Sam Stone and the End of the World

By O.K. Nelson

Sam just wanted to be normal - cool. Maybe it just wasn't in the cards. But after a chance to save the world with the help of some goofball aliens, Sam may finally learn what it takes to be human, and maybe even fit in!

• Language: English
• Publisher: O.K. Nelson
• Release date: May 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201621360

Book preview

Chapter 1

The sterile, distinct smell of the school made Sam's stomach turn. He wanted to be home, a game on pause waiting for him there. So close, so close to beating that level he thought as he noticed Allen talking to Jane just before the first bell. That guy: so smooth and cool. For not being able to drive yet he sure acts like he has it all put together. Sam sees Allen looking over at him and Jane. What are you looking at Spas? Allen yells over the swarm of teens trying to find a place to be in the awkward time before class starts. Sam could feel his ears turn to fire. The welling up within him was overwhelming. Screw off Allen! Sam heard screeching sound from his own mouth. Here we go again, Sam thought. And started, flailing his limbs as an unwanted tear of anger and frustration, streaked down his now red face. Just screw right off you dick! And at that a group of kids started to gather around Allen and Sam. Allen just looked at Sam, a look of pained reality on his face. Sam looked over at Jane who seemed like she had just tasted something sour. She looked back at Sam for a moment and then back at Allen and walked away. Sam felt defeated inside and embarrassed. Sam forgot for a moment about all the other students around until Allen pushed him. Hey, you're going to tell me to screw off, you better back it up! Sam took a step back and started to yell. I don't have to do a damn thing you say, Allen. Screw You!!! and with that, turning away and into the wall of students now looking to get to class as the deafening bell rings over the din of talking voices. Sam pushes his way through and running now, bolts out the double doors and out to the bus turnaround and just keeps running out into the woods behind the school. The wet on his chin and cheeks and the anger in his blood blend together in the blur of green and limbs, trees and soil. Climbing the slight hill, grabbing and clawing the ground trying to get away and up. Sam wanted to just be away and gone. Allen, the school, his parents, and Jane, all of it, just bit of mess. Sam thinks back at Jane smiling at Allen, about all the people laughing at him back at the school. No one backed him up, no one seemed to care. Suddenly feeling like he has no one to go back to and no way he can go back to school or home the way it was.

Chapter 2

Sam had no way of knowing that before school, even before Sam had his Frosted Flakes while hearing his parents yell at each other, that a two-headed alien named Dingdong had been warned of an impending Quarantine due to a VIRUS on the loose. Dingdong, basically a yoga ball with two bouncing punching bags for heads. They look up at the announcement coming from the speaker. The ‘Base’ they are on is creaky and rickety on the asteroid they built on decades ago. Dingdong looked on at the speaker. We have detected, we think, a fog of a virus, sort-of, that may well, if we do nothing... well if this gets to us it is the... END OF EVERYTHING. So in with that everyone is required to stay inside until further notice. Ding looked at Dong; it was a short distance as they were connected to the same body. Dong, we got to get outer here, we can't be cool sitting and watching Simpsons all day. Screw this quarantine we gotten get out her for a bit. Ding, nodding incessantly blurts out, Ya, Ya, we can't live on TV forever. Time to test our skills. We’ve been watching how to be cool for years now! We should be cool as hell! Ding asks Dong where they should go. The only place DAD said we could never go when we are old enough to drive is Earth, says the people there are terrible creatures, but are cool. It's where Simpsons comes from. A siren starts to blared AI Storm in t-minus 2 hours and counting. Ding Dong bounced into DAD’s ship, everyone having been distracted by the warning. The large two headed Ding Dong gets behind the controls of the rusty, rickety ship and pauses. What do you do? Ding asks Dong. Hell if I know, you're the smart one! Don't you call me smart! and with that Ding starts head butting Dong over and over.  Dong starts head butting them back Bam Bam Bam and they just go back and forth for a good while bam. Eventually they bump the start engine button accidentally and the sound of the ship firing up shakes them from their bickering fight. A sound came over the speakers Where to DAD? Ding Dong, trying to sound like the ‘Base’s’ Captain and their Dad, DAD - gruffly Ding said Earth - and step on it! Ding had heard that on some show and had always wanted to say it. The ship started to make a deep bass sound and shake as it felt like the whole thing could explode but as soon as it sounded the worst the whole ship rose off the platform and shot a trail of sparks and rust behind it, to Earth. You will arrive at your destination in two hours. Would you like some entertainment? Both saying Yes at the same time, Ding Dong looked over at the small screen blaring Kang and Kodos from a repeat episode Ding Dong had seen a dozen times or more. We will be cool like them someday, Ding looking over at Dong; we just have to keep trying. Going to Earth is a good first step. But there was a bit of hesitation in Ding’s voice. Earth people were friendly on TV but everything they were taught told them that humans were terrible creatures who wanted to eat everything. Ding Dong watched on until finally the alert came. Earth, fast approaching, prepare for landing. The automated message came over the system just in time to slam Ding Dong into the windshield as they slowed down abruptly hitting Earth's Atmosphere.

Deep in a tangle of trees and limbs, Sam could have sworn he saw a flash of light above the trees he was walking under.

Craaaaappppppp! Ding Dong is falling fast to Earth. The buttons on the panel look like a foreign language as Ding and Dong look at them wondering which one will slow them down. They just start hitting buttons. A huge piece of the craft falls off as they are descending and watches as it lands and blows up something. OOOOPPPPSSSS. Ding and Dong say in unison before they go back to pushing buttons. Crash landing in t-minus 5, 4,3.... And as Dong’s tentacle hand pushed a red button the ship stopped cold in the air, again slamming them into the windshield with a bang and a grunt. They paused still in the air, floating above the ground about fifteen feet before they abruptly fell those fifteen feet in the ship to the ground with a thudding crash.

Sam heard a sudden crush and crash of trees crashing and breaking mixed with a deep bass of unmatched engines whirling in a chaotic unity. Sam thought of the families’ damaged and barely working blender. Then quiet, the crash was so sudden, like a gunshot, that now it was quite made it even more obvious. Sam, seeing that Ding Dong does not know what to do kind of pushes his way through. What’s going on here? Sam looked over the slightly rusty crude looking controls for the ship. The array of buttons and knobs reminded Sam of Homer's Control panel at the nuclear plant on the Simpsons. You guys mind if I try my hand at this? Ding Dong kind of bounced back and step and looked at his tentacle hands, though they were more like squid hands.We don't care! Both Ding and Dong answered back in unison. Sam looked over the console, it was rough. Where to begin? Then it dawned on him that this was basically the same technology as a game system. He looked over the buttons and then, easily fit a finger behind a guide door and popped it open, revealing wiring and circuitry under the array of buttons. It looked as though one of the thicker red wires fell off of its contact from below one of the larger red buttons above. Sam stuck his head and pointed to the button that the wire connected to. What's this one do? Sam asked as he pointed to the large red button. We don't know. Ding Dong again answering in unison. But when we push it, They continued, the ship flies. Sam just looked back at them for a second. So this is what you need to push to take off? Ding Dong just looked blankly at Sam. What? They finally asked. Ahh, never mind! Sam is frustrated at Ding Dong and still almost shaking thinking back to Jane and Allen and the whole school hating him. Sam reaches up and connects the Thick red wire to the connection behind the button. A small zap of a sparking connection made the placement feel secure and definite. OK. Sam grunts out as he gets up from under the terminal. Let’s see what this puppy can do! Sam hoped Ding Dong could give him a good view of the city and maybe see his house before they dropped him back off at the school. Maybe all the other kids would see him and think he is cool being in a spacecraft. Sam tried to put the silly idea out of his head. Ding Dong changed places with Sam and put out his two tentacle fingered hands, his arms outstretched over the button covered panel. With hands stretched out and looking serious and purposeful, Ding Dong just stood there for a moment. Then another moment. And after what felt like forever Sam asked what was going on. Ding Dong, kind of crying in a way looks over at Sam and finally says. We don't know what to do. We punched in Earth somehow and ended up here. We aren't supposed to be here. Humans are terrible! Ding Dong looked at Sam as they said that and cocked their head and in a kind of whisper asked Sam. Your human right? Sam nodded his head yes as he said in a long reluctant draw. Yah... I’m human. Ding Dong scratched and lunged back and cowered kind of. What are you going to do to us? They sacredly screeched, now obviously terrified of Sam. Breathing out a frustrated and somewhat humorous sigh, Sam kind of got mad at Ding Dong. Come on you Goombas! What are you talking about? Do I seem scary? Do I look like I want to eat you?!?! Sam's voice now raising, he can feel his blood moving, that spot on the right side of his neck storbing to his heartbeat. Well, Ya. You do seem kind a scary right now. Sam realized that he was scaring Ding Dong. Ok. Look we have got to get out here. You got to get out of here. Sam realizes that he needs to stay, Ding Dong needs to go and everything just needs to go back to the way it was. Oh. I remember now. Ding says as he nonchalantly pushes the red button. Nothing happens. That was supposed to work. Dong says to Ding. Sam sees what looks like a light switch at home on top of the panel. Sam reaches over and flips it. All the buttons light up. The red one is a bright, almost blinding red that makes all three of their faces glow as they look over the colorful buttons. Push it again! Dong says. Without Sam having the time to say Wait , Ding pushes the red button and everything happened at once. The ship shot straight up, higher than Sam had ever been. It reminded him of the picture his mom showed him of when she was in an airplane. The picture showed houses as dots. As Sam looked out of the ship, through the circular windows around, he wondered if one of the dots he now saw below was his house. As they shot up, they made a lot of noise and most of the town saw a rusty, fuming, flying saucer haphazardly buzzing far above the small town. Ding Dong started panicking looking over the controls. Now what? The two headed Ding Dong, looking back at itself and then over at Sam. Want to blast something?"

Chapter 3

Sam thinks back to Allen and Jane and the whole situation where everyone was laughing at him. Remembering the awkwardness of starting at this school at this new life made Sam even more anxious. They were a mile above the Earth over his school with a two headed alien that seems to have no clued what to do with this ship. Taking it all in Sam tells Dingdong I don't want to leave. I got to stay here and home. Realizing as he said that, that there was a real possibility of going to outer space with this alien. Sam closed his eyes for a second and kind of took in the situation. He could feel the storbing in his neck again and his ears turn hot. Hey look! Sam's voice is different. I need to get home but before we do I need you guys to blast Allen. I will show you who he is. Dingdong looked at each other and then back at Sam. Blast a human? Dingdong paused a good minute, looking at Sam and trying to read his reaction. Wouldn't that start a war or something? Dingdong is asking. "Damn Man! We don't have to kill him. What does your