DuringtheUSCivilWar,UnionPOWsescapeinaballoonandendupstrandedonaSouthPacificisland,inhabitedbygiantplantsandanimals.Theymustusetheiringenuitytosurvivethedangers,andtodeviseawaytoreturnhome.Sequeltoཐ,000LeaguesUndertheSea'.WrittenbyStewartM.Clamen<clamen@cs.cmu.edu> In1865,duringthesiegeofRichmond,Virginia,theunionsoldiersPOWCaptainHarding,NebandHerbertescapeinaballoonduringastormwithtwoconfederateprisoners,SergeantPencroftandthejournalistSpilett.TheuncontrollablewindtakestheballoontoamysteriousislandintheSouthPacificintheareaofNewZealand.CaptainHardingself-proclaimstheleaderofthegroupandtheylookforfoodsoonertheydiscoverthattheyarestrandedinanisland.Further,theyareattackedbyagiantcrabthatbecomestheirfirstmeal.Alongthedays,theybuildashelterandfindsthattheislandisinhabitedbygiantanimals.Acoupleofdayslater,theyfindtwocastawaysonthebeach,thearistocraticLadyMaryFairchildandhersexynieceElena.Latertheyfindatrunkwithweaponsandinstrumentslikesextantandshelterwithajournalofamanleftaloneintheislandbypirates.Whenthepiratevesselarrivesintheisland,theyarehelpedbyCaptainNemooftheNautilus,asubmarinethathadsupposedlysunkinthecoastofMexicoeightyearsago.Nemoisfamousasthemanthattriedtoendstrikeamongman.Whenthevolcanobeginsactivity,theyneedtoleavetheislandtosavetheirlives.WrittenbyClaudioCarvalho,RiodeJaneiro,Brazil