Spaceship Medic facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Harry Harrison |
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| Cover artist | Gask & Page |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's science fiction |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
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Publication date
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1970 |
Spaceship Medic is an exciting science fiction novel written for young people by Harry Harrison. It was first published in 1970. The story first appeared in a magazine called Venture Science Fiction in November 1969, but it was titled "Plague Ship" then.
Plot
Imagine a spaceship called the Johannes Kepler on a regular trip to Mars. Suddenly, a large space rock, a meteoroid, crashes into the ship! This causes a lot of damage. The captain and most of the experienced crew members are lost. Even worse, much of the ship's air disappears.
Lieutenant Donald Chase, a young medical officer, is now the highest-ranking person left. He has to take charge of the whole ship! This is a huge responsibility for someone who usually helps sick people.
Donald gets help from a few brave people:
- Chief Petty Officer Kurikka: He knows a lot about how the ship works.
- Dr. Ugalde: A brilliant scientist from Mexico who is a passenger. His amazing math skills help the new crew figure out how to steer the ship.
Donald quickly realizes they need more air to breathe. He finds a clever solution: he uses the oxygen from the ship's water supply. This helps everyone breathe easier and makes the situation more stable.
But the challenges aren't over. A passenger named General Mathew Briggs starts to cause trouble. He didn't like Donald's ideas and tries to take over the ship by force. It looks like Dr. Ugalde is helping him, but it's a trick! Dr. Ugalde was only pretending to switch sides. Kurikka steps in, and General Briggs is stopped and put in prison.
Then, another big problem hits: a deadly sickness spreads through the ship. It seems the meteoroid carried this dangerous plague. Donald and the other medical staff work tirelessly to find a cure. They finally succeed, saving everyone! However, Donald collapses from being sick and completely exhausted.
After the ship safely reaches its destination, Donald recovers in a hospital. His grateful crew visits him and gives him a special gift: a captain's cap. It shows how much they appreciate his bravery and leadership.
