A few hours later, the library was filled with paper flying machines Astro had created using the pages from the book. With Orrin’s help, he had recreated them all—and they worked! Some looked like strange birds; others looked like helicopters with spinning propellers. Astro watched, smiling, as Orrin happily chased them around the room.
“Ah, beautiful, I got it! I got it!” the robot cried, reaching for one. He just missed catching it. “So close!”
“Way to go, Orrin. You’re the man!” Astro cheered. He put his baseball cap on Orrin’s head.
If Orrin weren’t made of metal, he would have blushed. “Yes, I am ... I am the man,” he said awkwardly.
Astro had stacked a bunch of books on the desk to create the perfect launching point. He climbed on top of them.
“Check this out.”
He let a complex paper airplane fly. It joined the other aircrafts, gracefully swooping and diving between them.
“I’m impressed,” Orrin said. “Not knocked out, but impressed.”
“That’s nothing. Watch this!” Astro said.
The plane divided into three smaller planes. They zipped around the library.
“Oh, now that is impressive, Master Toby!” he praised.
“Just Toby is fine, Orrin,” Astro said.
The little planes quickly spun out of control. One of them knocked over a glass vase. The other slammed into a picture on the wall, bumping it off the nail.
Dr. Tenma stepped into the library. “Toby—”
Whack! One of the paper planes hit him in the side of the head.
“What are you doing?” Dr. Tenma asked. “I told you to read these books, not destroy them.”
“I ... I just wanted to test Da Vinci’s theories,” Astro explained.
“I perhaps encouraged Master Toby, sir,” Orrin said, coming to Astro’s defense.
Dr. Tenma noticed the hat on Orrin’s head.
“You should not be wearing that hat,” he snapped. “A robot should not be wearing my son’s ... Toby’s hat.”
Orrin took off the hat and gave it to Dr. Tenma. He rolled out of the library, sadly hanging his head.
“Dad, it’s fine,” Astro said. “I don’t even like that hat.”
“I think you should go to your room,” Dr. Tenma said sternly.
“But, Dad—” Astro protested.
“Do as you’re told.”
Astro left the room, dejected. Dr. Tenma paced back and forth, gripping Toby’s hat in his hands. He pressed a button on a device on the desk. A second later, a holograph of Dr. Elefun appeared in the room.
“Tenma? What’s wrong?” Dr. Elefun asked.
“I think I’ve made a terrible mistake,” Dr. Tenma said. “I thought he would be like Toby, but he’s not. He’s ... strange. He’s very strange.”
“Strange how?” his friend asked.
“He’s brilliant, as Toby was, but different.” Dr. Tenma paused. “He makes jokes. I don’t like it.”
“Jokes? Oh dear,” Dr. Elefun replied. “Well, you can’t expect him to be a carbon copy. Give him time, Tenma.”
“You don’t understand!” Dr. Tenma said. “He was meant to replace Toby, but every time I look at him, it just reminds me that Toby’s gone and he’s never coming back.”
Dr. Elefun didn’t like the tone of his friend’s voice. “Don’t do anything rash,” he advised. “I’m coming over. Maybe I can make some kind of adjustments to him.”
Under his breath, he added, “Or to you.”
CHAPTER 6
Dr. Tenma lived on the top floor of one of the tallest skyscrapers in Metro City. The glass windows always sparkled in the sunlight. They were never streaked or dirty—thanks to robots, of course.
From a distance, the window-cleaning robots looked like flying birds. Up close, you could see they worked in teams. A robot that looked like a spray bottle would squirt window cleaner on the glass. Another robot equipped with a squeegee and a helicopter propeller wiped the glass clean.
A flock of robots were at work on Dr. Tenma’s windows when Astro was sent to his room. He flopped on his bed, sad. There was a photo on his night table of Toby and his dad. Toby was holding an astrophysics trophy, grinning. Dr. Tenma looked very proud.
“What’s different?” Astro wondered. “I haven’t seen Dad angry before.”
He sighed, quiet for a moment. Then he heard an electronic squawking behind him. He turned to see two robots outside, cleaning his window. They chattered away in the electronic babble that robots used to talk to one another.
“Check out the haircut on that one,” said the spray bottle, Mr. Squirt. “It looks like he’s got horns.”
“Ha-ha! Horns! Good one!” laughed Mr. Squeegee, his partner.
“What do you mean, horns? It’s gel!” Astro protested.
Astro gasped.
“Wait! I can understand you!” he cried. But that should have been impossible. Humans couldn’t understand robot language.
“Whoa, that’s creepy,” said Mr. Squeegee.
“What is?” asked Mr. Squirt.
“It’s like he can understand us,” Mr. Squeegee replied.
“Don’t be stupid!” said Mr. Squirt.
“I can hear what you’re saying!” Astro told them.
Mr. Squeegee squirted the window with liquid. “It’s almost like he can hear what we’re saying,” he said, ignoring Astro.
“There’s no way. He’s a human,” said Mr. Squirt. “Come on. Let’s go leak oil on some statues.”
“Ha-ha!” laughed Mr. Squeegee. “Okay.”
He moved to wipe off the liquid on the glass when he screamed in fright. Astro had opened the window and was staring right at them.
“How can I understand what you’re saying?” he asked. “You’re robots!”
The two robots nervously backed up. “We don’t want any trouble,” said Mr. Squirt.
Astro grabbed him before he could fly off. “Wait up. I just want to know what’s going on. What’s happened to me?”
Mr. Squirt struggled to get away. “Hey, hey, calm down,” Astro said. “I’m not gonna hurt you. You’re safe, little fella.”
Astro glanced down and gasped. He was hanging out of the window, hundreds of stories above the ground.
“Okay, guys, let’s back up very carefully,” he said calmly.
But Mr. Squirt just wanted to get away. He sprayed Astro in the eyes.
“Aaaaaaaaaaargh!” Astro screamed.
He tumbled out of the window, plummeting to the ground.
“Oh, that’s tragic, that is,” said Mr. Squirt.
“Yeah,” said Mr. Squeegee. “You still want to go leak oil on some statues?”
“Heck to the yeah!” agreed Mr. Squirt. “Come on, baby!”
The two robots flew away. Astro closed his eyes as the pavement rushed up to meet him. In a matter of seconds, it would all be over ...
Then something strange happened. Astro’s body flipped into an upright position, with his feet facing the ground. Jets fired from the soles of his shoes. He hovered safely, inches above the ground.
Astro opened his eyes, not sure if he was dreaming. He wasn’t. This was really happening.
Curious, Astro tried pushing up. He shot up quickly, losing his balance. But he was still hovering in the air. Astro tried again.
Slam! He hit the wall of the building, but he wasn’t hurt. Laughing, he raised his arms above his head and took off into the sky.
Astro zipped past Mr. Squirt and Mr. Squeegee. The two robots squirted on themselves in shock.
Astro waved at the robots, but the motion sent him rocketing downward. An expressway tunnel loomed ahead, and Astro wasn’t sure how to steer around it. He covered his eyes, hoping not to hit anything.
He zipped straight into the tunnel. Opening his eyes, he found he could weave in and out of the cars and trucks. He was getting the hang of it.
Astro emerged from the tunnel and soared up into the clouds. He had never felt so fr
ee.
He could fly!
Astro practiced diving in and out of the clouds. It was beautiful up here in the blue sky, with Metro City glimmering below. The more he flew, the bolder he got. Soon he was doing flips and cartwheels from cloud to cloud.
Astro flew as high as he could, then dove down through the clouds, heading back home. Now he was going so fast, he couldn’t stop himself. Once again, he found himself plummeting toward the ground. Astro tried to turn upright again, but he couldn’t do it.
Astro braced himself for the impact. Once again, something amazing happened. He dove right through the dirt, almost like he was swimming through water. He tunneled through the ground and exploded up from the top of a snow-covered mountain.
“This is so cool!” Astro cried, as he hovered over Metro City. “I gotta show Dad.”
CHAPTER 7
President Stone paced the floor of his Command Center. Radar screens on the walls reported on the traffic in the air space above and around Metro City. Video monitors helped him keep an eye on the comings and goings of his residents.
General Heckler sat at a control desk, headphones on his ears. The president’s advisors sat in metal chairs, cowering as their chief ranted and raved.
“How can my approval ratings be this low?” he fumed. “I was very popular in high school. I’ve cut taxes for a lot of very influential friends. What more do people want?”
General Heckler interrupted him. “We’re tracking an unidentified object flying over Metro City, sir.”
President Stone studied the radar screen. A flying dot moved across the city. “The Surface dwellers are firing at us? This is what I’ve been waiting for! Declare war on them! This is going to get me reelected!”
A soldier marched up to him. “This didn’t come from the Surface, sir,” he reported.
“It’s my opponent,” Stone guessed. “He’s taken the gloves off. He’s playing hardball.”
The flying dot turned bright blue.
“It’s Blue Core energy, sir!” the soldier cried.
President Stone’s face darkened. “What? Elefun told me the Blue Core was destroyed. Get me a location and mobilize all units. I want that thing now!”
Astro had no idea he had been detected by the radar. He flew back home and landed on the balcony of his father’s study. Orrin and Dr. Elefun were talking to Dr. Tenma. Their voices carried through the open sliding doors.
“Where is he? Where’s Toby?” Dr. Elefun asked.
“I sent him to his room,” Dr. Tenma said. “Please, just deactivate him and take him away. I can’t bear to see his face again.”
Astro gasped. Could they be talking about him?
“Come on, Tenma,” Dr. Elefun pleaded. “You can’t just throw him away like a piece of junk.”
“Dad? What’s going on?” Astro asked.
The two men turned and stared at Astro.
“Why are you talking about me like this?” he asked.
Dr. Elefun paused. “Toby, there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding. You’re not entirely an ordinary boy.”
“I know,” Astro said. He looked at Dr. Tenma. “Dad, I can fly! I can drill my way through solid rock. It’s amazing.”
Dr. Tenma turned his back on Astro. “How could I think this would work?”
“What’s wrong with me? Why don’t you love me anymore?” Astro asked.
Dr. Elefun faced his friend. “He’s programmed with the memories of your own son, Tenma.”
“Programmed?” Astro asked.
“Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” asked Dr. Elefun.
“He’s not my son,” Dr. Tenma said coldly. “He’s a robot who looks like my son.”
Astro couldn’t believe it. “Dad,” he pleaded.
“I’m not your dad. You’re not Toby. You’re a copy of Toby,” Dr. Tenma said. “A failed experiment, a robot, not my son. You’re a robot, and I don’t want you anymore!”
“No! No!” Astro wailed.
He turned back to the balcony.
“Toby! Wait!” Dr. Elefun yelled. He grabbed Astro and looked into his eyes. “I can’t see into the future, but I’m sure there’s a place for you. You just have to find it.”
“He was my father. This was my home. It’s all I know,” Astro said sadly.
“Everyone has their destiny, Toby,” Dr. Elefun said.
“Didn’t you hear him? I’m not Toby,” Astro replied.
He rocketed off the balcony, taking one last look at his home. Orrin rolled onto the balcony, gazing sadly at Astro.
Astro flew off into the setting sun. He settled on the highest building he could find and sat there, thinking.
He stared hard at his hands. He looked human. He felt human. Could he really be a robot?
Blue light shot from Astro’s eyes, acting like an X-ray. Underneath his skin he could see a network of wires and circuits.
“It’s true,” he murmured.
Suddenly, blinding lights hit Astro’s eyes. He shielded himself from the glare. Two military planes were circling him.
One of the pilots radioed President Stone’s Command Center.
“Sir, we located the signal’s source, but it’s ... a kid. Readings for the Core are off the chart!”
“Is that Tenma’s boy?” General Heckler asked.
“Of course not!” President Stone fumed behind him. “Tenma must have lost his mind. Bring it in.”
The pilot radioed the other plane. “This is Stinger One. Set weapons for capture.”
The two planes approached Astro.
“Oh no,” Astro said. In a shot, he rocketed off into the night.
“Whoa! The subject just took off!” the pilot exclaimed.
“Commander, engage the subject with intent to capture,” President Stone ordered.
The planes took off after Astro. Green tentacles lined with suction cups shot out from the planes, trying to grab him. Astro dodged each one.
“What do you guys want?” he called back.
“Command Center. We have it in our sights!” the pilot reported.
Astro dove down into Metro City to avoid the planes. They couldn’t fly low, but they sent their tentacles after him.
One tentacle grabbed a dog by mistake. Another pulled a tablecloth off a table in a restaurant, leaving the dishes on top intact. The diners gasped in surprise.
Astro flew over the park. A man was kneeling on one knee, about to propose marriage to his girlfriend. She sat on a park bench.
Whoosh! A tentacle grabbed her, too.
The pilot of the second plane radioed the Command Center. “This is Stinger Two. I’m ah ... gonna take all these things back.”
“Get him!” President Stone shouted.
Astro zipped around a building, disappearing from view. The pilot of Stinger One hovered in the air, confused.
“Where’d he go?”
Astro flew underneath both planes, bending their weapons so they couldn’t fire. Then he flew up and slammed into Stinger One’s windshield.
“Eee-yaaah!” the pilot cried. He pressed every button on his controls, but all it did was turn on his windshield wipers. Astro grinned.
Then he felt a tentacle wrap around his waist. He looked down to see the tentacles from both planes wrapped around him.
“Oh no,” Astro said.
“We’ve got him! We’re coming home!” said the Stinger One pilot.
Astro struggled to get free of the tentacles. Then his eyes lit up. He had remembered something.
His rockets were in the bottoms of his feet. He could fly up.
“Haaaahhhhh!” Astro yelled.
He shot straight up in the air, pulling both aircraft below him. The pilots screamed.
Then Astro dove down between two skyscrapers, dragging the planes behind him. They slammed into the buildings. Astro flew forward now, pulling with all his might.
“Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!”
Astro pulled free from the tentacles. The force tore Stinger One in half
. The pilot screamed as he fell through the sky.
“Oh no!” Astro cried. He didn’t want anyone to get hurt. He zoomed to the soldier and caught him in midair.
Back in the Command Center, President Stone was furious.
“Send in the Spirit of Freedom,” he ordered.
His advisors gasped in shock.
“The Spirit of Freedom? That weapon doesn’t officially exist, sir!”
“I’m trying to win an election, not run a sewing circle,” Stone snapped. “Destroy the robot, then collect the core.”
Astro dropped the soldier safely on top of a building.
“You’re safe,” he told him.
But a swarm of Stinger planes hovered in the air above him, their weapons extended.
“Again? What’s with you guys?” Astro asked.
The rescued pilot gave Astro a quick hug. “I love you!” he said.
Astro flew off to face the Stingers. “Come on, then!” he challenged.
Then a dark shadow loomed over them all. A huge gunship floated above them. The Stingers flew away like frightened birds. The pilot jumped off of the building in terror.
“Fire!” President Stone commanded.
Bam! Bam! Bam! The Spirit of Freedom assaulted the rooftop with a missile blast. The force of the explosion knocked Astro down. He tried to pull himself up, but he was hurt.
President Stone grinned. “Finish it.”
Bam! Bam! Bam! The missiles headed straight for Astro.
President Stone high-fived General Heckler. Then they chest-butted, and Heckler toppled over. Stone kicked him for luck.
Astro couldn’t dodge all of the missiles. They slammed into him, sending him sailing off of the rooftop.
President Stone glanced at the monitor and frowned. The blue dot was falling to the bottom of the screen. How could that be?
“Hey, where is it going?” President Stone yelled. “Come back! Come back! I am declaring a state of emergency! Leave for all military personnel is canceled until Tenma’s boy is found.”
CHAPTER 8
Tracey West Page 3