Skills vs Soldiers

Cordion Falkion is piloting his ship, The Light, through space. He is returning to his home planet after work in the Anti-Stardust Sector of Gurangul Spaceport. He removes stardust from ships there as it is toxic to Tartettas, and wanted by criminals to use as a weapon.

All of a sudden, a giant shard-shaped ship shoots The Light! It bursts into flames and plummets down onto a ghost planet!

Falkion clambers out of his ship and looks around. He has crashed on a barren planet with no water in sight and high rock piles in every direction. Then Falkion spots a group of soldiers descending from the docking bay of the shard-shaped ship. They are bright pink with two eyes in the centre of their crooked faces. Falkion walks, as soft as a breath, toward the soldiers’ hiding spot. The soldiers see Falkion through their infrared filters. They point their laser guns at Falkion. “Give us your stardust,” they command. “No!” Falkion snaps. He high-kicks the soldiers. The trio collapse.

Falkion returns to his ship, planning what to do. He takes a drink and spots the rest of the soldiers patrolling the rock piles. He stalks them until he reaches the ideal spot to attack. Falkion weaves around the rocks, sprinting faster than a cheetah. He kicks soldier after soldier, separating them from their formations. “Stop right there!” commands the soldiers’ leader. “I advise that you do not try to command me again,” snarls Falkion, attempting to punch the leader’s chest. He counters with a swift block with his armour-clad arm. Falkion whips his laser gun from his pocket and fires three bursts into the leader. The leader slightly flinches and says, “You need to know what to call me ­– Officer Sunto”. “Enjoy your last moments of respect. Once you lose this battle, you’re sure to be banished from whatever evil organisation you come from, Sunto,” Falkion said, thinking fast, planning how to defeat the enemy.

He thinks back to his security training. Think like the enemy, said Surtan, Falkion’s old coach, be one with them, Falkion asks himself, I want to catch this individual and get the stardust. What would I do? Falkion stalks around the rock pile. Officer Sunto sends two soldiers to find Falkion, who kicks them into the dust.

When the soldiers do not return, Sunto and the rest of his troops march to where Falkion is. Falkion dashes around to where Officer Sunto was and repeatedly fires laser bursts into the rock pile. The pile falls down on Officer Sunto and his troops before they can react. “NOOOOOOO!!!” howls Sunto as he realises that he has been thwarted. Falkion makes a beeline to his ship.

Sunto begins to work his way out of the pile. Falkion works out the damage done to his ship. Sunto storms toward Falkion like an angry rhino. Falkion solidifies the melted engine with emergency coolant and pours emergency non-flammable fuel into his ship. He hardwires the navigation system into the controls, so he can manually fly his ship to the next planet.

Sunto appears banging on the door! Falkion pulls back the flight arm and aims the nose of the ship towards Planet Neros in the distance. He types in the password for take-off. The thrusters fire a jet of flames and the ship takes off, leaving Sunto incinerated on the ground!

The Ultimate Gymnastics Showdown!

Emily Pine was taking the bus to a gymnastics club, Gymnastifun, with her friend and gymnastics teammate, Kerry. “I wonder which of the two teams that competed yesterday for the regional final were eliminated?” said Kerry.

“Me too. I hope it’s Team Tremendous,” Emily replied.

“Yeah,” Kerry shuddered at the thought of battling Team Tremendous. Team Tremendous were a skilled gymnastics team that was filled with bullies.

When they reached Horsfield Leisure Centre, they sprinted through the corridors, praying that they weren’t late. They dodged lockers and flew past leisure centre workers. They ended up in the gym. “Oh no. This can only mean one thing,” Kerry said nervously, seeing Team Tremendous gathered in the corner. “Hello, Kerry and Emily,” said the regional gymnastics official, Patricia, “Team Cartwheel, you will have a gymnastics showdown with Team Tremendous. The winning team will get the chance to represent the region in the tournament. First, a quick warm-up. Head and wrist rolls 8-16 counts,” “You’ll be great, Team Cartwheel!” smiled their coach, Lucy. All of the members of Team Cartwheel and Team Tremendous began their warm up.

After the warm up… “Round one. Kerry VS Juliet. Both of you must do a Backward Roll. The winner will receive 5 points. The loser will receive no points and will be eliminated,” Patricia explained. Kerry went first and did a slightly wobbly Backward Roll. Juliet followed with a perfectly executed Backward Roll. “Juliet wins. Kerry you are eliminated!” announced Patricia. Kerry walked sadly into the team corner. She had some of her drink and watched Team Tremendous celebrate.

Half an hour later, only the team captains of both sides were left. The captain that won the final event would win the showdown!

“This will be one of the biggest challenges that you will ever do in your gymnastics life,” began Patricia, “you must do the Produnova vault,” to you, that probably doesn’t sound too bad. But only two gymnasts have ever successfully completed it.

Samantha, the team captain of Team Tremendous, climbed onto the mat and sprinted forwards. She leapt onto the raised platform and bounced into the air from a handstand. She formed a tuck and spun high up into the air, before landing on her feet.

Emily nervously climbed onto the crashmat. Everyone was watching her. Her team burst into action, cheering her on, “GO EMILY!” In the other corner, Team Tremendous were sneering, “LOSE!” Emily sprinted forward, feeling the air rush past her. She leapt and landed on the raised platform. She immediately bounced from a handstand, formed herself into a tuck, and spun through the air, landing on her two feet. Emily felt amazing. She had done what only a few gymnasts had ever done! Then her excitement disappeared. Although she had practiced for a whole year, it was a tense moment… “And the winner is…” Patricia began. The tension zoomed up, and then Patricia announced “Team Cartwheel!” Emily’s team ran in, happier than ever! They had won! “Well done, Emily!” Lucy said, “Time for the nationals!”

Rescued!

On a winding country road, a lorry driver sees a family crossing, too late, and slams on its brakes, causing chaos. Cars hit their brakes just before they crash, spinning out into a fountain shape. The lorry’s cargo punches through the side of it and showers a farm shop with pallets filled with milk, flour and bread. Through all of this, the three people in the road are the only casualties. They lie by the curb like three stones.

Air Ambulance Kent, Surrey and Sussex is very busy today. A call conversation flashes onto a computer screen; a nasty road traffic accident, with three casualties, miles away from the nearest hospital. It looks as though the casualties could have serious injuries so the Air Ambulance worker can see that the caller needs the Air Ambulance’s help to get emergency treatment quickly. She tells her boss, “We need to send out one of the helicopters pronto,” says the Air Ambulance boss. “Yes, boss,” all of the team rush off to prepare one of the helicopters.

Above the scene a helicopter hovers, trying to find a clear spot to land. Eventually they decide on a wide mud track, at the edge of a field, next to the road. The helicopter touches down and the Air Ambulance team move out. “I see why they need help. This is big, big trouble,” says a paramedic. They carefully lift the patients onto the air ambulance, two of whom are regaining consciousness. “Hello, what are your names?” ask the paramedics.

“I’m Donald Auckland, and that’s my wife, Julie. Please help her,” a bald man tries to outstretch his arm and then howls in pain as he realises he can’t.

“I’m Thomas Auckland,” the little boy says, looking very pale and, above all, terrified.

“OK everyone, we’re just going to take you to hospital where you can be examined. For now, lets give you some gas and air to get rid of the pain,” the paramedics give Donald and Thomas a mask each, connected to a tank, to wear. Another paramedic closely monitors Julie Auckland, who remains unconscious, and radios ahead to the hospital to inform them about the condition of the patients who are on their way. The paramedics joke with Thomas and keep him comforted on the journey.

At the hospital, it is confirmed that Donald has a broken back and Thomas a has a broken collarbone in several places. Julie regains consciousness after further emergency treatment at the hospital but has a broken pelvis and sprained neck.

Because the air ambulance were there for them, the Auckland family got the right emergency care and medical treatment at the hospital fast. Eventually they all make a full recovery from their injuries. Thomas and his family donate to Air Ambulance as a thank you gift.

They hope you’ll never need them, but who knows, maybe the Air Ambulance will help you one day!

by Max.