Chapter 6

6 THE LOOK ON WATSON'S FACE IS PRETTY AMAZING. It's one part surprise, one part fear, a dash of a smile, and a twist of disbelief. "No. Way," says Watson slowly, his mouth open, his backpack still hanging off his shoulder. "Working robots." "Yes, working robots," says Frank, sitting on the picnic table in Grampa Al's backyard junk

pile, making notes in his lab notebook. "Smart working robots." "What's that little one doing with the batteries and skateboard?" "Building a magnetic levitation skateboard. The north and south pole of the magnets push against the other magnetic north and south poles and make the skateboard float." "Amazing," says Watson. Frank nods.

"OK," says Watson. "Now that big one just stepped on the skateboard and smashed it to bits. Not so amazing." "Don't worry," says Frank. "All part of the plan." It's Watson's turn to nod. "Which is why Shop-Vac Guy is melting everything in that pile over there with a laser?"

"Learning. Growing intelligence with experience. Identifying metals by their melting points," answers Frank. "And why Trash-Can Man is eating those nails and bicycle tires and VCR tapes and laughing?" Frank makes another note. "OK, I'm not sure about that... but I wouldn't call them names if I were you. They're both kind of sensitive." Watson gives Frank his full-on, crazy Whaaa? look. "Really?" He looks over at Klink melting a sledgehammer into a puddle of liquid metal. "Impressive experiment in changing states of matter," Frank notes. "Solid to liquid." "Oh boy," says Watson, finally dropping his backpack to the ground. "This reminds me of your Electric Shoes invention. A great idea— until it was my shoes that melted. I can see

this robot plan going even more terribly. And me losing something more than my shoes. Like my arm. Or my leg. Or my head!"

"Watson, you worry too much." "Worry too much? I haven't even started to worry. What if these bots go crazy? What if they turn their smarts and powers against us? It happens all the time in robot movies." Frank makes another check in his notebook and closes it. "Not a problem. Watch this. Klink, Klank, come over here!" The smaller robot puts down the ceiling fan he is examining. The bigger robot drops the car engine he is hefting, trips over a nest of old cables, and falls on a tricycle, completely flattening it. Both robots motor over to the picnic table. "Klink and Klank, this is Watson. Say hello to Watson." "Oh, for goodness' sake," Klink says to Frank. "You sound like you are talking to a half-wit puppy that just wet your rug." He turns to Watson.