Zebop – and the Terrible Gorble
By William V. Shoemaker III
Illustrated by William V. Shoemaker II
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2012
License Notes
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Chapter 1
Once upon a time, there was a space explorer named Zebop.
Zebop liked traveling from planet to planet meeting different beings.
Some were advanced life forms.
Some were not.
Some were happy to meet him.
Others were not.
Either way, Zebop had fun on his adventures.
One day Zebop was zipping along through the galaxy, when something went terribly wrong. His spaceship began tumbling out of control.
Even though Zebop was a very experienced astronaut, he could not regain control of his little ship. He became very frightened because he didn’t know what to do or where he was going. He might run into a comet or crash on a moon where nobody could find him. Even worse, he could tumble out of control and into a star.
While he was trying to get control, he saw something flash past his window. Could it be a planet he wondered? If he could just get control for a little bit, maybe he could land and make the needed repairs to his ship.
Zebop struggled and struggled with the controls until finally, he had just enough control to attempt a landing. His ship was tossed and bounced as it entered the atmosphere. It was all he could do to keep his ship in one piece.
Finally, after what seemed to be a very long time, the little ship landed with a thump!
“I’m okay!” Zebop shouted. Oh, but his little ship was a wreck. “How am I ever going to get out of here” he wondered. He didn’t even know where here was. “First things first” he said. “I will figure out what’s wrong with my ship, and then I’ll worry about where I am.”
Zebop climbed from his spaceship and began examining the damage.
“Oh my” he sighed. His ship was a mess.
Zebop was strong and smart. He knew if he didn’t do something, he would never make it off this planet. After he looked at all of the damage, he got his toolbox out and went to work. Since he was used to traveling a long way from home, he brought many spare parts. He just didn’t think he would have to use them all at once.
While he worked, he got the feeling he was being watched. He continued working though and just assumed it was his mind playing tricks on him.
Then he heard a rustling just behind some rocks. Now he got a little nervous. If somebody was there, why didn’t they come out and introduce themselves? He had met many different forms of life, and most of them turned out to be quite friendly.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang. The last thing Zebop remembered before blacking out was seeing the face of a terrible Gorble.
Chapter 2
Zebop came from the planet Noble. Noble is a very beautiful and peaceful planet. Its people are largely made up of explorers and scientists. Ever since Zebop was a little boy, he always wanted to be an explorer. When he wasn’t in school learning about science and rocket ships, he was reading stories about great adventurers. He studied very hard so he could go to astronaut school, and one day, maybe, become a great adventurer himself.
Part of his studies included lessons on the many different creatures that had been discovered around the galaxy. One of the creatures he learned about was the Gorble. They were thought to be so fearsome, that they would eat the head of anyone they met. The people of Noble weren’t allowed to have any contact with the Gorble.
Zebop’s hard work paid off. He was accepted to astronaut school, and years later graduated at the top of his class. This meant he got his choice of astronaut duties. Zebop signed up to be a deep space explorer.
Chapter 3
As Zebop came to, he couldn’t help but notice how much his head hurt. He also couldn’t help but notice that he was lying on a table surrounded by Gorbles.
When he picked his head up, they all jumped back and looked at him with fear. How odd, he thought. Why would they jump? He also thought it odd that he still had his head.
“I’m Zebop,” he said to the amazement of the Gorble.
“The terrible Noble speaks” one of the Gorble said while trembling.
“Are you going to eat my head,” Zebop said trying to sound brave.
“What are you talking about terrible Noble,” a Gorble spoke up. “Are you going to melt us with your eyes?”