Chapter 24
1 month later...
Insurance. You gotta love it.
The Wakeman home never looked so good. Jenny's room had more space for personal items.
The new lab too was larger. It needed the space for Ms. Wakeman's new computer and something a little extra.
Jenny enters the lab.
JENNY: Is it ready?
MS WAKEMAN: Not yet. Why don't you come back later, XJ-9.
JENNY: (Rolls her eyes and sighs) Fine.
Jenny flys out.
Tremorton seems to be recooperating well. Much of the destroyed properties have been cleaned out and are now in preparation for rebuilding.
JENNY: (To herself) At least some people could get jobs in those sites, but I can't help feeling bad for the owners and occupants. At least mom was able to cover for them.
With Ms. Wakeman being the genius that she is, it only took a few simple inventions to make enough money to serve as compensation for those people.
The other teens just avoided the subject of what happened with Jenny and Zero. Some things are just best left unspoken.
Jenny arrives at the outskirts of the city. The old lab where she found Zero still stands. She walks in.
The interior is just as they left it, a mess of destruction.
Jenny reaches into her belly compartment and pulls out the blueprint and info Brad managed to retrieve during the battle with Zero.
She sighs and tosses them on the floor. She goes outside. She looks at the lab.
JENNY: That kind of robot should never be built again.
She arms her cannons and fires. The lab is destroyed. Jenny then flames it to incinerate any thing that may remain. She stays and watches the fire burn for hours, then it finally dies out.
Her telecom comes out.
MS WAKEMAN: XJ-9, it's ready.
JENNY: OK, I'll go get tell them.
MS WAKEMAN: Good, see you here.
JENNY: Bye.
The telecom closes and Jenny is back in the air. She goes straight to Brad's house.
Jenny knocks at the door and waits. Brad answers.
BRAD: Hey Jen!
JENNY: Hi Brad. It's ready.
BRAD: Alright, we'll meet you there.
JENNY: OK.
Jenny goes home and to the lab.
JENNY: They should be here shortly.
A moment later, Brad enters, followed by Tuck.
BRAD: It looks good. Almost like the other one.
TUCK: Does it work the same?
A third person enters.
ZERO: Only one way to find out.
MS WAKEMAN: Go ahead in, Zero.
The capsule opens, just like the first one. Zero steps in and it closes.
Ms. Wakeman activates an screen next to her computer. It displays Zero's status.
MS WAKEMAN: How does your head feel?
ZERO: Fine. No pain.
MS WAKEMAN: Good. That encryption I gave you will keep the virus isolated to your power grid alone and out of your mind, but you won't be at full power.
ZERO: That's alright, as long as I can live.
Everyone smiles.
ZERO: I can't thank you enough for letting me stay here.
JENNY: It's no problem!
MS WAKEMAN: It also gives me the opprotunity to study you more in depth. Safely of course.
TUCK: Does he have to sleep in there too?
ZERO: I have to, I don't have a sleep mode like Jenny does.
He steps out.
ZERO: Just two questions remain. Who created me and why?
MS WAKEMAN: I'm sure in time we'll find out.
ZERO: That may be true, but until then... what purpose do I serve?
JENNY: Your strong Zero. A powerful robot. You could help me fight crime here in Tremorton.
TUCK: (Rolling his eyes) I'm sure you'd like that Jenny.
Brad gives Tuck the evil eye.
TUCK: Heh, heh...
ZERO: That'll be great! At least I'll be able to atone for that damage I've done.
JENNY: If that's how you feel, then I guess that's alright.
MS WAKEMAN: Now that that's settled, we have one more thing to discuss.
ZERO: What's that?
MS WAKEMAN: What to do with that hair of yours.
Everyone laughs.
Later that night, Zero stands on the roof looking at the stars.
Jenny joins him.
JENNY: Penny for your thoughts?
ZERO: Just admiring the stars.
JENNY: Do you think you'll be effective in your fighting now that your powers been cut?
ZERO: I'm not worried. I didn't need the virus to take on Silver Shell... Is he ok?
JENNY: Ha ha. He's fine. He's still a little rusty since he fought you.
ZERO: That's good to hear.
JENNY: Oh well. I'm going to Mezmers with Brad. Wanna come?
ZERO: Your rep's been beaten up enough. I'll just pass.
JENNY: I guess I'll see you later.
She flys off.
Zero stays on the roof and continues watching the stars.
Jenny looks back at him.
JENNY: What a way for him to start life... as a teenage robot.
THE END
1 month later...
Insurance. You gotta love it.
The Wakeman home never looked so good. Jenny's room had more space for personal items.
The new lab too was larger. It needed the space for Ms. Wakeman's new computer and something a little extra.
Jenny enters the lab.
JENNY: Is it ready?
MS WAKEMAN: Not yet. Why don't you come back later, XJ-9.
JENNY: (Rolls her eyes and sighs) Fine.
Jenny flys out.
Tremorton seems to be recooperating well. Much of the destroyed properties have been cleaned out and are now in preparation for rebuilding.
JENNY: (To herself) At least some people could get jobs in those sites, but I can't help feeling bad for the owners and occupants. At least mom was able to cover for them.
With Ms. Wakeman being the genius that she is, it only took a few simple inventions to make enough money to serve as compensation for those people.
The other teens just avoided the subject of what happened with Jenny and Zero. Some things are just best left unspoken.
Jenny arrives at the outskirts of the city. The old lab where she found Zero still stands. She walks in.
The interior is just as they left it, a mess of destruction.
Jenny reaches into her belly compartment and pulls out the blueprint and info Brad managed to retrieve during the battle with Zero.
She sighs and tosses them on the floor. She goes outside. She looks at the lab.
JENNY: That kind of robot should never be built again.
She arms her cannons and fires. The lab is destroyed. Jenny then flames it to incinerate any thing that may remain. She stays and watches the fire burn for hours, then it finally dies out.
Her telecom comes out.
MS WAKEMAN: XJ-9, it's ready.
JENNY: OK, I'll go get tell them.
MS WAKEMAN: Good, see you here.
JENNY: Bye.
The telecom closes and Jenny is back in the air. She goes straight to Brad's house.
Jenny knocks at the door and waits. Brad answers.
BRAD: Hey Jen!
JENNY: Hi Brad. It's ready.
BRAD: Alright, we'll meet you there.
JENNY: OK.
Jenny goes home and to the lab.
JENNY: They should be here shortly.
A moment later, Brad enters, followed by Tuck.
BRAD: It looks good. Almost like the other one.
TUCK: Does it work the same?
A third person enters.
ZERO: Only one way to find out.
MS WAKEMAN: Go ahead in, Zero.
The capsule opens, just like the first one. Zero steps in and it closes.
Ms. Wakeman activates an screen next to her computer. It displays Zero's status.
MS WAKEMAN: How does your head feel?
ZERO: Fine. No pain.
MS WAKEMAN: Good. That encryption I gave you will keep the virus isolated to your power grid alone and out of your mind, but you won't be at full power.
ZERO: That's alright, as long as I can live.
Everyone smiles.
ZERO: I can't thank you enough for letting me stay here.
JENNY: It's no problem!
MS WAKEMAN: It also gives me the opprotunity to study you more in depth. Safely of course.
TUCK: Does he have to sleep in there too?
ZERO: I have to, I don't have a sleep mode like Jenny does.
He steps out.
ZERO: Just two questions remain. Who created me and why?
MS WAKEMAN: I'm sure in time we'll find out.
ZERO: That may be true, but until then... what purpose do I serve?
JENNY: Your strong Zero. A powerful robot. You could help me fight crime here in Tremorton.
TUCK: (Rolling his eyes) I'm sure you'd like that Jenny.
Brad gives Tuck the evil eye.
TUCK: Heh, heh...
ZERO: That'll be great! At least I'll be able to atone for that damage I've done.
JENNY: If that's how you feel, then I guess that's alright.
MS WAKEMAN: Now that that's settled, we have one more thing to discuss.
ZERO: What's that?
MS WAKEMAN: What to do with that hair of yours.
Everyone laughs.
Later that night, Zero stands on the roof looking at the stars.
Jenny joins him.
JENNY: Penny for your thoughts?
ZERO: Just admiring the stars.
JENNY: Do you think you'll be effective in your fighting now that your powers been cut?
ZERO: I'm not worried. I didn't need the virus to take on Silver Shell... Is he ok?
JENNY: Ha ha. He's fine. He's still a little rusty since he fought you.
ZERO: That's good to hear.
JENNY: Oh well. I'm going to Mezmers with Brad. Wanna come?
ZERO: Your rep's been beaten up enough. I'll just pass.
JENNY: I guess I'll see you later.
She flys off.
Zero stays on the roof and continues watching the stars.
Jenny looks back at him.
JENNY: What a way for him to start life... as a teenage robot.
THE END