Read Online The Incredible Space Raiders from Space! by Wesley King - Free Book Online Page B

his round pink cheeks turning bright red. “Sorry.”
    She held his gaze for a moment longer and then turned to Lieutenant Gordon. “You will inform your sector that Jonah is cleared for duty. Jonah, you are dismissed. You can take him back, Erna.”
    With that, Erna the Strong escorted him out, a little more gently this time. He felt Lieutenant Potts watching him go. Jonah suspected he hadn’t seen the last of him.
    When they were back in the hallway, Erna the Strong looked at him.
    â€œYou’re lucky,” she said.
    â€œI guess,” Jonah agreed. “Can you grab my arms? My shoulders kind of hurt.”
    Erna the Strong smiled, the first time she’d done so. “You’re not in trouble, Jonah the Now Incredible. You can walk on your own.” She paused. “But I still walk behind you.”
    Jonah nodded. “Fair enough.” He started down the hallway. “Do you think they’ll be nicer to me now?”
    There was another pause. “No.”
    â€¢Â Â â€¢Â Â â€¢
    Erna the Strong was right. They all stared at him coldly when he walked back into the sector, a free Space Raider. Willona came out of her bedroom and looked at him in shock. She must have thought he was never coming back, unless it was to go straight to the brig. Even when Lieutenant Gordon came back and told everyone that Jonah was an official member of the ISR, it didn’t change. They all kept staring.
    Before long, Jonah found himself back in his bedroom. It was small and cold and the view of space was a bit lonely, but it was better than being out there with the others. Even Jonah, who was used to getting teased, could only take so many dirty looks before he needed a break. And so he just sat there on his tiny cot with its very thin white pillow stained yellow, brown blanket withloose threads and holes, and sheets that probably hadn’t been washed in twenty years. He stared out the window at the lonely view of space and looked at the tiny stars and the great blackness that seemed to go on forever.
    He missed his family. Even his sister. She was seventeen and very popular, which of course meant she had to be mean to Jonah. Or so he gathered. But she did have her moments. Once, she gave him a ride to school when he was late. And once, she told her boyfriend that he should stop calling him Jonie. That was nice. He missed her.
    All of a sudden the window got blurry, and he realized he was crying. And then it hit him. He’d contracted space sadness. Willona had been right.
    He picked up his journal. He had to fight it off.
    Dear Mom and Dad . . . and Mara,
    I know I already wrote you several letters (well, not you, Mara, but I did include you at the bottom in the first one), but I have contracted space sadness and have to write you another one. I suppose I could just write a journal entry, but that still feels weird.
    I am now an official member of the ISR, and I havenot yet been eaten by the Shrieker. These are both technically good things, but I’m still sad. No one here likes me, and I think it’s because I have parents. I don’t really understand. At least Peter thought I looked like a girl. It made sense. But parents? It’s very confusing.
    They also confirmed that I’m a special recruit. That should also be a good thing, but it might also mean I have to fight the EETs first or something. That would be bad, since I still haven’t practiced with my bonker. I better do that soon.
    I know I already kind of said sorry, but I just wanted to say that again. I was thinking about Mara, and she does more nice things than I thought. Actually, I think I might have done as many mean things as her. Space makes you remember things. You know how she got home late and you caught her because something woke you up? That was me knocking on your door. I don’t know why I did it. Maybe I was jealous that she was out and I was home playing video games. Oh,