pdfcoffee.com_return-to-the-cave-of-time-choose-your-own-adventure-50pdf-pdf-free

@ tr = YOU'RE THE, STAR OF THE, STORY!CHOOSE F'ROM 16 POSSIBLN, ENDINCS. )+ TO KCU E T'TIMN6 -THf, = BY EDWARD PACKARD *=

WHERE WILL THE CAVE ON TIME TAKE YOU? At last you have decided to return to the Cave of Time you discovered long ago. You struggle through the tunnel en- trance,until you reach a dimly lit chamber filled with eerie voices. lnside, is a ghostlike figure-the oracle of time. He offers you an amazing choice: to witness either the begin- ning or end of tirne! lf gouusanttoseethebeginningof time, tumtopage 17. If gou want to see the end of time, tum to page 17. But be- ware! The Caue of Time b treacherous. You may end up cast adrift after the mutiny on the Bounty, ea[en by a saber- tqthed tige4 And youmay or trapped in a futuristic coffin! of all-liuing find yourself inthe strangesttime aduenture fiue minutes ahead of eueryone else! What happens next in the story? It all depends on the chqices you make. How does the story end? Only Aou can find out! And the best part is that you can keep reading and rereading until you've had not one but manA incredibly daring experiences! SERIES! Australia........... *$2.95 New Zealand.....*$4.95 GST i *Recommended Price Only N E-553-a5q55-a>>aa5

KIDS CAN'T STOP READING THE CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE@ STORIES! \"Choose Your Own Adventure is the best thing that has come along since books themselves.\" --Alysha Beyer, age 11 \"l didn't read much before, but now I read my Choose Your Own Advenfure books almost every night.\" -Chris Brogan, age 13 \"l love the ionhol I have over what happens next. \" -Kosta Efstathiou, age 77 \"Choose Your Own Adventure books are so much fun to read and collect-l want them all!\" -Brendan Davin, age 11 And teachers like this series, too: \"We have read and reread, worn thin, loved, loaned, bought for others, and donated to school libraries our Choose Your Own Adventure books.\" CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE@_ AND MAKING READING MORE FUN!

Banbm Book in lhe Choose Yorr Ounr Mventureo Series Ask pur bookseller for tre books pu haw mlssed #1 THECAVEOFTIME #:B THE DRAGONS'DEN #2 JOURNEY UNDER fiE SEA #U THE MYSTERY OF THE THE#3 BY MLTOON TO HIGHIIND CREST 9qHARA #35 JOURNEY TO #4 SPACE AND BEYOND STONEHENGE #5 THE MYSTEFT OF #36 THE SECRET TREASURE CHIMNEY ROCK OF IIBET #37 U'qR WrIH THE EVII- #6 YOUR CODE NAME IS JONAH POI TER IvIASTER #7 THE THIRD PI.ANET FROM #38 SABOTAGE ALTAIR #39 SI,JPERCOMPUTER #40 THE TI{RONE OF ZEUS #8 DEADTAJOOD CITY #41 SEARCH FOR THE #9 WHO KILLED HARIOIA'E THROMBEY2 MOUNICtr.I GORILI.AS #10 THE I-OST JEWEIS OF *42 THE IVf{STER{ OF ECHO MB@N LODGE #TT MYSTER/ OF THE MAYA #43 GMND CAI{'!(),N #12 INSIDE UFO 54-40 ODYSSEY #13 THE ABOMINABLE #44 THE MYSTERY OF URA SNOTAA4AN SENKE #14 TIIE FORBIDDEN CASTLE #'T5 \\OU ARE A SHARK #15 HOUSE OF DANGER #46 THE DEADLY SI-IADOTA' #16 SIJRVI\\'{L AT SEA #47 OUTTAWS OF SHERTA/OOD #17 THE R/CCE FOREVER FOREST 'lE UNDERGROUND KINGDOM #48 SPY FOR GEORGE +I9 SECRET OF THE tlr6\\SHINGTON P/RAMIM #49 DANGER Af, ANCHOR I2O ESCAPE ,21 FIl?ERSffE MINE *2. *;G. HIm- #5O RETURN TO THE CAVE OF CBTIf. L6TTRE TIME Jzt LGTC{T}[ fl\\rl7ott #51 THE ljlrclc OF THE ,25 PEOICRtrTTE,A}TT T,JNICORiI PEM-E I52 GI-ffiT HUNTER ,{6Tti. E|ANIOI{ #TB THE CASE OF THE SILK I{I}IG ,NfisEuBtFriI{ORR$REOR OF HIGH fiE#54 FORFST OF FEAR #55 IRUMPET OF TERROR RDGE #56 THE ENCI-IANTED MOIJMAIN SI,JRVIVAL KINGDOM #'2289 TNOUBLE ON PI.ANET #57 THE ANTII{'{TTEII EARTH FORMUI.A #30 THE CURSE OF #58 STIiTE OF LIBERTY B/6TTERSI FA HAII ADIr'ENTI.JRE #31 VAMPIRE DGRESS #59 TERROR ISI.AND #32 TRE/oSURE DMR #60 tvhNlSHED!

CTIOOSE YOUR OTTIN ADVENTURE@ . 50 RETUBN TO THE CA/E OF,TIME EY EDWAKD PACI{ARD ILLUSTRATED EY DON HEDIN BANTAM BOOKS TORONTO . NEW YORK . I.oNDON . SYDNEY . AJCKLAND

RL 4, lL age 10 and up RETURN TO THE CAVE OF TIME A Bontom Book I Nouember 7985 CHooSE YOUR otrilN AD!r'ENTURE0 is o regiiered trodemo* of Bontom Bools, Inc. Rqlsrercd in U.S Potent ond Tmdemo* Olfice ond el*where Ofiginol conceffion d Eduod Pockord A[ dghts rcennd. Copynght A 7il$ by Edword Pockord. Cowr ort ond ittside illus0diors copyfuht @ 7985 by This book moy Bontom Book, Inc. or in pi, by not be rcprducd in whole mimeogoph or ony otherc meotx, withoul permission. For inlormdion ddress,: Bontom Bcr,lc, Inc. tsBN 0-553-2s296-8 Publlshd slmuhoneously in the Unitzd Stotes ond Conodo Bontom Books ore published by Bontom Books, Inc. I* trode- morft, consisting ol the words \"Bontom Books\" ond the por- troyol of o roosrer is Registered in U.S. Potent ond Trodemork Ollice ond in other countnes. Morco Registrodo Bontom Books, Inc., 666 Filth Auenue, Neu York, New York 10703. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA o o987 6543

With special thanks to Anne Bailey, who supDlied the slave ship sequence in this bo6'k



WARNING!!! Do not read this book staight through from begin- ning to end. These pages contain many different adventures you may have while haveling through the Cave of Time. From time to time as you read along you will be asked to make decisions and choices. Your choices may lead tosuccess or disas- ter. The adventures you have willbe the result of your choices. After you make a choice, follow the in- stmctions to see what happens to you next. Remember, the Cave of Time can lead to the past or the future-or to the worlds beyond our own! Good luck!



I Your heart races as you make your way through Snake Canyon, looking for the entance to the Cave of Time. Though it's a sunny summer day, you're wearing a warm sweater under your all- weather parka, as well as wool socks and panb. You don't know where you'll turn up once you've entered the cave, but you want to be ready for anything. Finally you reach the familiar grove of pine tees, but your hopes fade as youre,alue that landslides have covered the cave's main entrance. Deter- mined not to gtve up, you search the floor of the canyon until you find, hidden behind clumps of sage, another barely passable enbance. Crawling on hands and knees, you enter a tun- nel that, judging by ib direction, should lead to the main chamber. The tunnel seems endless and keeps curving to one side, as if it might be going around in a circle. After a half hour of crawling you feel a tightening of the muscles in yourthroat-the beginning of panic. There's not enough room to furn around! You're not even sure you can back out! Turn to page 3.



3 Fainfully you crawl on, around a bend to the right and then one to the left. Somewhere up ahead a voice is chanting-or is it many voices singing in unison? It's an eerie tune with only three or four notes. A moment later you reach a dimly lighted chamber. A thin, ghostlike figure abruptly stops singing and look at you intently. You can hardly find words, but, as if to answer your ques- tion before you ask it, this shange man-if he is a man-says, \"You have found the oracle of time.\" You are amazed to meet anyone in the cave, much less an oracle. Fora momentyou are afraid, but as you look more carefully at the oracle, you can't help but smile. His expression is kindly and wise, but there is also a playful, impish look in his eyes. You rerilize he may be able to tell you some things you've wondered about. \"Whgt is time?\" you ask. The oracle is silent for a moment but then an- swers in a firm voice, \"Time is what keeps e'rery- thing from happening at once.\" \"When did time start?\" you ask. 'And when will it end?\" \"Would you like to see?\" You gulp in amazement. \"Sure.\" \"What then-the beginning or the end?\" It' you sy you want to we the begtnning of time, turn to page 77. It' you soy lrou wont to we the end of hme, htrn to Wge 77.

4 Two days later the rest of the tibe leaves in pur- suit of the reindeer. Only you and Azog, Larga, and Mi are left. The four of you work hard gather- ing food and supplies so as to be as fully equipped as possible for the hip. The next morning you help the Neanderthals load supplies onto the raft. For the first time you notice that it is nothing more than logs bound with vines. If you were to run into a stuetch of rapids, the raft would almost certainly come apart. Whatever made fuog think this was a good idea? The prob- lem is that these Neanderthals aren't wry smart. Actually the problem is that you weren't very smart to think they could build a decent raft. But it's too late to change your mind now. Azog pushes off, and you start down the river. Instead of paddles you have long poles you use to steer the raft, thrusting one end against the river bottom- the water being only a few feet deep. Turn to page 70.

5 Suddenly you're back in school, standing just outside the door to your classroom. Looking in, you see all your friends. Your seat is empty. The teacher, Ms. Hawkins, is talking about the govern- ment, explaining what the Supreme Court does. Somehow you've gotten back to your own time. How will you ever explain why you're late to school? You're tempted to keep out of sight, but you realize that you'll have to explain eventually. Glancing at your watch, you can tellthat the class started only a few minutes ago, so you walk quietly and quickly to your seat and hope Ms. Hawkins won't make much of it. To your surprise no one s€ems to notice you. You quickly take your seat and look as if nothing has happened. You'd expect Liz Wilkens in the seat next to you to whisper something or atleast look at you-after all, you've been away quite a while. \"Hey, Liz, psst!\" Turn to page 8.

6 You are shaken by your expenence, not eager to ty something like that again. But you're more cu- rious than ever about time. \"Tell me,\" you ask the oracle, \"did anything happen before time began, and could anything happen after time ends?\" \"Nothing can happen unless time is passing,\" the oracle answers. \"But things could happen in another time frame, ouhide our time. Then an- other time would be passing.\" You think for a moment, then ask, \"Could I ever visit another time frame, where another time is passing?\" \"lt's possible,\" the oracle replies. \"The Cave of Time has passageurays that lead to such places- places where you perceive others as they will be in their future while they perceive you as you were in your pasl\" By nour your head is spinning. \"l think right now I'd rather just stay in our own time frame,\" you say. \"Vety well,\" says the oracle with a smile. \"Which shall it be, the future or the past?\" lf you choo* the future, turn to poge 47. lf you choose the pa$., turn to Wge 66.

7 You decide that pleasure is what everyone spends his life seeking and that, if you're lucky enough to have it handed to you, you might as well take iL \"l'll accept a life of pleasure,\" you say. Even as you speak you feel yourself passing out. Awake again, you lie back in your living cham- ber and ty to enjoy all the pleasurable sensations you feel and not think of anything that might be disturbing. Unfortunately within a few hours you begin having second thoughts. You're getting in- creasingly resfless. You're not feeling at all happy. Then, to make matters worse, pleasure inputs de- cline. Swimming periods are cut from four to one a day. You become increasingly upset. Once again you hear a voice in your ears: \"We regret that Suprema 87 has been sub- jected to military attack. Most of our re- sources must be used to fight the wor. The burden is being shared equally by eueryone. No one will die before euerpne dies.\" You shudder at this announcement. What does it mean? The pleasurable sensations by now have diminishedso much that forthe firsttime youfeel a stuong urge to escape. But when you bry, you only fall back exhausted. They have cut your nutients and exercise so much that you no longer have the stuength to sit up! Turn to page 79.

8 No response. What's the matter with her? You poke her with your pencil. She doesn't budge. It's as if you weren't even there! \"Does anyone know how many justices are on the Supreme Court of the United States?\" Ms. Hawkins ask the class. No one answers. You're the only one to raise your hand, but Ms. Hawkins doesn't notice. Nei- ther does anyone else! \"Nine!\" you call out. Still, no one answers! \"Well, the answer is nine,\" says Ms. Hawkins, \"one chief justice and eight associate justices.\" By this point you're beginning to think you're losing your mind. \"Ms. Hawkins,\" you almost shout, \"didn't you hear me? | said nine.\" \"Now, how do you suppose someone gets to be a Supreme Court justice?\" Ms. Hawkins asks the class. \"Liz, Jimmy, Matt!\" you shout. \"Can you hear me?\" Still, no one notices. What's happened? you wonder. Could the Cave of Time have made you invisible? Turn to poge 92.



10 For several days things go well. Each afternoon you camp on a grassy bank. fuog and Larga work patiently to catch trout in their crude nets. Mi gathers fruit and nuts. You tighten the vines that hold the raft together. ern people. After your work is done, you and Mi play to- gether. She is stonger than you but not as well The day is warmer. The river is now deep and fast-flowing. There's no need to pole; the four of you stuetch out on the raft and listen to Larga tell stories about the hibe she came from. It's while of her tales that you first hear the p ahead. At first you think it's the think it's rapids. Then you realize Turn to page 99.

11 \"l'd like to see the beginning,\" you say, and instantly you find yourself floating, weighfless, in totally black space! There are no stars or suns or moons or wisps of light; not a breath of air; no sound; no smell or taste; no up or down or sideways; no motion; no feeling; nothing but silence. Then suddenly there's a point of light so brilliant, it feels like pins dnuen into your eyeballs! Even before you can blink, the light expands like a million lightning bolts radiating in all direc- tions. Your eyes shut, but the light is still painfully bright. fu you move your hands to cover your eyes you scream-but no sound comes. At the same moment darkness returns. Then, very slowly your eyes begin to adjust to the dim Iight of your surroundings, and you realue you are once again in the chamber of the oracle. Turn to page 6.

t2 That evening you squirm your way through the porthole and drop onto the deck. Because the ship is anchored, only one man is on watch. You can see him standing on the afterdeck gazing up at the moon. Keeping low, you work your way up to the bow. The water looks black except for the shim- mering patches of reflected moonlight. You climb over the side, grab hold of the anchor chain, slide down bit by bit, and drop quiefly into the sea. Wth strong, firm strokes you swim steadily toward shore. A flash of light startles you. It's just a patch ol phosphorous, but it makes you think of other per- ils. Wth each stroke you wonder whether or not a shark or stingray may be about to attack. Turn to page 78.



L4 your former weightlessness. The capsule has stopped now coasting-at what eno fuyou nnot tell' sounds, andwords appear on your video screen: tieth century. Drifting into hibernation, you try to imagine what life will be like on Sinta. Turn to poge 26.

15 A few days later, standing on the hillside over- looking the sea, you watch the Bounty weigh an- chor and set sail. You never find out whether Fletcher Christian and his crew of mutineers found a safe island or whether they were captured and hanged by the British, though you do learn that Captain Bligh and most of his loyal crew survived their perilous voyage in the Bounty's longboat. As for you, though you miss your family and friends very much, you could hardly enjoy life more than on the beautiful island of Tahiti, where work is like play, stangers are soon friends, coconuts are free for the picking, and you can sail and swim until you're so tired that the minute you lie down on your straw mat, you're floating in a happy dream. The End



t7 \"l'd like to see the end,\" you say. Instanfly you find yourself weighfless, floating in silent space! Your hands cover your eyes as you try to shield them from the brilliant light of a sun much larger and brighter than our own sun. You are rolling over and over in space, feeling like meat on a barbecue spit. The side of you facing the sun is so hot, it would burst into flame if it weren't cooled by the near absolute zero temperature as it turns away from the light. You have no sense of time. For hours, maybe days, you rollgenfly over and over like a misshapen little asteroid. Allthe while this one enormous sun is shrinking ever more rapidly-while growing ever more bril- liant-until you can see it even through your arms shielding your closed eyes. Then utter darkness. Nothingness. Moments later you find yourself in the chamber of the oracle, blinking as your eyes slowly adjust to the pale-green light. Turn to page 6.

18 It's not long before you feel yourself tiring. Looking back, you see the Bounty riding peace- fully at anchor. Land seems no closer than when you started out. For a moment you think of trying to make it back to the ship. But then you rea\\ize that the current has been carrying you along the coast. Your only hope now is to make it to shore. You remember to relax and stroke gently through the water. That helps. You feel calmer. Maybe you'll make it. Still, you can feel your strength ebbing away. Soon it looks as if you won't make it after all. Then you hear a sound up ahead-a rhythmic slap, slop, slop of the waves on a tiny island, just a shand of black coral jutting out of the sea. You swim with renewed energy. In a few min- utes you gratefully haul yourself up, flop exhausted on the dark coral, and quickly fall asleep. TUrn to page 170.

t9 The End

n il 'l will accompany you to the cave,\" Yamara salE. A saucercraft speeds you to a desolate plain somevvhere on the reshaped American continent. As the two of you step out of the robot-operated car, the sky seems to be darkening even more than usual. A light dnzAe is falling, and you notice the water feels rather greasy-you certainly wouldn't want to drink it. \"Rain!\" Yamara cries jubilanfly. \"The cycle is beginning to work.\" \"l would think you'd rather have sunshine, since it's always cloudy on this planet,\" you say. \"We must have much'rain before the clouds can break open,\" says Yamara. \"Then we shall see the sun and the beautiful blue sky, told of in ancient legends.\" \"l wish you could see the Earth the way it was in the twentieth century\" you say, wondering iI you will ever see it that way again. You look around and see the entrance to a cave-little more than a narrow tunnel leading into the ground at a forty-five -degree angle. A cold damp breeze is blowing out of it. You shake your head. Whatever this is, it bears no resemblance to the Cave of Time, but your mind is made up. You thank Yamara for his kind- ness, take a last look at the desolate landscape, hunch over so as not to bump your head, and walk slowly and steadily into the tunnel. It's almost a relief when you suddenly feel yourself falling. . . . Turn to page 5.

l 21 standing, he raises a thick stick and jabs it toward your gut You ty to ward it off, but you lose your balance and topple into the rushing water. For a moment you can touch bottom with one foot, but the current sweeps you into deeper water. Your enemy is no longer Vor-it is the raging river. Fortunately you remember not to panic. In the swirling choppy water your head is bound to be underwater part of the time. Using the breast- stoke and frog kick to get the power you need, you are able to bob up to the surface. You move steadily toward shore. Then a wave hits just as you are inhaling. You cough and sputter for air. The current sweeps you into a sharp rock, smashing your right shoulder. Again you're able to touch bottom. Again the current sweeps you off your feet. At last you make it to the far shore. Ex- a large flat rock open them, the arby. Turn to page 87.

22 The two of you follow the tail back toward Un- cle Howard's ranch. It's only a mile or so until you reach the road. You watch with amusement as Iaark gasps at the sight of a hailer tuck going by. \"You haven't seen anything yet, Iaark. You're really going to like TV and computers and jet planes.\" Iaark grins at you. \"Snou ark!\" The End





25 A few days later theBounty reaches Tahiti. You marvel at the beautiful green mountains jutting out of the sea, and the long arc of white sandy beach fringed with coconut trees. A fleet of tiny boats is headed for the ship. You stand transfixed at the rail, watching the boats-the smiling faces and up- reached hands. Suddenly Fletcher Christian collars you. \"Lock the stowaway in my old cabin,\" he orders one of the men. Ti:rning to you, he says, \"l don't trust you not to tell about what happened out there.\" A sailor leads you by the arm and locks you in the first mate's cabin. Through the porthole you can see the beautiful island and even smell the fragrant scent of jasmine wafting across the water. The porthole is too small for an adult to climb through, but you might fit through. If you wait until nighttime, you might be able to climb out un- noticed, dive overboard, and swim to shore. The island doesn't look that far away, but you don't know how strong the currents are. Besides, how can you be sure a shark won't get you? If you decide to wiggle through the porthole and try to swim to shore, turn to page 12. lf you stay on the ship, turn to page 53.

26 Your next sensation is a dull elechic shock in your head, then another, and another. you flail You want to sleep. nts. Then !.r.or.r hear loud, lively music playing in your ears. When it stops, a voice speaks: \"You are awakening from hibernotion. your spacecroft has landed on the plonet Sintro. Atmosphere andtemperoture are well suite.d t'or human lit'e. You may open the hatch wheneuer you want.\" Turn to page 78.

27 Determined to make it through the winter, you consider your three basic needs: food, warmth, and protection from predators. You sfudy the inte- rior of the shelter with ner;,r interest. About nine feet above the ground is a ledge, which can be reached by a series of hand- and footholds chipped into the wall. While the tibe was living there, the ledge was used as a sacred place, and no one slept there. You never dared climb to it, but now your life may depend on the safety it offers. You grab a handhold and test it. You must be especially careful in everything you do; there's no one to take care of you if you get hurt. Once you reach the ledge, your spirits rise. It's about twenty feet long, and, though not wide, it slants inward, so you're not likely to roll out while sleeping. Best of all, a spring trickles out of the wall near one end of the ledge-you'll be able to get fresh water without even coming down to the ground. Turn to page 35.



29 When you tell Celeste 433 that you are notwill- ing to give up your freedom, she nods and, to your surprise, smiles. \"You are a decidet;\" she says. \"Because you are from a primitive culture, you do not understand that constant pleasure is superior to freedom of choice-though that should be obvious to any- one. Since freedom is more important to you than pleasure, I shall tell you something I should not have mentioned otherwise. Suprema 87 may soon be involved in a war between the grand over- seers.\" \"Who are they?\" Celeste 433 dismisses your question with a wave of her long, bony hands. \"We have no time for that. Listen carefully. I admire your courage and therefore will give you a chance to survive this war, which I fear will destroy this colony. I shall provide you with an escape capsule, but your tou- bles will not be over. Space is a vast and hostile wilderness. There are only two destinations you can reach where you will have any hope of sur- vival. One of them is Alpha Alpha, a colony beyond Pluto that is far more advanced than this one. In fact, it may be the most advanced in the galaxy. The other place where you might possibly survive is the planet Earth.\" \"Earth? That's my home planet-l'd really like to get back there.\" Turn to page 32.

30 Ignoring the mushrooms, you walk along the riverbank. If there is a human settlement around, it's probably near the river, you think. And your instincts are right, for in a moment you smell smoke. Smoke. . . people. . . cooking. . . food! You quicken your pace, eagq to find others and hoping they will welcome you. A deep-throated growl sounds behind you. You whirl and see a skange animal-half bear, half cougar-charglng right at you! Its two long upper teeth are like a pair of white daggers. There's no time to run, no handy tree to climb. You brace yourself for the deadly onslaught! TUrn to page 33.



32 Celeste 433 shakes her head. \"You don't seem to understand. You've traveled through a time- warp. Earth is no longer what it was. It is a scarred and ruined planet, a backward child of the galaxy, an archaeological scrap heap. But the decision is yours.\" What should you do? You long to see Earth again, wen though it may have changed for the worse. Of course, you're curious about Alpha Alpha, though what you've seen of advanced civi- lizations so far does not encourage you. It' you choose to shuttle to Alpha Alpha, turn to page 54. lf you choose to shuttle to the planet Earth, turn to poge 94.

tr| You hear a thump. Then with a yelp of pain the animal swerves. Thump. Thump.lt rolls over- dead. Three sharp rocks lie next to its body. Sev- eral pale-skinned, bearded men emerge from the woods. They are stockily built and have heavy bony brows like the boy in the cave. You realbe they are Neanderthals, a variant of our own species that coexisted with our ancestors for hundreds of thousands of years. They gather around you, talking in a primitive tongue. You strain to catch the meaning of their stange words. One of them smiles and pats you on the back. The men lead you back to their camp near the river. A flattened, gravelly area, protected by a huge overhanging rock, it strikes you as a poor shelter against winter storms, much less a flood. There are about twelve people in the camp, in- cluding a baby. They greet you with friendly curi- osity. A woman gives you a crude bowlfilled with berries, which you eat with gusto. Turn to page 89.



35 Now you have hope, and you feel a surge of tghneergoythj eArsg,ooadndTaynoyuouldseanthimeaml stkoinsmwaekree left by warm clothes and blankets. You gather nuts and tubers and root vegetables, mend broken spears, and sharpen knives so you can hunt and tack small game. Finally you build a huge stack of brush and log:. s9 you- can make a fire on the coldest days. Sheltered in your niche from the howling winis, you you sleep _a great deal. Sometimes you imagine are a hibernating bear. Turn to page 48.

36 Even as you are running the bear is stirring. By the time you are only a few steps away, it is sitting up rubbing its eyes, looking like a huge, lovable teddy bear. The bear rnust have started hibernat- ing-it doesn't seem very active-but it's totally blocking the tunnel. In a few seconds it could come alive and break your neck with one swat of its paw. Instinctively you wheel and retreat toward the enhance, though you're aware that the bear can outun you. Remembering the wall-climbing feat of the Neanderthal boy, you veer to your right and leap up on the first projecting rock. In the dim light you see a notch in the rock wall where you can get a foothold. As you climb up another notch a ter- rifuing roar fills the cave. The bear is wide-awake! You scramble high up the wall, knowing that the bear can easily reach ten feet-it could stand up and pull down a basketball hoop without even stetching! You manage to get to a recess in the rock-safe for the moment from the bear raging inches below you. Your whole body shudders as you realize how close you were to death; then panic hirc. You are hardly safe-you're tuapped in a tiny, cold- bound prison. Despairing, you crawl farther into the dark niche, and at once feel yourself falling, sliding at temendous speed down a smooth rock chute. Al- most unconscious, you're vaguely aware that once again you have entered the Cave of Time. . . . Turn to page 77.

37 Earth may not be the same as it was, but it is, after all, your home. You're determined to see what happened to it. Your capsule plunges into the atmosphere, reborockets firing to brake the descent. In a few moments you enter the yellow-gray clouds that cover the planet's surface. You wonder how far into the future you've journeyed. A thousand years? Maybe even a million years. Suddenly a screen lights up. You read the computer-generated message that appears: INSTRUCTIONS FOR SURVIVAL ON PIAI',IET EAKIH. oxycEN coNTEr\\tr: 2.37\". OXYGEN-GENERATING HELMET MUST BE WORN AiT AI.L TIMES. RADIGCTIVITY : 2.2. RADI/{fl oN - RESIS?ANT CUT AI.ID HELMET Cd,/ER MUST BE I,YORN E><CEPT IN PROTECTED ZONES. FOOD: BASIC GENE GRAIN BITS ARE THE ONLY EDIBLE F@D. INGEST 87 GRAMS OFWTAGRAM_AI{N- TOXICAT.IT FORMUIA MARK 8744369-5_WITH MCH KILOGRAM OF GENE GRAIN BITS. N.L WATER MUST BE DEMULSIFIED AND DE- ACIDIFIED IN PUROSCAN. ALL EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR ONE YEAR SURVIUAL ON THIS PIAI'IET IS INCLUDED IN YOUR BACKPACK, TO- GETHER WITH A MARK 3204 LASER PISTOL, wHIcH WIIL FIRE3NTIMES wm]oT.TT l.ass oF rcWER. Turn to poge 42.

38 The captain flushes with anger, but you must have touched the right nerve, because the anger quickly leaves his face. He heaves a great sigh. \"The truth is, my young friend, I don't know what I'm like anymore. Years ago I got into this business by chance. I needed the money-\" \"That's no excuse,\" you say. \"Don't you under- stand that blacks think and feel no different from white people? They're no different.\" \"But of course, they are!\" the captain snaps. \"They are more like animal5 6pd-\" \"No, they're nof!\" you cut him off. You are get- ting emotional, and your voice trembles a little. \"Have you been down to the lower deck?\" \"Yes, of course,\" says the captain. \"Then how can you pretend that they aren't human? Have you looked at their faces? Have you?\" \"You don't understand. You are too young. Oneday...\" \"No, I'll never understand. I'llnever understand you and your kind.\" Turn to page 45.



40 You turn abruptly and make your way back to the shore. Vor yells something. You don't under- stand what it is, but it's not friendly. The others, still Bing to pick their way across the river, don't look back. You wade out of the water and head back onto the tail. Though you won't have any touble se it's here and lope After a couple of hours you recognize a spot you passed whose an eno rest, sure you can reach camp before dark. fu roam over ing at the e skY is a more intense blue than you've ever seen. The bark on the tees, the insects hovering, a squirrel efined in the scream of a jay-danger! You whirl in time to see an enor- mous snake coiled to sbike, its copper head a foot from your knees. You jump sideways, then sprint fifty yards-faster than you've ever run' Go on to the nert Page.