Life Beyond

By Shawn Zitz
© February 1999

Disclaimers

The following story was inspired after watching Explorers on the The Disney Channel. Explorers and The Disney Channel are copyright of their respective owners.

Comments are appreciated.

On June 13th I was having dinner with my family when a very loud noise startled us. I said, "I'll see what it is." When I opened the door there was nothing there. Then I walked to the back yard. Maybe a crater or a space ship landed. But strange things had been going on around the neighborhood that an alien space shuttle landed four weeks ago.

Then when I reached the back yard I saw something that I didn’t expect. It was a huge shuttle laying in the yard.

I did not know what to do.

I looked at it and there was a big door. Looked pretty big for a door.

I heard a noise inside, so I ran back in the house.

My mom asked, "What is it."

I just told her our neighbor was launching fireworks.

She said, "That was pretty loud for a firecracker."

The next day I called my friend Marc Oddo. He said he'll come over today. Then I called my other friend Zack Hornak. He said I'm crazy, and he's still mad that I dragged him over to the Sanderson's house to see if the guy on the oatmeal box was moving in.

When Marc came over we went to the back yard. On the way Marc said, "If this is really true, you can tease me as long as you want."

I said, "Okay."

When we reached the back yard it was gone!

Marc said, "You dragged me over here to see a hole."

"But it was here!"

"Sure, and I'm Bob Willson."

"The space ship left a mark. The hole must be the mark."

Then Zack came.

Marc said, "Do you believe a space shuttle was here last night."

Zack said, "If you think I'd believe that then you can take my monkey."

"I saw it. It landed here from that direction."

Zack said, "If it came down from that direction I would've seen it."

Then Marc said, "If you saw it you have to have proof if it was here last night."

Then Zack said, "Look at that."

"What," I said, "it's just a piece of junky metal."

Zack said, "Wait a minute. This junky metal is zinc."

I said, "We didn't get zinc."

Then he said, "Then how did it get here?"

Marc said, "Okay we believe you but I'm calling Bill."

I said, "Okay."

"Is there anything else," Zack said.

"Could I have your monkey now."

Zack frowned. Marc called Bill. Bill said that all three of us were crazy.

"Until he comes over," Marc said, "We can't tell any one."

All of us thought of what to do.

Suddenly I got an idea. I told everybody.

Bill said, "It better be a good one."

"We'll make a space ship."

Bill said, "Shawn what are we going to make it out of?"

I said, "We'll go to the junkyard, they have plenty of stuff there."

Zack said, "If we were to build a space ship we'd have to seal it up."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we can't let any spaces show because we will lose air."

Zack had a point.

Marc looked like he was surrounded by weirdoes.

Bill said, "We'll go tomorrow. We'll meet all at the snack shop."

Everybody agreed. The next day we met. We went to the junkyard. We found a lot of stuff. We found a big saucer the size of a truck. Zack found another saucer the exact size.

Marc said, "We could put them together."

I said, "We'll get some wires and electric stuff."

Bill found a steering wheel. We all agreed to bring wires from home that our parents didn't need.

The next day at 1:22 PM we met up at my house. We needed hammers, nails, hot glue, and lots of metal. We nailed the two saucers together, then we worked inside. We put five computers in and five keyboards. We put eight windows in the front and four windows in the back. We took Pepsi One, iced tea, water, orange juice, and Kool-Aid for a drink. To eat we brought potato chips, cookies, Rice Krispy treats, popcorn and sandwiches.

"We'll blast off tomorrow," I said.

When I had dinner my mom asked what that was in the back yard.

I said, "It's a model we're building for a science project."

Dad said, "Are you allowed to bring it in. It looks too big for a science project."

"We're having class outside tomorrow."

Dad said, "Okay."

When I was asleep I had a dream. Our ship was flying in outer space. We explored and found new planets.

When I woke up I was late for school. Then I saw Marc. Then I saw Mr. Lynn, our principal. I told Marc to jump in the dumpster.

Marc said, "Shawn why are you in a dumpster doing your homework?"

"I forgot to set my clock."

"But Shawn its Saturday."

"Oh I knew that."

"Sure you did."

"I can't wait till tonight," I said.

"What if it rains?" said Marc.

"We'll put the windshield wipers on. Besides Joe DeNardo said it would not rain until Tuesday."

At 9:22 PM we met with Bill behind my house.

Zack said, "Are you sure about this?"

"Let's just do it," I said.

We all got in. When Zack said stop I knew it had to be an emergency.

"We have to name the ship. Let's call it the X Lazer."

Everybody agreed.

"I declare this ship called the X Lazer," I said.

When we got in the space ship everybody was exited.

"Systems on," I said.

"We have to check everything before we take off," Zack said.

"Oxygen check…food check…computers check…Emergency Oxygen check…Windshield check…windshield wipers check…and keyboards check."

We were ready to take off.

"Are our systems on," said Bill.

"Yes," Marc said.

"Do you wont something to drink," said Zack.

I said, "Yes."

"Okay were do you want to go?"

"Just go up," I said.

"What if the ship in your yard was from one of Saturn's moons?"

"Bill, I bet the ship was from your head," I said.

"Man, we must be 1,000 feet up in the air," Zack said.

"I'm getting something to drink," said Bill, "do you want one," he asked me.

"Yes get me some Pepsi One."

"One Pepsi One coming right up."

"Hey look there's Cory's house," Marc said.

"I wonder if he could hear us from up here," Bill said.

"Probably not," I answer.

"I wonder if anything in that ship was alive."

"Maybe," I said.

When everybody looked out the window we were in space!

"Wow!" Zack said.

"Cool," said Marc.

"I wish I hadn't done this," said Bill.

"I feel like I'm going to throw up," I said.

"What's that strange look on Shawn's face," said Marc.

"Wow! What! What!" said Bill.

When everybody looked, there was our planet Earth.

"Hey look there's Asia," said Marc.

We were in space for at least 22 days. At night we slept on a twelve-foot couch. Marc, Zack, and Bill went to sleep but I stayed up. When I was about to go to sleep I heard a loud noise. I woke everybody up.

"What's the big idea," Bill said.

"I heard a noise outside the ship," I said.

"What is it," said Zack.

"I don’t know let's go find out."

We all rushed to the windows. WOW! It was a space ship.

"It looks like its made out of Zinc," said Zack.

"It’s the space ship that was in my back yard."

"It's pulling us to it," Bill said. "We are going in to that hole."

When we were in the hole, machines were taking tests on our ship. After it was done we opened the door and got out. All four of us were speechless.

"Let's go," Marc said.

"Okay," said Zack.

"Man its hot in here," I said.

"I'm wearing two shirts and I'm fine," Bill said.

Sure, I thought to myself. "Where are we?"

When we got to the ship's core we saw something that we didn't expect.

"Its an alien," said Marc.

"Let's go," Zack said.

"Hold up," I said. "It's going to talk."

"Hey, what's up dude?"

"What," I say.

After a while it talked normal.

"What's that noise," Marc said.

"We get music up here."

"Cool," I said.

"My name is Lavardo. You already told me your names."

After eight weeks with the alien we were ready to go.

"It was nice meeting you here," said Lavardo. Lavardo handed me a shiny diamond.

"What is it," I said.

"It’s the secret of the galaxy."

"Thanks," I said.

When we got in the ship, Lavardo said, "I'll be back," then he winked and I winked back.

So we found new life. And it couldn't have ended better than this.

The End