Jeff was tired of his everyday job on the Federation Space Frontier Vessel and how the robots weren’t of much help. So much so he became frustrated and conspired with his friend, the older astronaut to rid of all the robots on the space craft.
They started kidnapping robots, picking them off as they travelled along the space craft’s main corridor. Then they brought them to a secluded room and pummeled them to their metallic deaths and then proceeded to dump their metal carcasses into space to rid of the evidence. One of the victims was the Commander’s pet gel robot. It was a new generation robot, albeit smaller than the average human size, was not made of metal but rather a gel like substance.
One evening Jeff saw the gel robot, all dressed in the federation attire travelling casually down the corridor. Jeff grabbed it from behind and took it to the “death” room. The old astronaut was already waiting there. Jeff held the gel robot by its left leg and pummeled it to the room’s solid titanium wall. “Poomm,” the gel robot burst open like a balloon filled with water! Green gel was spattered all over the walls. Jeff and the old astronaut were happy with what they have accomplished and laughed loudly at each other seeing their faces covered in green gel too.
The ship’s Commander was distraught at the reducing number of robots on the space craft. Moreover, he was concerned about the disappearance of his pet gel robot. He had his subordinates scour through the ships security videos immediately. “Sir, you may want to take a look at this,” said one of his officers assigned to the task. In the video there was a recording of how Jeff and the old astronaut went on one of their robot kidnapping adventures. They were now caught red-handed! Upon seeing this vulgar act, the commander stormed into the old astronaut’s cabin. Jeff was there too. Things could not look any worse for these two right now.
The Commander held a large hammer in his left hand and confronted both Jeff and the old astronaut at their working table. They were scared that the Commander would do to them what they did to the robots. The Commander has the physique of a Space Marine and no doubt looked very intimidating. They felt as though this was to be their last day alive. Funny how people who killed robots might think that they themselves would receive the same fate as their victims. Well, these two did.
“What the heck do both of you think you are doing?” said the Commander as he waved the hammer in front of their faces. “Have you two lost your mind?” he shouted. His cocked the hammer over his head as though ready to strike and the two of them covered their heads with their hands like cowards. Then the Commander put the hammer in to its sheath by his thigh, pointed to the old astronaut and said “You, old man should be ashamed of yourself participating in this nonsensical activity.”
“Jeff, come here,” the Commander called him over to the corner of the room. “I know you killed my pet gel robot. The old man does not have the strength to do so,” he said to him. Jeff held his head down low as though repenting for his immature actions. “Did you know that the gel robot was made from extracted human DNA?” Jeff was shocked to hear this thinking that he might have killed a living thing made from human tissue. With the technology nowadays and his relatively naïve perspective towards science he started to envision the worst. The Commander upon seeing Jeff’s face going pale said, “No, it’s not a living thing. It’s just made from human DNA. It’s soulless. You did not kill anybody.”
“Now get back to your post and await your punishment for destroying Federation property!” he commanded. “Yes, sir!” replied Jeff as he stood at attention, saluted him and promptly marched out of the room. Now that the young Jeff had left, the Commander could become more casual and sat beside the old astronaut. The Commander respected his age seniority and played down the “Commander” business.
He started consulting the old astronaut and said, “You know, I sometimes think that I’m not doing enough in this world. I am thankful for what I am now and what resources I have at my disposal yet it pains me to see the unfortunate people in the poor parts of the world living in a horrid state while we linger up here in this trillion-dollar space craft with virtually useless robots.”
The old astronaut said, “You know how our Obama got to be President and made this trillion-dollar spacecraft possible?” He got hit by lightning and started seeing things of the world he never saw before. Yet with his newfound power, he refused to let the world through his eyes. The Commander after listening to these wise words sat there in contemplation for a bit. Then he looked at the old astronaut and murmured, “I still have to punish you for your unnecessary act. It won’t be heavy, I promise.”
