The Brainiacs Read Online Free Page A

was a bit, well…thick.
    Kip tried the next cell along. Inside, he found the missing cyborg from the BG-4 Galaxy. He seemed as dim-witted as Gorb.
    What’s happened to these aliens? Kip wondered, worried. They were among the smartest in the galaxy before they lost a round of Clevor’s quiz. Before they fell into the machine…
    â€˜Somehow that machine made these aliens stupid!’ Kip whispered.
    â€˜The machine I rescued you from was called the Hippocampus Deluxe,’ Finbar replied thoughtfully. ‘The hippocampus is part of the brain.’
    Kip thought about his experience in the machine. His brain had felt tired, like he’d just done four maths tests in a row.
    Kip knew that brains had a natural electrical energy that powered their thoughts. Could that energy be drained? He explained his theory to Finbar.
    â€˜Of course! So your brain was drained for the few seconds you were in the machine,’ Finbar said. ‘You went dopey, but then your brain’s energy built up again and you went back to normal.’

    The other kids weren’t lucky enough to have a 2iC to save them,’ said Kip. ‘Their brains would have been drained a lot more than mine!’
    If Kip’s theory was right, it would take ages for the other kids’ brain energy to be restored.
    It explained some things – like why Einstein was keeping the losing kids locked away.
    But Kip had to know more. Where was Einstein storing the energy? And what was he planning to do with it?

CHAPTER 8
    Kip’s SpaceCuff beeped. He had a message from MoNa.
    â€˜Let’s open the cell doors and rescue the kids,’ Finbar said urgently.
    But Kip was staring at his SpaceCuff. ‘MoNa’s system has detected a missile from Clevor heading for Geekatron,’ he said, looking white.
    Finbar’s whiskers quivered.
    â€˜This rivalry is getting out of hand,’ Kip said. ‘We’ll have to work out what Einstein is up to, then free the kids later.’
    Getting to the bottom of Einstein’s plan would be impossible with a bunch of brain-drained kids in tow. Sometimes Kip’s job as a Space Scout meant making tough decisions.
    Finbar led the way to the air vent he’d climbed through earlier. It was near the Hippocampus Deluxe.
    Before they escaped, Kip and Finbar took another look at the machine. A thick cable at the back caught their attention.
    â€˜The brain energy could be travelling along that cable,’ Finbar suggested.
    â€˜Actually, I noticed one like that plugged into the weird orb on stage,’ Kip remembered.
    Of course! The orb, crackling with electrical energy. That had to be where the energy was stored.

    Kip was itching to get back up to the stage and check it out. But to get there, he and Finbar would have to scale the padded wall up to the air vent.
    Luckily, Kip’s latestWorldCorp mission-gear pack included GoRope.
    GoRope looked like a simple spray can with a fat nozzle. The nozzle shot out a high-tech polymer strong enough to support the body weight of ten grown-ups.
    Kip aimed the GoRope just below the vent and squeezed the nozzle. The polymer jetted out in a thick, flexible string. At first it was sticky enough to cling to the padded wall. A few seconds later, it dried and became a flexible rope.

    Kip grabbed the rope and pulled himself up to the vent. Finbar followed close behind.
    The vent led out to the lobby. The opening was at floor level, hidden beneath the hovering registration table.
    Kip peaked through the vent. If Einstein saw him, he’d make sure Kip was captured. But the lobby looked empty.
    It must be almost time for the Grand Final , Kip guessed. Everyone’s gone inside the auditorium, including Einstein .
    Kip and Finbar hauled themselves through the vent and commando-rolled into the lobby.With the crowd all watching the stage, they were able to creep into the auditorium unnoticed. Einstein was on stage. The Grand Final was