FuturAstrorama
II.
Science Ministry - New Tokyo, Japan
Leela was operating the anti-grav forklift when Bender returned to the ship. Philip Fry and Amy Wong were putting the last of the crates of robot oil onto the loader. One can of oil was left lying on the floor of the cargo hold and Zoidberg bent and picked it up. He was about to use his sharp claws to open the can for a taste when Bender caught him red handed and slapped him silly.
"I told you this stuff is for robots ONLY!" Bender yelled.
"Zee zee zee" Zoidberg said as he shuffled away sideways out of the cargo hold.
Bender looked around and noticed the stack of empty crates that had been brought back to the ship after they had been unloaded at the Ministry. He grabbed two of the largest and tallest ones and headed out of the ship.
"What are you going to do with those?" Leela asked.
"None of your bee's wax!" Bender said curtly.
"He's probably going back to steal something." Amy said.
Bender returned to the museum and looked around. He walked past the row of heads and noticed Dr. Tenma winking at him. The head of Professor Ochanomizu was asleep. Bender put down the two cargo crates and tiptoed into the robot display area. He noticed two security cameras that might be problematic to his intentions, so he opened his chest door, extracted a can of black spray paint, and sprayed the camera lenses with a thick coating from the aerosol can. Bender then walked toward the back of the display hall. As he reached the final two display cases Bender removed a diamond glass cutter from his chest cavity and carefully cut an opening in each of them. He lifted the shorter of the two boy robots from the first display, and the girl robot from the second. He slung each one over his shoulder and carried them out of the display area. Once he reached the rear of the hall of heads, Bender put the robots into the packing crates that he had left on the floor.
Dr. Tenma's head motioned toward the other room. "Yeah, I'll go get the other two" Bender whispered. He returned for the other two robots and packed them into the crates, and then sealed the lids closed. Bender picked both of the now heavy packing crates up and carried them, one on each shoulder out of the museum area.
Dr. Tenma's head looked down from his jar up on the shelf and smiled. Professor Ochanomizu, who had woken up just in time to see Bender closing up the packing crates, looked at his neighbor with anger.
"Aren't you going to do something?" Ochanomizu asked. "That robot from NNY is vandalizing the museum!"
"What do you expect me to do, spit at him?" Umataro asked. "Besides, he's not a vandal, technically he might be a thief, but I suspect his intentions are quite different, and I approve of them."
"He's stealing Atomu and the others!" the Professor yelled.
"Do you really care?" Umataro asked. "My Tobio has been in that frozen state for 900 years years now. It's about time he woke up and took his rightful place as king of all robots."
"Oh good grief, are you still on that kick?" Ochanomizu asked.
Leela was preparing for their return trip back to New New York as Bender tied down his two packing crates in the cargo hold.
"Hey Bender, what did you steal now?" Leela asked.
"I'm rescuing some of my ancestors." Bender said. "Can you believe that they were being held captive in a museum to be gawked at."
"I just hope we don't get in trouble over your shenanigans." Leela said. She looked around to check if the rest of the crew was all present and accounted for. Philip Fry and Amy Wong were on board and in their seats. Zoidberg had found some oil stains from a leaky can and was licking at the floor to get a taste.
"OK, guys." Leela announced. "I'm starting the preflight check. We're leaving in ten minutes!"
Planet Express Hangar, New New York City
The ship landed and the most of the crew left for home. Bender waited till the hangar was empty before removing his two packing crates from the cargo hold, and dragged them into the Professor's laboratory in the back of the Planet Express warehouse. He carefully removed the four robots from the crates and set them down onto four work bench tables. He pried open the chest panel of the shorter boy robot and began to examine his inner workings. Bender scratched his head as he tried to figure out how to bring bring the robot back to life.
While Bender was busy absorbed in examining his booty, Professor Farnsworth walked silently into the lab wearing his bunny slippers.
"Leela warned me that you had helped yourself to something while you were in the Japanese Ministry of Science." Farnsworth said. "Let's see what it is you've stolen this time!"
Bender quickly turned to face his employer.
"I didn't steal anything." He replied. "I've brought my ancestors back here to their freedom!"
"Well obviously you don't know very much about repairing robots." Farnsworth said.
"How hard can it be?" Bender asked. "They obviously need fuel, that's all." Bender picked up a large jar of Alcohol. "I just need to figure out where it goes!"
The professor walked up to the work bench and leaned over to look into the robot's chest cavity.
"Oh, my!" he said. "This is certainly an old robot. Must be nearly 1000 years old. He doesn't run on Alcohol, Bender. He needs something with a little more kick to it."
"Oh, well I think I have some nitro-methane in my closet." Bender said.
"Not even that." Farnsworth laughed. "He runs on deuterium."
"You got any of that?" Bender asked.
"I think so." Farnsworth said. "I used to keep some around for cold starting the dark mater engines on the ship." He walked into a storage closet and soon returned wheeling a large canister on a hand truck.
"Maybe this will do."
Bender hooked a hose up to the container and brought it over to the robot's open chest cavity. He looked around inside but had no idea where to stick the refill hose.
"Let me work on him." The professor asked. "I've read about these old Japanese robots a long time ago when I was in college."
"That figures." Bender said. "You old fart."