Cosmic Blackout! Read online

  Chapter 7

  Pizza Time!

  Back in the dining room, Mrs. Nelson handed each kid an apron. “These pizzas won’t make themselves! It’s time to get messy!”

  Zack and his friends eagerly helped one another put on their aprons.

  How hard could it be to cook pizzas? Zack thought . After all, Ira makes it super-fast.

  Once everyone was settled, Zack’s mom started giving directions. First, she handed Seth a jar of pizza sauce. “Here, open this.” Seth took the jar and tried to twist the lid off, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “Ugh . . . I cannot get it open,” said Seth breathlessly.

  “Then try tapping the lid on the counter,” said Mrs. Nelson.

  Seth turned the jar upside down. After a few firm taps, he heard the lid pop. Seth then turned the jar right side up and tried it again. This time it easily twisted open.

  Drake helped the twins wash and prepare the vegetables.

  Zack worked on the dough. He threw in all the ingredients and started mixing as fast as he could. “Gosh, this is harder than it looks,” he said as he wiped his cheek. His whole face was covered in flour.

  “Here, let me try,” said Seth.

  The kids took turns mixing, kneading, and rolling out the dough.

  “I never knew how much Ira did,” said Zack. “This is so much work!”

  “Tell me about it!” Seth exclaimed as he took a deep breath.

  After adding all the toppings, the pizza was ready for the grill. Zack’s dad placed the pizza onto the fire. A little while later, it was finally time to eat.

  “Wow, that looks so yumzers!” said Seth. The cheese was bubbling and sizzling on top.

  The boys were about to dig in when Zack paused. “Hold on. Where are the plates? And we have no napkins or glasses for our spudsy melonade.”

  “Well, Ira always sets the table,” said Zack’s mom. “Without him, you’ll have to set it yourselves.”

  “Oh right. . . . Ira really did do everything for us,” Zack replied.

  Zack walked to the kitchen. After opening every single drawer, he finally found the utensils and cups. He carried as much as he could back to the table.

  The others helped set the table while Zack’s mom cut the pizza into slices. Then Zack served his friends.

  Drake took a bite and his eyes closed with joy. “Wow, this pizza is amazing!”

  Zack agreed, but he couldn’t say a word. His mouth was full of food.

  Chapter 8

  Seth Faces His Fears

  Before they knew it, all the pizza had disappeared. The boys were stuffed!

  Zack finished his last bite and slumped under the table. “That was great! Hey, Mom, do we still have that glow-pro basketball somewhere in the garage? We can set up a hoop in the backyard to play basketball before it gets dark.”

  Drake laughed. “Zack, it has been dark all day!”

  “Oh yeah,” said Zack. “I forgot that this wasn’t a normal day.”

  “We do still have the glow-pro ball,” his mom said. Then she motioned to the dirty plates on the table. “But you’re not going anywhere until after you clean up.”

  “Clean up?” asked Zack. “Oh right. Ira’s not here to do it. . . .” His voice trailed off. “Okay, guys. Looks like we’re on cleanup duty.”

  Zack and his friends carefully stacked the dishes and carried them to the sink while his sisters helped their dad clean the grill.

  “Why don’t you all choose one task and help one another?” suggested Mrs. Nelson.

  “I’ll wash the dishes,” said Zack.

  “And I will dry them,” said Drake. He grabbed a dish towel.

  “Then I will put the dishes away,” said Seth.

  Thirty minutes later, suds were everywhere and the boys were still washing and cleaning up.

  “I never knew doing dishes took so long,” Drake said as he wiped down the last plate. “Ira does them all in no time!”

  “Once Ira’s back I have to thank him for everything he does,” agreed Zack.

  After doing the dishes, the kids had to clean up the mess they had made in the kitchen. The boys scrubbed the counters while the twins organized the cabinets.

  An hour later, the kitchen was sparkling clean.

  Zack grabbed his flashlight. “Finally, let’s go play some basketball!”

  Drake and Seth looked tired as they followed him outside.

  “Zack, I do not think we have energy to play another Earth sport,” said Drake. “Just look at Seth.”

  Seth was slumped on the ground near Zack’s back door. Suddenly, a mysterious sound echoed in the distance.

  ARR-OOOHHH!

  Seth sat up. “There is the noise again! Did you hear it?”

  His friends nodded. Everyone heard it this time.

  “It came from that tree,” said Zack. He aimed his flashlight into the dark branches. The leaves shook as another cry erupted.

  Drake slowly approached the tree and shook the branches. A shadow popped out and darted down the street.

  “See?!” cried Seth. “I told you something was following us!”

  “You’re right. Let’s follow it!” said Zack.

  The boys chased the shadow through their neighborhood until it disappeared into a bush.

  Drake slowly crept up from behind. “I see it inside,” he whispered.

  Then a pair of glowing eyes peered back at the kids through the bushes. Seth started to back away, but it was too late. The creature leaped out of the bushes.

  Chapter 9

  A New Pet

  A furry animal landed right in Seth’s arms! He lifted the critter, holding it gently with both hands. It looked like a puppy mixed with a butterfly. Soft brown fur covered its sweet puppy face, but its ears were like brightly colored yellow and red butterfly wings.

  “You are so cute!” said Seth as he petted the animal. It nuzzled Seth back. “I cannot believe I was scared of such an adorable little creature!”

  “ARR-OOOHHH!” the animal said in agreement. It made the noise again as its ears began to glow in the dark.

  “That’s what looked like glowing eyes,” said Zack. “I wonder what other tricks this little guy can do.”

  As if to answer Zack’s question, the animal’s ears started to flap up and down. Swiftly, it fluttered high up into the air.

  “Wow! It can fly!” cheered Drake.

  The creature left a trail of light in the dark sky. It was unlike anything Zack had ever seen.

  “Do you know what this animal is?” asked Zack.

  “I have no idea,” said Seth as the animal landed on his shoulder and licked his face.

  Drake laughed. “Well, I think you have made a new friend, Seth.”

  “I think you are right, Drake,” said Seth, smiling. “I am going to ask my parents if I can keep him!”

  The animal flew up into the air again. Zack and his friends looked up to watch it streak across the night. Then stars began to glow.

  “Hey, look! Stars!” Zack exclaimed. “I think the cosmic blackout is ending!”

  “Oh.” Drake sounded sad. “I had a fun time doing things ourselves. Making pizzas, playing baseball . . . maybe we can do it again sometime?”

  “Yeah, it has been a pretty grape day,” Seth agreed. “Minus doing the dishes.” The friends all laughed.

  “But next time, let’s play those Earth sports in the daylight,” said Zack with a grin. “I promise, they’re completely different when you can see everything.”

  Seth’s new friend fluttered back down and landed in Seth’s arms. “Do you want to go for a walk, little guy?” asked Seth.

  The creature flapped its ears happily and followed Seth down the street. Zack and Drake followed behind.

  As they walked on, the creature once again flew into the air as its ears glowed brightly. This time, it yipped with excitement.

  A new buzzing sound rattled above them and the boys looked at one another. What could this new noise mean? Then the en
tire street brightened as the streetlights all clicked back on. The moons shined brightly and stars sparkled in the sky.

  “The power is back!” said Zack.

  “Yippee wah-wah!” Seth and Drake cheered.

  “But now it’s really nighttime,” said Seth with a laugh.

  So the boys said good-bye and went their separate ways. Except for Seth’s new friend, who followed Seth all the way home.

  Chapter 10

  Do It Yourself

  The next morning Zack woke up as Luna licked his face. It was pitch-black, just like the day before. He immediately jumped out of bed.

  “Master Just Zack! Is everything okay? Let me turn on the lights.” It was Ira’s voice.

  “Ira! You’re back!” Zack exclaimed excitedly. “I missed you so much!” Luna yipped with excitement too.

  “Thank you, Master Just Zack,” replied Ira. “It is good to be back. Would you like me to start the tooth-o-matic cleaner-flosser for you?”

  “No, that’s okay, Ira. I can brush my own teeth,” said Zack as he walked into the bathroom.

  After getting dressed, Zack went out to the hallway but paused at the elevator. “Hey, Luna, let’s take the stairs.”

  “Excuse me? Master Just Zack, but the elevator would be faster,” Ira began.

  But Zack and Luna were already on their way down. “I know, but a walk to breakfast sounds nice.”

  His mom, dad, and sisters were already at the table.

  “Goodness,” said Ira. “Everyone is ahead of schedule today. Would you like some cosmic cakes with boingoberry syrup, Master Just Zack?”

  “That sounds great,” said Zack. “Ira, I didn’t realize how much you do until this cosmic blackout. Thanks for helping with everything.”

  “You are welcome, Master Just Zack,” Ira replied. “I am happy to be back.”

  “Although I actually kind of liked doing things for myself,” continued Zack. “It was like being back on Earth.”

  “Oh? Then would you like to make the cosmic cakes and clean up, too?” asked Ira.

  Zack laughed. “Well, since you had a day off, I’m sure you missed cooking, right? Though maybe you could teach me some of your recipes?”

  Ira agreed, then he quickly whipped up the food.

  After breakfast, Zack met his friends at the bus stop. Seth’s new pet was perched on his shoulder.

  “Guess what?” asked Seth. “My parents said I can keep him! We are going to go to the vet after school. And since we found him during the cosmic blackout, I decided to call him Cosmo!”

  “Grape name!” said Zack.

  “He has to come to school with me because he refuses to leave my side,” Seth explained.

  Zack smiled as he watched Seth and his new pet. Just yesterday, Seth had been so afraid of the dark, but without the blackout, he may have never found Cosmo. Life was funny like that on Nebulon.

  That morning before class, kids were sharing what they did during the blackout when Mrs. Rudolph walked in.

  Mrs. Rudolph noticed Seth’s odd-looking creature immediately. “Wow, Seth! You have a noctis! Where did you find him?”

  “A noctis! So that is what he is called!” Seth nuzzled Cosmo again. “It is a funny thing, because, well, Cosmo kind of found me.”

  “That’s amazing,” Mrs. Rudolph said. “Noctis rarely ever show themselves because they live in the dark, unless they find the right friend. Oh, there’s so much to learn about the noctis.”

  Suddenly, Zack had the perfect idea. He shot his hand in the air. “Mrs. Rudolph, can we learn more about the noctis outside?”

  “Oh, what a great idea, Zack!” his teacher said. “I think we’ve all earned a day in the sun.”

  “Awesome!” the students called out.

  Cosmo flew excitedly into the air and led the class outside. Zack put his arms around Drake and Seth. Nebulon had some amazing inventions. After all, he loved playing games on his vid-screen. But after the blackout, Zack realized that he didn’t need fancy gadgets to have a good time. All he needed were his friends.

  About the Author and Illustrator

  RAY O’RYAN has loved space stories ever since he watched the very first episode of Star Trek. He loves to imagine what traveling across the galaxy might be like, and is a bit jealous of Galaxy Zack in this regard. Ray lives in the beautiful Catskill Mountains of upstate New York with his wife and two lovable, zany cats named Stitch and The Way.

  JASON KRAFT grew up with a passion for drawing. He has developed that passion into a humble career that has allowed him to work in all facets of the entertainment field all over the globe—from toy design to feature animation. He has now settled in Ottawa, Ontario, with his wife, Christina, and their daughter, Ivy.

  Visit us at simonandschuster.com/kids

  Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Ray-ORyan

  Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Jason-Kraft

  Little Simon

  Simon & Schuster, New York

  GalaxyZackBooks.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  LITTLE SIMON

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  First Little Simon paperback edition November 2017

  Copyright © 2017 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Also available in a Little Simon hardcover edition.

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  Designed by Nick Sciacca

  Jacket design by Nicholas Sciacca

  Jacket illustrations copyright © 2017 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: O'Ryan, Ray, author. | Kraft, Jason (Jason E.), illustrator.

  Title: Cosmic blackout! / by Ray O'Ryan ; illustrated by Jason Kraft.

  Description: First Little Simon paperback edition. | New York : Little Simon, 2017. | Series: Galaxy Zack ; #16 | Summary: Zack loves everything about his new planet, Nebulon, until there is a complete cosmic blackout and he must try to function without his Indoor Robotic Assistant and hyperphone.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2017016642 | ISBN 9781481499897 (pbk) | ISBN 9781481499903 (hc)

  ISBN 9781481499910 (eBook)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Electric power failures—Fiction. | Science fiction. |

  BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Science Fiction. | JUVENILE FICTION / Action &

  Adventure / General. | JUVENILE FICTION / Readers / Chapter Books.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.O7843 Cos 2017 | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017016642K