Chapter 4

3 MONTHS LATER...

“I think I’ve finally worked out all the bugs,” Dr. Light declared happily, standing beside a lab table and looking at the robot on it. “I’ll call him Rock, my new robot prototype.” The kind scientist felt very proud of his accomplishment when viewing his creation. The robot looked exactly like a human boy wearing blue shorts, a light blue tee-shirt, and what appeared to be knee-high blue boots but were really the robot’s lower legs and feet. He had slightly ruffled brown hair, and his large blue eyes were closed. “Now,” Dr. Light said, pulling the activator out of his pocket, “lets see if he works.” He pushed the button, the mechanisms whirled to life, and Rock opened his eyes. He blinked once, sat up, and promptly said to Dr. Light with a smile,

“Hi. My name is Rock. You are you?”

“I’m Dr. Light. I built you.”

“Are you my father?” Dr. Light thought for a moment.

“In a sense--I am.” Rock hopped off of the table and walked over to a nearby full-length mirror. He peered somewhat curiously at himself, then turned slightly back to his creator.

“I look--human.”

“Yes,” Dr. Light said as he came over to stand behind Rock and the robot turned to face him. “and I programmed you to feel like a human.” He affectionately put his hands on Rock’s shoulders as the boy turned back to face his reflection, point at it, and say,

“I like that!”

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Later that night, in the lab, Dr. Light had someone for Rock to meet.

“Come, Rock. Look.” He pushed a button, opening the door to another compartment of the lab. “I built this robot to handle household chores. Her name is Roll.” The girl robot wore a red and white jumpsuit-like outfit, had blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, and on her left arm was an apparatus where her tools were stored. Rock approached and said with a smile,

“She’s pretty.”

“Yes,” Dr. Light agreed as he stood beside Roll and put a hand on her back. In his other hand was the activator. “And you can think of her as your sister.” With that he activated Roll. There was a whir, and she straightened from her slight bending posture, blinked eyes as blue as Rock’s, and smiled.

“Hi,” Rock said, extending a hand. “I’m Rock, your brother.”

“I’m Roll,” she replied, shaking his hand.

“We’re one big family,” Dr. Light observed, pressing another button to open yet another compartment. “The two of you are gong to help me as I create a whole new world.” Inside the compartment were three robots. One was orange and white and had a pair of blades on the top of his rounded head. The second was primarily red and yellow with a black chest and what appeared to be a construction or miner’s helmet on his head. He was taller, much taller that the others. And the third seemed to be wearing a blue ski outfit with the hood up, lighter aqua gloves, and ski goggles. Dr. Light introduced the still-inactivated robots to his first creations. “This is Cut Man, a logging robot. And this is Guts Man, a construction robot. He has enormous strength. And this one can freeze anything with his Ice Slasher beam.”

“Just think of all the great things they can do to help mankind,” Roll said eagerly.

“Yes,” Dr. Light agreed happily, very pleased his dream appeared, once again, close to becoming a reality. He reached to close the door to the new trio’s chamber. “But it’s late,” The three headed out, Dr. Light walking between his two children, a hand on each of their backs. “and time for young robots to get some rest.”