Mission: In Search of the Time and Space Machine

Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Chapter One

Chronicles of Spy Force:

Time: 2:45 P.M.

Date: Friday afternoon, somewhere in the future

Place: Spy Force Headquarters

Dr. Evilbrain was in the middle of another evil plan to destroy the world and the Chief of Spy Force had his top spy, Alex Crane, on the case as the only one who could stop him.

Dr. Evilbrain was the world's greatest mastermind of evil. He was responsible for feats of evil that other evildoers only dreamed of. He was Spy Force's most wanted archenemy, and Spy Force would not rest until the world was free of him.

Not only that, he was just about the ugliest person who was ever popped out into the world.

He had one thick eyebrow that dripped down his brow and into the edges of his eyes, which were small and beady like two rats sniffing for food from inside a dark hole. His nose was a mess of acne scars that looked like someone had taken a piece of the moon and stuck it right in the middle of his face. The ugly stick had been waved so high and long above his head, that on the day he was born, his own mother ran from the hospital and never wanted to see him again. He was so repulsive, mosquitoes wouldn't bite him and mirrors didn't crack when they saw him--they cried out in fear of their lives.

There was only one way to say it.

Dr. Evilbrain wasn't pretty.

And he wasn't stupid, either. At least he wasn't stupid after he'd had the operation. He had the most villainous brain that ever slimed its way into a human head.

Literally.

Dr. Evilbrain had created the world's first synthetic brain, equipped with hypersmart intelligence and precision evil, and he knew that with this brain, he'd be smart enough to take over the world. In a complex and very sloppy operation, his assistant, the sinister Count Igor, cut open Dr. Evilbrain's head, scooped out his squelchy old brain, and replaced it with his new and slimy smart one.

That's when Dr. Evilbrain hatched his latest plan.

With his new brain squishing around in his head, Dr. Evilbrain developed algae that would, in just twenty-four hours, multiply and choke the world's water supply of its oxygen, killing all living things and making water supplies everywhere poisonous for people to drink.

Human life would have only weeks to live.

For most people, it wouldn't even be that long.

It was up to Alex Crane, the world's greatest mastermind against evildoers, to create an antidote that would kill the algae and stop the deadly countdown to the end of the world.

She'd been working for twenty-two hours straight. There were only two hours left. All she needed was to add one drop of her secret ingredient and get down to the shores of the ocean before the deadline was up.

But only a drop.

Just one more...

KABOOM!!!

Great sticky clumps of green slime went everywhere. Oozing down walls, across desks, soaking through books, and, worst of all, covering Max from the top of her head down to her brand new shoes.

She wiped the slime from her eyes and realized she wasn't Alex Crane, Superspy, but Max Remy of Class 6B, and her mom was really going to give it to her this time.

A sea of kids' faces traffic-jammed around her, laughing at her new look. Members of Class 6B were not known for their subtlety, and they weren't about to change now.

"Hey brainiac, can't you use a tissue like everyone else?"

"What's the matter, feeling a little green?"

"Guess who forgot to have a bath today?"

The room exploded in a deafening roar of laughter. Suddenly everyone was a comedian. Even Ms. Ellen got in on the act.

"Okay, class, that's enough. Max has just had a little accident," she said. But Max could see that Ms. Ellen was only just managing to hold back her own laugh.

"Even though green really is your color, Max."

That was it.

You'd think that it was the funniest joke anyone had ever made in the history of the entire world. Max wanted every bird there was to fly over Ms. Ellen's head and slime her with their smelly poo. She imagined her teacher running around with her new poo-dropping hairdo, screaming and trying to get it off.

It was as if Ms. Ellen could read Max's thoughts because her face turned serious and she lowered her voice.

"Max, one of the most important lessons we can learn is not to take ourselves too seriously. Otherwise, you'll be sixty-five before you realize you've never had a really good laugh."

Just then the bell rang.

Phew! Saved from any more of Ms. Ellen's women's magazine philosophies.

The class let out a big cheer and Ms. Ellen could only just be heard.

"Have a good, safe summer vacation everyone and I'll see you next year," she called out.

Kids swarmed everywhere, trying to grab their bags and get out the door--freedom at last.

For Max, this meant relief from the halfwits she had to sit next to.

Adios and see you later. She was out of there, and as far as she was concerned, nothing beat the fact that she wouldn't have to see any of the other kids' lame, laughing faces for the entire summer.

"Ah, Max?"

It was Ms. Ellen.

Max's foot was almost out the door.

"Yes?" she replied.

"You're not going to leave without cleaning up this mess, are you?" asked Ms. Ellen with her eyebrows raised so high that Max thought they'd fly off her forehead.

Max looked at the green slime-covered desk, floor, and walls. Cleaning it up would take practically all summer.

"I didn't think so," said Ms. Ellen, collecting her books and papers. "Now, don't forget to have some fun on vacation, and I'll see you much more relaxed and happy next year."

It took every ounce of Max's self-control not to pick up some slime and put it through her teacher's roller-curled hair. Instead, she imagined Ms. Ellen as a giant bug-eyed monster with horrible breath and cockroaches crawling out of her nose.

"Yes, Ms. Ellen," she said, smiling.

After she'd finished cleaning up, Max got her bag and went into the corridor where the other kids were waiting for her.

Especially Toby Jennings and his little fan club.

"So Max, having a little trouble with your funny bone?" said Toby.

"Maybe you should have it looked into?" droned one of his followers.

"Maybe when you were born, they forgot to give you one," said another.

Max ignored them, trying to get to the main door and out of the building as soon as possible.

They wouldn't let it rest. But it was Toby who really knew how to get at her.

"So Miss Enormous Brain, had a little slime trouble today?"

Max was good at science, but Toby was better at exams and always just beat her. And he let her know it.

"Looks like your second place behind me wasn't a terrible mistake after all, Ms. Einstein."

Max's head was alive with what felt like a hundred snakes wanting to jump out and slither all over Toby, squeezing him to silence.

The snakes never appeared, so Toby kept on mouthing off.

"I knew you were the queen of slime, but I didn't think you were into making it," he sneered.

Now the other kids really let loose.

Max tried to walk past them.

"What's the matter, slime got your tongue?"

Max never understood why Toby Jennings didn't just turn into a toad and fall into the nearest swamp with all the other crawling creatures.

She had had enough. She didn't have to take this anymore. But just as she was about to let him have it, a piece of slime wormed its way out of her hair, down her forehead, and onto her nose.

This was just what Toby needed for his final blow.

"Ah! It's alive," he screamed. "The slime's coming out of her brain. It's coming to get us all. Run for your lives! Aaaahhhhhh!"

The corridor burst into a riot of screaming kids falling and laughing and running as fast as they could to get away from Max and her slime brain, as if they had just been told that the world were going to self-destruct in five seconds.

Which wouldn't be such a bad idea. At least then Max would never have to come back to this school and all the lame-brained students who went there.

The corridor was clear in ten seconds flat. Good riddance. All Max had to do was get her bag, walk out those doors, and she wouldn't have to step back in this place for a whole summer.

But there was one thing she'd forgotten.

Her mom.

Max met her on the steps.

"What happened to you?" she gasped. "What's that in your hair? And what have you done to your new shoes?"

Of course, the shoes. It felt like things always seemed much more important to her mom than Max was.

"What will it take to teach you a little respect for your things, young lady?"

Normally Max would have had a great comeback. Something funny and sharp. She was pretty good at those. But she was feeling sticky from the slime that was starting to harden and smell like she'd just fallen down the ickiest toilet in the world.

Max had to get away from the sniggering she could still hear behind her.

"I don't know, Mom. Let's just get out of here."

Text copyright © 2002 by Deborah Abela

Continues...

Excerpted from Mission: In Search of the Time and Space Machineby Deborah Abela Copyright © 2005 by Deborah Abela. Excerpted by permission.
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