Astrid found her seat in English Composition class and took out her textbook and her digital tablet. Denise plopped into the desk to her right.
“She’s here,”she said.
“Valerie?”asked Christopher, who sat on the other side of Denise.
“Yes, I saw her in the program five team room.”
“Where was she?”wondered Astrid.
“She came in early. Her mother is enrolling her in school.”
“A different school?”asked Christopher.
“No, this school.”
“She already goes to this school,”said Astrid.
“No, not her,”explained Denise. “She’s enrolling the robot in school.”
“What?”exclaimed Astrid. “That’s crazy!”
“It kind of makes sense,”said Christopher. “You gave her all the knowledge of a ninth grade girl. She needs more, just like we do. How’s she going to learn if she doesn’t go to school?”
“I can just scan the knowledge into her,”said Astrid.
“Yes, that worked really well the last time,”he replied.
At 12:00, they all met as usual in the Quad. Lunch was grilled salmon, rice pilaf, roasted potato and green bean medley, and broiled mango. Astrid, Christopher, Toby, and Denise were halfway through their salmon when Valerie arrived at the table.
“So, what’s going on with you and the robot you?”wondered Toby, but before he could get his answer, the principal’s voice resounded over the public address calling him to the office.
“Wonder what that’s about?”he grumbled, but got up stomped away up the steps.
“Well, what is going on?”Denise asked Valerie.
“It’s actually kind of cool,”said Valerie. “Things got quieter once Mama calmed down. It’s kind of like having a twin. And Poppy bought us bunk beds.”
“I always knew you were a nerd,”said a voice behind Astrid’s ear. She turned around to find Mark McGovern grinning smugly at her. “But what kind of freaky mad scientist wannabe turns a kid into a robot?”
“Why don’t you take a hike?”Christopher told him.
“Why don’t you make me?”replied Mark. “Not so big when your tough-guy friend isn’t here, are you?”
“If you don’t leave, I’ll make you,”said a voice.
Mark and everybody else looked to see the silver metallic version of Valerie, now dressed in a school uniform, standing beside him.
“I have laser beams in my eyes, you know,”she said.
Mark turned white as a sheet and took three steps backwards before turning and running away.
“Hello, um robot,”said Denise.
“My name is Valerie, Denise, as you well know.”
“Here Valerie, sit by me,”said the flesh and blood Valerie.
“You don’t really have laser beams in your eyes, do you?”asked Christopher.
“I wouldn’t build a robot with laser beams,”said Astrid. “Now particle accelerators or maybe some kind of flame thrower…”
At that moment, Toby came hopping back down the steps from the office, now with Austin following in his wake.
“Anything interesting happen this weekend?”asked Austin.
Chapter Five: The Battery Presentation
“I never got a chance to ask you what the principal wanted yesterday,”Astrid told Toby on the way to school Tuesday morning.
“I’m supposed to keep an eye on Austin,”Toby replied. “Apparently he keeps losing things and getting lost.”
“Well, it is a big school,”said Astrid, who couldn’t remember anyone ever becoming lost before. “But you’re not even in the same program. He’s program six.”
“I know, but we’ve got fourth and fifth period together. I think they have a couple of other guys watching him the rest of the day.”
They rendezvoused with Christopher and Denise and then waited outside the Diaz home. They were there for only a couple of minutes, when the door opened and the two Valeries, one robot and one regular, shot out and skipped down the steps to where they waited.
“Good morning,”they said in unison.
“So how did you like school, Valerie?”asked Astrid.
“It was okay,”said Valerie.
“No, I meant Robot Valerie,”Astrid corrected.
“The same as always,”said Robot Valerie.
“But yesterday was your first day,”Denise pointed out.
“Oh, yeah,”said Robot Valerie. “I keep forgetting. I remember going every single day, just like I remember three years with you guys at Thomas Paine Middle School.”
As they walked downtown toward the monorail station, dozens of people on the street craned their necks to stare. A few people stepped outside of shops along the way to watch them.
“I’m feeling a little self-conscious,”said Valerie.
“I don’t think they’re looking at you,”replied Christopher.
“What are they looking at then?”asked Robot Valerie.
“I meant regular Valerie,”said Christopher. “I’m pretty sure they arelooking at you, Robot Valerie.”
“Is there something on my face?”she asked her human twin.
“No, is there something on mine?”
Christopher looked at Astrid and rolled his eyes.
They climbed aboard the train and took their seats. Within two minutes, they were speeding on their way to school.
“You said your dad bought you bunk beds,”said Denise to Valerie. “Are you on the top or the bottom?”
“Neither one of us is on the top,”said Valerie.
“We had him put them side by side,”said Robot Valerie.
“We were both afraid of being crushed,”they said in unison.
The rest of the day was a fairly average school day. Astrid’s mind was only half on her school work however, because it kept being drawn back to the presentation she was going to make to the Board of Directors on Thursday. She had been inventing things since she was three, but she had only made one similar presentation. While most of her inventions were important, they usually became components of other things. Her batteries would be something that could be produced and sold, and something that Astrid hoped could change the world.
On Wednesday, it was announced that the ninth grade would be going on a field trip the following Tuesday which was the first day of spring. Most classes were incorporating the trip into their lessons and each student received a list of the cross-curricular activities in which they would be involved. At lunch, they compared their lists.
“I’ve got a paper on the geology of the desert,”said Christopher. “I have to consult with my Geology, Chemistry, and English Composition teachers. And I’m supposed to make a rock collection.”
“Me too,”said Astrid. “Mine’s biology instead of geology though.”
“I’ve got to do a paper and give a speech,”said Toby.
“That doesn’t sound so bad,”said Christopher.
“None of you have it bad,”said Denise. “Valerie and Valerie and I have to do a project on Botany. How are we supposed to do that? There’s nothing but cactus out there.”
“You know that’s not right, Denise,”said Astrid. “The desert is a vibrant and important ecosystem.”
“Just because you saw it on the Magic School Bus, Astrid, doesn’t make it true,”returned Denise.
Leaving school the next day just after Biology class, a full two hours early, Astrid arrived at the Maxxim Business Offices Complex just before 2:00. She met Mr. Brown just outside the boardroom. He had a cart full of mockups. She declined when he asked if she needed any help, so he headed back toward the station and the train to his own offices. He had just left when Astrid’s mother stepped out of the boardroom and directed her to come inside.
All nine members of the Maxxim Board of Directors were seated around a very large oval table. Astrid’s mother left her to take a seat at the far end, leaving Astrid to face the entire group, and she was feeling very small. The girl inventor knew how it worked. Thos
e at the table didn’t own all the shares of Maxxim Industries. In fact, she herself had quite a large block inherited from her grandmother. But these nine had been chosen by the shareholders to oversee the operations of the company, so they had tremendous power.
“These will be the new line of Maxxim Supercell Batteries,”Astrid started, lifting the cover off of the cart full of mock-ups. Mr. Brown had outdone himself. There were more than 30 different battery sizes represented—everything from tiny button batteries to large, square lantern batteries.
“Aren’t there already lots of battery manufacturers?”asked Astrid’s aunt Lauren, usually her harshest critic on the board. “Why would we want to get into a such a crowded business.”
“Our batteries will change the marketplace,”replied Astrid. “They will change the world. First of all, since they are made with our own, patented Astricite, their charge will last much longer than any other batteries. Secondly, again because of the Astricite, they can be made for far less. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they will be far less toxic than batteries made with lead, mercury, or cadmium.
“Every year Americans alone dump 180,000 tons of batteries into landfills where toxic contaminants leach out into the soil and water. Every year dozens of children are hospitalized because of ingesting tiny batteries, from which corrosive or poisonous chemicals are released.”
“Our batteries would be safe to swallow?”asked former Senator Charles Bentlemore.
“No,”Astrid replied. “There is still the problem of liquefaction necrosis, which occurs because sodium hydroxide is generated by the current produced by the battery.”
“But our batteries won’t leach into landfills?”asked board member Saul Smith.
“Correct. Astricite has a relatively short life, on the order thirty to forty years depending on the sample size. After that, it degrades into its component compounds, all of which are non-toxic.”
“How much money can we make on this?”asked Astrid’s uncle Carl, her father’s brother and Aunt Lauren’s husband.
“As my mother can confirm,”said Astrid,“batteries are a $64 billion dollar business.”
“How soon can we get these to market?”asked Mr. Roy Dillanson.
“I’ve talked to Mr. Gortner in production, and he says we can have a factory in place in fourteen months.”
“Why don’t we just use an existing factory in China or Mexico?”asked Aunt Lauren.
“We will discuss that after Astrid has gone,”said her mother. “You are finished, aren’t you Astrid?”
“Yes, Mom.”
She started to leave, but was grabbed by Mrs. Gertrude Cuttyhunk, at 89 the oldest board member and the one sitting closest to where Astrid had stood.
“I just can’t get over how much you’re growing,”said Mrs. Cuttyhunk. “You’re such a beautiful girl. You remind me of your grandmother, you know.” She then whispered“don’t worry, you have my vote.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Cuttyhunk.”
Astrid stepped outside to find her fifteen year old cousin Gloria sitting in the waiting area, hunched over a handheld video game. Gloria was the only child of Uncle Carl and Aunt Lauren, and the three of them lived on the other side of the state in Socketburg.
“Hello, Gloria,”said Astrid.
“Hello, nerd,”said Gloria, without looking up.
“Are you and your parents staying over?”
“No.” Gloria still didn’t look up. “We’re going home in the helicopter just as soon as they’re done.”
“What are you playing?”
“Attack of the annoying chatterboxes.”
“I’ll just leave you alone then,”said Astrid.
“Don’t go away mad,”said Gloria. “Just go away quickly.”
Astrid sat down but had to wait only a few minutes until the board room door opened and the board members began filing out. Mrs. Cuttyhunk gave Astrid a thumbs up as she passed. Last to leave was her mother, who wrapped her arm around Astrid and led her toward her office.
“That was an excellent presentation,”she told her daughter. “Perhaps I don’t say it enough, but I’m proud of you.”
“So, we’re going into the battery business?”
“Yes.”
“And where is the factory going to be?”
“Here of course, in the Industrial Park.”
“Aunt Lauren was right on the one hand,”said Astrid. “We could make more money and get the product to market faster if we made them in China.”
“The board would never vote that way. Roy Dillanson wants to ensure jobs in Maxxim City, Marisela Elisandro wants to ensure jobs for Santa Maria, and Saul Smith wants to ensure jobs for the Indian Reservation.”
She turned and wrapped her arms around Astrid.
“Besides,”she continued,“your grandfather purchased and surveyed these 180,000 acres so that Maxxim Industries could be here, not scattered around the globe.”
“You’re not even a blood relative,”said Astrid. “You’re a daughter-in-law like Aunt Lauren. How come you protect Grandpa’s master plan when Uncle Carl, his own son, doesn’t seem to care about it?”
“That’s not for me to explain. You can ask your father. If he wants to tell you, he can. But I made a promise to your grandfather, and I always keep my promises.” She gave Astrid a quick squeeze. “Now run along. Your friends should just be getting out of school when you get there.”
Chapter Six: Genius at Work
Saturday again found Astrid working in her lab. She was doing a few simple experiments and logging the results in her journal when Denise, the two Valeries and Austin Tretower walked through the door.
“Hey Astrid,”called Denise. “We’re going bike riding and wondered if you wanted to go.”
“Sure,”replied Astrid, setting down her digital tablet.
In addition to the monorail line and some roads, the many separate complexes on the Maxxim Industries campus were linked by bicycle paths. Though seldom used as transportation from one section to another, they were used for traveling from one building to another within a section, as well as for recreation by the employees and visitors. The bike paths behind the R&D building looped around in a rather sloppy figure eight shape, in and around a lovely desert garden and small park area, branching off here and there towards other buildings. On the bottom floor of the big building was a small garage where bicycles could be checked out. The five kids checked out four bikes, the two Valeries sharing a bicycle built for two.
Riding on the path behind the R&D building was always fun, since it had short steep up slopes where one pedaled hard and then long downward slants on which to coast. All in all, it seemed like there was far more downhill than uphill, though Astrid knew that this was impossible. As they rode, the girl inventor pulled up beside the two Valeries.
“So, how are you making out, Valerie?”
“Same as always,”Valerie replied.
“No, I meant Robot Valerie.”
“Same as always,”Robot Valerie replied.
“Well that can’t be true,”said Astrid.
“Yes, I guess you’re right,”said Robot Valerie. “It’s weird, you know. Sometimes I feel like I want to eat something, but then I remember I’m a robot now and I can’t eat.”
“You’re not a robot‘now’,”corrected Astrid. “You always were a robot.”
“If you say so, but it doesn’t feel that way. I still have to sleep though. My body doesn’t seem to get tired, but my brain does.”
“Of course,”said Astrid. “The human brain needs time to process its experiences. Yours does too. Do you dream?”
“Yes,”replied Robot Valerie. “I keep dreaming of that time in seventh grade when your cousin Gloria locked us out of the house in our underwear.”
“That wasn’t you,”Astrid pointed out.
“Don’t pick on her,”said Regular Valerie.
They went up a hill and the bicycle built for two shot ahead. Austin caught up with Astrid and rode beside her.
“My grandma told me this story all about how your dad built a motorcycle and rode all over the country on it,”he said.
“Really? I wonder why he said I wasn’t allowed to have one then?”
“Maybe you could invent something even better, like a flying bicycle.”
“That’s a really good idea, Austin.”
Astrid’s mind was spinning ideas the rest of the ride, and when everyone was done, Astrid had Austin bring the bike he had been riding up to her lab. Then she got on the phone.
“Mrs. Purcell?”
“Yes, Astrid.”
“Do you have any idea how many hoverdisks my dad has?”
“He had at least fifteen made up,”she replied,“though a few of them were broken in testing.”
“Could you have someone send a couple up to my lab please?”
“I’ll get them right over, Astrid. Bye.”
By the time a lab technician arrived with a rolling cart holding two of Dr. Maxxim’s hoverdisks, Astrid had the bicycle up on her workbench, had removed both wheels and had built a pair of simple brackets in their place. The hoverdisks were two and a half feet in diameter and six inches thick. She attached one hoverdisk to each bracket. Finally she connected one of her large test batteries to the two levitation devices, securing it to the bike frame with duck tape.
“Alright Austin,”said Astrid, with Robot Valerie’s help, setting the bike on the lab floor. “Would you like to be the first person to ride on a flying bike?”
“You bet!”he shouted, climbing into the seat. “What do I have to do?”
“Just try to keep your balance,”said Astrid. Then she turned on the hoverdisks.
The bicycle immediately rose from the floor, at first just a few inches, then a foot, and then it continued upward. The girls shouted excitedly, but no more than Austin, who looked to be thoroughly enjoying himself. The hoverdisks were humming quietly, slowly pushing the boy higher and higher. Then suddenly he was at the ceiling and he had to tilt his head to the side. Immediately the bike flipped over. Austin flailed his arms, as the now inverted hoverdisks drove him into the floor.
Astrid Maxxim and Her Amazing Hoverbike Page 3
