H. I. Larry - Boot Camp

BOOT CAMP
BY H. I. LARRY

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANDY HOOK

Boot Camp
published in 2008 by
Hardie Grant Egmont
85 High Street
Prahran, Victoria 3181, Australia
www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means without
the prior permission of the publishers and copyright owner.

A CiP record for this title is available from the National Library of Australia

Text copyright 2008 H.I. Larry
Illustration and design copyright 2008 Hardie Grant Egmont

Cover and illustrations by Andy Hook
Based on original illustration and design by Ash Oswald
Typeset by Pauline Haas

Printed in Australia by McPhersons Printing Group

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

CONTENTS

Is there a record for the worlds most boring mathsclass? Zac Power wondered to himself. Because if there is, Ms Trans about to break it.

The square root of a number is the number that is multiplied by itself and gives the first number, his teacher was saying. For example, 2 is the square root of 4, because 2 times 2 equals 4.

Ill never need to know that, Zac thought. After all, Zac was a spy with GIB (short for the Government Investigation Bureau). At 12, Zac had already aced plenty of tough solo missions, and none of them had had anything to do with square roots.

Zacs whole family worked for GIB, too. His brother Leon wasnt a field agent like the rest of them, though. Leon worked for GIBs Tech Support and Gadget Design Division. He was nice, but definitely a nerd.

Zac yawned loudly.

Excuse me, Zac Power! said Ms Tran sternly. Could you give me an example of a square root?

Zac thought fast. Er3 times 3 equals 9. So, 3 is the square root of 9.

Good, said Ms Tran, but she didnt smile. I hope you do as well in the maths test tomorrow. Anyone who doesnt get 100% will have to do extra maths coaching after school.

She turned and wrote on the whiteboard.

Maths test: 2pm tomorrow

Thats so unfair! Zac thought to himself. Ive missed heaps of maths classes lately becauseIve been spying. But Zac couldnt say that to Ms Tran. His job with GIB was top-secret.

With a sigh, Zac checked the clock above Ms Trans head. Its 2.05pm now, he thought. Only 24 hours until the test.

Ms Tran, can I please go to the toilet? Zac asked, putting his hand up. He didnt need to go. He just needed a break from maths.

Ms Tran nodded. Zac jumped up and headed out of the classroom.

The first thing Zac did when he got to the bathroom was check his hair in the mirror. It looks perfect, he told himself. Extramessy.

He went into the end toilet and sat down on the lid. This was where he liked to go when he had SpyPad messages to read, because no-one ever came down to the last toilet.

I cant do extra maths coaching after school, Zac thought, feeling worried. What if GIBneeds me for a mission? I have to get 100% in themaths test, or my spying career could be ruined.

Suddenly, Zac felt the floor of the toilet slide sideways under his feet.

The next thing Zac knew, his feet were dangling in mid-air! There was a big, black hole where the floor had been.

Zac snapped into spy mode. Obviouslythis isnt normal for a toilet, he thought. Whats going on?

Holding tightly onto the sides of the toilet, he twisted around for a better look. He could see a thick metal arm coming out of the hole in the ground.

The toilet is mounted on a robotic arm, thought Zac. Cool!

Another whirring sound filled the air, and then the toilet beeped like a truck reversing.

Zac gripped the sides of the toilet even tighter.

Hed done a lot as a spy, but hed never ridden a robotic toilet. He guessed it would move pretty fast.

A second later, the robotic arm pulled the toilet through the floor!

This is awesome, Zac grinned to himself as the toilet whizzed down into the dark.

Then Zac heard a computerised voice. Now arriving at the vehicle depot, it said, sounding official.

The robotic toilet slowed down before stopping smoothly.

Zac jumped off the toilet. He was in a dark, musty concrete tunnel. Slimy water dripped on his head.

Gross, he thought. I must be in a sewer.

Zac knew that a ride on a robotic toilet could only mean one thing. He had a new mission from GIB. But what did he need to investigate in a smelly sewer?

Then Zacs pocket buzzed. There was a message on his SpyPad, the powerful mini-computer that all GIB spies carried.

CLASSIFIED

FOR THE EYES OF
ZAC POWER ONLY
MESSAGE INITIATED 2:28PM

Congratulations on topping your
local spy ladder for 15 weeks in
a row. You will now train at
GIB Boot Camp against the best
GIB spies in the world.

Boot Camp is made up of different
training courses, each one based
on real-life conditions.

Beware: things at Boot Camp
are not always what they seem.

The first spy to complete
Boot Camp will be awarded the top
position on GIB's Global Spy Ladder.

END

Zac had heard rumours about Boot Camp in spy school. Only the best spies were chosen to go.

Sweet! he thought. Time off school, andI dont even have to go on a proper mission.

He just had to make sure he was back in time for the maths test. No worries, thought Zac. How hard could Boot Camp be?

As Zacs eyes got used to the darkness of the sewer, he noticed a shiny silver vehicle parked nearby.

The vehicle had a pointed nose and a long exhaust-pipe tail. Two red headlights glowed like eyes. Instead of wheels, there were claw-like feet underneath.

It looks like a giant rat! Zac thought.

BLUEPRINT
SU-R-RAT High Speed Self-Guided Tunnel Transport