"I just can’t get this" Dr. Whales said. Dr. Whales is well known to be the greatest scientist of the 21st century. He invented the first working robot using a primitive 20th century computer.
"Well, what makes you think I can?" asked Dr. Shwat. Dr. Shwat had been a lab assistant for Dr. Whales for about 5 years, since 2074.
"I never said you could." Dr. Whales replied.
It was December of 2079 now. Dr. Whales and Dr., Shwat were siting, at the underground lab, down, leaning over a few sketch of how to advance the robotic brain, and make a larger, more efficient robot.
"If I may misters?" asked Robopener. Robopener, the worlds first (and only) robot capable of acting on its own thinking.
"May what?" snapped Dr. Shwat.
"Make a suggestion," replied Robopener. "After all, I was programmed to do scientific work, was I not?"
"You were," said Dr. Whales
"Well, first off you made a flaw in my brain, I cannot learn!" Robopener said.
"Oh?" Dr. Shwat said.
"If you set it up more like a human brain, like this" Robopener started drawing sketches and formulas on the paper.
"Ah, yes!" Dr. Whales said.
"We must get started right away!" Dr. Shwat exclaimed
***
It was now March 20th, 2080, and the robot brain was still in the planning stages. The two scientists worked day and most of the night on holographic representation of the brain, using computers with and OS (Operating System) faster than even UNIX!
While they worked on the Brain, Robopener worked on more efficient tools to cut the new metal Dr. Whales made.
On August 31st 2080, the new brain was planned!
"It’s midnight, I think we will start on the brain on the second," Dr. Whales said.
"Why?" asked Dr. Shwat?
"We’ve been working on it for months," Dr. Whales said. "We deserve at least 1 days break. Don’t you agree?"
"No," argued Dr. Shwat. "I don’t! Science is my life. Science is my job. It’s a hobby! No, I don’t think we should put this off one day longer!"
"I forbid—"
"You have no right!"
"My Lab, I have every right!"
"Oh, we’ll see about that," Exclaimed Dr. Shwat.
"Please!" shouted Robopener "Both of you get some sleep! Your Paranoid! Both of you! Please!"
The two walked up to there beds. Both were asleep by one AM, and sleep until noon.
***
"I’m sorry for arguing with you last night," Dr. Shwat said
"Oh, that’s okay," said Dr. Whales. "I was at as much of a fault as you."
"Okay."
"We can do it today if you want."
"Oh, no," said Dr. Shwat. "I wouldn’t imagine that. We’ll do it tomorrow"
"I insist!"
"I insist!"
"Oh come now!" Said Dr. Whales. "This is foolish, we’re arguing about the exact opposite we were arguing about last night, we’ll do it tomorrow. "Said Dr. Whales.
"I was hopping you’d cave in to my way," said Dr. Shwat.
"Oh for Pete sake!"
"Relax, I was only joking!" Dr. Shwat said.
***
On September 1st, 2080, Dr. Whales and Dr. Shwat were working on the brain with the help of Robopener. Robopener provided them three meals, and the two scientists stopped only to go to the bathroom. At 11:00 PM, Dr. Shwat went into his private room, while Dr. Whales was working on the network to avoid sending floppies back and forth.
***
It was December 4th, 2080, Dr. Whales and Dr. Shwat were nearly finished with the robots brain. It was almost like a rectangular prism. There were wires and computer ships laying out on the work table.
"I somehow think this is a own person job," said Dr. Shwat.
"Well, what makes you say that?" Dr. Whales asked. "It would have taken me much longer to do it without you."
"Oh?"
"Yes," Dr. Whales said.
"Well, If you do not mind, I would like to work on that other project."
"Sure," Dr. Whales replied. "Everyone needs their own personal hobbies. I can finish up here."
Then, Dr. Whales relized Dr. Shwat had never told him what the project was.
"Thank you!" Dr. Shwat Exclaimed.
Dr. Shwat took a bag of the newly developed metal, A couple of the Energy supply packs, a cutting tool, and a CD ROM. Dr. Shwat moved the stuff carefully, making sure Dr. Whales more than likely would not find out that Dr. Shwat had removed them. Dr. Shwat was twenty-three and Dr. whales was twenty-four. Dr. Shwat was 5’ 10", and was a man with an average weight. (Dr. Whales had always stressed perfect health, and often worked on supplements, and other devices to help keep top physical condition.) He had brown hair and eyes, and had a very thin mustache. Dr. Whales was 5’ 11 ½", and also an average weight. He had brown hair and eyes, and bronze-colored skin.
***
When Dr. Whales finishes with the brain, he turned on the computer, and attempted to access the network. He was unsuccessful because Dr. Shwat was not connected. This was highly unusual, Dr. Shwat usually leaves his computer on and connected to the network all the time. Dr. Whales thought nothing of it however, and went to bed.
***
"Well," Dr. Whales said at breakfast the next day. "I completed the brain, I was wondering if today we could start to work on the structure of the robot."
"When you say ‘I was wondering,’ you usually mean ‘We are working on the structure of the robot today. Please come down to the lab as soon as you are ready.’ Am I nor right?" Dr. Shwat said.
"Well—yes," replied Dr. Whales.
"Ah ha!"
"So," Dr. Whales began. "Can we start after breakfast?’
"No, I would like to get through my personal hygiene first."
"Okay," Dr. Whales siad. "That is what I meant, and you know it"
"Of corse boss!"
***
"Robopener!" Dr. Shwat called out.
"Yes Mister?" Robopener said.
"Please, express you thoughts of the brain." Dr. Shwat ordered.
"Very well Mister. It is a—wonderful brain," Robopener answered.
"No," Dr. whales began, "What Dr. Shwat meant was to tell us how we should construct the circuits and wires of the interior of the robot’s body."
"Yes, that is what I mean."
"Oh..." Robopener said. "My apologies Mister. Well, take a look at this sketch."
"Would you mind doing it on the computer?" requested Dr. Shwat.
"Literally, Mister?" Robopener asked.
"What do you mean?" asked Dr. Shwat.
"Well," began Robopener. "Recently, I have been examining my memory. And, I have discovered a very ancient program called Network Neighborhood. Many of the new networking programs are like this. Anyhow, with that file, I have the capability of connecting my self to the network, therefore, you can see what is on my mind.
"Well," said Dr. Whales "Why didn’t you do this when you demonstrated your idea for the brain?"
"Yeah?" asked Dr. Shwat.
"As I have just said, Misters, I have found this file only recently. The file named Robopener was at one time the ancient file My Computer. It also appears I have Windows 6.1."
"Didn’t that run on Ms-DOS?" asked Dr. Shwat.
"Yes, Windows Gold was the last Program ever to run on DOS." Robopener informed.
"Yes," Dr. Shwat said. "I am not ignorant. The next year Microsoft made something even better than DOS. And DOS’s last version was 12.0304"
"My apologies then, Mister" Robopener said.
"Well now that our history lesson is over, what about the robot?" Dr. Whales said.
"What has Robopener got to do with anything?" Dr. Shwat asked.
"I do not know, but I was referring to the robot we are constructing."
Robopenr said, "Misters, would you like me to hook up to the Network?"
"Please," Dr. Whales said.
"Yes" Dr. Shwat agreed.
Robopener wen to the lab control room, to get a few fiber optic network cables. Then, once Robopener found one, he winded it up, and brought it down the elevator to the main Laboratory. He grabbed a network card from one of the bins in the main laboratory, and put it in himself. Then, he hooked the cable to himself, and hooked the other end of the cable to the Hub.
"Okay," said Robopener, "please observe the screen"
"Robopenr, eventually, I’ll get you one of those primitive computers that have the memory drive built into the monitor if you keep you this help," Dr. Whales said. "You’ve said before you wanted one."
"Yes, mister, but there is no reason for a robot’s wishes to be honored," Robopener replied.
"Nonsense."
There was a silence in the lavatory (except for the hum of the computer) for about 5 minutes.
"Okay," the computer echoed. It wasn’t actually the computer talking, but the sound was coming from the computer. It was actually Robopeners thoughts, displaying on the screen, and making sounds. "Please observe the computer monitor."
There were three- dimensional pictures display on the screen. An arm of a robot in an x-ray form view. There were color-coded lines, legends for the colors, and a dotted lines representing the flow of electricity. There was text popping up , and in different colors for affect.
Then, after about an hour, the computer echoed, "Do you need any clarification yet?"
"How about how quickly the robot’s arm would be able to move?" asked Dr. Shwat.
"Well... this formula explains the flow of electricity and how it will work, misters," echoed the computer, and animations were on the screen, along with lots of text coming up.
"Now," the computer echoed "do you still need more clarification, misters?"
Both scientists nodded their heads no.
"Very well, misters, now to move on to the legs."
And, for the legs, much the same was going on. The text, colors, and dotted lines. After about two hours of the demonstration on the leg, a message box came up asking for them to type in any clarifications they need, and to click okay.
"Maybe he doesn’t feel like talking," Dr. Whales said. "Just tell him ‘none’. I mean, type him ‘none’, of corse."
"Of corse"
After eight hours, Robopener had made it through every part to the robots body, then they had dinner.
"My specialty, misters!" Robopener exclaimed.
"Speigetei-ohs?" Dr. Shwat questoined.
Robopener replied, "I am only Robot, Mister."
***
The very next morning, at 6:00, the two scientist got right to work.
***
December 7th, 2080, Dr. whales and Dr Shwat were working on the arm.
"You know the diet plan that I enforce."
"Yeah," said Dr. Shwat. "But since yesterday, we haven’t been following it very well. Have we?"
"No," said Dr. Whales. "We haven’t."
"But," Dr. Shwat began. "Isn’t this more important? I mean, we are on the verge of a scientific breakthrough. This will be the most advanced robot ever! What could be more important than that?"
"You’re insane!" Dr. Whale exclaimed. "Staying physically fit, and healthy is the most important thing. My Question to you is ‘What could be more important than that?’ Dr. Shwat!"
"Okay, I am sorry, we will start today —"
"Enough said, I’ll just take that for the record, now can we move on to the arm?" Dr. Whales said.
"You to the words right out of my mouth!’ Dr. Shwat exclaimed. "At least, the part of moving on to the robot’s arm. Not the part about taking what I said for the record. Maybe you are a physic scientist."
Both of the scientists laughed.
"Just remember," Dr. whales began. "Physics are future tellers, not mind readers."
"Right...Where is Robopener?"
"He is asleep upstairs"
"When you say upstairs, I assume you mean in the upper level." Dr. Shwat said
"Right, pardon my miss-speak" Dr. Whales said.
"Is he ‘sleeping’ in the control room?"
"Of corse!"
"And, sleep, you mean suspend?"
"Yes!" Dr. Whales exclaimed. "But it is called sleeping, it is what that moon light thing is on."
"You were mad—" Dr. Shwat began.
"Are you going to say ‘You were mad when Robopener and I were talking about history, and now you are!’?" Dr. Whales asked.
"Actually, I was going to say— ah, never mind, lets go eat lunch."
***
"Let me guess, ham and cheese, must be your specialty, eh Robopenr?" said Dr. Shwat.
"No," Robopener said. "My specialty is spegaihti."
"Ohs" added Dr. Shwat.
"Can we move off the subject of spehgetti-ohs?" Dr. Whales requested.
"Ah, right, I just remembered," Dr. Shwat began." Robopener, are you capable of labor, that is, controlling a robotic arm?"
"I can control a large robotic arm with a control panel."
"Good, we need the persepsion of a robot," Dr. Shwat said.
"Yes," Dr. Whales said, "We most certainly do. Humans just don’t have an— atquet persepsion. Do you understand?
"Me, mister, or him?"
"You, Robopener." Dr. Whales answered.
"Thank you, mister," Robopener said.
"Answer the damn question!" Dr. Shwat demanded.
"Oh!" Robopener said. "My apologies mister. Yes, I understand, mister."
"Thank you!" Dr. Shwat exclaimed.
***
Dr. Shwat was rather uneasy that night. he was writing to his journal in the computer, with the network disconnected. He was putting it in a specially coded language, which could be viewed in a program that he wrote, and was safely hidden in the Hub. (Dr. Shwat’s computer could not write on CDs. He wish it could) It was about 1:00 when He finally went to bed.
***
It was around 3:00 PM of December 12, 2080. That is when tragedy occured
It seemed like a harmless day. Nothing to special happening. Just A nice, relaxing, Winter day in Ohio. It would not be expected that anything could possibly go wrong.
Dr. Whales was in the control area of the lab, working on one of the computers. In the control room, was the exit out of the lab. There was a password to get in and out, and Robopener handled that. Though, it does seem rather pointless to have a password just to be able to leave, especially since Robopener wasn’t the only one who knew it. But, it was not done without reason.
Then, Dr., Shwat came out, wearing an equipment belt. Then he said, "I finally finished that project."
"Really?" Dr. Whales said. "What is absolutely wonderful! But, you never told me what the project was."
"Nor I, Mister"
"Heh heh heh," Dr. Shwat said. "I hold the blueprints of the robot in my hand, I am leaving!"
"Not with those blueprints you aren’t!" Dr. Whales said.
"Oh really?" Dr. Shwat questioned. "In my hand I hold a devise that brings pain to nerves. call it a nueric whip if you please. Now, notice I am pointing it at you. Open the door now!"
"Ah. But Robopener is pointing a level two laser at you. That could do significant damage. So, don’t shoot that thing off, or Robopener will fire!"
"He is a robot for heaven’s sake! He cannot fire at me!"
"How do you know?" Dr. Whales asked. I programmed him one year before you came, in ‘73!"
"He can?"
"Even if I can’t, mister, are you really willing to risk that?" Robopener asked.
Then, Robopener shot, aimed at the whip and blasted it into pieces.
"Damn you robot!" Dr. Shwat yelled. "Do not for get Dr. Whales, I know karate."
"And as do I, Dr. Shwat. But I do not think your Karate can possibly save you from the laser that Robopener is still pointing at you"
Then, he through the Nuronic whip power capsel at Dr. Whales, and Robopener fired the laser. The laser some how ignited the power, and it a horrible crack of an explosion. White everywhere. You could see nothing!