Tech: AR glasses + geofencingJob: Ferry deckhandAuthors: E. H. Ackerman & J. D. AckermanARQS Press
Reading band: Ages 6–11Headline tech: AR glasses + geofencingThe job: Ferry deckhandLocation: The windy harbour ferry terminal, with gulls, blue water, and bright boarding ramps
The Hook
Mizz Zee sends the crew from Nana’s bakery to a harbour safety game full of pixel pirates. The pirates are pretend, but one mixed-up boundary is leading passengers toward a very silly “treasure route.”
Cast in this issue
Tray (10): Mustard-hoodie planner with blue smart glasses.
Jay (8): Lime-shirted snack scout with glowing-lace sneakers.
Rae (12): Purple-jumpsuit engineer with goggles and tool belt.
Captain Imani: Ferry supervisor and marine-safety teacher.
Mizz Zee: Neighbourhood job-broker.
Bolt: Tiny scruffy dog, interested in gulls.
Comic Pages
PAGE 1
PANEL 1Ferry horns hum over blue ramps and orange vests. CAPTAIN IMANI: “Deckhands: vests on, ramp clear, ropes untouched, passengers counted.” JAY: “Bet. I will count responsibly.”
PANEL 2Rae adds a Fold-Out Safety Whistle to her wrench, Propeller Gauge, and Dough Scraper. RAE: “One blast means stop and look.” JAY: “Your belt has a zip code.”
PANEL 3AR glasses show a pixel pirate by an anchor mural. CAPTAIN IMANI: “AR adds computer pictures over the real world.” TRAY: “A see-through sticker that knows where it goes.” JAY: “Pirate sticker? Hyped.”
PAGE 2
PANEL 4A dotted border glows in Tray’s lens. CAPTAIN IMANI: “Geofencing is an invisible digital fence; the game stays away from ramp and water.” RAE: “Like Drone Café’s yellow line.”
PANEL 5BIG COMIC GAG: Jay jumps for a pixel chest and lands in a vest, flipped upright like a puffy orange turtle.JAY: “Treasure! Also, mostly vest.” CAPTAIN IMANI: “Wear it normally, deckhand.”
PANEL 6Tray counts boarders. TRAY: “Twenty-one, twenty-two; Bolt is tiny safety inspector.” JAY: “His report: gulls are sus.”
PAGE 3
PANEL 7A pixel arrow points toward the ramp. CAPTAIN IMANI: “Never there!” TRAY: “The geofence drifted; the game thinks ramp means treasure.” JAY: “A giant nope in pirate clothes.”
PANEL 8Rae blows once; everyone stops behind the line. BIG COMIC GAG: Bolt tries to whistle and squeaks; three gulls tilt their heads.JAY: “Pocket-sized whistle. That tracks.”
PANEL 9Tray uses ticket clock, blue bench, and anchor mural to reset the fence. RAE taps “safe-zone update.” The arrow moves to a puzzle board. JAY: “Big-brain fence repair!”
PAGE 4
PANEL 10The ferry leaves; pirates cheer safely by murals. BIG COMIC GAG: Wind lifts Jay’s wrapper; Captain Imani catches it in her clipboard.CAPTAIN IMANI: “Bins, not sea.” JAY: “Main-character catch.”
PANEL 11Captain Imani pays Rae eighteen coins. CAPTAIN IMANI: “Clear ramp, careful count, fixed game. Fair pay.” RAE: “Pay us properly: confirmed.”
PANEL 12Crew Bank ledger: “03, Ferry wages: +18. Total: 45.” JAY: “Our jar is swole.” MIZZ ZEE texts: “Night market needs live-stream crew.” RAE: “Why does a market need bedtime lights?”
Tech Talk with Rae
RAE’S TOOLBOX BOX: AR glasses place computer pictures over what you see.
A geofence is an invisible boundary on a map that keeps a game in safe space.
We reset ours using real signs.
Funny caveat: pixel pirates say “Ahoy,” not untie shoelaces.
TRY IT: Draw a game zone. What objects mark its corners?
The Job Board
Job title: Ferry deckhand
Who hired us: Captain Imani, harbour ferry supervisor
Rules of the job: Wear vests; clear ramps; never touch ropes; count; heed whistle.
What went wrong: The treasure-game geofence drifted toward the ramp.
How we fixed it: We paused safely and matched the fence to three terminal markers.
What we got paid: 18 coins in wages; Crew Bank ledger total: 45 coins.
Slang Decoder
Hyped:** Extra excited.Sus:** Something that seems doubtful or strange.Big brain:** A very clever idea.Main-character move:** A dramatic, confident moment.That tracks:** That makes sense.
A ferry needs clear ramps, careful counts, and zero treasure arrows near water. When a pixel-pirate safety game loses its boundary, Tray, Jay, and Rae use AR glasses, a sharp whistle, and deckhand skills. The Crew Bank is growing—but a glowing night-market job is calling!
Full-colour graphic-novel cartoon, thick ink and saturated colour: windswept blue harbour terminal and ferry. Tray, warm brown skin, is 10 with short curly black hair, lightning-bolt shaved part on the LEFT, blue camera-dot smart glasses, mustard gear-patch hoodie, teal cargo shorts, orange sneakers, and slim drone-zipper backpack. Jay, lighter brown and freckled, is 8 with wild black hair, missing front tooth, lime rocket shirt, red gadget-pocket shorts, striped and polka-dot socks, purple glowing-lace sneakers, and a puffy orange vest. Rae, dark brown, is 12 with two long black braids with gold cuffs, purple rolled-sleeve jumpsuit, forehead goggles, right-wrist smartwatch, silver-pink high-tops, and belt holding wrench, Propeller Gauge, Dough Scraper, and Fold-Out Safety Whistle. A pixel pirate floats safely by an anchor mural as Bolt barks at gulls.
Issue 03 appears in the collection Tray & Jay: World Explorers with its full-colour comic
illustration, Tech Talk page, Job Board card and Slang Decoder.
