3. The Combine-0-Tron 2000

CHAPTER 3 THE COMBINE-O-TRON 2000 Melvin Sneedly, the school brainiac, was not about to let anybody leave the classroom until he had given his demonstration speech. "We still have fifteen minutes left before lunch," said Melvin, "and that's just enough time for me to demonstrate my new invention, the Combine-O-Tron 2000." "Aww, maaaan!" whined Melvin's classmates.

The children all slumped back into their seats while Melvin pushed a plastic rolling cart to the front of the classroom. On top of the cart were a hamster, a small robot (which Melvin had built himself), and a strange-looking contraption shaped like an ice-cream cone. "Today," said Melvin, "I will demonstrate how to turn an ordinary hamster into your very own bionic cyber-servant."

Melvin placed his pet hamster, Sulu, at one end of the cart, and his tiny homemade robot at the other end. "I shall now combine this ordinary hamster with this tiny robot using the Combine-O-Tron 2000."

Melvin picked up the Combine-O-Tron 2000 and turned it on. A high-pitched tone pierced the classroom air, getting higher and higher in frequency as the machine charged to full power. Melvin typed some last-minute calculations into the keyboard on the side of the Combine-O-Tron 2000 as its laser extractor warmed up.

Suddenly, two streaks of red glowing light flashed onto Sulu and the tiny robot. The Combine-O-Tron 2000 began assimilating information on the two elements it was about to combine. "Don't worry, kids," said Melvin. "This procedure is totally painless. Sulu won't feel a thing." Finally, a computerized voice started the countdown: "Combining buo elemenbs in Five seconds. Combining buo elemenbs in Four seconds. Combining buo elemenbs in three seconds. Combining buo elemenbs in buo seconds. Combining buo elemenbs in one second."

BLAZZZZT! A burst of brilliant white light shot out of the Combine-O-Tron 2000 and formed a ball of energy between Sulu and the tiny robot. The hamster and the robot began to slide closer and closer together until they disappeared into the energy ball.