6 Movable Feast

Chapter Six Movable Feast "And so then 2121212211221212222222111 said, 'Give me a break! At least I'm not a part of the 1111111 generation!'" SuperAwesome slapped the table, laughing hard at her own joke. The explorers were sitting around a large, rectangular stone table. SuperAwesome sat at the head of it. Seated beside her was Foggy, laughing just as hard as she was. Around the table were all kinds of robots. Some were as small as ants, some were as round as bowling balls, some looked like walking fish. Others were more like Foggy and SuperAwesome: they had heads, arms, and legs like humans. All the robots had been called together for this dinner to welcome the explorers. Except there wasn't any food served. The bots were plugged

into outlets wired into the table. Apparently, the electricity at this particular table was delicious, because the robots seemed to be having the time of their lives. The explorers sat together, silent, confused, and hungry. "Do you have any food?" said Vale. "I'm hungry and I was always told not to stick my mouth on electrical outlets." "Hahaha," laughed SuperAwesome and several of the other robots. "We have heard of this! You require 'food' to keep going. You creatures with bodies are so funny, aren't you? Here, let's see if we have some 'food' for you." Every time SuperAwesome said the word "food," it sounded like she thought it was the funniest word in the universe. A handful of robots fell out of their chairs at the mention of the word. "Tell me, Foggy," said SuperAwesome. "How are you able to stand it, being with these funny little fleshy creatures all the time?" "Oh, it's not so bad," said Foggy. "You get used to their weird habits." "Not so bad?!" shouted Finn. "Foggy, we're your family."

"Family?" asked SuperAwesome, sounding scandalized. "Do you— Ah, never mind, here is your food." A tall, round robot with a tray balanced on one hand entered the room. He lowered the tray onto the table in front of the astronauts. On it was a very neatly arranged pyramid of smooth, rectangular stones. "There you are," said SuperAwesome. "Food for our flesh friends." The explorers were aghast. Foggy shifted uncomfortably. "I don't mean to be rude, SuperAwesome," said Abigail. "But this isn't food for humans. If we try to bite into any of these rocks, we'll break our teeth."

SuperAwesome took in this information as though she were reading the newspaper. "Foggy, tell me, are they always like this?" "Not all the time," said Foggy. "But you should try being in the same room with them for a month straight. It's no electricity picnic like we have here I can tell you that cough cough." "I bet," said SuperAwesome.

"Foggy," said Finn. "Could I speak to you alone for a minute?" Foggy sighed and made a show of slowly getting up from the table. He walked out the door and Finn joined him outside, on the smooth stone courtyard of SuperAwesome's home. The light from the planet's star glinted pink on the ground. "What is going on with you?" asked Finn. "Oh, I'm sorry, Finn," said Foggy. "I know I'm not being a berry good friend. But I want dose robots in dere to like me, and it seemth like they don't like you very much. Tho for jutht thith one planet, can I be a little rude to you?" "First of all, no, that's not how friendship works," said Finn. "If you're my friend, then you have to be my friend all the time. But that's not what I meant. Why do you keep saying 'cough cough'? And you sound weird. I'm worried about you." Foggy shuffled his feet and looked down. "It's nothing cough cough," he said. "It's jutht a little habig I picked up, cough cough cough CUFFWAWFF, cough." "It sounds like you're sick," said Finn.

"Ha, that's ridiculouth," said Foggy. "I'm a robot, I can't get sick." "I know, but what else could it be?" said Finn. "I think we should pack up here and go back to the Marlowe to get you checked out. It's not like humans could ever live here anyway. The only food they have are those rocks that are hard as... um... rocks." Foggy let out a loud electronic hiss that sounded like SKROOOONNNNKK. "Did you just clear your throat?" asked Finn. "No," said Foggy. "I'm perfectly fine. And all our travels are all about humans. Finally we find a planet with some of my fellow robots, and you want to leave right away." "Foggy, our mission is to find a planet where humans could one day live," said Finn. "But your mother said the mission on this planet is to better appreciate robots," said Foggy. "I appreciate you, Foggy," said Finn. "But these other robots..." "My mission, right now, is to go back in with my robot friends, plug in for a delicious dinner, and have a few laughs cough cough CUFFAWFF puke."