Emergency!

David and I's short story.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1906avExUTqh-NLYPIGoXLSz6WODMZaZ_-XgvwHfA9do/edit?hl=en_US



Emergency!
by David and Michelle Ku
“Emergency!” read Radoosta on his message board.
A giant exclamation mark popped out on his screen. Radoosta reached out his right index finger to touch it.
“TADA!”
“Congratulations! You have just won a seven-month fishing trip to the Nitrogen seas of planet Koolant.”
“You must be kidding me!” Radoosta jumped up out of his chair, hitting the ceiling.
“Ouch!” exclaimed Radoosta.
“This time I will surely catch the fabled Elu fish!” He declared.
Unfortunately, he won’t be catching one in the near future, as planet Koolant is a dreary three-month trip from home, and nothing exciting ever happens on a spaceship.
Seven weeks have passed and Radoosta is nearly bored to death. He has gone through the same routine, the same food, the same drink, the same entertainment, as if the same exact day had gone by 49 times.
“Been----Bean-----Ben-----Ban”
“Huh what?” said Radoosta in his zombie-ish early morning voice. “What’s that annoying sound? I’m sure I didn’t set the alarm so early!”
“Been----Bean-----Ben-----Ban-----Been-----Bean-----Ben-----Ban”
“Fine, I’ll get up.” Radoosta threw up his blanket, jumped up from his bed, and stood up like a soldier.
“What’s this, Kon? Playing tricks on me?”
“Beep. Certainly not. I have no sense of humor. I do not have a ‘play tricks’ module installed. If you desire such a behavior there is a selection of programs on Amabom.com” The monotonic, computer-generated voice replied.
“Let me see. Where’s the ‘off’ button? I thought I put a big sign in front of the ‘stop buzzing’ button! Why can’t I find it?” Radoosta ran around the cockpit looking frantically for the right button.
“Kon! Where is the button?”
“Beep. You looked: five. point. one. minutes and passed over the button: six. times. Intelligence quotient: 46. Your green sign is right over there. Left wall.”
“Kon, what are you talking about? How can I not see a gigantic sign?”
“Beep. Intelligence quotient: 31. Your wall is green!”
“Fine, Whatever! Now tell me what all this buzz is about.”
“Beep. We are entering an asteroid belt. There is a 61.3% chance of collision. Ship speed too high to change course. You can start praying.”
“Don’t be so useless! Do something! Isn’t your intelligence quotient supposed to be off the scales?”
“Beep. There’s no use flattering me. I’m a computer. I do not fix things. I only do what I have been programmed to do.”
“Now, let me think. No, I can’t think right now. We are all doomed!”
“Beep. Lights off. Asteroid collision. Power generator damaged. System shutting down. Have a nice day.” All the lights around Radoosta shut off in unison, leaving him in total darkness.
“I can’t see anything! I knew I couldn’t trust a lifeless computer. I always have to do everything myself.”
Bling! A flash of light zoomed past the cockpit window.
“Light! Hope! We’re saved!”
Suddenly there came a grating noise from the back of the ship. Immediately, Radoosta glanced backward. Stars were gleaming before his eyes.
“Wait! What’s happening? Where’s the back of my spaceship? What’s that?”
Looking out of the window Radoosta saw that the blip of light was in fact a giant, an unusually shaped life form sparkling with visible energy.
“HA! HA! What a great surprise?” Came its slow, baby-like voice. “This will be perfect for Zoofi’s toyland! Zoofi will be happy!”
“What a disgusting sound! Who does he think he is?” Radoosta jumped out of his hiding place, wielding his tiny laser pistol and declared, “Whatever you are, you’re never going to stop me from going to Koolant.”
“A tiny human huh? You don’t even have control of your own spaceship! Who are you to talk to me?”
“You better have a good explanation for taking my spaceship apart, you ugly looking substance!”
“I’m the magnificent Sheemiba. You will regret talking to me like that!”
“Sheemiba? What a hilarious name! You call yourself ‘magnificent’?”
Immediately, the steaming Sheemiba grabbed Radoosta’s spaceship with his magnetic hand, intending to fling it out into the depths of space. In reality however, a loud crackle emitted from where the giant hand met the metal, and a visible flow of energy transferred into the spaceship, lighting the whole thing up.
“Wait! What’s happening? I can’t get it off. My power...!” exclaimed Sheemiba. The light around his body began to dim and his body waned, slowly at first but faster and faster until he was not much bigger than the ship itself.
“Nobody ever mess with Radoosta!” Came the triumphant cry.
“Ahhhhhhhh! How is this possible?...” Sheemiba’s voice was now a thin, reedy thread of sound coming from a collapsing ball of substance. Soon there was nothing left of him except for his giant hand, which soon loosened and drifted slowly off into the nothingness.
“Silly aliens.” Radoosta said snobbishly. “Don’t they know not to touch bare wires? Oh well, power is restored. Kon should be back on in no time!”
Sure enough, when Radoosta returned to the cockpit, the resident supercomputer was up and running again.
“Beep. System online. Power levels unusually high. This place is a mess. Better clean up.”
“Welcome back, Kon! You missed the most exciting fight ever! I defeated an ugly giant alien! Koolant, here I come!”
“Beep. You are hopeless. Intelligence quotient: 0.”

2 The Three-Day Blow by Ernest Hemingway (finished 8/24/2011)

Nick picked up an apple on his way to Bill's house. There was the first autumn storm which probably would last for three days. Bill's father went out to hunt. Bill and Nick began drinking whisky diluted with water. Bill said that his father said that the person who opens a bottle of wine will be a drunkard, so he will just drink the ones that were already opened. Nick and Bill talked about baseball, literature of Chesterton and Walpole, their fathers' drinking habits, and finally Nick's lost of his girlfriend, Marjorie. Nick went to get a log for the fire, but on his way, he hit a pan full of apricots. He picked up the apricots, put them back into the pan, and added some water. Then he saw himself in a mirror, but he looks different. He was not bothered by his distorted image and went to the fireplace. Nick's father was a doctor, so he never drinks. Nick and Marjorie were about to get married, but he let her go. Bill said that Nick was making the right decision, because if he was married, they would not be able to hunt and spend time together. Nick was relieved when he heard that on Saturday, he can always go into the town to find Marjorie. Nick and Bill kept telling themselves they were not drunk, but they were drunk. At last they went out to find Bill's father.

3 The Standard of Living by Dorothy Parker (finished 8/26/2011)

Annabel and Midge were two best friends. They worked together and spent most of their times together. They always ate greasy food, but they were very thin. They did everything a working person should not do, wearing short skirts, lipsticks, colored nails, dyed hair, and darkened eye lashes. Usually on Sundays, they spent time with two young men who often changed but were similar to the old ones. Annabel and Midge usually walked across the Fifth Avenue with their heads up, back straight, and steps straight in the afternoons and played the game, what-would-you-do-if-you-had-a-million-dollars?, an improved version. Annabel added that a person died and gave you a million dollars, but you can only spend the money on yourself. Midge added that an old stranger saw you and thought you have lots of nice things, so after he died naturally in his sleep, he gave you a million dollars. One day, they were playing this game. Midge asked Annabel what she would do first after she received the million dollars. Annabel said that she would buy a silver-fox coat. Midge was disappointed and said that it was such a common thing. Annabel and Midge did not talk for a while until Annabel suddenly changed her mind and said that she would buy a mink coat. Then they continued to play the game. Annabel asked Midge what she would do first with the million dollars. Midge said that she would buy a mink coat as well in a mechanical way, because it was such a hot afternoon. Mink coat does not seem so appealing. Then Midge saw the two row of pearls wrapped with green emerald. She changed her mind and said she would buy a string of pearls. Annabel challenged Midge to go in and ask the price of the pearl necklace. They went in and found out that it costs 250,000 dollars. When they were in the store, they had terrible looks and left with the same terrible look. Midge said that it costs a quarter of a million dollars! They both walked discouraged and hit one another while they walked. Suddenly, Midge straightened her back and restarted the game by asking Annabel what she would do first if an old man left her 10 million dollars.

1 The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield (finished 8/22/2011)

Wealthy Laura and her family had a garden party. It was all planned out perfectly until Laura heard that Mr. Scott in her neighborhood had just died of a horse accident. Laura was confused. She felt that it was wrong for her to have a garden party while a funeral was going on in her neighborhood. Her sister and her mother both told her to forget about the dead man and enjoy the perfect party. They thought that it was none of their business. Laura had the most successful party. When the party was over, her mother Mrs. Sheridan saw the leftover food, so she made a basket. Laura was angry that her mother did not stop the party but wanted to give the "leftover" to Mr. Scott's family. Eventually Laura went to the dark people area and into Mrs. Scott's house. She was afraid, because she was wearing the most beautiful hat she had just got from her mother. She wanted to run away, but it was too late. Mrs. Scott invited her in and Laura saw Mr. Scott lying peacefully on his bed, dreaming. Never to be awaken. Laura thought about how he looked so happy and content and magnificent. He had gone away from all the things in this world. Then she left and started crying and met Laurie, her brother, on the street. Laura tried to tell Laurie "Isn't life..." but she could not say what is was. Laurie told her he understood.