Part 1
Captain James Carter was not having a good day. He had been awake for 36 hours, trying to keep his spaceship, the Hope, from falling apart. The Hope was the last surviving vessel of the human race, after a devastating alien invasion that had wiped out most of Earth and its colonies. The Hope had managed to escape the carnage, but not without damage. Its engines were failing, its life support systems were unstable, and its weapons were useless. Carter and his crew of 50 had been drifting in space for months, hoping to find a safe haven somewhere in the galaxy.
But hope was running out. The Hope’s sensors had detected a large alien fleet approaching their position. The aliens, known as the Zorax, were ruthless and relentless. They had hunted down every human ship they could find, and showed no mercy. Carter knew they had no chance of fighting or outrunning them. He had to make a desperate decision.
He gathered his crew in the main hall and addressed them with a grim expression.
“Listen up, everyone. I have some bad news and some worse news. The bad news is that we have a Zorax fleet on our tail, and they will be here in less than an hour. The worse news is that we have no way of defending ourselves or escaping. We are out of options.”
The crew gasped and murmured in fear and disbelief. Some of them cried, some of them cursed, some of them prayed.
Carter continued.
“I know this is hard to accept, but we have to face reality. We are not going to survive this encounter. But we are not going to give up either. We are going to do what humans do best: we are going to fight back.”
He paused for a moment, then said.
“I have a plan. It’s risky, it’s crazy, and it’s probably suicidal. But it’s our only chance of making a difference. It’s our only chance of giving humanity a future.”
He looked at his crew with determination.
“Are you with me?”
Part 2
Carter explained his plan to his crew. It was simple, but daring. He proposed to use the Hope as a kamikaze weapon, and ram it into the Zorax flagship. The Hope had a powerful nuclear reactor that could cause a massive explosion if detonated. Carter hoped that by destroying the Zorax leader, he could create chaos and confusion among the enemy ranks, and maybe even inspire other human survivors to fight back.
The crew listened to his plan with mixed reactions. Some of them agreed with him, and volunteered to join him in his final mission. Some of them disagreed, and argued that it was a waste of lives and resources. Some of them were undecided, and asked for more time to think.
Carter gave them 10 minutes to make up their minds. He said that anyone who wanted to join him should report to the bridge, and anyone who wanted to stay behind should go to the escape pods. He said that he would not force anyone to follow him, but he also would not stop anyone from leaving.
He then left the hall and headed to the bridge, where he waited for his crew to join him.
He was not surprised when only 15 people showed up. They were his loyal friends and comrades, who had been with him through thick and thin. They greeted him with salutes and hugs, and told him that they were ready to die with him.
Carter thanked them for their courage and loyalty, and assigned them their roles. He told them to prepare the ship for impact, and to activate the self-destruct sequence when they were close enough to the Zorax flagship.
He then took his seat in the captain’s chair, and looked at the viewscreen. He saw the Zorax fleet approaching fast, like a swarm of angry bees. He saw their sleek and sinister ships, armed with lasers and missiles. He saw their flagship, a massive dreadnought that dwarfed the Hope.
He felt a surge of adrenaline and anger. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.
He said to his crew.
“Are you ready?”
They replied in unison.
“Yes, sir!”
He said.
“Then let’s do this.”
He pushed a button, and the Hope’s engines roared to life. The ship accelerated towards the Zorax fleet, like a bullet towards a target.
The Zorax detected the Hope’s movement, and reacted with surprise and confusion. They did not expect such a bold and reckless move from a human ship. They did not know what to make of it.
They tried to shoot it down, but they were too late. The Hope was too fast and too close.
Carter saw the Zorax flagship looming in front of him. He saw its dark and menacing shape, its glowing windows, its deadly weapons.
He smiled grimly.
He said to his crew.
“It’s been an honor serving with you.”
They said back.
“The honor is ours, sir.”
He said.
“Goodbye.”
They said.
“Goodbye.”
He pressed another button, and activated the self-destruct sequence.
The Hope’s reactor started to overload, creating a bright and blinding light.
The light engulfed the ship, and then expanded into a huge fireball.
The fireball reached the Zorax flagship, and tore it apart.
The explosion rocked the entire Zorax fleet, causing shockwaves and debris.
The Zorax were stunned and horrified. They had lost their leader, their strongest ship, and hundreds of their warriors.
They panicked and scattered, unsure of what to do next.
They did not notice a small escape pod that had ejected from the Hope before the explosion.
The escape pod contained five people: Carter’s wife, his son, his daughter, his brother, and his sister-in-law.
They had decided not to join Carter in his suicide mission, but they also did not want to abandon him.
They had watched him sacrifice himself for humanity’s sake, and they had cried for him.
They had also seen him succeed in his plan, and they had cheered for him.
They had seen him become a hero, a legend, a martyr.
They had seen him give humanity a last hope.
Part 3
The escape pod drifted in space for a while, until it detected a faint signal. It was a human distress call, coming from a nearby planet. The pod’s computer analyzed the signal, and determined that it was safe and friendly. It decided to follow it, and activated its thrusters.
The pod landed on the planet, which was a barren and rocky world. It opened its hatch, and the five people inside came out. They looked around, and saw a small base hidden among the rocks. They saw a few human figures waving at them.
They walked towards the base, and were greeted by the humans. They were a group of survivors from another human ship that had been attacked by the Zorax. They had managed to escape and find this planet, where they had set up a makeshift shelter.
They welcomed the newcomers, and invited them inside. They offered them food, water, and medical care. They asked them where they came from, and what had happened to them.
The newcomers told them their story. They told them about the Hope, the last human ship. They told them about Carter, the brave captain who had sacrificed himself to destroy the Zorax flagship. They told them about the explosion, the chaos, and the escape.
The survivors listened with awe and admiration. They praised Carter for his heroism and courage. They thanked him for his gift of hope.
They also told them their own story. They told them how they had been part of a human resistance movement that had been fighting against the Zorax for years. They told them how they had been gathering information, sabotaging enemy ships, and rescuing other survivors. They told them how they had been looking for a way to contact other human groups, and to coordinate a final attack on the Zorax.
They said that Carter’s action had given them a golden opportunity. They said that the Zorax fleet had been weakened and disorganized by the loss of their leader and their flagship. They said that now was the time to strike back, to launch a surprise attack on the Zorax homeworld.
They said that they had a plan. They said that they had a secret weapon.
They showed them a large metal crate in a corner of the base. They opened it, and revealed its contents.
It was a nuclear bomb.
They said that they had stolen it from a Zorax ship that they had infiltrated. They said that it was powerful enough to destroy an entire planet.
They said that they wanted to use it on the Zorax homeworld.
They said that they needed volunteers to join them in their mission.
They looked at the newcomers, and asked them if they were willing to join them.
They said that it was their chance to avenge Carter, to honor his memory, to finish what he had started.
They said that it was their chance to end the war, to save humanity, to secure a future.
They said that it was their chance to be heroes.
They waited for their answer.
Part 4
The newcomers agreed to join the mission. They said they wanted to honor Carter’s legacy, and to fight for humanity’s freedom. They said they were not afraid to die.
The survivors were glad to hear their decision. They said they were proud of them, and that they considered them as family. They said they would do everything in their power to help them.
They spent the next few days preparing for the mission. They checked the bomb, the ship, and the disguises. They studied the Zorax homeworld, its defenses, and its weak points. They rehearsed the plan, and memorized the codes and passwords.
They also spent some time bonding with each other. They shared their stories, their hopes, and their fears. They laughed, cried, and hugged. They became friends.
They were ready.
They boarded the Zorax ship, and took off from the planet. They flew towards the Zorax homeworld, which was a dark and ominous sphere in the distance.
They entered its orbit, and hailed the Zorax control tower. They used a fake identity and a forged clearance. They said they were returning from a patrol mission, and requested permission to land.
The Zorax control tower replied with a gruff and suspicious voice. It asked them for their identification code, their ship number, and their commander’s name.
They gave them the answers that they had learned from their research. They hoped they were correct.
They waited for a few tense seconds.
The Zorax control tower replied with a curt and cold voice. It said that they were cleared to land. It gave them a landing bay number, and a landing time.
They thanked them, and followed their instructions.
They breathed a sigh of relief.
They had passed the first hurdle.
They landed in the assigned bay, and opened the hatch. They saw a group of Zorax soldiers waiting for them. They wore black armor, red helmets, and green eyes. They carried laser rifles, and looked menacing.
They stepped out of the ship, and greeted them with a salute. They wore similar armor, helmets, and eyes. They also carried laser rifles, but they hid the bomb in a large backpack.
They hoped they looked convincing.
They waited for the Zorax soldiers to inspect their ship and their papers.
They hoped they would not find anything suspicious.
They waited for a few more tense seconds.
The Zorax soldiers nodded at them, and waved them away. They said that they were free to go. They said that they had to report to their commander in the central command center.
They thanked them, and walked away.
They breathed another sigh of relief.
They had passed the second hurdle.
They walked through the Zorax base, which was a huge and complex structure. It was filled with corridors, rooms, and elevators. It was also filled with Zorax soldiers, workers, and officers. They saw them walking, talking, and working. They saw them carrying weapons, tools, and documents.
They tried to blend in with them. They acted like normal Zorax soldiers. They followed the signs and directions to the central command center.
They hoped they would not attract any attention.
They reached the central command center, which was a large and circular room. It was surrounded by screens, consoles, and speakers. It was also surrounded by Zorax guards, technicians, and commanders. They saw them monitoring the situation, issuing orders, and receiving reports.
They saw one of them standing in the middle of the room. He was taller and stronger than the others. He wore a golden armor, a blue helmet, and a purple cape. He had four eyes instead of two. He held a staff in his hand.
He was the Zorax supreme leader.
He was their target.
They approached him slowly and cautiously. They pretended to be his loyal followers. They pretended to have an urgent message for him.
They hoped he would listen to them.
They reached him without any trouble. He turned around and looked at them with his four eyes. He asked them who they were, and what they wanted.
They gave him another fake identity and another forged message. They said they were from his personal guard unit, and that they had important information for him.
He asked them what it was.
They said it was about a human ship that had been spotted near his homeworld.
He asked them what it was doing there.
They said it was trying to attack his homeworld with a nuclear bomb.
Part 5
The Zorax supreme leader was shocked and enraged by their message. He asked them how they knew about the human ship and the nuclear bomb.
They said they had intercepted a human transmission, and that they had decoded it.
He asked them to show him the transmission.
They said they had it in their backpack, and that they needed to play it on his console.
He agreed, and told them to follow him.
They followed him to his console, which was a large and sophisticated device. It had a keyboard, a mouse, and a screen. It also had a speaker, a microphone, and a camera.
They put their backpack on the console, and opened it. They took out the bomb, and activated it.
They said.
“Surprise.”
The Zorax supreme leader realized too late what they had done. He tried to scream, but he had no time.
The bomb exploded, creating a bright and blinding light.
The light engulfed the room, and then expanded into a huge fireball.
The fireball reached the rest of the base, and tore it apart.
The explosion rocked the entire Zorax homeworld, causing shockwaves and debris.
The Zorax were stunned and horrified. They had lost their leader, their base, and thousands of their people.
They panicked and scattered, unsure of what to do next.
They did not notice a small ship that had taken off from the other side of the planet.
The ship contained five people: Carter’s wife, his son, his daughter, his brother, and his sister-in-law.
They had decided not to join the others in their suicide mission, but they also did not want to abandon them.
They had watched them sacrifice themselves for humanity’s sake, and they had cried for them.
They had also seen them succeed in their plan, and they had cheered for them.
They had seen them become heroes, legends, martyrs.
They had seen them end the war, save humanity, secure a future.
They had seen them give humanity a new hope.
They flew away from the Zorax homeworld, which was now a burning and smoking ruin. They flew towards a human colony, which was a bright and shining star in the distance.
They contacted the colony, and told them what had happened. They told them about the Hope, the last human ship. They told them about Carter, the brave captain who had sacrificed himself to destroy the Zorax flagship. They told them about the survivors, the resistance fighters who had sacrificed themselves to destroy the Zorax homeworld. They told them about the explosion, the victory, and the escape.
The colony listened with awe and admiration. They praised Carter and the survivors for their heroism and courage. They thanked them for their gift of hope.
They also welcomed the newcomers, and invited them to join them. They offered them a new home, a new family, and a new life.
They accepted their offer, and thanked them for their kindness.
They landed on the colony, which was a green and fertile world. It was filled with fields, forests, and rivers. It was also filled with humans who were happy, healthy, and free.
They met with the humans who greeted them with smiles and hugs. They introduced themselves as Carter’s family. They said they were proud of him, and that they loved him.
The humans said they were proud of him too. They said they loved him too.
They said he was their hero.
The End.
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
Leave a comment