TOM IS IN DEEP-SEA TROUBLE...
Tom. Bud, and Yo are on the "S.S. Nestor, " a Swift Enterprises research vessel, to witness Mr. Swift testing his submersible, the "Verne-1." Mr. Swift plans to use the "Verne-1" to place a network of seismometers on the sea floor to detect underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other phenomena that might generate tidal waves on the ocean's surface. But when an unexpected storm hits and the "S.S. Nestor" looses contact with the "Verne-1, " it's up to Tom to save his father.

ROBOTS + TERRORISTS = TROUBLE FOR TOM
Tom's been training his entry, SwiftBot, for the upcoming Robot Olympics -- a major event being sponsored by the White House's Office of Science and Technology. Teenage inventors from around the country will be bringing their homemade robots to compete in a series of athletic competitions. The Road Back, an antiscience terrorist group, has issued a statement condemning the event, and Tom hopes that the tight security at the Robot Olympics will keep TRB from causing trouble. But no such luck. Someone is playing dirty . . . and things are going to get dangerous.