Read Online Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett - Free Book Online
Authors: Terry Pratchett
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rooms. There was never anything any good on television in the middle of the day. It was all women talking to one another on sofas. He sneaked a look out into the street, just in case there were half-mile-long rocket-exhaust burns. And then he went back upstairs and sat and stared at the silent computer.
OK.
So…you switch on. And there’s the game. Somehow it felt worse thinking about playing it by just sitting in front of it now.
On the other hand, it was daytime, so most people would be at school or at least keeping a low profile somewhere. Johnny wasn’t quite certain about game time and real time, but maybe the attacks stopped when people had to go to school? But no, there were probably people playing it in America or Australia or somewhere.
Besides, when you died in your sleep, you woke up, so what happened now if you died while you were awake?
But the ScreeWee were getting slaughtered out there. Or in there. Or in here.
The Captain was stupid not to fire back.
His hand switched on the computer without his mind really being aware of it.
The game logo appeared. The music started up. The same old message scrolled up the screen. He knew it by heart. Savior of Civilization. Certain Oblivion.
Only You Can Save Mankind.
If Not You, Who Else?
He blinked. The message had scrolled off the top of the screen. He couldn’t have imagined that extra last line…could he?
And then the same old stars.
He didn’t touch the keyboard or the joystick. He wasn’t certain what direction he should be going in. On the whole, straight ahead seemed best. For hours.
He glanced at the clock. It was just past four o’clock. People would be home from school now. They’d be watching Cobbers and She’ll Be Apples and Moonee Ponds. Bigmac would be watching with his mouth open at his brother’s. Wobbler would be watching while trying to rob some other poor computer games’ writer of his just rewards. Yo-less probably wouldn’t be paying much attention, exactly; it’d just be on while he did his homework. Yo-less always did his homework when he got home from school and didn’t pay attention to anything else until it had been finished to his satisfaction. But everyone watched Cobbers.
Except Johnny, today.
He felt vaguely proud of that. The television was off. He had other things to do.
Somewhere in the last ten minutes he’d made a decision. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but he’d made it. So he had to see it through. Whatever it was.
He went to the bathroom and found the thermometer. It was an electronic one that his mother had bought from a catalogue, and it also told the time. Everything in the catalogue had a digital clock built in. Even the golf umbrella that doubled as a Handy Picnic Table. Even the thing for getting fluff out of socks.
“Away with Not Being Able to Know What the Time Is All the Time Blues,” said Johnny vaguely, and stuck the thermometer in his mouth for the required twenty seconds.
His temperature was 60.87°.
No wonder he felt cold.
He went back to bed with the thermometer still in his mouth and looked at the screen again.
Still just stars.
The rest of them would probably be down at the mall now, unless Yo-less was trying for an A+ with his homework. Hanging out. Waiting for another day to end.
He squinted at the thermometer. It read 60.93°.
Still nothing but stars on the screen…
Chicken Lumps in Space
H e woke up. The familiar smell of the starship tickled his nose. He cast his eyes over the control panel. He was getting a bit more familiar with it now.
Right. So he was back in real life again. When he got back to…when he got back to…He’d have to have a word with the medics about this odd recurring dream that he was a boy in—
No! he thought. I’m me! Not a pilot in a computer game! If I start thinking like that, then I’ll really die! Got to take charge!
Then he noticed the other ships on the screen. He was still a long way from the fleet, of course. But
OK.
So…you switch on. And there’s the game. Somehow it felt worse thinking about playing it by just sitting in front of it now.
On the other hand, it was daytime, so most people would be at school or at least keeping a low profile somewhere. Johnny wasn’t quite certain about game time and real time, but maybe the attacks stopped when people had to go to school? But no, there were probably people playing it in America or Australia or somewhere.
Besides, when you died in your sleep, you woke up, so what happened now if you died while you were awake?
But the ScreeWee were getting slaughtered out there. Or in there. Or in here.
The Captain was stupid not to fire back.
His hand switched on the computer without his mind really being aware of it.
The game logo appeared. The music started up. The same old message scrolled up the screen. He knew it by heart. Savior of Civilization. Certain Oblivion.
Only You Can Save Mankind.
If Not You, Who Else?
He blinked. The message had scrolled off the top of the screen. He couldn’t have imagined that extra last line…could he?
And then the same old stars.
He didn’t touch the keyboard or the joystick. He wasn’t certain what direction he should be going in. On the whole, straight ahead seemed best. For hours.
He glanced at the clock. It was just past four o’clock. People would be home from school now. They’d be watching Cobbers and She’ll Be Apples and Moonee Ponds. Bigmac would be watching with his mouth open at his brother’s. Wobbler would be watching while trying to rob some other poor computer games’ writer of his just rewards. Yo-less probably wouldn’t be paying much attention, exactly; it’d just be on while he did his homework. Yo-less always did his homework when he got home from school and didn’t pay attention to anything else until it had been finished to his satisfaction. But everyone watched Cobbers.
Except Johnny, today.
He felt vaguely proud of that. The television was off. He had other things to do.
Somewhere in the last ten minutes he’d made a decision. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but he’d made it. So he had to see it through. Whatever it was.
He went to the bathroom and found the thermometer. It was an electronic one that his mother had bought from a catalogue, and it also told the time. Everything in the catalogue had a digital clock built in. Even the golf umbrella that doubled as a Handy Picnic Table. Even the thing for getting fluff out of socks.
“Away with Not Being Able to Know What the Time Is All the Time Blues,” said Johnny vaguely, and stuck the thermometer in his mouth for the required twenty seconds.
His temperature was 60.87°.
No wonder he felt cold.
He went back to bed with the thermometer still in his mouth and looked at the screen again.
Still just stars.
The rest of them would probably be down at the mall now, unless Yo-less was trying for an A+ with his homework. Hanging out. Waiting for another day to end.
He squinted at the thermometer. It read 60.93°.
Still nothing but stars on the screen…
Chicken Lumps in Space
H e woke up. The familiar smell of the starship tickled his nose. He cast his eyes over the control panel. He was getting a bit more familiar with it now.
Right. So he was back in real life again. When he got back to…when he got back to…He’d have to have a word with the medics about this odd recurring dream that he was a boy in—
No! he thought. I’m me! Not a pilot in a computer game! If I start thinking like that, then I’ll really die! Got to take charge!
Then he noticed the other ships on the screen. He was still a long way from the fleet, of course. But
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