View Full Version : Signs


smrtfriendship
10-30-2006, 12:27 AM
One of my assignments was to create a short story using opening and concluding lines provided by my teacher. Here is my short story, Signs. It would be great if you can read and look out for any spelling and grammar errors. Suggestions to make my story better would be GREAT. Many thanks!

Signs

There seemed little hope for our world, and I knew not which way to turn. The sun was covered in a lunar eclipse by our moon, Hydra. Darkness fell upon Pluto. No source of light was found for miles. The bright, fiery stars now glowed faintly in the night sky. It is time.
The world was ending. The signs had finally shown. It has been feared for many centuries. Many have been preparing for this day; perhaps when the scientists discovered the unstableness of our surroundings many centuries ago. We have been collecting provisions of food, plants, and animals to bring to our future home. We are still not certain what or where our new home is. We are considering a planet called Earth, located many light-years away. I have heard this planet has unlimited resources, especially this liquid substance called water.
Water is our sacred substance. Water is a valuable substance to have in Pluto. Water requires the substances: hydrogen and oxygen. Here on Pluto, our atmosphere is only made of methane. We have no hydrogen and oxygen. Every now and then, very rare chemical reactions occur creating a pint of water. We are not sure how, but it occurs. I, myself, have never saw water. Only the lucky and rich get water. I have heard that water gives you life. It gives you youth. That is probably why many of the rich here on Pluto look so young.
Currently, our scientists are calculating the coordinates of Earth. It is very difficult for them to do so because we are only educated about the system surrounding us. We have no knowledge of the surrounding planets and galaxies. All we can do is use the best of our knowledge to find Earth. Our communities here on Pluto have been shielded from outside life. We are very protective over our technological advancements. We would not want it to fall in the wrong hands; for if it did, who knows what would happen. We use our technology to hide our community. If any intruders were close to our barrier, they would be destroyed. There have been probes that were destroyed just recently. Both had strange labels that said: “NASA: Space Corporation.” We’re not quite sure what it means; for it was written in a different language.
Two more hours. Men are pumping the space vehicle with the finest gases found in Pluto. My family and I are gathering our belongings in our dwelling. After all our belongings inside our dwellings were ready and packed, with a push of a button, our dwelling collapsed into a small cubical container. Slowly, our community started to shrink. One by one, houses started to collapse into their enclosed containers. Soon, the land was bare. We then put our belongings and containers into the vehicle and boarded. The vehicle was big. Rows and rows of seats filled the vehicle.
Ten more minutes. It’s almost time. I look around the space vehicle. Some seemed excited to be departing, and some were miserable. I am full of excitement. I’ve always wanted to explore the planets and galaxies outside Pluto. I hope we locate Earth. I yearn to see water. I want to feel, and maybe drink it. Perhaps, water can make me live forever. This enables to explore all the planets and galaxies I desire. I hope my community isn’t as conservative if we land on Earth. I want to explore.
The scientists are now entering the vehicle. They approach the vehicle’s main computer, and type in the coordinates for Earth. They take their seat. In a matter of seconds, I hear the engines of the vehicle roar. Slowly, our vehicle started to soar off the ground. The speed then started to increase. Faster and faster it went, launching out of Pluto’s atmosphere.
Heat started to fill the vehicle. I look out the window and see that our vehicle was enclosed in a fiery ball. It became warmer and warmer as we sped along. The scientists jumped out of the seat and ran to the main computer. They hastily punched in numbers. The heat in our vehicle then started to decrease.
It was then we saw a sphere-like object approaching us. It seemed small at first, but as it approached us, its size increased greatly. It was a meteor. Screams filled the vehicle. The meteor soared faster and faster towards our vehicle. Our scientists were again at the main computer. They were nervous. Sweat was falling from their face. My heart started to pump faster and faster. In our vehicles, once the coordinates and path is set, it cannot be changed. The scientists are now opening the computer’s circuits and experimenting with the wires. The gap is closing between our vehicle and the meteor. The scientists continue to experiment with the wires. The meteor is now only ten meters away from our vehicle. I look at the faces of my fellow townsfolk. Terror filled their faces. This is perhaps the last moments of our lives. The vehicle shook. This is it. The meteor has crashed into our vehicle. This is the end. I close my eyes, expecting that my life will end. To my surprise, nothing happened. I open my eyes. Relief was seen on the faces of the townsfolk. I look outside and see that we have swerved past the meteor. The scientists sat on the floor, exhausted. Wires stuck out of the main computer. Sparks of electricity were at the tips of the wires. No one ever really figured it out, but we survived.