Space Ace and The Flying Shed

By Ian Sanday

John hates baked beans, so when his best friend Eddie gets him to pack ten cans into their spaceship, he gets a bit worried.

The spaceship is in Eddie’s shed. It has got a computer, and a big TV, but it’s made out of old tin cans and bits of wood, so you can imagine John’s surprise when he pushes the big red button and it actually takes off!

Their landing site looks a lot like Eddie’s back garden, except his house has gone, the sky has turned pink, there is a strange looking creature lurking in the undergrowth, they have no phone signal, and it’s getting dark...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ian Sanday
• Release date: Dec 31, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301637911

Ian Sanday

I am an artist, as well as writing children's adventure fiction and heroic fantasy. Visit my website - www.iansanday.com - for more details about me, and what I do.

Book preview

Space and The Flying Shed

By Ian Sanday

Space Ace and The Flying Shed

Published by Ian Sanday

Smashwords Edition

Copyright Ian Sanday 2015

This book is also available in print from on-line retailers

Smashwords Edition, Licence notes

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To Gill.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the following people for their advice, guidance and encouragement.

A big thank you to my Editor, Anne Buhrmann, without whose guidance and encouragement I would have given up a long time ago.

To my son, Phil, who encouraged me to write down the bedtime stories, and to my daughter, Alison, who read the manuscript and gave me a young person’s viewpoint. The words ‘page turner’, and ‘couldn’t put it down’, gave her dad the motivation to keep going.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

About the author

Chapter One

I am on my way to Eddie’s house, to see if he is ready for school. I bet he is still in bed, we broke the spaceship last night and he said he was going to stay up late and fix it.

The spaceship is in Eddie’s shed. We built it out of wood and bits of junk we found in his back yard. It is squat and saucer like, and it has an engine that Eddie made out of an electric motor and a big lorry wheel that spins around underneath. I put in the two windows, and we nailed bits of tin onto the outside and then sprayed them with paint.

The cockpit has two seats from an old car, lots of brightly lit buttons, a big screen, and a computer that Eddie’s mum gave him for Christmas. ‘Top of the range’ says Eddie, I don’t know what make it is but the graphics on the flight simulator are awesome.

Here we are, Grange Gardens, this is Eddie’s house. Actually it is more like a small castle than a house, it is really old and a bit spooky, especially at night. It is difficult to see from the road because there is a high hedge, big iron gates and a long tree lined drive. I have to press a button to open the gates and speak my name into a microphone. Voice recognition system according to Eddie, and the gate will only let ‘friends’ in. There is a camera on a pole and it swivels round to look at me, then the gates open with a creak.

I cycle up the drive as fast as I can, we are going to be late… again. We are always late. His mum and dad don’t seem to be around much to wake him up. In fact I don’t think I have ever met his dad.

I knock on the door. No answer. There isn’t a microphone, so I shout; Eddie, come on. It’s John and we are late.

There is still no answer.

Eddie, open the door will you… EDDIE!

I bang on the door again, this time with my fist… boom, boom, boom!

Eddie, if you don’t get down here soon I’m going to…. I know. I pick up a small stone and throw it at his window, just as a mop of jet-black hair pokes out, followed by a crinkly face covered in red pillow marks and dry bean juice around the chin. Eddie likes beans, I think it is the only thing he can cook.

Ow! What was that for? The stone bounces off his head and clatters to the ground. What are you doing here at this time of night? he asks, rubbing his head.

It’s morning, Eddie, and we are late for school.

But I’ve only just had my supper, he complains.

Not beans, was it?

Yes, how did you know?

Lucky guess, I say. Come on, we’ve got Miss Hatherton this morning and you know what she’s like if we are late to class.

Dragon breath! I’ll be right down, he says, and disappears.

Two minutes later a kitchen window slides open and an arm and a foot appear, followed by the rest of his body. His uniform is way too big for him, long trousers with turn-ups and a baggy shirt that is always creased. When I asked him about his clothes he said his mum never has time to go and buy him any, so she buys big ones for him to grow into. He will have left school by the time he fits into the ones he has on today.

Here, give me your bag, I say as he struggles to squeeze through the gap.

It’s okay, he replies, snatching it out of the way, I can manage.

Eddie has a special bag, and he never lets it out of his sight. It’s a strange looking thing. His mum gave it to him after a trip away. It is jet black, I mean really black; blacker than coal at midnight, and it is made out of this extra tough material that never rips, or snags, or shows any dirt. He carries everything inside it. In fact I don’t know how he gets it all in. It must weigh a ton.

Why don’t you just use the door?

Its booby trapped and dad has changed the deactivation code, he replies.

Oh, okay, I say. What have you got in there that is so special anyway? I ask, pointing at his bag.

"Just stuff," he replies, scratching his head. I think he might have nits; he is always scratching his head. His hair is very thick and messy, he never brushes it and I think he cut it himself because it is all raggedy. I like my hair short, I’ve got brown hair and it goes all curly if I let it grow long.

"What sort of stuff?" I ask.

Err… homework, and equipment, and stuff, he shrugs.

Let me have a look? I ask, pulling at the strap.

Get off, he says, snatching it away. It’s private, okay?

Whatever.

English is so boring, says Eddie as we cycle down his drive, I should really stay here and fix the ship. Tomorrow is a big day.

Why, what is so special about tomorrow?

Ah, well, you see I have got this app and I have been tracking the satellites in orbit overhead.

I look up.

And I have found a gap.

What sort of a gap?

A gap we can launch through without hitting anything, he replies.

Launch what?

Our spaceship.

The one in the shed?

He nods.

But it can’t fly, it’s made out of old scraps and bits of tin.

It will when I have fixed it, I have made a few upgrades, and tomorrow we are going to make history. Tomorrow we are actually going to go into space.

You are mad, you are, I say, shaking my head and laughing.

I know, he grins, his big, brown eyes glowing with excitement.

Chapter Two

Anyone for football down the park? asks Ben on the way out of school.

Nah, mum wants me home early for tea, I lie.

Sure? he asks, surprised. We always have a kick about on a Friday night.

I shake my head.

Your loss, he says. Here, Pete, pass me the ball, he shouts.

Mum is surprised to see me home early too and she puts the back of her hand against my forehead to see if I have a fever.

Are you sure you are all right? she asks. I don’t want you going round to Eddie’s and being ill.

Stop fussing mum, I’m fine.

You are a bit clammy.

I’ve been running. Can we have tea now? I want to get round to Eddie’s house early.

It will have to be something on toast then. I’ve only just put the rice on to boil and the curry will be half an hour yet.

Okay, what have you got in the cupboard?

Bea…

Don’t even say it, I say, holding up my hand. She knows I hate baked beans. I give up trying to understand her sometimes; she has got the memory of a goldfish. If people think Eddie is mad, they should meet my mum.

I’ll wait for the curry, I tell her. Can I pack some crisps and stuff to take to Eddie’s house?

Doesn’t Eddie’s mum have any food then? she asks.

No, not really. Not like yours anyway. It’s mainly out of the can, like soup or spaghetti. That’s probably why he’s so small, he needs some proper food – like pizza, or a double super-size cheese burger. Yum!

Okay, but leave your sister some. I’m not going shopping until tomorrow.

I pack the lot.

What are you doing now? mum asks.

I’m packing. Duh!

Why do you need such a big bag? Hang on a minute, John. Why are you taking so many clothes? How long are you going for exactly?

I’m stopping over at Eddie’s until Sunday, remember?

I never agreed to all this.

Yes, you did mum. I told you yesterday. I open and close my mouth, making goldfish noises behind her back.

I don’t want a whole bag load of washing when you get home, she warns. And what’s that you’ve got there?

My Swiss Army knife, the one Granny got me from Switzerland.

And a torch? What are you up to, John Jessup? she asks suspiciously.

Nothing, mum, I protest. Eddie doesn’t have any lights on at night and the last time I was there, I nearly fell down the stairs getting up to go to the bathroom.

Hmm, she says, staring at me through slit eyes. Don’t you go embarrassing me, do you hear? she warns, pointing her finger at me.

As if I would, I reply. The trouble with my mum is that she always knows when I’m not quite telling the truth. She has got this kind of built-in radar she uses for asking me awkward questions.

What aren’t you telling me? she asks, screwing up her face. What are you up to?

I can feel myself blushing. Nothing mum, honest, and I put my hand over my heart before crossing my fingers behind my back, wishing she wouldn’t keep going on.

I’m going to be ringing Eddie’s mum later, she warns, and if I find out that you two are up to no good….

Okay, okay, we’re going to go camping in Eddie’s back garden. Alright?

"Well why didn’t you say so in