Chapter 2

2 ARRRGGGHHH," GROANS THE DARK SHAPE IN THE LABORATORY-DUST cloud. "What is that?" says Klank. "I am afraid." "You cannot be afraid," says Klink. "You are a machine." The menacing shape aims what looks like a bazooka on its shoulder. "OK," says Klank, dimly lit by his head

antenna bulb. "Maybe I am just very nervous." Frank grabs a steel pipe. He hands Watson a baseball bat. "We outnumber whoever or whatever it is. Charge on three. One..." "What?" whispers Watson. "Maybe I should use my peashooter again instead." "Two..." The dark figure shakes itself, moans again, and points its bazooka cannon right at Klank. "Do not shoot!" beeps Klank. "I am a friendly machine." "Wha—? Huh?" says the dark shape in the dust. "Oh, sorry, fellas. I didn't mean to interrupt your chin-wagging confab." "Grampa Al!" says Frank, dropping his steel pipe. And it is Grampa Al. Because who else would ever say "chin-wagging confab"? Grampa Al shrugs the ripped piece of canvas off his head. He pushes the busted pipe

off his shoulder and kicks his way through the rubble of the collapsed roof. "Doodlebugs! I forgot all about that patched piece of roof. Fell through and pulled my whole windmill construction right down with me." Frank helps Grampa Al dust himself off. "Windmill? What are you doing with a windmill?" Grampa Al sits down at the lab table. "Making my own energy. Getting off the grid. Midville Power and Light is under new management. And they're sending electricity prices sky-high." "We were just talking about energy," says Frank. "And forces," adds Watson. "Let me show you what I got. Maybe you guys can help." Grampa Al shuffles back to the pile of roof and windmill pieces. He pulls out a rolled-up piece of paper and lays out a

blueprint of his building. Grampa Al traces a path through the blueprint. "This is where the electric runs. This place is a hundred years old. It was built when there was plenty of coal, and oil was cheap. All its electricity came from burning those fossil fuels."

"Nonrenewable energy sources," says Klink, projecting a diagram onto one of Frank's laboratory walls. "Plant and animal forms squashed and decaying over millions of years," says Klink. "Turned into coal and oil and gas." "Exactly," says Grampa Al. "So I'm thinking

we switch over to renewable energy." Frank nods. "Stuff that doesn't take millions of years to replace." Klink projects another diagram onto the wall. "Nice," says Frank. "Like geothermal energy —using the Earth's temperature to cool water in the summer, and heat water in the winter." "And electricity generated from the windmill I was putting up top," says Grampa