by Dan Mazur
MAN ON THE MOON
It was supposed to be a routine mission to the moon for four astronauts. They were to be there for two weeks to collect some samples to be taken back to Earth. We've been to the moon before and nothing really exciting happened.... until now.
The crew was made up of Jean, Paul, Peter, and another Paul but everybody just called him "Ace". Ace was the youngest member of the team and a bit of a thrill-seeker. This was his first mission but what he really wanted to do was explore the universe.
While the other three astronauts worked collecting samples from the moon, Ace was flying around in a rocket. His rocket was darting around wildly nearly crashing a few times. He found digging on the moon boring and wanted some adventure. The others were growing frustrated with Ace's shenanigans.
Ace got a little careless trying to show off and ended up crashing his rocket into a crater on the moon. The rocket burst into flames as Ace was sent flying. He kept rolling and rolling until he finally stopped. He was okay but was knocked unconscious by the impact.
The other astronauts rushed to the crash site. The rocket had burst into flames and Ace was nowhere in sight. "Ace! Ace!" they all called out. But they couldn't see or hear him. "What do we do Peter?" Jean asked. "We split up and look for Ace. Just remember to keep in constant contact. Uh oh!"
"What's wrong Peter?" asked a worried Paul. "We're running low on oxygen. We don't have enough to go looking for Ace." "But we can't leave him here!" Jean shouted. "Honestly, I don't think he made it after that crash. We need to get back to the shuttle right now!" "But....." "That's an order!"
The crew was silent as they boarded the shuttle and made their way back to Earth. Peter put his hand on Jean's shoulder and said, "There was nothing more we could do. He was too immature for this mission. Part of this is for my fault for including him. We had no choice but to leave." Jean just sat there and didn't say a word.
Ace woke up with a pounding headache. He was miles away from where his rocket had crashed. All he could see for miles was the cold wasteland of the moon and the stars in the sky. He thought he was all alone yet he felt like he was being watched at the same time. But there was no life on the moon, was there?
"Welcome Comrade. My name is 3CP1. I have been on the moon since 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. I've been here doing research ever since. Ace began to breathe heavily. He was getting low on oxygen and started to panic. He felt weak in the knees and everything went dark.
He had blacked out from a lack of oxygen and from the shock of the accident. 3CP1 had taken him to a space station that had been set up on the moon. For something that had been built in 1957, it was pretty impressive inside. "Ah, I see you are awake. Feel free to take off your helmet and relax."
3CP1 had done a lot of work inside to keep the station modern with computers, lasers, and rockets. "What are you working on?" "I've been turning ice into water. Many people on Earth don't have access to clean water. I think I can help them with this melted ice. I just need a test subject." "Oh no!" Ace scoffed.
"Stop being so selfish Comrade. You've been so lucky and had many opportunities that others haven't. Now it's time that you gave back to the world. If you drink this water, I promise to help you get back to Earth. And then you'll become the hero that you already think you are." Ace hesitated for a few minutes before drinking the glass of moon water.
Ace waited for something bad to happen after he drank the water but it never did. "Hey, this water is good! It's very refreshing!" "I'll load up some barrels for you and attach them to the rocket" "Rocket?" 3CP1 had taken some of the parts from Ace's crashed ship and some of his own to build a brand new rocket. "This should get you back home."
"Good luck Comrade. I hope this water improves the lives of many people." "Thanks for everything 3CP1. Are you sure you don't want to join me?" "No. My work never ends." The rocket worked fine at first but started fall apart as Ace got closer to Earth. He promised himself that if he survived he would become a better person.
The rocket crashed into the ocean but not before Ace was able to escape. He pulled the barrels of water with him to shore. He survived and now it was time for him to live up to the promises that he made. Exhausted from his journey, Ace collapsed on the beach.
After being checked out by NASA, Ace was visited by his crew. "We're so sorry for having left you on the moon" Peter said. "If anything you all did me a favor." Ace received a medal for his bravery. The water was able to help grow crops and provide clean water around the world. "I'd like to thank the committee, my family, and the crew. And most of all, 3CP1!"
THE END
ROBBIE THE ROBOT
Roger was a shy, quiet kid who loved to read, write, and draw. He was really interested in science fiction and wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up. He was a little clumsy and didn't like to play sports with the other boys. He'd rather read in the library or draw pictures. He felt out of place at school.
He was a pretty lonely kid. He didn't have many friends and kept to himself. His parents had also recently divorced and so he spent the week with his Mom and the weekend at his Dad's house.
One Friday night, while he was reading a story about robots, Roger had an idea. Why not build a robot to be his best friend? He had some tools and other supplies and so he went to work. Roger was making a lot of noise as he built his robot. "What are you doing up there?" his Mom asked. "Just working on my spelling homework!" Almost there, almost there and.............done! He did it!
Roger turned on the switch and waited. Nothing happened at first but then “he” spoke. "Hello Human" the robot said. "It's alive!" Roger joyfully shouted. "Robbie the Robot!" He was so proud of himself.
As the weeks passed by, Roger and Robbie became really good friends. Roger started to enjoy sports and he had made a couple of new buddies at school. He was also starting to develop some confidence.
One afternoon at school, Roger noticed a poster in the classroom. There was going to be a Science Fair on Thursday. Finally he would get to show everyone his incredible invention.....Robbie the Robot!
The night before the Science Fair, there was a terrible storm. The house shook from all of the loud thunder. The electricity didn't come back on until late in the morning. "Okay Robbie, time to go!" "Robbie....are you alright?" The storm must have shut off his power. He flicked the switch on and off but it didn't work. The fair was starting in two hours. What was he going to do?
Using everything he learned in science class and from all of his reading, Roger finished his project just in time. Before he left, he looked over at Robbie and felt a little sad that he wouldn't be able to attend the fair with him. And wouldn't you know it, Roger won first prize! He had built his very own rocket ship and it actually worked. He was so proud of himself. He rushed home to tell Robbie the good news.
But when he got home, he found his robot lying on the floor. He tried to fix him but Robbie was broken. Roger almost felt like crying but then he realized how much Robbie had done for him. He also came to see how much he had learned about himself.
Roger not only built a robot but he built up his self-esteem as well. Before he had Robbie in his life, Roger was a quiet and lonely kid. Now he had friends and lots of self-confidence. And all it took was a few tools, some hard work, and a little imagination.
THE END