Tick Tock, You're Dead!

by RL Stine

  Just ahead is a door marked SUPPLIES. Inside, a pile of freshly laundered uniforms sits on a shelf.

  Put on the uniform and turn to PAGE 24.

  You’re sure you can trick the robot. After all, you’re human and he’s just a machine.

  “Please don’t shoot me,” you cry. “I’m a visitor from the past. I’m only here to find my brother.”

  The robot hesitates. It seems to be computing what you just said. Then it pulls back the trigger on its laser.

  “I could prove it if you had better technology,” you add.

  The robot’s electronic eye flashes angrily. “Our technology has been perfected,” it states.

  “Too bad.” You heave a big sigh. “I mean, you probably can’t locate the time I left the present.”

  The robot scuttles over. “When did you leave?” it demands. “I can find that!”

  You tell the robot the exact day and time that you left Dr. Peebles’s laboratory.

  The robot adjusts some controls. Then Dr. Peebles’s laboratory appears on the large central monitor.

  Watch what happens on PAGE 129.

  You’ve got to get away from the fierce tyrannosaur. You grab Denny’s hand and take off through the trees. The dinosaur chases you, but it’s too big to fit easily between the trees.

  You and Denny zig one way and zag another. Finally the two of you crouch down behind a thick tree trunk. You both gasp for air.

  In the distance, you can see the tyrannosaur. It glances all around. At last it lets out a defeated-sounding roar and ambles off.

  “Way to go!” Denny shouts. You and your brother high-five each other. Now all you have to do is go back to the swamp and find the chronometer.

  But which direction is it? You’ve done so much twisting and turning, you aren’t sure where the swamp is.

  Luckily, Denny seems to remember the way. You follow him through the forest and finally come to the swampland. As you rush over to the pool of quicksand, all you can think about is the time ticking by. How much longer before Denny disappears forever?

  Turn to PAGE 12.

  You decide to go toward the futuristic city. All around you are buildings made of shiny metal and glass. Cars — with wings — fly above your head. The streets are empty and clean, with no litter — not even a gum wrapper.

  Is this New York in the future? It certainly looks different from the one you’re visiting in the present.

  You’re about to start looking for Denny when a hand closes on your shoulder in an icy grip.

  “Human?” a hollow-sounding voice says. “You’re under arrest!”

  You whirl around. Gripping your shoulder is a shiny metal robot with a policeman’s badge welded to its chest. The robot’s face is expressionless, and it’s holding something that looks like a laser gun. No wonder everything is so clean and quiet, you think. The city is run by machines!

  “Don’t you know that humans aren’t allowed out in the streets?” the robot demands.

  “I come from … another place,” you quickly reply. “I don’t know your rules. Please give me another chance.”

  “That’s for the judge to decide,” the robot says. “Come with me.”

  Turn to PAGE 89.

  “Look at this one!” says a little robot. It gazes at the sign in front of the force field. “It’s the ‘Couch Potato’ exhibit,” the small robot goes on. It begins making strange noises again.

  “It’s not polite to laugh at the humans,” one of the bigger robots says.

  “But, Mommy,” replies the little one. “It’s so funny-looking. Here, human!” it adds. It shoves something through the force field. You lean down to pick up a candy bar.

  “Look!” says the little one. “It picked up the candy! It’s eating it!” The small robot pushes another candy bar through the force field.

  With a sinking feeling, you realize that you’re stuck here for good. But cheer up. At least when the little robots visit, you’ll get to eat plenty of candy.

  THE END

  “The three objects are a pin, a pipe, and a potato,” you tell the robot.

  “WRONG!” the teacher thunders. “You know the penalty for a wrong answer! Now step forward!”

  You start toward the frammilizer. Slowly you feel for the chronometer around your neck. But before you can press any buttons, the robot snatches it away with its magnetic claws.

  “No tricks!” the robot says. “Now enter the frammilizer!”

  There’s no way out now.

  As you step into the strange metal box, your heart sinks to the bottom of your toes. You’re a complete failure. You haven’t found Denny, and you couldn’t answer the teacher’s question. Then again, you’re about to become the first kid you know to be frammilized.

  THE END

  “Excuse me,” you say, walking over to the truck driver. “The dispatcher asked if you could take me on your delivery. My uncle owns the store you’re delivering to, and I need a ride there.”

  “Sure, kid,” he says. “Why not?”

  You follow him to the green truck. He opens the back. Cases of fresh fish are piled inside. The dead fish stare at you with cold, empty eyes.

  “Hop in,” the driver says.

  “In there? B-but …” you stammer.

  “The cab’s full,” he says. “Do you want a ride or not?”

  “Uh …” You really need to be in the front with him. But you don’t know what else to do, so you climb into the back of the truck and sit down.

  When the driver shuts the door, everything goes dark. You can’t believe how bad it smells back here. And the fishes’ cold, scaly bodies keep brushing against you.

  Yuck!

  Hold your nose and turn to PAGE 27.

  As the truck bears down on your family, the driver seems totally paralyzed. In fact, he seems to have fainted!

  You struggle out of your seat belt. It’s up to you to do something!

  This is what you planned for.

  This is why you came back to this time. But somehow you didn’t think it would be so hard to stop the truck.

  Maybe you can steer the truck onto another street. Or should you try to reach the brakes?

  Make a decision quick!

  Try to steer the truck? Turn to PAGE 13.

  Go for the brakes? Turn to PAGE 67.

  You hold your breath and brace yourself as you fall toward the bubbling pot.

  You pull your arms into your chest. And your hand hits a button. A button on the chronometer!

  Your body begins to tingle. You close your eyes and cross your fingers. And then you land.

  But not in bubbling oil!

  Blinking, you gaze around. You’re in a room. Dr. Peebles’s lab. You made it back to the present!

  “Welcome, time traveler!” Dr. Peebles greets you. “How did it go?”

  You’re about to answer when you remember Denny. Oh, no! You left Denny in the past.

  “I’ve got to save my brother —” you start to say. And then you remember the pot of oil. The boiling oil. A lot Denny did for me when I was about to be fried! you think.

  “Excellent!” you say to Dr. Peebles. “Everything was excellent.”

  Then you head back toward the museum exhibits. Of course, now you have to explain to your parents why their youngest son is now called Ruthelford and lives in medieval times!

  THE END

  Yes! The door of the truck opens. There’s Abe, looking absolutely shocked as mice scamper out of the truck and all over the loading dock.

  “Hey you,” you hear Abe call to the driver of the green truck. “Get out of that truck and help us clear up this mess.”

  Congratulations, time traveler. The truck drivers are so busy chasing white mice that the green truck doesn’t get to the intersection until way after your family is out of there.

  You did it! You’re a hero. You saved your family. And you saved the lives of two thousand white mice.

  THE END

  You decide to take your cha
nces in the moat.

  SPLASH! The water is cold — but at least you escaped that fierce-looking knight.

  Then you hear it — a loud clacking sound.

  A crocodile snapping his jaws. He’s right in front of you! And he looks mighty hungry!

  You turn away from the crocodile and swim in the opposite direction. You wish you could swim faster. The crocodile’s gaining on you!

  Suddenly another crocodile pops up in your path. And another.

  You’re totally surrounded by hungry green crocodiles!

  You grab for the chronometer around your neck. But before you can press the buttons, the crocodile nearest you snatches it out of your hand.

  In one gulp, he swallows it!

  Too bad. The chronometer was only the appetizer. The main course is about to be served — and it’s you!

  THE END

  You listen as Jarmal explains about the rebellion.

  “The robots were originally created by humans as servants. But gradually their powers grew greater and greater. Eventually, they took over.”

  “So now the humans are fighting back?” you ask.

  “Exactly,” Jarmal says. “We expect the battle to begin any minute. We —”

  BOOM! His words are cut off by a deafening blast.

  The battle begins on PAGE 10.

  You reach the swamp and grab Denny’s hands. With all your might, you pull. But Denny is completely stuck!

  You pull Denny again. This time he panics. He grabs wildly at you. The chronometer flies off the chain around your neck and into the mud.

  Now the tyrannosaur is only a few yards away. Its terrible face is so close, you can see its sharp, pointed teeth and smell its hot, stinking breath. The dinosaur roars, shaking the nearby trees.

  You yank Denny one more time. With a loud plop! he’s freed from the quicksand. But now the tyrannosaur is only a few feet away. It opens its mouth wide and stretches its fierce claws toward you.

  Frantically, you look around for the chronometer. You’ve got to get back to the present. But there’s no trace of the stopwatch. It’s been sucked into the mud!

  Should you try to dig the chronometer out of the muck? Or try to run away from the tyrannosaur? Which will you choose?

  If you decide to dig for the chronometer, turn to PAGE 126.

  Think you can escape the tyrannosaur? Turn to PAGE 100.

  “Welcome to the rebel forces!” Jarmal cries, shaking your hand. He shows you a map of The City and explains the battle plan. “This building beams power to all the robots,” he says, pointing to a large plant on the map. “If we can blow up this power plant, the robots will become helpless.”

  Next, Jarmal shows you a small, red box. “This box contains a special explosive,” he explains. “It must be placed within three feet of the power source.”

  You follow Jarmal through the tunnel to a stairway leading to a park. Through the trees you see the power plant. It’s a tall, white, completely round building with a large antenna extending from the roof.

  Jarmal tells you that all entrances are heavily guarded by robots. “Since none of the robots will recognize you, you’ve been chosen to enter the power plant,” he says.

  “What?” you exclaim. “You want me to enter the power plant?”

  “Didn’t I mention it before?” asks Jarmal. “Our entire plan depends on you. Are you ready?”

  Are you? Then turn to PAGE 119.

  “It is a great honor for a human to be accepted into the college.” The robot leads you out of the plant to a small flying car. “And you know what happens to humans who turn down robot honors.”

  You don’t know — but you can guess.

  The car lands on top of a tall brick building.

  “Your lecture hall is right this way,” the robot tells you.

  “I need time to prepare —” you start to say.

  “Nonsense,” the robot cuts you off. “A good teacher doesn’t need preparation.”

  The next thing you know, you’re facing a large classroom full of shiny metal robots. They all have portable computers in front of them, ready to take notes.

  Maybe, just maybe, the rebels will manage to free The City and help you and Denny get out of the future.

  In the meantime, you cross your fingers and start to tell the robots everything you’ve ever known about snazzilizers and romiframptons.

  THE END

  You crouch down and open the foot-high wooden door to the Lair of the Lizard. You can’t see anything but darkness. You hold your breath to make yourself smaller, then wriggle through the door on your stomach.

  Inside, you stand up. You’re in a dark, misty room. Flies and other insects dart from wall to wall.

  A bearded man in flowing robes bursts into the room from another door. He peers through the mist. “Wizard!” he calls. “Wizard! Where are you?”

  “Excuse me?” you say politely. “Aren’t you the wizard?”

  “Of course I am!” he bellows. “I’m the wizard, but I can’t find my lizard named Wizard. Have you seen him?”

  “No,” you say, “but I’m looking for someone, too. I —”

  “I know who you are and what you seek,” he interrupts. “You are a traveler in time.”

  “Yes,” you tell him, surprised. “And I’m looking —”

  “The young boy you seek is lost in the Corridors of Time,” he says. “To find him, you must answer a question of time.”

  At the mention of time, you glance at the chronometer. Time is running out!

  To answer the question, hurry to PAGE 33.

  “Denny!” you cry. “Come back!”

  You run to the back of the Lair. Denny is slipping into a small, dark opening between two bookcases.

  Inside the opening you can hear heavy breathing. It doesn’t sound human!

  Do you still have the nerve to follow Denny?

  If so, turn to PAGE 45.

  “Human spies!” the robot with the laser gun declares. “You are under arrest!”

  You untwist yourself and float out of the chamber. “We weren’t spying!” you protest. “We were only —”

  “Silence!” the robot snaps.

  In a panic, you pull out the chronometer and take a glance. You and Denny have to get home.

  “Please,” you beg the robot. “I have to get my brother —”

  “Explain it to the captain!” the robot says. It snatches away the chronometer.

  “No!” you scream. “Give that back!” You grab for the chronometer, but the robot holds it beyond your reach. “Come along now!” it snarls. It clamps its metal claws around your wrist. “You, too!” it adds, reaching for Denny.

  “You can’t make me!” Denny kicks the robot hard on its metal shin and takes off running.

  The robot stops for a moment. You can hear something whirring inside its head. “The captain will explain what to do,” it mutters. “Now come with me.”

  Turn to PAGE 131.

  “I’m ready to begin the duel,” the knight tells you. He plucks an apple from the tree. Then he winds up and throws the apple toward you. Holding the club like a baseball bat, you smack the apple. It soars down the path, past the knight.

  “I can hit it much farther,” the knight boasts. He takes his place at the end of the drawbridge.

  Now you pick an apple from the tree. You stand on the pitcher’s mound and eye the knight. Then you wind up. You pitch.

  The knight swings with all his might.

  And hits a blooper a few feet in front of you.

  All right!

  “I won,” you call. “Now can I go into the castle? I need to look for my brother.”

  The knight nods. “Very well, stranger,” he says sadly. “You may enter the castle. But according to the rules, I must jump into the moat.”

  Go to PAGE 50.

  You’d like to help the woman, but it’s more important to find Denny. You race out of the smoky room.

  “Halt!” the woman screams. “You’v
e failed the knight test!”

  “What?”

  “I’m not really a helpless maiden,” the woman explains. She breaks free of the chains holding her to the wall. “I’m actually the dragon’s keeper. This is a test we set up for future knights. Anyone who refuses to try to rescue the maiden fails.”

  “But I don’t want to be a knight!” you protest.

  “Of course you do,” says the maiden. “Otherwise, why would you be in this room?”

  “I’m looking for my brother —” you start to say, but it’s no use.

  The maiden snaps her finger, and the dragon slithers into the room toward you!

  Turn to PAGE 8.

  You set out along the walkway, searching for the power source. You come to a large platform guarded by a robot.

  “Halt, human!” it demands. “What is your business here?”

  “I’m here to fix the romiframpton,” you tell the robot.

  “What’s wrong with it?” the robot demands.

  You think quickly, then say the first thing that comes to your mind. “The snazzilizer is pulsing out of phase.”

  “No wonder it’s been so scaloopy lately,” the robot replies. “You’re the first entity — robot or human — to diagnose the problem correctly.”

  The robot actually believed you! You’re in shock, and it takes you a minute to speak.

  “… I’d better get to work,” you say finally.

  “Never mind the romiframpton,” the robot says. “Now that we know what’s wrong, we can fix it ourselves. But with your mechanical genius we can use you as an instructor in the electronics college. Come with me.”

  “No,” you protest. “I need to —”