In Search of the Time and Space Mach
Read In Search of the Time and Space Mach Online
Authors: Deborah Abela
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Max Remy Superspy 01: In Search of the Time and Space Machine
ePub ISBN 9781742745060
Random House Australia Pty Ltd
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First published in 2002
Text copyright © Deborah Abela 2002
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher.
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Abela, Deborah.
Max Remy: super spy.
For children aged 9â12 years old.
ISBN 978 1 74051 765 2.
ISBN 1 74051 765 2.
1. Spies â Juvenile fiction. I. Title.
A823.4
Photograph of the author by Todd Decker.
Cover and internal illustrations by Jobi Murphy.
Cover design by Jobi Murphy.
For Vera and Poz
Time:
2.45pm
Date:
Friday afternoon, somewhere in the future
Place:
Spyforce Headquarters
Dr Evilbrain was in the middle of another evil plan to destroy the world and the Chief of Spyforce 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 dreamt of. He was Spyforce's most wanted archenemy and they 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 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 â¦
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 sports shoes.
She wiped the slime from her eyes and realised she wasn't Alex Crane, Superspy, but Max Remy of Class 6B and her mum 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.
âHey brainiac, can't you use a hanky like everyone else?'
âWhat's the matter, feeling a little green?'
âGuess 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.
âOkay class, that's enough. Max has just had a little accident,' she said. But Max could see Ms Ellen was only just managing to hold back her own laugh.
âEven though green really is your colour, Max.'
That was it.
You'd think 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.
âMax, one of the most important lessons we can learn is not to take ourselves too seriously.
Otherwise, you'll be sixty-five before you realise you've never had a really good laugh.'
Just then the bell rang.
Phew! Saved from any more of Ms Ellen's cheap women's magazine philosophies.
The class let out a big cheer and Ms Ellen could only just be heard.
âHave a good, safe holiday everyone and I'll see you next year,' she called out.
Kids swarmed everywhere, trying to grab their bags and get out the door for what they'd waited a whole year to happen.
For Max, this meant freedom 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.
âAh, Max?'
It was Ms Ellen.
Max's foot was almost out the doorway.
âYes?' she replied.
âYou're not going to leave without cleaning up this mess, are you?' asked Ms Ellen with her eyebrows raised so high Max thought they'd fly off her forehead.
Max looked at the green slime-covered desk, floor and walls. Cleaning it up would take ages.
âI didn't think so,' said Ms Ellen, collecting her books and papers. âNow don't forget to have some fun in the holidays 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.
âYes, Ms Ellen,' she said, smiling.
After she'd finished cleaning, 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.
âSo Max, having a little trouble with your funny bone?'
âMaybe you should get it seen to?'
âMaybe when you were born they forgot to give you one.'
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.
âSo 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.
âLooks 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 within an inch of his life.
The snakes never appeared, so Toby kept on mouthing off.
âI 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.
âWhat'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 swamp creatures.
She had had enough. She wasn't going 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.
âAh! It's alive,' he screamed. âThe 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, like they had just been told the world was 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 jerk 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 six weeks.
But there was one thing she'd forgotten.
Her mum.
Max met her on the steps.
âWhat happened to you?' she gasped. âWhat's that in your hair? And what have you done to your new shoes?'
Of course, the shoes. Things always seemed much more important to her mum than Max was.
âWhat 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 worst toilet in the world.
Max had to get away from the sniggering she could still hear behind her.
âI don't know, Mum. Let's just get out of here.'