and said, “Here, Tesla, I have found new friends for you. They can’t wait to meet you. Enjoy your time.” In the meantime, she went on to explore the lab. She was shown robots that played football, cooked food, smiled politely and encouraged her to do homework. Carried away by play, study and food she didn’t notice time pass. At the end of the working day Dad came back to pick Helen and Xena, and they went home.
In the car, Helen shared her new impressions with Xena and asked him about his new friends. Xena kept silent, but it was a thoughtful silence.
“Just don’t tell me you are not interested,” – the girl tried to make him talk.
The response was dead silence. Helen could hardly recognize him. Tesla appeared different, unfamiliar, and strange. He looked at her as if he had just met her. Helen decided Xena was sulking because she had left him alone for the whole day in a strange company. She felt remorseful. The other day she promised not to entrust Xena to anyone, and yet… The worst part was that not even once did she think about Tesla during the entire day.
“I would be hurt too. Friends don’t act like this,”
Helen kept reprimanding herself.
Meanwhile Xena kept quiet. He listened to Helen and her dad, whose comments were occasionally interrupted by the girl’s monologues. Eventually, they made home. Mum came home from work and was heating dinner. At the table, Helen continued her account of the day, this time for Mum. After the dinner she went straight to bed.
“Love, what’s wrong with our girl?”, Mum asked in surprise. “It’s strange she went to bed so early on her own accord…”
“She has been talking non-stop for a couple of hours now,” Dad replied, who himself got more tired of socializing with his daughter over these several hours than of the whole working day. “Honey, I guess I am off to bed too.”
It rained heavily at night and there was a strong wind. The sounds of raging weather through the open window burst into the girl’s room. Helen woke up and saw Xena’s eyes right opposite her. She was so terrified that couldn’t even scream. She just turned to the wall and ducked her head in the blanket. In the meantime, Xena went to close the window. It became quiet in the room. This quietness made Helen even more scared. From beneath the blanket she silently watched Xena move from the window towards her, tuck her blanket, wish her good night and set himself in the armchair near her.
“Morning, honey!”
“Where is Xena?”, Helen asked not finding Tesla in the armchair next to her.
“Probably, among your toys,” Mum replied.
“He was sleeping right here next to me. Where is he gone?”, Helen asked with alarm in her voice.
“Who’s gone? Who are you talking about?”, Mum said in surprise.
– “Xena, of course, who else should I ask about?” However, noticing Mum’s puzzled look she went on:
“Last night when it was raining heavily, Xena closed the window and fell asleep in the armchair. He is missing now.”
Mum studied her daughter in confusion. Helen, is everything all right? – She said after a long pause. -Where is he gone?
Helen rose from her bed and started looking for Tesla all around the apartment. Xena had disappeared. “I wish I could find him. Can I have really hurt him so badly?” – she kept saying.
Meanwhile Mum’s uneasiness grew. She called Dad and they both tried to calm their daughter and make sense of what had really happened.
The girl didn’t listen to anyone. She went to the front door. Trying to open it with the key she found the door unlocked. “Mum, Dad, Xena left home!”
Now it was Dad who started worrying about his daughter’s health. He blamed Mum for everything.
“See what happens when she plays video games and watches movies all night. Starting from today, no movies, no video games or audio records. Only books and fresh air. Healthy lifestyle. You deal with it here and I have to go to work,” – he said.
“Seriously? And what shall I do? I have a job too”, Mum said.
Parents’ cross talking that usually evoked unpleasant emotions this time this did not affect Helen. She was too absorbed in thoughts about Tesla.
“My dreams turned out to be empty. No sooner had Xena become human than he left me. Only bitter feelings are left; I feel sad and they are only concerned about their work.
“I will stay at home alone,” – Helen said reluctantly.
Her words had a sobering effect on both parents. They felt ashamed. Mum offered to take the girl with her. With a sigh of relief, Dad went off to work.
CHAPTER 3
IN THE LAB
– What’s going on here?
– Good morning, Ruben Nikolayevich, – Nika greeted the head.
– I can’t find the model. It has disappeared. – Vitaliy Semyonovich said.
– How come?
– Ruben Nikolayevich, shall I make you some coffee? – Nika started…
– Leave us, – said Ruben Nikolayevich fuming at the secretary’s stupidity.
– We have discovered it today.
– Then track his location.
“I seem to be surrounded by people whose mission is to drive me mad. I am not the only one affected by magnetic storms”, – he thought.
– Sorry, Ruben Nikolayevich, that’s impossible. The tests had reached their final stage and were being administered in real-life conditions. That’s why the connection with the outside world was turned off.
– So it’s impossible to track it? – exclaimed Ruben Nikolayevich realizing all the urgency of the situation.
There was silence in the lab. The laboratory staff was apprehensive how furious their head could get.
It had taken them several years to develop the next generation robot and they couldn’t imagine their competitors getting hold of the model. Besides, they had not yet completed all the laboratory tests. Though the robot was equipped with all the necessary defence skills, it was still not clear how he would behave if there was a software failure or any other error.
– I want you to check all the rooms and the security camera tape. He can’t have disappeared without any trace. When was the last time you saw the model?
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