An Expedition Around the Universe
A Tale of the Gobi Desert
Clearwater Bay School, Amelia Newhouse, Fiction: Group 2
2:56 20th July 1969,
My feet stammered onto the rocky surface. As I manage to shift my legs around, I discovered the
strange wonders of this other planet. The message hadn’t really registered with me that I was on
the moon! ‘Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.’ It had a beautiful ring to it. I would be
a millionaire or a superstar; the whole world will know my name. I would be taught in schools
and when I die the whole of my home planet will be in mourning. I peered at the glittering stars
above, they seemed so magical from down here but they are just deadly balls of fire. The grey
jagged landscape fitted delightfully well with the shadowy lid that covered me. The moon felt so
free compared to the Earth that super-glued you to the ground. This gorgeous picture-book setting
was so welcoming it almost felt like home. I had to have a copy of this on paper; I snapped five
photos that took up all of the space on my camera. What other things are up there waiting to be
discovered? Are there any other things at all? Is there an end to mind-boggling space?
I hadn’t notice but my partner, Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin; Jr. had experienced his first step
on the moon as well. He’s amazing he is, old Buzz. He is my captain, my hero, and a truly great
friend. I wanted him to be the first on the moon but I couldn’t help it. I was the closest to the door
and had to exit first.
When he called to me ten minutes later I wasn’t so impressed.
“Hey, having a nice time, Neil? Sorry to ruin it but, we’ve only got enough oxygen to make it
back to Earth if we leave now. You want to make it back right?” I could hear the disappointment
in his voice. I wanted to run away and live on the moon forever, and never return to the Earth.
Buzz was right though I do want to survive. I clambered back into the capsule two minutes later. I
took my last glimpse of lunar surface. It was glorious!
4:22 14th November 1969,
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are my absolute heroes. OK I am a thirty two year old man
but really, I feel I have spent my whole life admiring the first two people on the moon. I will
now join them on the list. Myself, Charles “Pete” Conrad, Jr. and my partner, Alan LaVern Bean
are going to be the third and fourth people on the brilliant new planet that we humans have
discovered. The moon. Although I was safe in the hands of the amazing Apollo 12’s rocket, I had
a nervous shadow always following close behind me. I was that kind of person who worried about
everything. We had had a rough start when a lightning bolt hit us on the nose of the spaceship,
but by the fine work of Alan we were still speeding to the moon with only a few minor injuries.
Two days later we arrived, I didn’t know at first because I was asleep in my sleeping bag and
felt a rough jolt, I woke instantly. I worried that we might have crashed and awaited death. The
joyful shouts from the front of the rocket confused me.
“We’ve landed! Can’t wait ‘till we get out there.” Reported Bean. We’ve landed? Really?
