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
GALACTIC ACADEMY OF SCIENCE actually two cooking contests on board One is for adults and the other for kids your age You two should sign up When they came out of the bathroom Mae’s mom gave them some brochures and shooed them away Why don’t you go find a table while I finish up here I’ll be there in a minute Mae and Clinton made their way to the Calypso Buffet and found a quiet corner where they could look out to sea Mae flipped open the brochure for the kids cooking contest and started reading the contest rules aloud Clinton let his mind drift I like to eat Clinton said I’ll be too busy eating to cook I heard you can eat anytime you want on the cruise ship Mae let the brochure drop You’re probably right The only thing I know about cooking is from watching a couple of cooking shows I never cook at home and Mom’s always in too much of a hurry to make anything fancy We’d never win Wait a minute said Clinton I never said we couldn’t win Just then a whooshing sound filled the air and there in front of them in the seat they’d been saving for Mae’s mom sat their friend from the future Selectra Volt Selectra was dressed in her usual skin-tight green outfit covered with pink puffballs Her green and pink hair stuck out in its usual cheerful way but she was frowning Whoa Selectra Clinton said How’d you find us here We try to keep track of our G A S recruits Selectra said You are Clinton Chang Asian-American been on four missions Come on you know that Clinton said Can’t we do without this official stuff 4
THE CONTAMINATED CASE OF THE COOKING CONTEST Selectra Mae interrupted How can you just pop in like this in the middle of a crowded room Selectra turned her head to Mae looking unconcerned It’s easy to escape notice in a crowd And you are Mae Jemison Harris African-American and want to be an astronaut like Mae Jemison You already know that Mae said Really Selectra you can be so annoying Do we have a mission Clinton asked Yes No Soon Selectra said She blinked That is maybe Somebody is groobing things up What do you mean Clinton demanded Selectra took a big breath that made her spiky hair sway and said We may need you to investigate a case aboard the cruise ship Someone here may get sick and could even die and it’s a person who mmm well we can’t afford to lose that person The person is known in my time as a very important person Who is it Mae asked I can’t tell you that Selectra said You know the rules for the Galactic Academy of Science First I have to verify your identities Second I cannot go with you into the past where you may need to travel to solve this mission Third and top I cannot tell you anything about the future Clinton jumped up from his chair and raised his hands in the air He said It’s me isn’t it He was only half joking Something about all these missions for the G A S was beginning to convince him he really was going to be somebody I’m important to the future so we have to save me I can’t tell you who the person is Selectra said She seemed more serious than usual You need to investigate the 5
