On the other side of town, the director of the Magnamite power station tried hard to dissuade them, but nothing helped.

“All right,” he said. “I guess the professor knows what he's doing. Since he's aware of the risks, we'll call the super generator control centre.”

He hung up. Without wasting a second, he enabled the video phone with a permanent connection to the Magnamite control room. After the identification process, a dispatcher robot appeared on the small screen:

“Good evening, Mr. Director. What can we do for you?”

“This is an urgent request. Direct all available energy to Professor O'Shay's Research Centre.”

On the video phone, the robot focused his red eyes. He looked like a giant ant. He truly needed his six arms to handle all the keyboards and joysticks around him!

“Are you sure you want that, sir?” responded the machine. “This will plunge the city into darkness and cut off most security systems.”

“I know, but the professor ensures that this will be only for a moment. He also says it's important. Please, do it.”

“All right, sir.”

In the computer room, the machine passed the order to other robot dispatchers. Day and night, there were eight of them to carefully look after each area of the city. Together, they modified the distribution programs and reoriented neutron flow to the Research Centre. One by one, they lowered the control levers, while typing in codes.

Dozens of metres under water, in the depths of a gigantic shelter dug into the ground, Magnamite received the orders. With eight huge cables that went from its armoured centre of steel and copper, the super generator was reminiscent of a gigantic spider. Each of its cables fed a zone of Metro City.

Neighbourhood by neighbourhood, the city sunk into darkness. Thousands of lights were transformed suddenly into a grey ocean of ominous recesses...

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In the laboratory, the machines suddenly revved up, surging in the power increase. The lights intensified and, the hum of equipment became more acute. Scientists looked at each other, worried. Would the systems hold up?

Suddenly, the little body under the dome seemed to swell with light. The relay cables to the equipment twisted in every direction. Light rays flowed from the robot. He started to get up...

The power sent by Magnamite was so strong that, suddenly, one of the main cables that brought energy to the platform sprang off. It wrenched back in a bright flash. The current was so strong that the unplugged cable whipped the air in all directions. It rose like an angry snake, spitting sparks that were burning everything in their path. Under the dome, the little robot fell, lifeless.

“No!” exclaimed O'Shay. “It must be connected at all costs!”

Without even worrying about the risk he was taking, the professor jumped to the foot of the platform. He threw himself on the cable that was continuing to writhe.

“Professor, stop! It's too dangerous!” yelled one of the engineers. “You'll get yourself killed!”

But the professor had much less fear of facing this energy monster than of losing the child robot. His glasses askew, he grabbed the loose cable. While fighting against it, he jumped onto the gondola lift that went up to the platform.

“We're too close to the goal!” he growled, breathless. “It will not be a mere cable that stops this project!”

With enormous effort, he managed to maneuver the platform, while keeping hold of the wild cable without getting electrocuted. Showers of sparks grazed his face. Gritting his teeth, the professor brought the cable towards its socket. In a cry of rage, he managed to reconnect it.

Immediately, calm returned. The professor leaned on the fence of the gondola lift to catch his breath, but the calm was short-lived.

On the platform, the little robot shook, and then, slowly, coming from deep within his body, a glow appeared. The light became more and more intense, becoming blinding. The child robot was now surrounded by a halo of light. Like magic, he rose to the platform and floated in the air.

A crackling resonated throughout the pod, and light halo disappeared, giving way to a beam that escaped from his chest, as powerful as a laser. The little robot descended onto the table as the beam entered into him. He opened his eyes. Professor O'Shay's heart began to beat faster, as his emotion was intense.

“Cut the flow,” he ordered. “Now, lift the dome, smoothly!”

He climbed the platform and rushed towards the one whom he had given life. Astro Boy was no longer a dream, he had become reality.