30 A Means to an End

30 A Means to an End 'AND WHERE, I WONDER, IS PEANUT JONES?' boomed 67's voice over the speakers. 'COME OUT, MEDIUM-SIZED HUMAN, WHEREVER YOU ARE...' 'Why!?' shouted Dad. 'What do you want her for!?' 'AH, GARY JONES,' said 67. ' MY OLD FRIEND. I'M SO SORRY TO HAVE DONE THIS TO YOU EXCEPT, OF COURSE, I'M NOT. YOU SEE, WITHOUT YOUR HELP I NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET TO WHERE I AM TODAY THAT IS TO SAY, UP HERE LOOKING AT YOU- DOWN THERE!' 'But... but I trusted you, 67,' said Dad, his voice thick with emotion. 'I don't understand. Why are you doing this?'

'BLAME IT ON MY PROGRAMMING,' said the robot. 'I GUESS I'M JUST MADE THIS WAY.' 'But... you rescued me from the Spire.' 'THAT WAS A MEANS TO AN END,' replied the robot. 'I TOLD YOU, OUR PLAN WAS CREATIVE. EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE DONE WE HAVE DONE FOR A REASON. EACH ACT HAS BEEN A STEPPING STONE TO GET TO THE NEXT STAGE OF THE PLAN. EACH CAREFULLY CONSIDERED DECISION DESIGNED TO BRING US A TINY BIT CLOSER TO OUR ULTIMATE GOAL.' 'But if your plan was to trap me down here in the Rainbow Lake, why didn't you just leave me in the Spire?' said Dad. ' INITIALLY, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE OUT OF THE PICTURE,' explained the robot. 'COMPLETELY, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. WE COULDN'T HAVE CONTÉ'S HEIR

GETTING HOLD OF PENCIL NUMBER ONE. BUT THEN, YOUR PESKY DAUGHTER STOLE THE PENCIL FROM US. THAT WAS WHEN WE REALISED THAT WE NEEDED YOU AROUND AFTER ALL. TO HELP US.' 'You knew Peanut would bring the pencil to me?' 'AFFIRMATIVE. WELL, WE STRONGLY SUSPECTED SHE WOULD, AT LEAST. AND WE WERE CORRECT, WEREN'T WE? SPEAKING OF WHICH, I'LL ASK THE QUESTION ONE MORE TIME...' 67's red eyes scanned the crowd below them again. 'WHERE ARE YOU, PEANUT JONES?'