Vol - II - IT@School

Notes
orbit.
2nd Astronaut: Ready? (1st Astronaut makes circle
with
index finger and thumb)
1st Astronaut: Ready. Starting countdown. Five,
four, three, two, one.
2nd Astronaut: Wait! Something’s wrong.
1st Astronaut: The orbit is fine.
2nd Astronaut: The instruments are flashing on
and
off like neon lights. (Alarmed) The
computer is going out. It’s out
altogether now. No power; none at all.
1st Astronaut: (Alarmed): There wont be any cabin
oxygen.
2nd Astronaut: Switch to backup.
1st Astronaut: I already have. Everything is dead!
(Both push buttons frantically, then 2nd
Astronaut sighs heavily)
2nd Astronaut: It’s no use. Everything is out.
We’re just floating here, helpless.
1st Astronaut: We’ll think of something. Maybe
it’s
only temporary. Maybe we were
caught in a magnetic field. That
would neutralize our power.
2nd Astronaut: We’ll make it, somehow. (Warningly)
And if you say ‘I told you so,’ I’ll
choke you!
1st Astronaut: We don’t have much time. It won’t
take long to use up the air we have
in the cabin.
2nd Astronaut: (Sadly)I never thought it would end
this way. I always thought I would
be a hero.
1st Astronaut: We could play the cassette tapes.
2nd Astronaut: How can you think of music at a
time like this? I’m really beginning
to feel a change in our air supply. (Suddenly,
Venu, a small space creature or puppet in strange, brightcolored
outfit, dancing to music, from inside control panel.)
1st Astronaut: (Startled): Do you see what I see?
2nd Astronaut: (Slowly with effort): It’s probably our
EXTENDED READING
• What happened to the spaceship
bound for Venus?
Within and Without
129