...............It was a small asteroid, an airless rocky world with sunlit surface and starry black sky. As natural as natural could be, except for the huge clear glass dome on a flat expanse on the sunlit side of the asteroid. Beneath the dome rested a huge spaceship, its gangplank down. Beside the ship was a director�s chair (ZAP THE ASTRO DOG emblazoned across its back), a cluttered beach table with umbrella, and a generator that was softly humming in the light air of the pressurized dome. The generator was there to power the small portable television set that rested on the beach table. The television was tuned to the Uncle Dave Show. Of all things.
...............Zap the Astro Dog sat back in his director�s chair, sipping his Long Island Iced Tea, eyes glued to the Uncle Dave Show on the television. Not your ordinary mutt, Zap was special. After all, not every dog is an Astro Dog. Adorned in scarf, blue suede shoes, and Elvis sunglasses, Zap sported a ducktail hair cut with long mutton chop sideburns. He took his Elvis impersonation quite serious.
...............The goofy Uncle Dave Announcer suddenly reappeared. �Uncle Dave�s Revolving Nuclear Zoo machine...,� the Announcer was announcing while Zap frowned and scanned his beach table cluttered with his television, his Long Island Iced Tea, a Billy Space Boy book, a princess telephone, a small bag of golf balls and tees, and a driving iron. �...will be right back after a word from one of our sponsors � Deep Fried Greasy Cracklin� Huht Rinds!�
...............The screen flashed and the Huht Rinds jingle started. Zap grabbed his bag of golf balls and tees, and the driving iron, and jumped down from the director�s chair.

Greasy slimy soggy too!
Deep fried Huht Rinds!
The treat for you!

...............Zap teed up and drove a golf ball somewhere into the dark pressured air of the dome while the jingle faded and the Huht Rinds salesman began to bark his pitch.
...............�Deep Fried Greasy Cracklin� Huht Rinds! Made fresh from Huht lard! Cured in castor oil and Huht drool, and brought to a slow boil...!�
...............Zap teed off another golf ball. It soared off into the dark somewhere high above the asteroid - higher, higher, until it couldn�t get any higher. The dome was in the way. The golf ball hit and bounced off, leaving a hairline fracture in the glass. And Zap looked up as he heard the �ping!� while the Huht Rinds salesman continued his pitch.
...............�...slobberingly delicious! Deep Fried Greasy Cracklin� Huht Rinds! Try some today! And now, try Grandma Huht�s new Southern Deep Fried Greasy Cracklin� Garlic Huht Rinds! Available at Dangerous Danny�s Spaceside Burger, Bar, and Disco, and your local intergalactic grocers!�
...............High above in the dark the hairline fracture began to slowly snake its way across the inner surface of the dome. Below, Zap shrugged, picked up the bag of golf balls and tees, slung the driving iron over a shoulder, and started back to his director�s chair. The jingle was starting again, the Huht Rinds sales pitch nearly over.
...............�Remember...,� the salesman barked as the jingle rose in volume.

Greasy slimy soggy too!
Deep fried Huht Rinds!
The treat for you!

...............Zap dropped the bag and driving iron onto the table and climbed back up into his chair. The coolest mutt in the universe turned and glowered at the silly Uncle Dave Announcer who had reappeared on the television screen.
...............�And now, back to Uncle Dave�s Revolving Nuclear Zoo Machine Saturday Morning Show!� the Announcer proclaimed.
...............And the telephone rang.
...............Zap answered. �Ah�woof.�
...............�Hey Zap ole buddy! This is Bubutu!� the Great Swami�s voice filtered through the line. �Hey bud, the word�s out. Guardian says to meet at Milden�s Hall.�
...............�Ah...woof.�
...............And Zap hung up. He climbed down from his director�s chair, and downed the last of his iced tea. With an earth shaking belch, Zap tossed the glass aside, folded up the chair, grabbed the Billy Space Boy book, and started for his spaceship.
...............High above the dome fracture spread, crackling out in all directions like a spider�s web, tiny pieces of fractured glass fluttering down like twinkling stars.
...............Zap brushed glass dust off a shoulder as he walked up the gangplank and disappeared into his ship. The gangplank closed. There was a low hum as the ship�s engines began to energize and run up to full power. Then the propulsion system suddenly erupted, tossing up asteroid dust in all directions. The ship slowly lifted off the surface, hovered a moment, then took to space, crashing through the splintering dome.
...............At first glass fragments rained down on the abandoned beach table. There was a fleeting moment when they hovered, and then in a rush of escaping air, the glass fragments reversed direction as they were sucked out into space with the escaping air. Along with the fragmented glass went the beach table and its contents, the umbrella, and the generator that Zap had left behind.
...............And whistling on the television screen along with the whistling air as it escaped into space came the fading voice of Uncle Dave. �It�s story time, boys and girls! How about The Adventures of Billy Space Boy?!�
...............The last thing the Universe heard from the television before it exploded in the vacuum of space was a resounding chorus of boos and hisses from the kids.