The Brainiacs by H. Badger Page B

plotted the missile’s course. It came from Geekatron. And it had been heading for Clevor! When MoNa popped through the wormhole, she’d accidentally got in the way.

    â€˜WorldCorp said Clevor and Geekatron were just rivals,’ Kip answered. ‘But if Geekatron are firing missiles, it sounds like they really hate each other. Wonder why?’
    Kip considered the situation. If things between Geekatron and Clevor were bad enough for the planets to be firing at each other, he was putting himself and Finbar in danger by landing on Clevor. But if he flew back to Earth without competing, he’d lose the chance to show the universe that humans were friendly and clever.
    Only hours into his mission, and Kip was already facing a life or death decision!

CHAPTER 3
    Kip put his helmet on firmly. He was a highly trained Space Scout, and whatever danger was ahead on Clevor, he’d be able to handle it.
    Finbar and Kip headed to the landing bay. There, MoNa’s Scrambler Beam mixed up their particles and beamed them through space. Kip and Finbar’s particles reassembled themselves on the surface of Clevor.
    Kip looked around the new planet, his heart hammering. He’d expected to land in a war zone. But aside from the crowds of aliens arriving for the quiz, nothing unusual was happening. Clevor didn’t look like it was under serious attack.
    Was Geekatron’s stink flare a one-off? No-one seemed to have noticed that a missile was even fired.
    Kip wanted to investigate further, but seeing as everything was normal, he knew he needed to get on with his real mission – the quiz.
    The Smartest Kid in the Universe quiz was being held nearby, in the wobbling convention centre they’d seen from space.
    Kip switched on his SpaceCuff, a communication device he wore on his wrist. This gave lots of information that was vital for missions.
    AIR ANALYSIS
    Air: High oxygen. Safe to breathe.

    â€˜Extra oxygen keeps your brain alert,’ Kip said to Finbar as he took off his helmet. ‘No wonder the aliens here are so smart.’
    Inside the dome was a lobby. The noise in there was worse than a flock of three-headed spacegulls at feeding time. There were alien kids and their families everywhere. Kip was glad he didn’t have his parents with him. Finbar was way cooler!
    A few alien families were lined up at a table that hovered a metre off the ground. Behind the hovering table stood a grown-up alien, registering contestants. He looked like a giant brain standing on gloopy tentacles. He was wearing a headset and a flashing bowtie.
    â€˜If he’s working at the quiz, I guess he must be from Clevor,’ Kip said. ‘They’re super smart, so it figures they’d be giant brains.’
    Through a door to the main auditorium, Kip saw a circular stage surrounded by seats. The seats were mostly full of Clevor aliens.

    Kip joined the queue. In front of him was a short alien kid and his parents. The kid’s body was covered in googly eyes. He wore a monocle on each. He turned around to Kip and Finbar and introduced himself as Gorb.
    â€˜Your height is 149.5 centimetres,’ Gorb said, sounding way too smart for Kip’s liking. ‘Your hair’s made of keratin. You speak English. I calculate you are a human from planet Earth.’
    Then the brainy alien behind the table interrupted. ‘Name tags, kiddos!’ he said with an over-the-top smile. The brainy alien handed Kip and Gorb small, thin digital screens with pins on the back.
    When Kip put his on, the screen switched on automatically.
    Name: Kip Kirby
    Home planet: Earth
    Brain weight: 2.6% of total body weight
    â€˜How does it know?’ Kip whispered to Finbar.
    â€˜I guess it took a reading from your skin,’ Finbar said.
    The brainy alien’s tag said his brain was 91.2% of his weight. His name was Einstein.
    â€˜I’m named after one of the Universe’s greatest geniuses because I’m