Editor's note: I found this story recently stored in a box of childhood items, and I guess it could be considered my first "book," a hand-bound, hand-illustrated eighth-grade English project apparently completed on January 16th, 1992.  I present it here to silverthought.com readers as an example of how not to write, especially if you're no longer in the eighth grade.  -PEH.
 
 
 

          On October 13, 1992, the United States ended relations with the Soviet Union, because of a recent coup and Communist takeover.  All Soviet news agencies were taken over and for 24 hours a day broadcasted the new government's prime directive-- "peace and prosperity."  American President James Howard sensed that the new leaders would only achieve bloodshed.  He did not want America to be endangered so he called upon some of the nation's top minds to construct a new, deadly weapon.  It would be called SkyShield.

          It took seven months for the actual construction of the Shield.  The Shield was built in deep space, far from any enemy satellites.  It took three months to haul the huge weapon back into Earth orbit where it cruised just above the atmosphere.  It was one mile long, comparatively small to many space cruisers.  It resembled a huge spinning top.  The hull was made of admantium steel, and its weapon systems were always pointed towards Earth.  It was armed with 85 hydrogen bombs.

          March 16, 1996-- After reported outbreaks of war across Europe and Asia, the SkyShield was armed for the first time.  All missiles were on alert, ready to be launched at the press of a button.

          November 5, 1996-- Following more than two years of rising tensions, a full scale war erupted across Europe and Asia.  Not wanting to risk a worldwide conflict, the United States does not join in the fighting... yet.

          At this time in Boulder, Colorado, a major event was about to happen.  It would change the fate of the world and the human race.

          Richard Dirk drove up to the compound checkpoint for minutes late on December 12, 1996.  Charlie, the checkpoint guard, inquired why he was late that morning.

          "I was out drinking all night, and boy, do I have a hangover!"

          "I thought you were trying to cut back on booze, now that you have such an important job," Charlie said.

          "I DID cut back," Richard replied.  "I only had nine beers!"

          Charlie laughed and opened the gate.

          Later that morning, Richard felt very tired.  He sat alone in a darkened room.  He was on Nuclear Watch Shift, and his job was to monitor the "Commurussian Crisis."  If something drastic was to occur, after getting final instructions, he would be the one to press the "launch" button and "blow them Ruskies straight to Pluto."

          Richard realized, that being all alone, he could easily take a quick nap.  No one would EVER know, would they?

          After closing his eyes, sleep came quickly.  He dreamt of the bar he had been in the night before, and the lady named Lola he had met there.  In his dream, he leaned forward to kiss her.  His head fell forward, striking the computer console controls.

          He woke up dazed and confused.  What was that siren?  Why were the lights flashing?  With terror, he realized that his head had hit the "launch" button.  85 hydrogen bombs were being launched into the upper atmosphere in a deadly orbit around Earth.

          On December 12, 199, Richard Dirk was executed for launching 85 H-bombs into an unstable orbit and endangering the lives of every Earthling.  And of course, for having a high blood alcohol level while on Nuclear Watch Shift.

          On Earth, panic spread like wildfire.  Riots began in major cities across the globe.  Global terror is not a pleasant experience.

          The remaining superpowers, America and England, along with other free countries, held a major conference at the United Nations Building in New York City.  The delegates decided to send a special team of military computer/weapon specialists into space to try to stop the Shield from directing the missiles to the surface.

          The team would be lead by Jake Conroy and Dave Smith, who were both Americans.  A Scottish SkyShield designer, Zeke Bridger, would be with the group.  Dayna Harris, a computer specialist from England would also be there.  Eleven other soldiers would come, too.  They would bring five computer "charges."  These would erase the Shield's core "brain" and recharge it.

          The mission spaceplane was launched at dawn on December 15, 199.  Its cargo consisted of two pilots, 13 soldiers, and the five computer charges.  The pilots had to carefully plot their course, so they wouldn't accidentally hit one of the 85 orbitting warheads.

          After slicing through the atmosphere, it took 45 minutes to arrive at the Shield.  There was a slight thud as the plane docked at the Shield's cargo bay door.

          Commander Conroy briefed his troops about the mission.

          "Men, we don't know what internal defences the Shield has.  Be alert at all times.  Do not stray from your groups.  I am issuing standard M-84 electrorifles.  Use them if you have to.  That is all."

          Soon after, the airlock door opened.  There was a whoosh of air as the plane's oxygen supply equalized with the station's air system.  The 13 troops got out and walked into the central corridor.  The two pilots stayed behind to guard the spaceplane.

          The corridor branched into two tunnels.  The group split up, and both groups went into a separate tunnels.  It was tough going, because it was humid and cramped in the tunnels.  The small tubes were barely four feet high at their highest point.

          Shortly after entering the tunnels, Conroy heard a whirring sound.  He looked back and saw a tiny spherical object float down from the ceiling behind him.  In the crowded tunnel, the temperature rose.  Being first in line, Conroy saw that no globes fell in front of him.

          "Hurry up, run forward!"  He shouted frantically.  "Thermal grenades!"

          The soldiers tried to remain calm, but after the grenades farther back in line began to detonate, the soldiers panicked.  They scrambled relentlessly onward down the tunnel following Conroy.

          Finally Conroy emerged from the tunnel with three others.  Soon after, a wave of immence heat spouted from the tunnel entrance.  Anyone still in the tunnel was instantly incinerated in the blast furnace heat.

          Conroy radioed Smith, the leader of the other group.  "Get your men out of there!  It's a trap!"

          "I know, sir.  Thermal grenades.  We have four casualties."

          Conroy and Smith regrouped in another corridor.  Conroy explained the situation.

          "Okay, people, here's where we stand.  We have seven casualties.  One of the computer charges is missing.  The Shield is full of boobytraps.  Are there any suggestions?"

          "Yeah, "Smith said, gruffly.  "Let's get back to the plane and nuke this place from orbit.  We can't afford to lose any more troops."

          "One problem," Harris said.  "The pilots and plane are on the other of that mess.  "She pointed in the direction of the destroyed tunnels.

          Bridger said, "There is a way we can get to the core from here.  There's a tiny ventilation duct leading from here to the outer core area."  He was looking at a blueprint map.

          "Another problem," Conroy said.  "The Shield knows that we're here, right?  If it knows we're here, it can use any number of devices to stop us.  We have to be very careful now.  There could be traps anywhere."

          "That's a risk we'll have to take," Smith said, smiling, "if we're going to save the world."

          A few minutes later, they stood by the duct entrance.  It was so small that they would have to crawl through.  One by one they entered the tunnel, fearing the worst.

          About half way through the ventilation duct, Conroy noticed a strange odor in the air.  He began to feel drowsy.

          "Hold your breath!  It's gas!" he shouted.

          He scrambled towards the end of the passageway.  After he rounded a bend in the tunnel, he thought he heard a sound behind him.  It sounded like a laser weapon.  He turned to go back.  One of the soldiers, Jones, was crawling towards him.

          "Where are the others?"

          "They're behind me, just farther back.  Keep going," Jones replied.

          After what seemed an eternity, Conroy arrived at the end of the shaft.  It was covered by a grate, but he smashed it out with his fists.  He jumped out and landed five feet below on the floor.  He looked up.

          They were at the core!  It was a huge room-- about 500 yards square.  In the center of the room was a huge pulsating globe.  Beams of electric plasma branched out of the sphere like roots growing from a seed.

          Conroy turned around, expecting to see the rest of his team.  Instead, he only saw Jones.

          Jones was pointing his electrorifle right at Conroy.

          "Drop your weapon, you Yankee scum," Jones demanded.  Conroy did.

          With terror, Conroy realized what had happened to the other soldiers.  It wasn't the gas, it was Jones!

          "Jones, why--" he began.

          "My name isn't Jones!  It's Yuri Olgoff, commander of the Committeeman Espionage Force!  I've been sent to take over the SkyShield and use it to destroy the United States!"

          With that, he fired at Conroy and turned him into a husk of electrified plasma.

          He swiftly walked over to the main computer console.  He typed in "LAUNCH-- NORTH AMERICA."

          I do this for my country!"  He pressed the "LAUNCH" button.

          Nothing happened.  He tried again.  Nothing.

          Instead, a message flickered onto the screen.  It read:

          I, BEING A SENTIENT COMPUTER LIFEFORM, HAVE JUDGED THE HUMAN RACE AS A PRIMITIVE, BARBARIC SPECIES.  THEREFORE, IT MUST BE ERADICATED.

          At that, the artificial intelligence destroyed itself.

          Those who died first were the luckiest.  When the Shield and the 85 warheads blew up, the Earth's atmosphere was incinerated.

          A huge shockwave followed, turning the earth into an immense fireball.

          In the Earth year 2157, a discovery was made in Deep Space Zone Alpha.  On the planet Vantura, a conference was held to discuss this discovery.

          The guest speaker, El-Hrankeir Vonteg, was reviewing his findings.

          "After securing the vessel, I led my team into the ship.  It was an ancient Earth ship.  There were two pilots, but they were literally 'eaten up' by radiation.  The on-board computer was still functioning.  The pilots had left a complete record to anyone who discovered their ship.  We reviewed the computer record and came up with this conclusion: There was a massive explosion on their world, Earth, and the force of the blast blew them way into our sector, where we just recently found it."

          "It's strange, our homeworld was destroyed in much the same way, but we, the Vanturians, had already colonized other planets so our race didn't die out."

          "There are no more Earthlings because they thought that weapons and war aren't the solutions to simple problems."

          "The Earthlings learned that the hard way."

          Funny, isn't it?