After what had happened the first time Robodog came to life, the chief was adamant that he needed to be put through his paces at the Police Dog School. Despite the professor’s assurances that her genius invention was ready for service, the chief put her foot down. There was no way this robot dog was going to be allowed on the dangerous streets of Bedlam without being properly tried and tested.
So the pair left Fuzz Manor in stony silence in the chief’s police car, with Robodog sitting in the back.
“What should I call you?” asked Robodog, staring at the professor. “Are you my mother?”
The professor didn’t know what to say, so the chief leaped in.
“NO!” snapped the chief. “You are to call her ‘Professor’, and me ‘Chief’.”
“Good morning, Chief. Good morning, Professor.”
“Good morning, Robodog!” the professor replied.
The chief only sighed.
The professor patted her creation. “Good boy!” she said.
The chief shook her head in disbelief.
“What?” asked the professor.
“You know!”
“I don’t!”
The car raced through the city before it zoomed through the gates of the Police Dog School.
“For now, you stay here behind the barracks with Robodog,” ordered the chief.
“Yes, ma’am!” replied the professor, giving her wife a mock salute.
The chief was not amused. “I am going to speak for a few moments and then I will give the signal for when Robodog is to appear!”
“Can he make a big entrance?” asked the professor.
“Not too big, please! I don’t want to startle the dogs!”
“Of course!” replied the professor, secretly winking at Robodog.
As the chief strode off, the professor bent down to pat her creation.
“Who says I can’t pat you?”
Robodog arched his metal neck to make the most of his ears being tickled.
“Can you feel that?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“How does it feel?”
“I don’t know.”
“I am being silly!” The professor withdrew her hand.
“Professor?”
“Yes.”
“Are you my mother?”
The professor shifted uneasily in her sandals. Before she could answer…
DRING!
…she was saved by the bell!
It was a signal for all the dogs to make their way to the parade ground.
As usual, the Lost Patrol were the last to arrive.
The professor and Robodog stayed out of sight as the chief stood on a box to address the hundred dogs.
“Now, after the fiasco of last year’s passing-out parade…” began the little lady.
“I dunno what she’s talking about,” piped up Plank.
“SHUSH!” shushed the other dogs angrily.
“…I have decided to introduce a brand-new breed to the ranks of police dogs,” she continued.
There were murmurs from all the dogs.
“WOOF!”
A new breed of dog? Whatever could she mean?
“A dog that can do all the jobs a police dog can do, and more!”
Now there were gasps!
“WOOF!”
“A dog that may one day put all of you dogs out of a job!”
That was IT! The dogs couldn’t control their consternation for a moment longer! They all began howling.
“AROOOOOOOOOO!”
“SILENCE!” shouted the chief.
“AROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
A police officer handed the chief a megaphone.
“SILENCE!” she ordered.
Finally, the dogs fell silent.
“It is time for you to meet the future of policing: a police dog that I pray may wipe out crime in this cursed city of Bedlam forever! MEET ROBODOG!”
All the dogs looked left and right to catch the first glimpse of this superdog, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Then a GIANT WHOOSH was heard overhead.
WHOOSH!
All at once, a hundred pairs of eyes looked up.
A metal dog had blasted high into the sky!
Now its wings were out, and it was soaring through the clouds.
The professor looked up at him proudly.
The dogs’ jaws dropped open and their tongues lolled to the ground.
A FLYING DOG!
No one looked more lost than the Lost Patrol.
“What is it?” asked Plank.
“Is it a bird? Is it a plane?” guessed Gristle.
“It looks like some kind of dog,” replied Scarper.
“Funny-looking dog,” piped up Gristle.
“I know!” began Plank. “It looks like a washing machine! But washing machines can’t fly, can they?”
In fairness, Robodog did look a little like a flying washing machine. He was built from spare parts of them, after all.
“You fool! Why would a washing machine take to the sky?” asked Scarper.
“A very fast spin cycle?” guessed Plank.
Robodog descended to the parade ground, zooming past the assembled dogs, a rather smug look on his metal face.
He came to a perfect stop on the ground.
The professor burst into wild applause.
“GO, ROBODOG! GO! GO! GO!” she chanted as she danced and clapped her hands like a cheerleader.
“Professor, please!” chided the chief. “Control yourself!”
“Apologies.”
Robodog’s wings retracted into his body. Then his tracks began turning, and he took pride of place next to the chief.
“Good morning, Chief of Police!” he chirped. “And may I say how radiant you are looking today?”
“What a creep!” remarked Scarper.
“Why, thank you,” replied the chief to Robodog, glowing red. Then she turned her attention to the assembled dogs. “Dogs, I want you to welcome to the school, ROBODOG!”
The dogs said nothing. They hated this thing on sight.
“Robodog!” scoffed Scarper. “Stupid name! Why not Dogbot?”
“Or Doggybotty?” suggested Gristle.
“Or Barbara?” added Plank. “It’s a lovely name for a dog. I’ve always wanted to be called Barbara!”
“Robodog has a hundred times the powers of a normal dog!” continued the chief. “He can run faster than you, he can think faster than you and, most of all, he can follow orders better than you.”
“What are your orders, Chief?” asked Robodog.
The chief looked around the school, and her eyes were drawn to the assault course. It was a true test for any dog.
“Robodog! Please show your fellow dogs how to conquer the assault course!”
“With pleasure, Chief,” he replied.
Then a hatch opened on his back and a missile launcher popped out.
WHOOSH!
The missile shot through the air and
KABOOM!
The assault course exploded!
In an instant, it was a ball of flames.
“Mission accomplished, Chief!” chirped Robodog.
“Not quite what I had in mind,” said the chief.
The professor stepped out of her hiding place behind the barracks.
“Might need some clearer orders next time, Chief!” she suggested.