Rocket & Liftoff – The Bedlam Bugs
Page 11
‘Watch out everyone!’ shouted Hoppy, preparing herself for a fight by raising her hands into fists and spreading her feet.
‘Hold on,’ said Shelly reaching out an arm in front of her. ‘How do we know this belongs to the Code Maker? It might come from somewhere else.’
‘What do you want?’ Rocket asked the drone. ‘Why have you been following us?’
The hovering machine whispered an answer: ‘My name is Shadow. My mission has been to watch over you.’
Its voice sounded like the wind.
‘I told you it came from the Code Maker. Well, we don’t want you snooping on us anymore,’ said Rocket sternly.
‘I don’t work for the Code Maker,’ replied Shadow. ‘I belong to the Guardian. And I’m here to warn you of great danger.’
‘Danger!’ laughed Rocket. ‘Do you not know what we’ve just been through? I think the danger is well and truly over.’
‘No,’ whispered Shadow. ‘The danger has only just begun. Others are coming for you ...’
‘Others?’ said Rocket looking about. ‘What others? Where?’
‘They are on the way, riding the ocean as I speak. I will try to delay them but they have great powers and great weapons. The Guardian has been protecting you for many years. But our enemies have grown stronger...’
‘Protecting us? No one’s been protecting me!’ snapped Hoppy. ‘And why should we believe you anyway?’
‘I tell the truth,’ whispered the drone. ‘I can’t explain anymore. I must leave your island immediately. I will return. Be alert!’
And in a flash, a blurring of lights and a whoosh of dust and wind, the drone soared through the blue sky. Then suddenly with a loud bang, it turned supersonic leaving only a streak of white fumes, vanishing into the west.
‘Do you think it was telling the truth?’ asked Hoppy.
‘Who knows?,’ replied Shelly. ‘I think it best to mull these things over with a cup of tea. Ah, yes, a cup of tea would be nice.’
‘Well, me and Liftoff have some very important fishing to catch up on,’ said Rocket, giving his best friend Liftoff a friendly pat on the shoulder.
‘Sure do,’ added Liftoff, ‘and some very important sleeping, too.’
‘You guys are so lazy,’ scolded Hoppy. She crossed her arms and frowned. ‘We’ve just been told we’re in great danger and you go off to have fun fishing or whatever silly pointless things you do. The sooner me and Tinysaur get off this island the better. Right, Tinysaur?’
The little dinosaur whimpered and shrugged.
Shelly and Tinysaur turned towards the Tree House and Hoppy followed after them shaking her head side to side. Rocket and Liftoff split off and took the path towards the fishing lake.
‘Do you believe all that stuff the drone told us?’ asked Liftoff anxiously. He stroked the head of the bunny in his satchel. ‘I don’t want no more trouble.’
Rocket shrugged and scratched his furry chin.
‘We can look after ourselves, can’t we? Besides, it’s a big island. Even if someone did want to catch us – they’d never be able to catch us, right?’
‘I guess,’ said Liftoff, although he wasn’t quite sure.
Rocket noticed a couple of blueberry bushes on their path and went over to pick a handful of berries.
As he was filling his pockets he noticed the sun glistening on a pool of water through the trees.
‘Look at that!’ said Rocket cheerfully pointing ahead. ‘Our fishing lake!’
‘The waters back!’ cheered Liftoff.
The fishing lake was, once again, full of water. Ducks glided happily near a grassy bank and there were bubbles and pops on the water’s surface, hinting at a shoal of fish swimming beneath.
Rocket ran over to the bank and picked up his fishing rod. ‘First to catch five fish is the winner!’
Liftoff jogged over, took up his rod and sat next to Rocket on their trusty, well-worn log bench. ‘Now this is my kind of race,’ he grinned.
###
Thanks
Thank you for reading Rocket & Liftoff’s first adventure - The Bedlum Bugs.
If you’d like to read more stories about Rocket & Liftoff please remember to give this book a good review online and tell your friends to read it too.
If you do write a review, please let Jon know where to see it at jon@islandcartoons.com and he’ll email you a link to watch his short animation ‘Run Zoom Run’ for free.
To see some of Jon’s animations and illustration including some for Rocket & Liftoff visit:
www.islandcartoons.com
Watch Jon Ireland’s ‘Run Zoom Run’ animation trailer on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDar_YRgN0w
Buy Jon Ireland’s ‘Run Zoom Run’ Short Animation on itunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/md/movie/run-zoom-run/id925552734
Read ‘Run Zoom Run’ Blog and making of:
https://www.runzoomrun.co.uk
Watch Kernel Klump and his robot friends rap video on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5xLkIwPU5k
Buy Kernel Klump’s ‘I got Problems’ rap song on itunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-got-problems-single/id588663721
Listen to Kernel Klump on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/47OtcvuaJlrcgZJVIKDUoF
Listen to Kernel Klump on Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/music/artist/Kernel_Klump?id=Ag5vnnibuwxz3rhmz5lcnnhuyia
Cover illustrations by Massimiliano Lucania.
Character designs, page illustrations, 3D models, graphic design and story by Jon Ireland.
January 2016.
About Jon Ireland
Jon Ireland is a writer, graphic designer and animator. Jon lives with his wife and two daughters, Summer and Heidi, in North Devon, the United Kingdom, and when he can get off his computer he loves outdoor activities and sports like running, surfing, kite surfing, climbing and tennis.
License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.