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Spaceman

The two spaceships floated airlock to airlock, two metres apart.

Arnold stepped from his cumbersome spacesuit and stood naked in the airlock of his craft. He opened the door and all air fled into the void. Arnold leapt lightly across the gap toward the open airlock of the other craft.

Gently and weightless, immersed in the pure beams of countless stars and galaxies, he floated in the vacuum of infinite space. Momently, he, too, was a heavenly body, a tiny planet.

He then touched a switch and the door closed and life-giving air rushed in to fill his empty lungs.

Lifeboat

Once sealed inside the ball, Arnold flicked a switch. Oxygenated PFC flooded in to discharge the air. His lungs filled and he drowned; but this was his only way to live.

An explosion ejected the ball from the disabled space shuttle for this was Arnold's lifeboat. Without retro-rockets to slow it, the craft, a ball of flame, fell at fantastic speed. With a mighty splash, it crashed into the sea.

A recovery vessel lifted the ball aboard. Its hatch opened and Arnold rose, dripping wet. He grinned as he spat the lifesaving liquid and drew a breath of fresh air.

Present

Arnold's past life flashed before him. He was time-travelling and getting younger. At ‑43.732 years, the moment when he, alone, had achieved the first ascent of Pushbartoopen, the time-machine stopped. Flag in hand, he stepped onto the peak, only to find another climber, bending over, planting a flag on the summit.

"Hello, who are you?"

The figure straightened and turned and there before Arnold stood HIMSELF.

"Where did you come from?" both asked simultaneously.
"The future," said one.
"The past," the other.

A noise made them turn. A solo climber, flag in hand, emerged from the mist. It was Arnold!

Balloon

The balloon fell far too fast despite Arnold having thrown everything loose overboard to lighten it. Everything loose, that is, except himself.

Quickly, he lowered the landing rope. He then climbed out of the gondola and clung to the rope.

Moments later, the rope touched the ground. Arnold released his hold for a second and fell a short way down the rope. During that instant, the balloon, without Arnold's weight, slowed its fall and tried to climb.

He repeated his action a few times until his feet touched the ground. Releasing the rope, he watched the balloon float slowly away.

Smoke

For decades, a column of smoke had poured from deep within the gigantic sawdust heap. Water had failed to seep into the smouldering recesses far below. Several environmentalists stood by the smoking column puzzling how to rid the world of this unwelcome source of greenhouse gases.

Arnold arrived carrying two cans of petrol. He uncapped both cans and, after taking a deep breath, disappeared into the densest fumes. A minute later, two empty cans came hurtling from the smoke. The greenies fled in fear.

Arnold emerged, seated himself on an upturned can, and watched the enormous smoke column slowly disappear.

Clarence City Council
We'd like to thank Clarence City Council for their support via a Community Support Grant.