minute!â he said. âRepeat that! Slowly!â
âNot ⦠without ⦠a ⦠time ⦠machine,â SpongeBob said in a slow, deep voice.
âYes!â Plankton shouted. âTHATâS IT!â
âS pongeBob, youâre a genius!â Plankton cried, clapping him on the back.
âI am?â SpongeBob asked, puzzled.
âIf we build a time machine,â Plankton explained enthusiastically, âwe can go back to before the formula disappeared! Before society broke down! Before we became the hunted!â
SpongeBob looked doubtful. âThat sounds great, Plankton,â he said. âBut how do we build a time machine?â
Plankton paced back and forth, thinking. âWell,â he said slowly, âfirst weâll need a computer powerful enough to calculate the intricacies of time travel.â
âWhere would we get one of those?â SpongeBob asked.
âI just happen to be married to one,â Plankton answered with a smile.
High on another cliff at the edge of Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob and Plankton looked down at the Chum Bucket. It was surrounded by guards. And they looked angry.
âThose thugs have got Karen tied up in the back room,â Plankton said. âWeâre going to have to sneak by them. You know, itâs funny. Iâve never seen this many people at the Chum Bucket.â
âI know!â SpongeBob exclaimed. âIâve never seen ANYONE there.â
Plankton looked exasperated. âNow, was that really necessary?â
âBecause the foodâs really bad.â
âOh, come on! REALLY?â
âSHH!â SpongeBob said. âHow are we gonna sneak past those guards?â
âHmm â¦,â Plankton said, thinking of a plan.
Moments later, a tire rolled down the cliff toward the Chum Bucket. When it reached the bottom of the cliff, it kept going, rolling right into the middle of a group of guards.
âWell, what do we have here?â asked one guard.
The guards pulled out some wooden sticks and metal rods and started beating the tire!
Behind them, SpongeBob and Plankton sneaked over to the Chum Bucket, hidden in a stack of tires. âWeâd better hurry,â SpongeBob whispered. âThose guys really hate tires!â
Plankton tried to open a small door, but it was locked. âWeâll never get in!â he cried. âThe doorâs locked!â
âA team doesnât give up that easily,â SpongeBob reassured him. âLet me take a closer look.â
SpongeBob climbed out of the stack of tires and examined the side of the Chum Bucket more carefully. When he looked up, he saw an open window.
âThere!â he said. âThat windowâs open! Câmon, Plankton. Time for some real teamwork. Gimme a boost.â
âOkay â¦,â Plankton said uncertainly. Then he saw SpongeBobâs shiny black shoe coming down at him. âWait a minute! NO!â
Plankton tried with all his might to hold up SpongeBob by his shoe, but he just didnât have enough strength.
SQUISH!
Not realizing what had happened, SpongeBob was still straining to reach the open window. âJust ⦠a ⦠little ⦠higher, Plankton,â he said. Then he realized Plankton wasnât answering him. âPlankton?â
When SpongeBob lifted his shoe and looked at itssole, he saw Plankton flattened across it.
âWhy donât YOU boost ME up instead?â Plankton suggested sensibly.
âOh, yeah,â SpongeBob said. âGood thinking!â
SpongeBob lifted his shoe up to the open window and scraped Plankton off. Groaning, Plankton landed on the windowsill. Then he jumped through the window into the Chum Bucket. As soon as he hit the floor, he ran to the small door and opened it.
âCome on, SpongeBob!â he whispered intensely. âCome on!â
SpongeBob squeezed through the small door and into the restaurant. âWeâre
Joseph Lance Tonlet, Louis Stevens