Simone Says

Simone Says: Into the Caves

The red sun of planet Zyon-3 glowed low in the sky. A family of Jamaican scientists stood at the mouth of a giant cave. Their silver robots, shaped like tall crabs with glowing blue eyes, hummed quietly beside them.

Dr. Simone, the mother and leader, placed her hand on the rocky wall. “This cave holds secrets,” she said. “But remember—when I say Simone Says, you act.”

Her daughters, Adranae and Shakira, nodded quickly. They loved adventures. Adrian, their father, checked the scanners. Lorna and Douglas, the grandparents, adjusted their backpacks. Even though they were older, their minds were still sharp, and they wanted to be part of the discovery.

The family stepped inside. The cave was cool and dark. Strange crystals sparkled like stars on the ceiling. The robots crawled ahead, shining bright lights that cut through the shadows.

“Look!” Adranae shouted. She pointed to a wall of glowing green symbols. “It’s writing!”

Shakira touched the stone. “Do you think aliens made this?”

Adrian studied the symbols with his tablet. “It looks like a code, but I can’t read it yet.”

The ground began to rumble. Pebbles rolled across the cave floor. Douglas frowned. “This place is alive. We must be careful.”

Simone raised her hand. “Simone Says stop!”

At once, everyone froze. The robots locked their legs and stood still. A huge crack opened in the ground only a few steps ahead. Lava glowed far below.

“Good thing we listened,” Lorna whispered.

“Robots,” Simone ordered, “build a bridge.”

The crab-robots extended their long legs and created a shiny metal path.

“Simone Says cross!”

One by one, the family crossed the bridge. Shakira held her grandmother’s hand. Adranae skipped fearlessly, her eyes wide with wonder.

On the other side, they entered a wide chamber. At its center stood a giant crystal tower, glowing gold. Energy hummed around it, and the alien symbols appeared again, circling the tower like fireflies.

“This must be the power source of the planet,” Adrian whispered.

Douglas’s eyes twinkled. “If we learn from it, Earth could have endless clean energy.”

But the tower began to pulse faster. The light grew brighter.

“Simone Says shield your eyes!” Simone called. Everyone covered their faces just as a beam of light shot upward through the cave roof. The ground shook again.

Adranae peeked through her fingers. “It’s like the crystal is waking up.”

“Or warning us,” Shakira added.

Simone thought quickly. “Robots, record everything. Family, we must go before the cave closes.”

The robots stored data in their glowing cores. The family hurried back across the metal bridge. Rocks started to fall, but each time danger came, Simone gave a command:

“Simone Says run!”
“Simone Says duck!”
“Simone Says climb!”

At last they reached the sunlight outside. The cave sealed shut behind them, hiding the golden tower once more.

Everyone caught their breath.

Shakira grinned. “That was the best game of Simone Says ever!”

Lorna laughed. “It was no game, child. That was survival.”

Simone smiled at her brave family and their loyal robots. “Today, we didn’t just survive,” she said. “We discovered the first heartbeat of Zyon-3. And this is only the beginning.”