“Very good, Astro,” said Nora. “You're working well.”

"So I'm allowed to go to have fun flying over the city?"

"Not right away. Let me first ask you a few questions to verify that you have thoroughly learned the history lessons from yesterday, and then you'll go see Professor Ashiro to adjust the settings of your targeted telemetry and your night vision."

“And then I can go?”

The stubbornness of the little boy amused Nora. She felt much attachment to Astro. In the teacher robot's memory, this had never happened before. But Astro was really special.

"Okay," she said. "Then you can go fly a bit if you feel like it. But first, tell me in what year was the first robot able to think and feel for himself as a human created?"

"In the year 2056. He was called Buck, and he was as big as a building. It wasn't until fifty years later from the day that a humanoid robot was made, a masterpiece of miniaturization for the time!"

“Perfect, Astro. And now, because you seem fit, a more difficult question. What is the oldest building in Metro City? "

Astro frowned and searched his memory bank. At breakneck speed, he reviewed all the buildings in the city by consulting the listings he had in his memory. Suddenly, the face of the child robot brightened.

“This is a trick question!” he exclaimed. “You must expect me to say it's the old the pioneers of space museum, but it was destroyed and replaced by the toy store that opens tomorrow. Therefore, in recent months, the oldest building in town is... the subway station! And it's no longer used for anything other than as a way of travel for maintenance robots.”

"Well done, Astro, you're unbeatable today! I'm proud of you. Come on, it's time to go see Professor Ashiro.”

***

In his laboratory, Professor Ashiro prepared his instruments. Astro knocked on the door and waited to be allowed to enter.

“Hello, professor.”

"Come, boy. I was hoping it was you. I know you love to fly often and very fast, but since yesterday, our control computers show a slight disruption in your guidance system. Normal, at your age! It's kind of a childhood illness for robots! It won't take us long to sort it out...”

"Perhaps this is the reason why my bird friend wins all the time!" thought Astro.

"Sit facing the machine, and look in both black tubes that look like binoculars."

As soon as Astro positioned his head, two tiny articulated arms came out of the machine and went to connect on either side of his forehead, under his hair, to exchange electronic data.

Professor Ashiro spun in his chair.

"You know," he said as the machine proceeded to analyze, "You have made tremendous progress in the way you fly. I watch your workouts every day and I am very impressed. But I can't quite tell Professor O'Shay, he's sometimes afraid of your exploits!

"The professor is always worried about me, but I'm not a baby. If I have such powerful reactors, I should use them!"

Professor Ashiro laughed heartily.

"Of course, it's normal that all those who care about you worry. We especially don't want an accident to happen to you. And Professor O'Shay loves you. If he recommends caution, this isn't to stop you from living, it's to protect you."

“So we continue saying nothing about my spin flights and dive reversals, okay?”

“Okay, my boy, your aerobatic sessions remain between us...”

The machine finished the parametrization of Astro's systems and retracted the arms. The robot shook his head.

"I feel all funny," he said, blinking. “As if I have vertigo.”

"It's nothing. It will pass. Test systems must incorporate new settings."

At that moment, the laboratory door opened and Professor O'Shay appeared.

"Astro, there you are at last! I would like you to come with me, please."

"I just finished my telemetry and aim settings, and I planned to go and try it out by flying a little..."

Astro made a nod to Professor Ashiro and added:

"Of course, I'm not going neither too fast nor too far..."

"You can go later if you don't mind," said O'Shay. "This is important. I want you to meet someone. "

“Another one of those experts! If we see them all one by one to convince them that robots are not stupid machinery, we still won't be finished!”

"No. This time it's not about that. You should be happy... "

***

In the elevator going down to the laboratory floors, Astro Boy was observing with astonishment the broad smile of Professor O'Shay. He was not used to seeing him like this. The scientist, always so serious, had the air of a kid who was preparing a good joke.

"You really don't want to tell me anything?" Astro asked again.

The professor made a "no" with his head teasingly. He began to whistle. When the elevator passed the sixth basement, Astro Boy was even more surprised. It was rare that they'd go into the most secret laboratories of the Centre.

"I wonder what's happening," insisted Astro.

"All I can tell you, my boy, is that you are about to experience one of the most important moments of your life..."

This revelation only further excited Astro's curiosity.

The elevator finally stopped. The doors parted and Professor O'Shay invited Astro to leave.

“You see that door, down the hall?” he explained. “Just behind it is someone with whom you are going, I think, to like very much...”

“Another scientist?”

“No.”

"Then who?"

Professor O'Shay knelt before the robot child and tenderly seized him by the shoulders. It was time to tell him the big news. His eyes were full of emotion. Astro wondered what was happening.

"Well, here, Astro. I think I've never had such a pleasant surprise to tell you. Behind that door...”

Before the professor could finish his sentence, the door suddenly opened and a pretty little girl burst out. She laughed heartily, for she was followed by two white-coat engineers who, themselves, were not laughing at all.

“Zoran, Zoran! Come back here right now!" they shouted.

Astro opened his round eyes. The child in a floral dress disappeared behind a door, escaping her pursuers in a joyful hide and seek. One of the engineers, exhausted, apologized to the professor:

"Sorry, but she decided to play and she won't stop. She's been like that for an hour! You sure won't need to worry about her character!”

"Who is it?" asked Astro, still surprised by the appearance of the joyful fugitive.

“My boy, the little tornado you just saw is...”

Again, the professor was interrupted. Another door opened at that moment and the girl appeared like a jack emerging from its box. She stared at Astro. Her mischievousness rendered her sympathetic right away.

"I know who you are!" she called out, leaping to Astro.

She opened her arms wide, and before the robot child had time to react, she threw herself on him and squeezed with all her might.

“You're my big brother, Astro! Come on, let's play!”