This is the second Young Author Award winning entry for our fifth grade.
The Computer Virus written & illustrated by Wade
Chapter 1
Jared Ward was a scientist who was fairly well known in his county for winning three straight science fairs. The first time he won he made a computer powered by milk. It was made of wood. The second time he won, he had made a telescope made of gun parts. “Gooey, gooey, gooey,” the people said when they saw Jared’s third science experi-
ment. It was a slushy, contaminated gel. His friends told him it was genius, but they truly thought the only reason he won was because only six people entered the contest.
After winning the third science fair, Jared took a vacation to Vermont. There he went to the Albert Einstein Science Store and bought some Epsom salts, an evaporating dish, and various acids and chemicals. Next, Jared went to Frank’s Pranks and bought yellow, blue, and green slimes. Having returned from his vacation, Jared went straight to his science lab which was also his attic. He placed the green slime into a cup. Next, he poured hot water into the cup. He followed that with the yellow slime. Then he placed the acids and chemicals into the cup. Jared had to put the blue slime in, but he instantly remembered that he had to place the Epsom salts on the evaporating dish. He did just that, and waited for it to turn to salt crystals. Then he made a hole in the blue slime and poured the salt crystals in. After that, Jared put the cup of various ingredients under the heat lamp to melt into goo. After the goo developed, he placed both goos near the computer. The next day, May 18, 1907, was the day everything went wrong.
Chapter 2
Jared’s alarm clock awakened him, but he was so scared when he heard it that he knocked it over. When it fell, it hit the table with the two goos and computer on it. That caused the table to wobble which caused the milk and goos to fall. Jared was still sleepy so when he put the cups back onto the table, he put the milk wire for the computer into the goo. Now, instead of being powered by milk Jared’s computer is sucking contaminated goo into the system. Jared went downstairs to refill his spilled milk cup not knowing what he just did. After he got back to his room to pour the milk in the cup Jared turned on his computer. When it powered up, the screen turned the green color of the slime the computer took in. Then, it developed a pair of eyes, ears, a nose and mouth. Instantly, the green screen shrunk, grew legs and arms, and jumped out of the computer! When that happened, Jared screamed at the top of his lungs. The creature must have been frightened because he ran into the lab closet. Jared was able to trap it in a box. He took it to a bona fide scientist for identification. The scientist identified the creature as a Living Computer Virus. Frantically, the scientist picked up the box and let the creature go, afraid it would hurt him. The virus not only ran out of the lab, but out of the building entirely. It ran through the city demolishing everything on the way. “Get on the ground!” the people in the SWAT helicopter yelled. That made the virus furious, so it rampaged toward all of the forces in the air and on the ground.
Chapter 3
One of the Air Force officers got a mini gun and fired at the virus. On the ground the virus was trying its hardest to dodge the bullets but as it jumped out of the way of one bullet, it would be right in the way of another. Unfortunately, the virus got hit and exploded. Everyone in town figured out that Jared caused the incident and banned him from all future science fairs.
