28 THE SHOP

CHAPTER 28 THE SHOP It was a small, sleepy farm town. A few trucks glided down the streets, a few humans sat on porches, a few stores lined the main square. Rambler parked in front of a bright white building. Then Mr. Shareef left the children with Roz and he limped inside. "Welcome to the TechLab Shop!" said a woman in a white suit. "My name's Nadine, how can I help you?" Mr. Shareef was distracted by all the robots on display in the shop. They came in a dazzling variety of designs and sizes and colors. Standing still, eyes glowing, they calmly waited for someone to put them to work. When the man spotted a ROZZUM unit, he suddenly remembered why he was there. "I'm the owner of Hilltop Farm," he said, "and we were just hit by a tornado." "I heard the siren!" said Nadine. "Is everyone okay?"

"My family's okay. But I've got a ROZZUM unit outside who's in bad shape." The woman called over her shoulder, "Patch! Bring the ROZZUM repair kit!" A robot marched into the room carrying a large case. He looked similar to a ROZZUM robot, but he was shorter and wider. The word PATCH was lightly etched on his torso. Mr. Shareef led Nadine and Patch out to the truck, where the children were chatting with their robotic friend. Patch quickly scanned Roz's broken body and announced the cost of the repairs. The man stroked his chin, mulling over his options, until the children blurted out, "Just fix her!" Mr. Shareef nodded, and Patch sprang into action. With smooth, precise movements, the robot gently placed Roz on the ground. Then he grasped her broken arm and her broken leg and twisted. There was a thwip sound as each limb popped loose. Then he took new limbs from the case and—thwip—popped them into place. In a matter of seconds Roz was whole and back on her feet. "Robots never cease to amaze me," said Mr. Shareef, admiring Roz's shiny new limbs.

"The Makers really outdid themselves with these ROZZUM units," said Nadine. "However, you have our most basic unit. Would you like us to upgrade her software, or adjust her settings, or polish out these scratches?" "Will that cost extra?" Nadine smiled. "I'm afraid so." "This basic unit is fine," said Mr. Shareef. "But I need to order a work crew. Could you send one over to fix up my farm?" "Not a problem," said Nadine. "I'll send a crew over immediately."