Chapter 1

THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH and the DOOMSDAY RACE MAX BRALLIER DOUGLAS HOLGATE

chapter one JACK, we gotta go now. I'm pumping gas into my BoomKart. June's telling me there's no time. And I know there's no time. I know that the Mallusk—an enormous centipede monster carrying the Millennium Super Mall on its back —is barreling toward us. Man, I wish I could go back to three minutes ago...

Three minutes ago, things were good! Me and my friends, Quint, June, and Dirk, were good! We were mid–road trip and celebrating a hard-won victory at Aqua City water park. We had defeated the monster Blargus, survived Thrull's skeleton army, and escaped with Drooler. Drooler, the odd-looking little creature who secretes the strange liquid Ultra-Slime. And that strange liquid is, maybe, the key to defeating Thrull once and for all. Yep, three minutes ago was a Kodak moment... But then came the rumbling, like a thunderstorm giving birth to an earthquake. The world started shaking. My insides started quivering. Because we saw it... "The Mallusk," June gasped. "It's back."

"Which means we gotta get back to driving," Dirk said. "And FAST." So right now, my friends are in their BoomKarts, engines running. But I'm still pumping gas. Actually, wait, no, I only look like I'm pumping gas. I'm actually just standing at the pump, in a half trance, staring at my hand. Not my normal hand. The Cosmic Hand. The Cosmic Hand is the sucker-covered monster- tentacle glove that is forever wrapped around my wrist and hand. Without it, I can't wield my baseball blade,

the Louisville Slicer. And it's the Louisville Slicer that contains the power to command and control zombies. I'm staring at the Cosmic Hand now—because I'm realizing it has changed. It looks more, I dunno, substantial. And it feels different. And I think I know what caused this change... Back at Aqua City, I did something huge. I controlled a zombie without the Louisville Slicer. For the first time ever, I controlled a zombie with my mind... What was I thinking? Where did the idea to even attempt to control zombies with my mind come from? The Louisville Slicer contains the power to control zombies, yes, but it works in a very specific way. I say the stuff I want the zombies to do, and then I swing the bat and the zombies do the stuff.

But it is NOT a "shut my eyes and think real hard with my mind and then talk to zombies with my mind" telepathy-type mind thing! That it even occurred to me to try using my mind is just... weird! It'd be like sitting on the couch playing Mario, pounding the controller, and then thinking, "Hey, y'know what? Forget the controller! I'll just control Mario WITH MY MIND." But that's what I did. And it worked. I controlled a zombie with my mind. And I have to tell my friends. "Guys! I didn't tell you! Back at the water park, I used, like, BRAIN POWERS to—" "DUDE!" Dirk shouts. "DO YOU SEE THAT MALLUSK?? WE HAVE TO GO NOW!" "But this is—" SCREECH! June peels out, leaving burnt rubber in her wake. She cuts the wheel, stomping the pedal, speeding toward me. "GET IN YOUR KART! AND DRIVE!" June barks. "OK, fine, geez," I mutter. "Message received. Only had to say it once." "NOW, JACK!" June orders—and this time I listen. The pump clangs to the ground as I jump behind the wheel of my BoomKart.