Chapter 1

THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH and the COSMIC BEYOND MAX BRALLIER and DOUGLAS HOLGATE.

Chapter One So, we are about to be astro-blasted. Catapulted and launched. Propelled off the roof of our tree house by something called the Sled-Shot. Why? Why load ourselves into a massive slingshot and blast ourselves off the roof? Why did some old guy climb Mount Everest? BECAUSE IT'S THERE!!!

Actually, that's not the reason at all. The Sled- Shot was of course not just "there." My best friend, Quint Baker, built it. "Quint, are you sure this is safe?" I ask. He thinks for a moment, then says, "No. But I'm not not sure." "What's the matter? A little nervous, Jack?" That's my buddy-crush, June Del Toro. I know she's teasing me, but I actually do feel kind of queasy. Usually, I'm super gung-ho about all things action, no matter the danger. But not this.

I give the Sled-Shot a final look before I slide in. "Quint, this looks like a weapon for medieval siege warfare! Or for defending a castle against an army of orcs! Or for storming a castle with an army of orcs! This would be helpful if we were under siege, but we're very much not under siege." June grins. "We are under snow." "Not the same," I say. "Not even kind of sort of the same." "But they think it is," June says. They are the monsters who are our friends. The dozen or so monsters up here with us in the tree house, helping us prepare for blastoff. And the many other monsters down below, in Wakefield Town Square. And it's true. The monsters are probably more worried about the snow than they would be about an army of orcs. They are not inspiring confidence....

THE HUMANS WILL NOT BE VERY DOUBTFUL IF JACK DOES NOT RETURN. I HAVE DIBS ON THE MONSTER Hey! No one's got dibs on my monster buddy Rover and definitely no one is sleeping in my bed! I glare at Skaelka. She's the one with the big ax. My big buddy Dirk Savage—the final member of our foursome of friends—says, "Enough talk! We're going. Equip helmets." "Helmets equipped!" we respond. "Equip inflatable donut rafts!" Quint shouts. "Equipped!" my buddies say.

"Equipped!" I say. But that's only partly true. See, Quint designed instant-inflate donut rafts. They're basically airbags for your body. But I'm Jack Sullivan! I don't need that! Quint's a worrier, though, so I agreed to wear it. What I didn't tell him is that I filled mine with delicious snacks! I mean, honestly—what are the odds I'm going to need an instant-inflate raft? Not high. But the odds I'm gonna want delicious snacks? WAY HIGH. Plus, I get to walk around looking less lame than my buds—see? "You may fire when ready!" Quint says to the monsters. There's a big grin on his face. It is the