Manatee Warriors the Beginning:: Attack of the Chocroids

By Warren L. Jones

Who will step in to save the vulnerable planet Moonark from those who would destroy it and sap its valuable resources? Who would dare to do battle with the fierce Chocroids, the giant and terrifying Muck Mock spiders, and to fight crime from Moonark all the way to distant Earth? Enter the Manatee Warriors, an intrepid group of galactic superheroes whose mettle and bravery sees them through wild adventures of treachery and danger. Aided by the incredible technological advances pioneered by the genius inventor Sweegee, the manatees work as a team to defeat all who would threaten their homeland.

In this thrilling science fiction novel, read on as the Manatee Warriors struggle against the invasion of the powerful Chocroids, restless and dangerous beasts with an appetite for destruction. Then follow our aquatic heroes as they travel to a distant planet called Earth, evading human interference as they seek to understand the source and very nature of the strange mutations which have given them their awesome powers. Will they uncover the answer to this great mystery? Will they succeed in saving Moonark from the forces which besiege it on all sides? Read on, and find out!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 9, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477229637

Warren L. Jones

Warren Levi Jones was born on July 11, 1959 in Jacksonville Florida. He is the eighth of nine children, born to his parents, Mrs. Thelma L. Jones and the late Mr. Arthur Jones. As a young boy, the Jones brothers and some of the other neighborhood children would walk down to a place known in Jacksonville as McCoy’s Creek, on the west side of town. There, he and some of his friends would watch the Manatees feed on the plant life. Sometimes, in the winter months, Warren and some of the other children would go to the creek and watch the “Sea Cows” blow what looked like steam shooting up from their nose. Seeing that kind of thing happening was so exciting to him, as a child. Sometimes he would stay there for what seemed like hours, watching their feeding antics. Jones was totally fascinated by the sight of these manatees, and has never forgotten those wonderful childhood experiences at McCoy’s Creek. Eventually he and his family moved away from that part of town. But even as a young adult he often thought about what it might have been like if those manatees could have just gotten up out of the water and started walking around and talking and doing all types of heroic and amazing things in and out of the water. And that is how “The Manatee Warriors: Defenders of Planet Moonark” came about. Jones started inventing things and writing songs and stories right after he retired from the City of Jacksonville, after twenty years of being a heavy equipment operator. He has invented a group of products and written fifty-nine other stories and twelve songs to date. He is C.E.O. and founder of a company called, Nat & Val, Inc. named after his three kids, Natalie N. Jones the President, Valerie D. Strickland Vice President and Warren L. Jones Jr. Chairman, in the city of Jacksonville. Sometimes, when he’s out speaking in public, people often ask him about the word, “Moonark.” He usually tells them that the word came about because of how he thinks about certain things.“Moonark is just my concoction of two words, ‘Moon’ and ‘Ark’”, he says. “We know, from what we see, and from science, that the Moon is a planet and place in our part of the galaxy… we can actually see it with our own two eyes. Some people call it a dead planet, maybe it is, maybe not… I don’t know for sure, without getting all technical,” he says. “But we know that the Moon has a very powerful effect on the planet Earth’s oceans and animals, and it even affects some people, at certain times of the year in some very interesting ways. But enough of that, I’m not a scientist, so I’ll just leave it at that. Anyway, the word, “Ark” can mean a type of water vehicle, like in the Bible.”

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© 2012 by Warren L. Jones. All rights reserved.

Original version Authored 2002 by Warren L. Jones

Revised version 2012 by Warren L. Jones. Co-Authored by Natalie N. Jones

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/03/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4772-2962-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-2963-7 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Acknowledgements

I want to give a special thanks to my editor, Matt Goff, for a great job well done. You’re the best!

I also want to give thanks to Mrs. Brenda Southwood and Ms. Danielle Kaheaku.

This book is dedicated to my loyal fans, thanks for all your support.

~Natalie N. Jones~

Prologue

In the deepest reaches of outer space, somewhere in the vast expanse of emptiness, two robots prepared to embark on a new journey far from the familiar landscapes of their home world ZipTi.

Their voyage would begin on board a tiny black spacecraft, a darting vessel which silently cut through space as it careened towards its destination. The odd-looking spaceship measured only eight by seven feet, making it one of the smallest in existence, nearly invisible to any form of detection.

The vessel had been designed for stealth when it was built over eighty years ago, but it now boasted new modifications on the interior to suit the needs of its new owner, a four-foot tall robotic scientist named Vedorr. As he directed the spacecraft’s flight with dexterous ease, Vedorr’s shining black and red metallic parts moved gracefully in harmony with the controls of the machine, each motion locking smoothly into place.

Accompanying Vedorr on the journey was his half-witted robotic companion, Peelee. Standing at only three feet, he stood dwarfed by Vedorr, and a series of rough grooves at the end of his stubby arms hinted at where his robotic fingers had once been.

Peelee’s black exterior was framed with edges of sparkling gold, lending a charming look to this small but eager being, who buzzed with energy as he watched Vedorr sit skillfully at the controls. This golden frame, once used to track Peelee’s whereabouts amidst the spilling darkness of the enormous ship where he had once worked, now gave the cold interior of this tiny silent vessel a more cheerful glow.

In earlier days, Peelee had been designed for working in total darkness, and although he knew he had been created to perform special duties in the lowest and darkest levels of the giant ship, he could no longer recall what it was he used to do exactly, back in those days.

He now stood near one of the narrowest parts of Vedorr’s mess-ridden spaceship, which would have been cramped under any conditions but was particularly tight now, with stray parts and equipment filling the small interior.

Quietly, the little robot was gazing up at a small see-through capsule that contained the newest batch of one of Vedorr’s bizarre concoctions, which broiled uneasily in its case. Peelee clasped the glass container briefly, only to back away startled, finding it hot to the touch.

The somewhat perplexed little robot was trying to visualize the out-come of the impending ordeal which he and Vedorr were about to face, while imagining the many dangers which the deepness of outer space presented.

For a moment, he thought of the mind-numbing things that could happen if Vedorr’s plans were to go completely awry . . . or worse, the horror they would face if the untested capsule he was currently gazing upon somehow exploded on its own, inside the suffocating small spaceship. A distinct possibility, he thought to himself.

Over and over, Peelee tried to set himself at ease, yet the threat of a meteorite suddenly shattering their delicate shell of a spaceship ran constantly through his robotic mind.

Slowly, he rotated his head and looked up towards Vedorr, thinking about what this precarious ordeal might mean for his partner were it to have any meaningful degree of success.

Although Peelee wasn’t impressed with any of the rash undertakings Vedorr had attempted in the past, or anything else he told him in secret about his half-baked projects, he’d usually put up with him anyway and would accompany him on short trips. It gave him the pleasure of a loyal friend to see Vedorr passionately pursue his scientific work, and whenever Peelee felt generous he liked to accompany him on such journeys.

Without warning, Vedorr began speaking to Peelee in a sharp whisper, a low voice which carried a vague hint of secrecy on its breath. Peelee was often told to keep quiet whenever Vedorr confided in him with his so-called secrets.

The two usually had to try to sneak off whenever they were about to leave planet ZipTi. Although they were spotted by someone or other nearly every time they left the planet, Vedorr still thought it was necessary to lecture Peelee on being clandestine. He reminded him every single time, to make sure he didn’t forget how important it was that whenever they should go out on one of their so-called top secret trips to outer space, no one could know.

The fact was, Peelee seemed to always know when Vedorr was about to do something stupid again. He had been trying very hard to avoid his foolhardy partner altogether but Vedorr somehow managed to find him anyway, and so they secretly started out to an unseen corner of the galaxy, where something unspeakable was about to take place.

Peelee had never been excited about any of Vedorr’s plans to do the type of things he wanted to do in outer space, and he certainly wasn’t eager to be engaging in another one of Vedorr’s weird, half-brained, experimental debacles with things in space that should be left alone to run their natural course: especially when that meant journeying far beyond the charted reaches of the universe.

But because Vedorr managed to find him anyway and relentlessly hounded him until he agreed to go along, the two of them had set off into space at once: this time, they had left Vedorr’s secret laboratory in a mighty big hurry.

Peelee made himself feel a little better by fooling himself into thinking that he was going along with Vedorr to keep an eye on him, or to keep him from doing something stupid once he got to outer space, although he knew better than to think for even a second that Vedorr would listen to his warnings.

When a couple of Peelee’s closest robotic friends had spotted the two about to leave ZipTi, Peelee felt a wave of embarrassment wash over his cold metallic frame. If any of his friends ever stopped him to ask what he was doing with Vedorr, he’d shyly mutter that it was simply for lack of anything better to do back at his own robotic living quarters: after a time, that had become his standard excuse for explaining why he agreed to go on Vedorr’s so-called secret missions.

Vedorr was a restless type who was willing to try almost anything, and on this trip, he was pursuing his prediction that extreme pressure and rapid movement could actually cause some type of harmless gastric mutation all while jerking around the cold expanse of space in a series of erratic motions. To him, his secret composite was supposed to be the key to making his wish finally come true.

Peelee didn’t know everything Vedorr had done back in his laboratory before the trip started out, and Vedorr wanted to keep it that way. Because this time he had meticulously mixed different, extremely combustible chemicals together, and carefully put them in a specially designed test-tube back at his home planet at his own little secret laboratory.

For his and Peelee’s sake, he was hoping he had given this unstable concoction a greater degree of safety, compared to similar tests he had tried in the past. He was hoping for a longer-lasting life potential from his composite substance when or if he ever got the right opportunity to test it out. This time he had also added to this odd mixture of his some organic specimens from the planet ZipTi as well as spliced genes from the cells of rare creatures from around the galaxy, far outside the familiar environs of ZipTi.

Having tried so many times in the past to create the potential for a lengthened lifespan, his frustrations grew at every unsuccessful attempt—yet he refused to give up. He kept trying to shoot the tip of a live comet with pinpoint accuracy, but he’d be willing to settle for a hit at least on the side of the target as it rocketed through space. He wanted it saturated with this strange composite, hoping to turn the icy rock into a white-hot gastric fireball while it was in full forward motion. A bright shining star to his final success!

Vedorr became extremely obsessed with the idea of shooting at least one of the comets this way so that he could see what would happen to it before it burned out, and its desiccated husk fell quietly away to some lonely moon or unknown planet.

It was just another one of Vedorr’s many dangerous, not to mention almost impossible goals which he would attempt whenever he had the chance to be all alone. Vedorr had been warned many times in the past by his creator, Warrenmarr, to stop all such foolish and dangerous testing in or around his laboratory, and he definitely wasn’t supposed to be doing foolish things like this in outer space.

Warrenmarr had warned Vedorr for the very last time and in no uncertain terms, that if he ever found out that the overzealous robot was conducting any sort of dangerous experiments in or out of his laboratory again, his robotic body would be rent apart and reassembled into something much less aggravating to him and much less destructive of Warrenmarr’s own reputation as a great inventor and master of robotics: a nice blender perhaps.

But disregarding Warrenmarr’s threat, Vedorr was determined that he could get some positive results from his composite this time in particular, mostly because of a slippery, gelatinous black goo which he had added to the mixture. He simply called it the black stuff, obviously enough, Black Stuff. He had brought the Black Stuff back with him from a far-away planet.

He came across the jelly while he was looking for something that he thought might make his plants grow healthier, but that too proved to be a lost cause. For when he applied the black stuff to his favorite plant, its leaves quickly turned up and quivered intensely for a moment, turning a sickly yellow before withering and dying.

But now, because of this newly found black stuff and its ability to heat up and then cool back down on whatever it came in contact with, he was a bit overconfident, especially because this kind of reaction had been something he had eagerly searched for ever since the very first time he started doing the crazy things he did in deep outer space.

Although he had never actually hit anything in outer space before with the black stuff, he was really excited about the possibilities.

The black stuff also had the ability to reach out and stick to chemically charged materials. Although it wasn’t an easy thing for him to do at first, he had managed to successfully add some live cells to the mix from creatures on his home planet.

He had loaded all of these things into a specially designed glass capsule which he constructed himself. So to him, as in the past, this particular endeavor was, as he usually called them, ‘The one that will do it!’ Of course none of them had yet, but this certainly never gave him pause.

But at the very least, or perhaps at the very best, he was hoping to finally hit something alive in space. Maybe if he could get even a couple of those fleeting comets in his sights, he would be able to elicit some sort of desired effect from at least one them.

As always, Vedorr would keep his project a secret. He did a lot of things that way so that some of his nay—saying robotic peers would stop looking down on him in shame and disgrace.

The fact was, when Vedorr worked around Warrenmarr, he performed very well. But alone, he had done such ridiculous things in full view of the robotic council that they had long considered him somewhat of a bad joke, an outcast to the council. Nevertheless, secretly he tried new things week after week, doing almost anything he thought he could do just to have the positive success he had yearned for. He thought that perhaps if he could just accomplish one glorious deed, he’d be satisfied with himself and have something to take back to ZipTi with him. He would settle for anything that would make the council take notice of his great accomplishment, and dreamed of perhaps even winning an award or title.

Oh, how he yearned for a picture or any piece of evidence that could prove his worth! Anything that might put him in a more favorable light with the robotic council he was so proud of. He wanted to be a leader among the robots, and refused to accept the newly formed robotic council’s opinion of him, or the advice of its newly elected leader, Quepoo, who had pleaded with him many times to give up trying those crazy experiments in space and just be content with being a normal robot.

No matter what anyone said, Vedorr just wouldn’t give up. So at last when Warrenmarr was away on one of his long and time-consuming robot conference meetings, Vedorr’s desperate and foolish ways continued.

Suddenly he turned his head and saw his lone partner standing next to the strange-looking composite and thought about what the short robot might be thinking about his weird concoction, as it slowly bubbled and churned around in the glass tube. Suddenly the top of his head turned a bright red, a sign of his mood—and not a good one.

Peelee, get your clumsy little body away from my composite, and I mean right now! he barked furiously.

One of Vedorr’s robotic eyes rolled from the side of his head and stopped in the middle of his face. Seconds later his other eye jerked rapidly across his head and stopped, scanning from side to side to get a better view of Vedorr’s short and unusually quiet companion. Gradually the eye began to open wider, scanning across the mess-strewn interior of the ship.

Suddenly Vedorr thought of one of his new concoction’s special ingredients—had he remembered to add it to the hot and broiling mixture back in the lab? He always had a tendency to get grumpy when things didn’t go according to plan, which admittedly, was most of the time, but this thought flustered him even more than usual. For a moment he stood thinking about the many times he had gone out into deep space and returned home empty-handed and ashamed. His head slowly started to turn a deep red hue once again as he began to vent his frustration at his lone partner while looking down at him with his twin, wobbling, robotic eyes.

Ooh, why do I even bother, bringing you out here with me anyway? He muttered bitterly, shaking his head as he backed away. Warrenmarr once said that I should pick my friends wisely, huh! I guess he was right about that! As he began to turn away, one of his moving eyes rapidly swung back towards Peelee. He stopped and then turned again.

I can’t understand it! You are such a confused, short, useless, outdated mess of wires! Why didn’t your makers just recycle you into something useful, a trash compactor perhaps! Instead of letting you end up getting in the way of good robots that are making a difference in the galaxy? he said to the humble little robot.

Peelee looked up at him without saying a single word as Vedorr continued with his viciously irrational rant.

"Useless and worthless, that’s what you are to me and if anyone should ask me about you when I finally achieve my goals out here . . . I’ll just be too eager to let them know about you, and your useless help! Do you hear me, Peelee!" he added as both of his eyes shot up to the top of his head.

And I mean it! I’ll be just too eager, you hear? I’ll be just too eager to tell them that you have been such a useless pile of scrap metal for me during all my experiments out here, every single one of them we’ve been out here conducting!

The top of his head turned to a pale orange then quickly back to a dull crimson as he continued.

And I’m warning you for the very last time, Peelee! Do not, and I mean it . . . absolutely . . . do not touch anything of mine in here! Not until I tell you that you can do so!

Peelee looked down at the floor, shaking his little head pitifully from left to right without saying a single word. Then he turned around and slowly walked away, mumbling his tired frustrations to himself.

I’m so . . . sooooooo, weary of these crazy trips out here anyway, Peelee muttered under his cool breath. He’s hiding something from me . . . but what? Oh, I knew I should have stayed where I was, even before this foolish character showed up looking for me. Ha, but now that I’m out here with this loose bunch of wires again . . . I don’t want to get into any of those frivolous arguments with him. I simply don’t understand it! Why can’t he see that he’s just chasing pipe dreams with this gooey stuff he’s been shooting out there! He doesn’t even take the time to consider the long-term effects of that stuff he’s fooling around with, or what effect it may have on anything else out here!

He stopped and looked back at the composite again and started to produce a whirring mechanical hum, just as Vedorr spoke.

Do you hear me, Peelee? You better be ready! And I mean it, this time!

Without a single word from Peelee, Vedorr turned his back and went to have another look at what was going on outside of the spaceship.

Peelee turned and gazed up ponderously at Vedorr for a fleeting moment while he looked out through the view scope of the tiny ship. The short robot weighed his options for a moment, before approaching his unstable partner. He stared at him without a word, then raised one of his pitiful clubbed fingers at his slightly confused friend as if he were going to tell him exactly what he’d been holding inside all this time. Wanting to say things he’d been keeping to himself for a long time. Before he could say anything though, Vedorr turned back to him and started thoughtlessly mouthing off once again.

I know you have a lot of foolish questions but don’t you say a word to me now! I don’t have time to explain everything to you. That little short circuit pea brain of yours can’t handle or comprehend the complexities of my great work out here, so don’t even bother asking!

He wheeled rapidly around in place and started to walk away. Again he stopped, looked back and said:

I have a lot to concentrate on right now, and your foolishness is already starting to get on my impulse control circuits, out here.

He suddenly turned again to face Peelee, and asked, What were you doing over there next to my composite anyway?

Oh, nothing, Vedorr . . . nothing at all. I was just, observing the activity you got going on in that new batch of yours. It’s quite . . . bubbly.

Well then, you should realize that the composite is a very delicate sort of mix, so see that you don’t touch anything. I tell you what: you just come over here closer to me so I can keep both of my eyes on you at all times.

As if on cue, the glassy, globed eyes zipped from different angles to converge their cruel gaze on Peelee once again.

Vedorr, can’t you see there isn’t enough room over there for you and me both! I can hardly even move in this small spaceship with all this stuff lying all over the place. When are you going start cleaning this place up, anyway?

Oh, just stay there and shut up then, and don’t bother me! I do not want to hear any of your silly whining about my ship or about what’s on it anymore! As many times as you’ve been on it, you should be used to moving around it by now.

He glared down at Peelee for a moment, puffing himself up with anger, then turned and walked over to him again.

Oh now, now you’re doing it! You are seriously throwing off my concentration now!

He turned just a few feet away from Peelee and scanned across the mess with his glossy, rolling eyeballs.

Ah, now, this is getting ridiculous! Where is that tri-stand of mine?

One of his robotic eyes went racing around the top of his head until it spotted a hint of the three-legged stand leaning against the wall in the corner behind a small glass doorway. Quickly grabbing the stand from the see-through compartment and working it into position, he began to vent his stresses aloud once more.

Oh, I know these kinds of things should have been in place already. It’s late, I really have to be ready this time, just in case.

He looked up towards the cosmic viewfinder that was hovering just above his head.

According to my calculations, another one of those comets should be coming this way any time now. I can almost feel it on its way, now . . .

In a brief moment of panicked desperation, he looked over at Peelee, who stood motionless in the small compartment of the spaceship.

Don’t just stand there! Hurry, Peelee, hurry! Before it’s too late, I don’t want to miss the next shot at hitting one of those things out there, chances are this time I could spot a really good one out here! Do you hear me, Peelee? he asked, his eyes rolling loosely around his head as it turned a brighter, hotter shade of red.

"If you make me miss this next chance, I will not hesitate to unplug your energy supply pod! And I will let all your power run out of it! And I’ll never start you up again, you understand? His right eye circled around the center of his face, then popped back into place as he muttered these threats under his breath. OH, now, I hope I didn’t forget anything that needs to be in this composite. I need to be sure it’s all here."

He looked into his cosmic view tracker again, and saw exactly what he had been hoping for . . . a speeding comet headed right towards them, still a good distance away.

Look! Look! Peelee, look! Vedorr said, his glassy eyes whirling around his head ecstatically. It looks like a nice size comet is coming this way right now! Ooooh, this may be it, it’s still a long ways out there, but it’s coming directly in front of our path . . . get ready now! Get ready to shoot off my cannon, while I watch!

Vedorr! Peelee buzzed excitedly but with a hint of apprehension on his brow. I already told you, my arms are too short, look at these stubby little things! You know I can’t hold that torque cannon all by myself! You just never listen to me!

Peelee’s excitement was growing, and he started to think about what could be going on outside. Again, he looked down at his stumped, wiry little hands, and suddenly Vedorr’s earlier statements began to run through his mind.

Wait a minute . . . delicate mix? Peelee said aloud, stopping himself short before continuing to work through his thoughts in a more hushed tone. Now, I just know I heard him say something about a delicate mix . . . something about that doesn’t sound too good to me. He lowered his head in deep frustration while holding out his weak little shaking arms.

Ooooooh, these wretched hands of mine! I just don’t know why they have to be so darn short, like this! Oh, I just can’t remember what it was I used to do with them!

Oh, just shut up! This isn’t the time for all of your stupid complaining! Vedorr barked rapidly as he rushed over to take control of the cannon.

Just move that useless little frail body of yours out of my way! I will do it myself! Sometimes I wonder why I even put up with you, anyway. I ought to throw you off of this ship, right out here . . . no one would even notice that you are gone. Ooooh, you are such a pitiful weakling! You short little good-for-nothing invalid, just move out of my way!

Holding the cannon with both hands, Vedorr looked at the approaching comet through the view finder with one eye, wheeling the other eye around to get a look at his Peelee as he spoke to him again.

Just tell me one thing . . . why were you even made anyway? And why do I even bother to put up with you myself?

Because, I’m all you’ve got, and no one else wants to have anything to do with you, that’s why!

At Peelee’s response, Vedorr’s head began to pulse bright red, as hot steam whistled loudly through the welded seams.

Oh, is that what you believe? Really? His eye zoomed in to get a closer look at his partner, and then he said, "Well, then just stand there and don’t move. Just stay out of my way, and keep quiet. At least I know what I’m doing out here! And stay out of my way if that comet veers off course, and I need to shoot it from the other side. The last thing I need is for you to make me miss this one too!"

Peelee rushed over to a small window near the floor to get a quick look as the comet grew nearer.

Ah, and it has such a nice size tail in the back of it too! Vedorr exclaimed excitedly. It’s perfect . . . now come to me, you beautiful comet!

Vedorr forcefully pulled back the control arm that loaded the glass tube into the cannon, and mumbled nervously to himself while observing the tube locking in place.

I’ll only get one shot at you. Just come on, just a little bit closer, now. Ah, but not too, Ooooooh! He threw a quick glance at his distance grid. You seem to be moving just a little too fast. But that’s all right; you may be big enough to accommodate my entire composite.

As the large ball of gas got even closer, he spoke to it again.

Oh, yes, you’ll do . . . and I just have to get you . . . you may be worth the trouble. But you just have to get, a little bit closer, now. Just as the comet was about to pass by the spaceship out in the distance, he said, Here it goes!

He squeezed the trigger and the powerful cannon shot out its treasured round, the composite, and