Skip to main content

story identification - Book ID: Boy plays a video game and has to to solve different tasks (the last being a maze that's an IQ test)


There is this boy who plays a video game where he has to solve a multitude of tasks. One was a tactical space battle and the last one was a maze.



Later, it's revealed that it was some IQ test and he ends up in a facility with some other kids. In the facility there are brain-washed adults that care for them. And they are supposed to solve some kind of problem for some ominous evil figure.


Also, the boy has a friend who, after the boy disappeared, also barely manages to beat the game to get to see his friend again.



Answer



Brainboy and the DeathMaster by Tor Seidler



Darryl Kirby is an orphan. He is also a whiz at computer games -- especially those conceived by Keith Masterly, the greatest software guru of all time. But when Darryl plays a new prototype of his favorite game, StarMaster, strange things begin to happen. After he finds his way through a tortuous maze and answers questions that could stump a scientist, a mysterious message -- "WANT TO PLAY?" -- invites him into a game in which the stakes are higher than they first appear -- a game that eventually lands him in a luxurious laboratory where Masterly has enlisted a brain trust of children for a secret purpose of his own. Befriended by Nina, who suspects Masterly's motives, Darryl slowly uncovers a sinister plan and finds himself the star in his own real-life computer game. But will he and Nina be able to stop Masterly and escape before it is too late?


Brainboy and the Deathmaster is a fast-paced, high-tech mystery-adventure by National Book Award finalist Tor Seidler, author of the modern-day classic Mean Margaret.



The German description found here (in German the title is "Danny und der Herr der Spiele" - "Danny and the Master of Games")




Aus dem Amerikanischen von Peter Knecht. Der zwölfjährige Danny ist ein Computergenie - da kann der gleichaltrige Boris nur staunen. Auch der reiche und geheimnisvolle Computerspezialist Keith Masterly ist von Danny fasziniert und bringt ihn in sein geheimes Labor, das "Paradise Lab". Zu Dannys Erstaunen trifft er dort sieben weitere hoch begabte Kinder, darunter auch Nina, die Schwester von Boris. Bald wird den beiden klar, dass es in dem paradiesischen Labor nicht mit rechten Dingen zugeht. Als sie entdecken, dass Masterly die Kinder nur benutzt, um die Formel der ewigen Jugend zu finden, beginnt ein Wettrennen um Leben und Tod. Gerade noch zur rechten Zeit taucht Dannys Freund B.J. auf, der ihn seit seinem Verschwinden sucht.



My own translation:



Translation from English from Peter Knecht. The twelve years old Danny is a computer genious - Boris, who is the same age, can only marvel at this. The rich and mysterious computer specialist Keith Masterly is fascinated by Danny, too, and brings him into his secret Laboratory, the "Paradise Lab". To Danny's amazement he meets seven other highly talented kids there, including Nina, the sister of Boris. Soon both will realize that some things are odd in the paradisaic lab. When they discover that Masterly just uses the kids to get the formula for eternal youth a race to the death begins. Just in time Danny's friend B.J. arrives, who was searching for him since he disappeared.



I remember that drugs were involved, though I can only distinctly remember that the kids were supposed to take drugs to be submissive and as a little enhancement for their IQ (not sure if that last part was just the promise of Keith Masterly to get them to take the drugs though). Of course the protagonists decided that it's better not to take them in order to discover the secrets of the laboratory.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.

harry potter - How could Expelliarmus beat Avada Kedavra?

I want to be very careful about how I ask this question – I am not asking How did Voldemort die? [CLOSED] Below the text is the relevant passages from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows if anyone wants to review them (I'm sorry for the amount of text). How did Expelliarmus beat Avada Kedavra and kill Voldemort? I feel the reason Harry's Expelliarmus overpowered Voldemort's Avada Kedavra curse has to do with who was master of the Elder Wand and how the Elder Wand works. I've always had trouble understanding fully how the Elder Wand works, though. How much did the fact that Voldemort never truly won or mastered the Elder Wand factor into how Expelliarmus reacted to Avada Kedavra and caused Avada Kedavra to rebound and kill Voldemort? An answer based in book canon would be especially welcome, but any canon source really is fine. Harry heard the high voice shriek as he, too, yelled his best hope to the heavens, pointing Draco’s wand: ‘ Avada Kedavra !’ ‘ Expelliarmus !...

game of thrones - Is Syrio Forel dead?

In the episode 'The Pointy End' (Season 1 Episode 8) when Arya runs from the Lannister guards you hear the sound of a sword being dropped (around 4:56): [embedded content] After that neither Syrio or Ser Meryn Trant is never mentioned or seen in the show again, except when Arya mentions to the Hound that Ser Meryn Trant killed Syrio. Is there any mention in the books that Syrio actually dies?

tolkiens legendarium - Difference between elves and dwarves blacksmithing in the Lord of the Rings

Both the elves and the dwarves were famous for their metal work in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but what is the difference between what they made, and which one had the better skill of making amours and swords? Answer James Christopher's answer sums up the second part of your question well, but as to the difference in what they made, a little more detail is needed. Once the Elves learned to forge with steel, the shape of the sword changed, now being able to take on the form of a great broadsword or a light and agile curved sword. Additionally, they took great pride in decorating their swords. As we see in the Lord of the Rings , some swords like Sting had magical properties such as glowing blue when orcs are near. As far as the use of Mithril, lotr.wikia has two contradictory passages: Thus, Elven blades became renowned as great weapons, capable of performing deeds beyond the skill of their handlers and were even more glorious when the use of Mithril was allowed to the Elves. ...