Harry and Susie, had been outstanding teachers. Todd was also a great problem solver, another skill from adventuring around the cosmos and searching for rare minerals and artifacts. Sometimes there was no instruction manual on how to circumvent a natural obstacle that was protecting a stash of gold or gems. He was also a big reader of historical novels, space adventures, mysteries; you name it.

That is where he stole the idea for the false wall. Mom had always said a good idea was a good idea, no matter where it came from. Ideas are meant to be used to move man forward. If we didn’t use and share ideas, humankind would never have made it to the stars. Todd was fluent in galactic English but could get by in a number of languages and dialects, having traveled so much with his parents. He finished the last of his fruit tart and started to make his way back to his room to do his homework. Todd happened to glance in Max’s direction and noticed he had a mischievous grin on his face. Something must be up. Todd’s inner sixth sense was tingling.

On the way back to his room, he bumped into Jay, Max’s second, not just ran into but made actual physical contact. Jay was the muscle of the bad boys and had purposely knocked into Todd.

String bean, said Jay, trying to sound intimidating. You’re going to get yours. I don’t know how you escaped before, but you can’t run forever. Todd knew he was safe in the dorm, but he had to be careful not to get cornered in other parts of the school. Max had boasted about his skill to mask and interfere with any recorded video, so if Todd found himself isolated with any of the bad boys, that would be trouble for sure.

Keep trying, you big ape, Todd sneered, trying to sound intimidating himself. You haven’t got me yet, and you guys are soooo easy to avoid. He knew he might be pushing it a bit too far, but he couldn’t help himself.

We’ll see, we’ll see, said Jay, and then gave Todd a quick slap on the back of his arm that actually stung quite a bit. He then sauntered towards the staircase that led to where the older boys lived. Todd mumbled to himself, jerk, as he headed to his own room, his arm still smarting. Once in the room, he attacked his assignments and lost himself in his schoolwork. After a couple of hours of that, the CD did not go light on the homework it expected it students to complete, he put his data pad away. Having a moment to reflect, Todd thought back to the times he traveled with his parents. Bouncing around the galaxy on their ship, Kachina, had been a great childhood. He missed those days. This was his first experience with school and so far, it was a mixed bag. He liked his classes, but dealing with kids like Max was taxing. I guess it’s part of growing up, he thought. Being fifteen was no easy chore. Todd knew he also had a big decision coming up when he turned eighteen. Everyone in the galaxy at that age was allowed to get an AI chip embedded in their brain. He knew his parents would pay for it. Not everyone could afford one, but he still was not sure it was the right thing to do. Did he want some piece of software interfering with his thinking? They were supposedly perfectly safe, but he had read too many Sci-Fi books about things going wrong with technology. He still had a couple of years. Better to shelve this train of thought and get some sleep, and with that, Todd got ready for bed, cleared his mind, took a couple of deep breaths, and turned off the light.

Todd made his way to his first class of the morning on a gray and overcast day. The good thing about being a year behind Max and most of his gang was he didn’t have to see them in his classes. The hallway, dining room and dorm were another matter. As advanced as society had become, one would think that schools would be abolished, but they discovered long ago on Earth that as painful as school was for most children, the social aspect of interacting with other kids their own age was important. That was the reason his parents had insisted he attend school. The board of trustees of the CD also felt when they formed the school that the opposite sex would be a distraction to young males, hence the single sex mandate. There was a female counterpart nearby called The Miss Poppins school for girls.

Todd had yet to attend one of the school mixers, but there was one on the schedule for the next month. Girls were still a mystery to him. He got to class one minute early and made his way to his seat. His English teacher, Mr. Lambert, an older gentleman who had been teaching for a long time, didn’t like his students to be late. He would lock the door at the first bell and if you weren’t in your chair, you got detention on Saturday night. It had happened to Todd once, never again. He had the feeling he would never be late for anything for some time to come.

Mr. Lambert said. Alright, settle down now that the bell has rung. I am happy to see you all made it on time. Now break out your data pads and let us pick up where we left off.

Todd, absentmindedly rubbing his arm that was still sore from where Jay had slapped him, he then lost himself in his school work, and before he knew it, the next bell had rung. Grabbing his pad, books were long gone at this point in time and were only mentioned as historic references. His dad had told him how rare and valuable they were. Todd readied himself for the gauntlet known as the hallway with the possibility of meeting Max or one of his gang. Luck was with him as he made it to his next class unmolested.

His thoughts wandered to the wooden door he had seen yesterday. After school today, he would grab his tool pack from his room and go exploring. It almost felt like he was getting ready for one of his parents’ adventures.

Todd’s luck changed right before lunch, as he was making his way to the dining hall. There in the courtyard, blocking his way, were Max, Jay, and Adrian. Great, thought Todd, just what I need. Max stepped forward and poked him in the chest.

Turd, you must think you were pretty clever yesterday for getting away. I have a feeling, Max said with the same mischievous grin he had the night before, that your days of avoiding me are about to end. And with that shoved Todd to the ground. Max, even though on the