On the phone, the director of the Magnamite centre explained the situation to Professor O'Shay.

“We are receiving strange messages from Magnamite, Professor. Something is wrong. A huge amount of energy is gone. And it's not an accident. And then, the police came by. An inspector wanted to know why there had been so many power outages last night. I explained that I had followed your orders, and I think he'll come visit you.”

The professor had just hung up when a policeman in a night blue uniform entered his office.

“Professor O'Shay, I am Inspector Tawashi, of the Metro City Police. Why did you divert the course of the entire city's power yesterday?”

Professor summarized his experience in a few words.

“You have created a robot that thinks for itself?”

“Exactly, inspector. He feels emotions just like you and me. He has a mind of his own.”

“If this thing can decide what it is by itself, it could become very dangerous.”

“Astro is not a thing, and he behaves very well, I assure you.”

“Are you really sure?”

The officer noticed, through the glass wall of the office, a small figure that fell like a stone.

“Astro!” exclaimed the professor.

   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

It was indeed Astro, who passed by at breakneck speed! He saw them, scrolling, through the windows of the Research Centre tower as he hurtled toward the ground...

“Aaaahh! Help! Help me!”

The child robot was about to smash into the foot of the tower, when somewhere in his integrated programs, a connection was made at the speed of lightning. A few metres before hitting the ground, he felt his metal feet open from below. Two miniature reactors appeared below his legs. Immediately, they spat flame.

Grazing land, Astro managed to straighten his path and carried out a spectacular comeback. He had made it with only a few seconds to spare!

“Oof, I was hot! But...I'm flying! I can fly! Wow, it's great!”

He stretched out his arms. Yes, indeed he was flying! Laughing, he passed by the huge spaceship he had tried to touch, greeting passengers who were amazed to see a small boy flying, with reactors instead of feet!

Astro had a lot of fun. He rushed towards the city square. Below him, the skyscrapers looked like construction toys! He went down by taking a wide turn and slipped between the towers. He began to weave between skyscrapers. His image was reflected on the immense glass walls. Far below, the cars looked like toys and people like insects.

“It's like a video game! I feel like I'll score points. But I have to be careful: I have only one life!”

He went down again to better see the city. There were buildings of all forms, some pyramids, others arches or tubes. The streets swarmed with vehicles with surprising shapes. On the sidewalks, people crossed in amazing outfits with surprising colours. A girl noticed him in the sky and pulled at her mother's arms, showing her with a finger.

“Hello!” called Astro, giving her a wave.

The girl gaped. She had seen a lot of flying vehicles, but no boy!

Intrigued by movement up a sharp skyscraper, Astro approached. He stared in surprise upon discovering hundreds of robotic bees.

“What are you doing?” Astro asked them.

“Bzzz! We're cleaning the windows.” The robot-bee who answered sent a jet of cleaning product straight out of his abdomen and, immediately, he began to rub using his paws equipped with absorbent strips.

“That sounds fun!” exclaimed Astro. “I want to play too!”

“This is not a game, it's a job.”

“A job? What is it? I haven't learned this word in the dictionary yet.”

“A job, it's our reason for existing. Robots are programmed for that. Bzzz! Each robot has its mission.”

“Really! But then I have to have a mission, too?”

“Bzzz! Affirmative!”

The little robot wondered what his mission could be. He had no idea. He shrugged his shoulders, bowed to the cleaner bees and with a flare of his reactor, went on his way.

Overjoyed to be able to fly, Astro launched into a series of loops and twists, and even finished by flying on his back. He could only see the sky scroll by, and he doubled the birds' speed, going even faster than them. His laughs were lost in the middle of their chirps. He accelerated again. The wind whistled in his ears. He began to spin with himself, laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes!

Astro amused himself so much that he did not see the large banner stretched across the widest avenue of the city: “Metro City Grand Festival.” He flew right in. The banner stretched under his thrust and its fasteners exploded. Astro continued to fly in the banner that covered him like he was a ghost!

Blinded, the child robot could not see where he was going. He managed to slow down, but lost altitude! He eventually fell down into the largest hedge of thorny shrubs that bordered Ikaru Park. Ay-yi-yi!

Slightly scratched but in one piece, Astro emerged. Phew. He brought his arm to his eyes to look at his scratches. He barely had time to see them: his skin healed visibly. Another miracle!

​

   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

In Professor O'Shay's office, everyone was worried.

“We haven't found Astro at the foot of the tower,” said Nora. “He must have managed to fly away. If he had really been hurt, I think I would have rusted on the spot!”

“Be calm, Nora,” said the professor. “Astro has what it takes to get by. But we need to find him, and fast! I don't want Inspector Tawashi to put his hands on him. Astro is still inexperienced, and who knows what nonsense he has already done! Yuko and Nora, look downtown. Me, I'll go along the riverside.”