THE CONTAMINATED CASE OF THE COOKING CONTEST Chapter 1 Cruise Ship Departs Miami Saturday Clinton Chang stood next to his friend Mae Harris on the deck of the giant cruise ship waving good-bye to all the people on shore even though he didn’t know any of them I can’t believe we’re really going on a cruise he said I can’t believe your mom let you bring me along Mae’s mother was a nurse and she would be working in the ship infirmary the medical center in return for a free cruise and small cabin for three Clinton added I hope nobody on this cruise gets sick so your mom has lots of time to just relax and have fun I just hope I don’t get seasick Mae Harris said You know me and motion sickness 1
GALACTIC ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Don’t even think about it said Clinton He nudged Mae with an elbow You know you have to get over that to be an astronaut But hey you did all right on the flight down to Miami Clinton knew how much Mae had been looking forward to this trip She worked so hard at school that sometimes she got really tense For the last couple of weeks she’d been acting crabby and nervous He knew she’d packed and repacked her suitcase for a week trying to foresee anything she might need Clinton on the other hand just threw his stuff into a duffel bag at the last minute The two of them were so different he doubted they’d even be friends if not for some pretty amazing adventures they’d had with the Galactic Academy of Science As the ship pulled away from the wharf Clinton turned from the rail and looked down the length of the ship It was taller than most buildings he’d seen and it seemed to stretch as long as a city block It really is like a city he said A floating city I know said Mae Let’s go back to the room and check the list of activities for today We need to plan how to get the most out of everything They took the stairs down a few decks and then walked through a series of corridors to a bank of elevators They passed the lifeboats where they had practiced the muster drill for emergencies as soon as they boarded I hope we never have to use the lifeboats Mae said Don’t worry Clinton said I’m a strong swimmer and I’ll help you if we go overboard Great said Mae Wow I feel so safe They took the elevator down several decks walked past the conference rooms and purser desk where they had signed in 2
THE CONTAMINATED CASE OF THE COOKING CONTEST and descended one more staircase Finally they reached their cabin where Mae opened the door There were no windows or portholes as Clinton reminded himself they were called Still there was a double bed that Mae and her mother would share while Clinton slept on the pullout couch It looked a little lumpy but he didn’t care Mae’s mother was still unpacking clothes and arranging the room There you are she said when they entered Would you like to get something to eat before I start my shift in the infirmary Ooh food Clinton said Where do we go first One of the cool things about this cruise was that there were supposed to be different kinds of food all over the ship Let’s try the buffet Mae’s mother Gina replied Make sure you wash your hands first Actually I’d like you to wash your hands very often while we’re on the ship Cruises are fun but there’s always the chance of a fast-spreading illness Have you heard of norovirus Mae wrinkled her nose Sally Hingston told me all about it when she found out I invited Clinton instead of her Stomach aches diarrhea vomit splashing everywhere Clinton made a face and Mae continued Isn’t there a vaccine or something we can take Mae’s mom shook her head There’s no vaccine for norovirus Washing your hands is your best defense Other than that you should focus on having fun not worrying Now wash your hands As Clinton and Mae jostled for space at the small sink Mae’s mother continued from the other room Speaking of food did you see the notice about the cooking contest There are 3
