Kids Bedtime Stories

In this bedtime story you explore the polar world of Club Penguin.Suitable for all ages.Narrated by Tamer AsfahaniWritten by Chris Winson Longley and Freya WestMusic by Nicholas MayProduced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2024 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this bedtime story you explore the power of community and rhythm.Suitable for all ages.Narrated by Cate BarrWritten by Chris Winson LongleyMusic by Michael HodgsonProduced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2024 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this bedtime story you are a mischievous yet lovable goose!Suitable for all ages.Narrated by Jamie FirthWritten by Chris Winson LongleyMusic by Michael HodgsonProduced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2023 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this bedtime story you explore the garden as a minature version of yourselfSuitable for all ages.Narrated by Lucy RoslynWritten by Tamer AsfahaniMusic by Michael HodgsonProduced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2023 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this bedtime story you explore the scattered islands in the game Windbound...Suitable for all ages.Written by Chris Winson-LongleyNarrated by Tamer AsfahaniMusic by Nick MayProduced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2023 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

For more information about the bedtime stories and to download the Kid's FREE interactive magazine, visit www.checkpointkids.comSuitable for all ages.Narrated by Kezia Burrows Written by Chris Winson LongleyMusic by Nick MayProduced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2023 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

For more information about the bedtime stories and to download the Kid's FREE interactive magazine, visit www.checkpointkids.comSuitable for all ages.Narrated by Cate BarrWritten by Chris Winson LongleyMusic by Michael HodgsonProduced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2022 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

For more information about the bedtime stories and to download the Kid's FREE interactive magazine, visit www.checkpointkids.comSuitable for all ages.Narrated by Jonnie HurnWritten by Chris Winson LongleyMusic by Nick MayProduced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2022 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

For more information about the bedtime stories and to download the Kid's FREE interactive magazine, visit www.checkpointkids.comSuitable for all ages.Narrated by Jonnie HurnWritten by Chris Winson LongleyMusic by Michael HodgsonProduced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2022 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Suitable for all ages.Narrated by Ronnie BarbourWritten by Chris Winson-LongleyMusic by Nick MayEdited and produced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2022 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

For more information about the bedtime stories and to download the Kid's FREE interactive magazine, visit www.checkpointkids.comSuitable for all ages.Narrated by Tamer AsfahaniWritten by Chris Winson LongleyMusic by Michael HodgsonProduced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2022 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Suitable for all ages.Narrated by Cate BarrWritten by Chris Winson-LongleyDialogue Editor: Ian AbeMusic by Nick MayEdited and produced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2022 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Suitable for all ages.Narrated by Lucy RoslynWritten by Chris Winson-LongleyDialogue Editor: Ian AbeMusic by Nick MayEdited and produced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2022 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Welcome to the beautiful, yet imposing journey of The Climb. In this bedtime story you'll challenge yourself to climb a beautiful mountain and get to the top. On the way you'll have to figure out how to reach certain holds, but you'll also meet some mountain residents who are used to the vertical cliffs that lay ahead. Suitable for all ages.Narrated by Lucy RoslynWritten by Chris Winson LongleyMusic by Michael HodgsonProduced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2022 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Welcome to the beautiful and intriguing world of Unravel. You find yourself in a strangely familiar place, but where are you?In this story you'll traverse snow covered landscapes to reach your final destination. What adventures await and how, as small as you are, will you overcome the challenges ahead?Narrated by Cate BarrWritten by Chris Winson-LongleyMusic and mastering by Nicholas MayEdited and produced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2022 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Suitable for all ages.Written and narrated by Tamer AsfahaniMusic by Nick MayProduced by Magdoos Media Limited© 2022 Magdoos Media Limited - All Right Reserved. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Super Mario Galaxy Cosy up and snuggle down for tonight your adventure will take you out of this world as you explore Super Mario Galaxy. You wake to find yourself suspended, weightless, near the surface of a vibrant green and grey planet. You observe that it consists of grey rocks festooned with lush grass and fragrant flowers whose yellow petals glow in the warmth and light of a blue sky. The air is filled with the sound of running water and a curious buzzing. You are amongst rocks and waterfalls.  Around you there are wooden structures and you notice planks attached like the rungs of a ladder leading up a rockface in front of you. Your way is blocked by a very angry looking, brown mushroom - known as a Goomba. You would rather not deal with it right now so you jump over it and land on the ladder. You ascend the ladder with ease through a passageway carved into the rocks. At the top you encounter a vine dangling within your reach. You grab a hold and swing high into the air. As you descend, you collect two gold coins. These reward you with what seem to be bits of coloured stars and you land safely on the grass. Once again, your way forward is blocked by a large, fierce looking Goomba. This one you cannot avoid. You run forward and spin into it. It disappears in a puff of smoke and rewards you with three more coloured star fragments. You suddenly remember that these are Star Bits, and will be important for you to navigate the rest of the galaxy and the planets within. With renewed vigour and excitement, you climb the ladder.  At the top you encounter a strange looking item. It is a power-up that looks like a mushroom wearing a large, furry hat covered in brown and yellow stripes. You find the pattern vaguely familiar but before you can work out what it reminds you of, you run into it and find yourself transformed into… a bee! For a moment you hover in the air, marvelling at your transformation. You beat your wings rapidly and are amazed at their ability to propel you through the air. Their high-pitched buzzing delights you as you flit about testing your newfound manoeuvrability. Hovering above the ground you spy an outcrop of green, translucent crystals on the earth below. Flying into them, you discover you can still spin only now you leave a golden trail of honey in your wake. The crystals shatter into Star Bits and you quickly collect them all. You are pleased with your ability to fly and that you will no longer need to climb ladders.  Moving swiftly on you come across a flight of waterfalls that rise like steps ahead of you. In front of them is a golden lever with a flag attached. The flag has an image of Bowser on it, and you wonder if this is one of his traps. Cautiously, you grab hold of the lever and, beating your wings furiously, pull it towards you. Suddenly, with a flash of golden light, the flag turns to red with an image of Mario on it! You know what to do, and quickly race up the waterfall. You know every mushroom and leaf you encounter will burst into Star Bits. Having collecting them all, you find you are amongst the clouds. You are thrilled to discover that you can stand on the clouds and they renew your energy.  After more exploration and as you become more fluent with your bee wings, you approach another golden lever. This time you do not worry about the black Bowser flag and grab the lever without hesitating. However, the flag doesn’t change colour. Instead, the image of Bowser begins to smile. But there is no time to think about that now. You are already fast approaching a series of bright orange poles which you will need to climb. You do not have the energy to fly all the way to the top of them and there is nowhere to rest. To make things worse, some of the poles are being guarded by black soot monsters moving up and down. Utilising all your skills, you alternate between climbing the poles and flying around the soot monsters.  You arrive at the top of the level feeling a little curious. Why didn’t the soot monsters put up more of a fight? Before you have time to figure it out you are distracted with your next challenge. Your way forward is blocked by plants that don’t at first appear harmful. Instead of flowers with petals, their coiled stems end in a green ball covered in small red cones. As you fly forward, they suddenly straighten their stem, closing the distance between you and them, and the red cones turn into vicious spikes. It takes lightning reactions and all your skill at flying to avoid them. After passing the last of the plants, you see a beautiful flower hovering in front of you. Above it is a gold coin. You bounce on the centre of the flower and are sprung into the air. With each bounce you gain more height until the coin is yours. There are many more flowers ahead and you bounce from one to another, until the last one sends you soaring up into the sky. High above you is a trail of leaves leading to a cloud. You are delighted to discover a Power Star just above your head. Transforming back into your own body, you launch yourself from the cloud and grab it. To your surprise the Power Star doesn’t take you back to Rosalina in the Comet Observatory. Instead, you find yourself hurtling through space towards a much darker part of the galaxy. The light begins to fade, and the blue skies begin to turn black and empty. You know now that the Star Bits you’ve collected have helped propel you from this world to the next. You can just make out a few small stars, but they are a long way away. In the gloom you begin to see the outline of a strange, new planet. You recognise now that Bowser tricked you into collecting the Power Star, but you’re not worried as you’ve defeated him before. You are standing in the ruins of a garden, surrounded by dead trees and broken walls, patrolled by Goomba guards. Beyond the garden is a large, grey mansion. The windows are all dark, but the front doors are open, and you can see a dimly lit hall inside. As you enter, a large white ghost appears at the top of the stairs and makes its way towards you. You are not afraid. Looking around you see a large blue lever to the right of the stairs. You pull it and the ceiling light switches on, sending a shaft of bright white light downwards, trapping the ghost. Suddenly, the ghost vanishes in a puff of smoke and is replaced by a large golden key. As you collect the key, a pair of doors at the top of the stairs open, inviting you in. This room is one of the strangest you have ever seen. There seems to be no right way up. Windows containing swirling black holes are on every surface and there are Pumpkinhead Goombas walking on the walls and ceiling. You realise that you can walk anywhere you like and so you chase after them one by one, and spinning into each Goomba you dispose of them and collect the Star Bits they leave behind. You leave the room to explore further and discover an enormous gold coin hovering above a small landing. You leap up and as you touch it you are instantly transformed into a ghost. Now you can pass through walls. It's not long before you come across the dungeons far below the ground and, in one of the cells, you discover Luigi! He immediately recognises you because you are wearing Mario's hat! He explains how he was trapped by Bowser and how he plans to trap you too. But Luigi has a secret. From his pocket he brings out a Power Star he’s been hiding. He offers you the star. You transform back to your old self and together you use the star to return to the Comet Observatory and Rosalina.    The Comet Observatory is warm and welcoming, and you soon forget Bowser’s nasty tricks. Rosalina thanks you for the Power Star and you discuss your adventure as Luigi excitedly describes how you found him.   You're tired now, and Rosalina can tell. She offers you a room,...

Sackboy A Big Adventure Cosy up and snuggle down, for tonight you journey through the Imagisphere and discover the uniquely crafted world of Sackboy. You find yourself standing on a small island plateau high above the surface of a planet. The grass beneath your feet is made of ribbed cotton cloth and the sky is filled with swirling paper clouds. Everywhere there are bright velvet flowers with brass paper fasteners for centres. Looking around, you find your path lies between the ramshackle buildings on the far side of a deep chasm. This is a warm planet, and the architecture is of an Islamic design: elaborately sculpted iron grills cover the open windows and symmetrical arches decorate the richly coloured walls. Tall towers are topped with golden finials and diamond shaped mirrors form a ribbon like frieze just below the eaves of the roofs. They catch the light perfectly and sparkle in the sun.   A wooden bridge allows you to cross the chasm. As you move forward, a row of glass like spheres called Orbs hover above the ground. These will increase your chances of survival and so you collect them all as you head for a light blue tent containing seed pods. The large pods look like Ali Baba jars and are arranged in a circle with the biggest one in the centre. As you jump on them, they spring open, releasing more precious Orbs. When you jump on the one in the centre, you are rewarded with a golden bell.  You don’t know what this is for, but it looks valuable, so you store it safely away. Glancing upwards, you realise there is more to explore above your head. Climbing onto a roof, you find a whole new world, filled with more of the Ali Baba seed pods. Jumping on them releases more Orbs which you collect straightaway. As you explore this roof top world further, you find the only way to cross the gaps between the buildings is to use the washing lines strung between them. You quickly run across each line, balancing carefully like a tightrope walker, collecting all the Orbs that appear as you cross. Jumping down from the roof, you come across a large cardboard cut-out of a goat. It is happily chewing the cud and doesn’t appear to notice you. As you cautiously approach, you are surprised to see the ground beneath the goat rotate like a flipped coin. The goat disappears and is replaced by a huge, sleepy, pink flower. Its eyes are closed and it’s yawning. You watch in wonder as its eyes open and its long, leafy arms unfurl. It beckons you towards the opening at its top. With no hesitation, you leap in and the petals close over you. The flower squeezes its eyes tight and begins to vibrate as its energy increases. The petals open and you soar into the air like a cannonball, narrowly missing two surprised looking cut-out birds on a washing line. You feel the breeze in your woolly body as you soar past tall buildings to land safely on a green courtyard surrounded by arched doorways. Now you face a new challenge. Two guards dressed in red and white uniforms with leaves for hats are preventing you from passing through any of the archways. One of them runs towards you, aggressively. You throw a punch causing it to somersault in the air, before disappearing in a puff of smoke. The second guard tries to stop you but meets the same fate. You select the nearest archway and pass through. Inside the darkroom there is nothing to see except a square panel on the floor. You jump on it imagining it will drop you to a lower level. To your surprise it rockets you upwards and through the ceiling, which is made of cotton wool. Now you are at roof level again. There are several brightly coloured acorns scattered around and, at first, you try to jump on them, but they do nothing. While you are thinking about what you should try next, you notice three cardboard cut-out birds. They are tweeting loudly and perched on the side of a giant terracotta plant pot. You jump into the pot only to find it full of earth. You jump up and down repeatedly, hoping that it will release more Orbs, but the earth resists your efforts and muffles the sound of your feet. Jumping down you land near one of the acorns. You have an idea. Picking up the acorn, you throw it into the pot. Immediately, it comes alive and buries itself in the warm earth. Moments later it has sprouted into a magnificent flower. You are about to jump on it when it suddenly erupts shooting five more bells into the air. You quickly collect them all and remember what they are: Collectabells. These will allow you to change your appearance and customise your outfit. But you’ll have to wait. There are lots of guards in this area, but you deal with them easily and continue to explore, collecting Orbs, planting acorns and receiving  Collectabells until you come across another of the cannon flowers. It opens its petals, smiles sweetly, and invites you to jump in. You are fired across the rooftops to land safely on… a giant Orb. This beautiful, blue glowing, glass ball is a Dreamer Orb, and it contains vast amounts of pure wonder and creativity. Just holding it makes you feel warm inside. It is what you have been searching for because it can be used against Vex and his negative energy. Vex is the jester who is trying to turn the world you’re in upside down, but it will take more than one Dreamer Orb to stop him. So, you save it and continue to explore. You arrive at a plateau similar to the one that began this adventure. The grass beneath you is the same ribbed cotton cloth and there are flowers dotted about. However, this time there is no bridge to allow you safe passage across the chasm that separates this section of the level from the next one. As the path reaches the edge of the plateau, it turns into a thick, black slime which oozes menacingly and cascades into the void below. The same sticky, foul smelling slime is on the opposite side of the chasm. Even if you tried to jump, you are likely to land in it. Suddenly, you remember the Dreamer Orb. This dark slime is just the sort of barrier that Vex would create to stop you in your tracks. You take the Orb and throw it at the slime. There is a flash of blue iridescent light and the slime disappears to be replaced with a well-crafted wooden bridge. As you step onto it, a carpet magically appears and unfolds, leading straight to a beautiful purple tent. The roof is adorned with the same gold finials that top the towers in the town and at the crown there is a gold letter Z, shining in the sun.  You enter the tent and are greeted by a character who reminds you of a magician. He is wearing a purple cloak trimmed with gold, and a magnificent turban, covered in stars and fastened with a huge safety pin. In the centre of the turban is the biggest jewel you have ever seen. Sticking out from beneath the bottom of his Harem pants are a pair of exotic carpet slippers, with sharply pointed, upturned toes. This is Zom Zom and he introduces himself to you, his magnificent red rope beard swinging from side to side. In his French accent he explains that here you can spend your Collectabells on a new outfit. He shows you several: Red Riding Hood, a Yak, a Mountaineer, a Punk Rocker and a Festival Demon. Your adventurous spirit leads you to choose the Mountaineer and you pay Zom Zom. He claps his hands with glee and says you look marvellous.  You thank him and leave the tent, delighted with your new outfit.  In front of you, the path winds its way between the familiar tall towers with gold finials and the houses adorned with elegant Islamic arches. You smile as you recall the excitement you felt when the flowers blasted you into the sky and the affection you felt for the cut-out birds.  The sun is high in the sky and the heat is building. You are too hot in your Mountaineer outfit and so you remove it carefully and fold it into a bundle. It makes an excellent pillow.&nbs...

No Man's SkyCosy up and snuggle down, for tonight you explore the vastness of the known universe in No Man's Sky.You find yourself in strange and odd place. It's not somewhere you've ever been before and you don't recognise any of the trees or plants. The air smells and tastes different too, but you're not scared. Looking around you notice strange animals and can hear unfamiliar sounds. It doesn't take you long to realise you're on an alien planet. You look up to the sky and see a large moon, and another smaller moon behind it. The sky, at least, is a familiar pink and you're comforted in the knowledge that you're safe, wherever you may be. You start to look for a hut, or a sign of a village. A road maybe or something similar, but you're unable to see anything like that around you, so you start to walk in the direction of a small hill. From there you hope to get a better view of the land ahead of you and try to come up with a plan of action. You're still not sure why you're here, but you're excited by the adventure. As you begin to walk up the hill, you notice a glowing orb in what appears to be a stone sculpture. It looks as though it's beckoning you. You curiously approach it, still slightly cautious. After all, this is an alien world and you don't want to take any chances. But you needn't have worried, for having examined it visually first, you place your hand on it. The orb's light dims and in your mind you hear an unfamiliar language which quickly turns into a phrase in a language you do understand: "Welcome to Manuka" before repeating in the original language you heard. The light fades and the stone sculpture is quiet again. You try touching it again, but nothing happens. You head back towards the hill, hoping to find some one to talk to and fearing that you may have broken a special or important structure. Before you reach the top of the hill, you notice something sticking out of the strange and alien bushes. You can see that the ground around the bushes looks to have been scratched or smeared. You are so close to the top of the hill, but notice you're able to still have an overview of the landscape from near this strange looking thing. You approach, cautiously again in fear that you may be approaching a home of some kind. Maybe it's a nest for the local wildlife, you think. As you get closer, you realise this isn't an animal or plant, it's a spacecraft! It seems to have been abandoned, but it looks like it's in excellent condition, other than a few scratches. After a closer you look, you notice a panel from the side is missing. It looks as though it had had a rough landing and whoever, or whatever, had been flying it was keen to get out for whatever reason. You're delighted the cockpit's canopy is still closed, protecting the inside of the ship from the weather and environment. You resolve to find the panel and start backtracking down the hill following the upturned soil-trail the spacecraft left behind. You suddenly remember, and you've been so distracted, that you've completely forgotten to look over the hill to see if there was anyone to help. You make a note to check once you've had a look for the missing panel. Having looked as thoroughly as you can, you find nothing, so head back towards the spacecraft. As you get nearer, you notice something sticking out of a mound in the ground. You can't believe your luck, it's the missing panel you've been searching for! You grab it and race back to the spacecraft and carefully put it in place. Luckily it doesn't need much moving and, as if by magic, it clicks itself into place. The spacecraft comes alive and you jump into the cockpit, excited to explore the planet from the skies.You ascend and are able to see where you'd landed. You're surprised with how varied the landscape is and are mesmerised by the strange, towering plants that appear to form a forest. You fly over them gracefully, and quietly for your engine makes hardly any sound it seems. As you continue to fly over the landscape, your computer makes a beeping sound. You look down at what appears to be a radar of sorts. There is a word flashing on the screen, but you can't make it out. It seems to be in this strange alien language you'd heard before. Fearing that you may have run out of fuel, or that the spacecraft is more damaged than you expected it to be, you fly cautiously back to the surface. To your relief, as if reading your mind and when you're closer to the ground than you feel comfortable with, the spacecraft lands itself. As you touch the ground, something dislodges between your legs. It's a helmet. Before you put it on you realise that you're actually wearing a whole space suit of sorts. You must have been wearing it since the moment you appeared in this world but, in your excitement, hadn't noticed it. The canopy of the cockpit opens, and you jump out of the spacecraft with the helmet. You immediately put it on and it comes to life on its own. All of a sudden you can see information popping up on the screen in a language you understand. As you look around, your helmet highlights plants and minerals giving you information on their composition and their use. You are able to see all the flora and fauna through your helmet's interface, as well as places of interest. You notice that there are other place of interest across the solar system you're in. Looking up to the sky you can see icons identifying different points on different planets. You also notice a scan button on your suit. Pressing it releases a very small echo wave that scans the planet you're on very quickly. You notice that other than one more of those sculptures nearby, there is nothing here. You look up to the sky and see "Space Station". You've never been to a space station before, so you decide to head there in hope of maybe meeting someone, or something else. But before you head back to your spacecraft, you make your way to the last of the sculptures hoping, with your newfound helmet, that you may learn something new.Like before, you place your hand on it, and another sentence flashes in your mind, but this time it's clearer and seems to have been translated by your helmet - as you'd suspected. "This is a safe planet, in a safe solar system. You'll find no trouble here." You feel safer now, and head to your spacecraft with excitement and ready to leave this world. As the canopy closes, you instinctively look towards the space station you spotted earlier. It has moved in the sky, so it takes you a moment to figure out where it is again, but you helmet helps you locate it and lock its coordinates into the spacecraft's navigation system. You press the ignition button and the ship jerks up before smoothly moving forward. You notice a boost and start to climb out of the sky and towards space. But you know you'll need more power to break through the atmosphere so you press and hold a "booster" button which you can now see thanks to your helmet. The spacecraft lurches forwards, you are pushed hard back into your seat and your spacecraft climbs quickly through the clouds - the blue of the sky getting darker as you finally break through the planet's mesosphere, then the thermosphere and finally the exosphere, the last layer of the atmosphere before space. As you enter the black of space, your engines quieten significantly. You remember that you don't need any more thrust as there is no friction or gravity in space. Carrying the speed from exiting the planet will be enough to keep you on track, flying silently and swiftly towards the space station. You can't believe you're in space again, it's quiet and peaceful. From here you look behind you to the planet you've left. Its green and blue hue emanate into the darkness of space. Slowly it disappears, and you notice a variety of other planets, before your spacecraft automatically redirects itself to put you on course to the space station. You ...

Mars Horizon** Kindle eBook available - for those that want to read along and immerse themselves in the beautiful artwork **Cosy up and snuggle down, for tonight we explore our inner solar system with Mars Horizon.You find yourself in what appears to be a huge field. It's flat as far as the eye can see, except for when you turn around, a number of varying size buildings dominate the landscape. There are towers and a large building that connects to a number of smaller buildings around it. To you it looks like a hospital, you know different buildings will help people in different ways. Intrigued, you make your way towards the main building. Because the building is so large, you miscalculate it's distance from you. It takes a little longer to wander over to it than you thought, but this time allows you to study the place more. You realise what you mistook for towers weren't towers, but intricate scaffolding. You also notice the flags on the buildings. The main building houses lots of different countries' flags as well as another flag you don't recognise. This flag has a space shuttle blasting off what appears to be Earth with a massive smoke trail behind it and heading towards a red planet. You realise you must be at some kind of space agency, and the towers you noticed are the launch pads for rockets that explore our tiny, local part of this vast universe.Before you know it, you're standing in the atrium of the building you were heading towards. It's a light and spacious lobby that has rockets, spacecraft, rovers, pictures and many more models - exhibiting the history and legacy of this agency. You're impressed and are captivated by all this history which surrounds you. Before you're able to get too lost in your thoughts, you're approached by a soft-smiling person who indicates for you to follow them. Something about their face is familiar, and you are here to complete a mission it seems. Without hesitation, you follow them through the security areas and enter the heart of the building. As you make your way through the building you notice more pictures of space that you'd never seen before. Some of the missions from this agency have been highly successful it seems, and you're keen to see what your mission will be.You and your companion finally approach a large door which they unlock with a keycard. Almost like the doors of an elevator, they peel away in layers revealing a huge room with hundreds of desks facing the wall in front which has numerous large screens across its width. You know that this is the beating heart of the agency, the operations centre. From here, every rocket, shuttle and satellite is launched and the low whirring of the computers' fans, the quiet chatter from the people and the beeps from the various space missions create a sound of determined calm. Everyone knows what they're doing, only talking when they need to confirm or collaborate. Your guide nods towards the front of the room where a seat has been left for you. You're not sure yet what you're supposed to do, but you walk towards the desk and take a seat. With a tap of a button your screens come to life and takes you directly into a program that has some simple maths equations. A little bit of addition, some subtraction as well as some fractions pop up on screen. You answer nearly all the questions perfectly, only miscalculating one of the fractions. But it's ok and it doesn't stop you from getting to the next screen. You turn to look at your guide, but they're gone. There is no-one sitting either side of you, so you decide to continue exploring the program which brings up a pop-up message. "Welcome to the Checkpoint Space Agency. Today we will launch a satellite that will travel across our solar system to study Haumea (Ho-ME-Ah), a dwarf planet on the edge of our solar system," the message reads. Your eyes light up. You remember this planet from looking at space books when you were very small with your parents. You remember its potato-like shape and its red eye. You remember wondering what it would be like to sit on the edge of the solar system looking back at the sun and all the planets in-between. "To proceed, please press ENTER. You will be required to solve some puzzles to help the on-board computers learn how to solve them in case they have problems in space."You press ENTER and the screen goes black for a second or two before flickering back to life. On the screen you can see a number of objects that need to placed into containers of a similar shape and size. Much like the shape blocks you played with when you were younger, you have to fit the right shape into the right hole. At first it's quite simple, but as you progress through the program the shapes get more complicated and colours are also introduced. Your work will hopefully aide in the success rate of the mission as the computers will be able to identify more complicated shapes and colours thanks to your input. You have to concentrate more than you thought you needed to, but you enjoy the challenge and soon find your rhythm with very few errors. As you work away, you can see on one of the screens the launch and operations team preparing the launchpad and rocket for your mission scheduled for later that day. Suddenly, there is a cheer from the far part of the operations centre. One of the teams, the European Space Agency, has been working for months on a satellite orbiting the sun. They have just successfully completed a full orbit of the sun. It's the first time any agency has achieved this. You look over briefly to the team high-fiving and hugging. You hope your input will help the Checkpoint Space Agency be as successful as the solar orbiter team, but you know your mission could be more perilous and will take a lot longer to reach Haumea, being so far away and on the edge of our solar system. Inspired by the success of the other team, you work harder than you've worked before trying to connect the shapes and colours to their relevant places. After what seems to be just a few minutes, the program ends. You've completed the exercise and the on-board computer system now has all the information it needs to successfully make its way through the solar system. A notification comes up on the screen thanking you for your time and informing you that your input had increased the chances of success of the mission by 35%. This may not seem like much to you, but it's a significant increase and you only realise how significant it is when you finally look away from the screen and see the rest of the Checkpoint team looking at your screen and clapping, thanking you for your time and knowledge. You feel a sense of pride and an incredible feeling of achievement. You check back on the wall-mounted screen of your mission's launchpad and notice the preparations for the launch of your mission have been completed. You've always wanted to see a rocket launch. You look towards the rest of the team. They know what you're thinking and nod in approval. You respond with a thankful smile and make your way out of the mission control room and through the building to the exit nearest to the launchpad. You step out into the early dusk, it's been hours since you first entered the building and had no idea how long you'd been working on the program that will help your mission. It's still warm and the sky looks as though it's painted with broad strokes of orange, purple and dark blue. You can see the rocket being prepared for launch and find a hillock to sit and watch it from a safe distance. Leaning back against a tree and on a patch of the softest moss you make yourself comfortable. You know you won't have to wait long before it takes off into the ever-darkening night sky. As you finally settle, you can hear the cou...