LITMIR.BIZ

      ‘You know – SPACE BLASTERS?’

      Their expressions told me that they did NOT know about SPACE BLASTERS.

      ‘It’s all about Captain Jane and Spaceman Jack’s adventures with their alien friend Five-Eyed Frank. They travel on TUBS, which stands for “The Universe’s Best Spacecraft”, and BLAST through wormholes to other galaxies and fight bad guys. It’s the BEST!’

      ‘So . . . it’s like a less cool Star Wars ?’ said Bernard.

      ‘No,’ I scoffed. ‘It’s WAY cooler.’ I actually wasn’t totally sure. I’d never seen Star Wars.

      Zoe and Bernard were still looking at me like they didn’t believe SPACE BLASTERS was the best show in all of the universe. ‘You’ll understand when you watch it,’ I said.

      ‘All right,’ Zoe said, and Bernard nodded. And then we were at the Space Museum.

      And that is when it all REALLY went wrong.

      After waiting in a super long queue we were FINALLY in the Space Museum.

      And it was awesome. We even got to go inside the spaceship! I felt like I really was Spaceman Jack.

      ‘This is AWESOME,’ I said.

      Then someone snorted. That someone being the worst person in this galaxy, and maybe in all of the galaxies. That someone being Ralph Philip Zinkerman the Third.

      ‘This place is so lame,’ said Ralph. ‘Real space camp will be way cooler. I’m going inside an anti-gravity machine.’

      If anything was going to ruin the trip to the space museum, it was Ralph. He’d told us all about how he was going to a fancy-schmancy space camp in the summer. The kind that costs about a bajillion dollars. The kind that I would give ANYTHING to go to.

      ‘Hey, Sam Wu-ser,’ said Ralph. He laughed an evil-villain laugh. He thinks it’s hilarious that he could make my last name rhyme with loser.

      Ralph knocked on my spaceman helmet. ‘What is this thing on your head? Are you supposed to be an astronaut? I can’t tell through all the lameness.’

      ‘I’m NOT an astronaut,’ I said. ‘I’m a spaceman. TOTALLY different.’

      Ralph snorted. Again. He’s a master of snorts.

      Before I could explain, Zoe jumped in.

      ‘Sam is OBVIOUSLY Spaceman Jack,’ she said. ‘From SPACE BLASTERS. Haven’t you ever heard of it?’

      This is why Zoe is the greatest friend in the history of the universe.

      ‘Spaceman Jack?’ said Ralph, frowning. ‘Sounds dumb.’

      ‘Tell him all about Spaceman Jack and Four-Eyed Fred!’ said Bernard. He was bouncing next to me, waving his lightsaber around.

      ‘Five-Eyed Frank,’ I corrected, but it didn’t matter. I looked Ralph straight in the eye. Just like Spaceman Jack always looks at the bad guys before he battles them.

      ‘Spaceman Jack is the bravest being in all the galaxy.’

      Ralph snorted (seriously he could win a snorting competition). ‘And you are supposed to be this “Spaceman Jack”?’ he said.

      I nodded so hard that my helmet slipped over my eyes and I had to push it back up.

      ‘Well, if you’re so brave, why don’t you get in that thing?’ Ralph smiled a nasty smile and pointed over my shoulder.

      I slowly turned, then my stomach dropped into my shoes.

      It looked like a giant dinosaur egg. If a giant dinosaur egg was also a bomb.

      ‘It says For Adult Riders Only,’ said a new voice.

      It was Regina. Ralph’s twin sister. But she wasn’t evil like he was. ‘Sam shouldn’t go in that,’ she said. ‘And I think it’s broken. It might be dangerous.’

      ‘I thought you were supposed to be some brave spaceman?’ Ralph said to me. ‘Or are you too scared, Sam Wu-ser?’

      I swallowed and wiped some sweat from my eyebrow. ‘I’m NOT too scared.’ (I was pretty scared, but hiding it incredibly well, I thought).

      ‘Come on, Sam!’ Zoe whispered. ‘Bernard and I will watch out for Ms Winkleworth. You can do it – show everyone that you aren’t afraid!’

      ‘Don’t do it, Sam!’ said Regina. ‘You’ll get in trouble. Or worse!’

      By ‘worse’ I think she meant that the Astro Blast Simulator could kill me. Because it looked like it could.

      ‘Now, Sam! Ms Winkleworth is looking away – this is your only chance!’ said Zoe.

      ‘He won’t do it,’ said Ralph.

      You can do it, Sam, said a voice in my head. It was the voice of Captain Jane, the captain of the Space Blasters crew. Sometimes, when I’m feeling SLIGHTLY less brave, I hear Captain Jane or Spaceman Jack in my head. Don’t you think I was afraid when I went through my first wormhole? Or when I first saw the Ghost King on TUBS? Do it for the universe, Sam.

      I knew what I had to do. I couldn’t let Captain Jane down.

      I turned and looked at Zoe, Bernard and Regina. I shot my hand up towards the sky like a rocket. ‘For the universe!’ I declared and then, before I could change my mind, I ran as fast as I could towards The Astro Blast Simulator.

      I hoped they didn’t see how much I was shaking. Which wasn’t even that much.

      It was dark inside The Astro Blast Simulator. Darker than I thought it would be. Dark like in-space dark.

      Before I even got my seat belt on or could turn on one of

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