He glanced at the small alarm clock as it read the time in green light. 2:31 a.m. In fact, it was his only source of light, as the warehouse around him was drenched in darkness.
One of the actuators handed him a handkerchief, which Otto used to wipe off the sweat on his brow. His eyelids grew heavy, but he just needed to finish this last part, then he could head to bed.
Normally, the useless conversations of the tentacles kept him awake. But today they were quiet. Nothing good could come from that. Especially with their programming being like that of teenage girls, it was hard for them to shut up. He has never had this much silence since…. well, before the accident.
"Can one of you hand me that wrench?" he asked. But none of them stirred.
He repeated the command, but again, they seem distracted by something. He looked and saw that they were looking at a laptop. Some online shopping site.
Oh, sweet heavens. Thankfully, he didn't have a credit card.
He waved his hands around, stuck them in his ears, anything to make them notice. But their eyes were glued to the screen, clicking through different items and giggling.
Man, they were distracted. He didn't even get his nightly lecture on how late he was working. They hated that and would often drag him to bed. But today, it seemed to be the opposite.
He decided to stop working, as he began dozing off. He got up and walked towards the laptop.
"Now, what's in heaven's name are you looking at?" he asked.
They closed the laptop, all shouting in unison.
Nothing, father, nothing!
Don't worry about us, you need some sleep!
Father, what is the last three numbers on your credit card?
Shut up, he's gonna get suspicious!
No, you shut up, big nose!
We don't even have noses!
"Hey, hey, hey!" he yelled, and the shouting stopped. "What am I going to get suspicious about?"
It's nothing, Father, the upper right one said, giving her sisters a stern glance. You better get to sleep. We need to finish the work.
Might as well ask him now, Flo, the lower right one said, It wouldn't be a bother, would it?
Yes, it would. We are already disrupting the work. Stop it with this silliness.
Now it was Otto's turn to be confused. "What is this? I'm not going to be able to sleep if you guys are plotting something. Also, Flo, be nice to your sister."
Flo nodded in annoyance, if such an emotion was possible to show on a metal tentacle.
"Besides, you guys weren't helping me today. We have fallen behind. So, might as well get you guys what you want if it means you're going to get back to work. So, what is it? Ribbons? Lights?"
It's this, Father, the lower left one squeaked, shoving the laptop in front of him. He sat down, placing it in his lap as he looked at the screen.
The lower left one sat down in his lap like a puppy as he read the item.
"A Roomba? This is what you guys want?"
Yes, yes, yes, the lower left one said in unison with its lower twin. They were always the more juvenile ones. Isn't it cute? Look at the buttons and little lights!
Perhaps tentacles had a different taste than him, for the thing somewhat looked plan. Merely a beige little disk with some grey highlights.
"You guys really want this?"
Yes, yes, the lower ones squealed, wrapping their tentacles around Otto's torso while the upper ones watched. Even the upper left, who always tended to be the more chill one, joined in on the fun, tousling with their father's hair. Only Flo stood their, calm and collected.
It would be a nice friend, Father. Especially since we are lonely. You are always focused on your work.
The last part was said with some bitterness. Otto could tell that deep down, Flo wanted it too, although she was afraid to say it.
"Alright, alright. I admit that. I'll get it. Perhaps it will motivate you guys to help me."
He didn't believe that last part, but he knew if he refused, he wouldn't hear the end of it. And it was difficult to escape their nagging, especially since it was in his head.
The tentacles cheered, picking their father up and placing them on his chair at his desk. Flo brought the laptop and placed a credit card next to it.
"Now, where did you guys get this?" Otto picked it up and read it by the light of the computer screen.
Snatched it from some loser, the upper left tentacle said, We've been planning this for a while. Ha ha.
I did the work, the lower left one pouted, Are you proud of me, Father?
J.J. Jameson. Otto laughed as he punched in the numbers and placed the order. He could imagine the headline now. "Tentacles Steal Top Journalist's Credit Card to Buy the Robot Equivalent of Puppies."
The tentacles heard the joke (they could hear most of his thoughts) and chuckled. That would show Jameson, since he always insulted their father in his newspaper.
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Since the order, the tentacles had been nothing but good while they waited for it to arrive, Perhaps the threat of canceling the order every time they misbehaved seemed to help. They caught up from the day they lost and were even ahead of schedule.
And as soon as he called it quits, they dragged him to the door and sat at the foot of it, waiting for a package to arrive.
He doubted that they would drop it at the door. He picked a different address, another warehouse so as not to raise alarm. But it was somewhat cute to watch them squeak over every sound by the door.
However, it became less cute when he was brushing his teeth and they dragged him on the floor on their way to the door. Cursing with toothpaste in your mouth was not a pretty sight.
Finally, the day and time arrived. He told them that the package arrived and before he could throw on a coat, they "ran" to the other warehouse, moving with absolute grace. Shivering, Otto followed them, scanning with his eyes for the package.
There it is, there it is, the lower right one said, and the tentacles dived in on cue. Otto landed on the ground, catching himself on his feet. He grabbed the package, the fog around them making it difficult to see around them. But luckily the tentacles carried him back to the warehouse.
When they arrived, before he could start a fire to warm himself up, Flo dug into the boxes and pulled out a shape knife. Otto freaked out.
"Ah, ah, ah, give it, give it!" And with relief, he held the knife in his hand. He didn't need them to learn how to use knives. He didn't need more worries keeping him up at night.
He opened the package. It seemed to come pre-assembled, although it came with a small booklet. He decided to toss it to the side.
The tentacles all gathered around the little, inanimate disk, cooing at it.
It's so cute. Look at it.
I want to name it Fred.
Fred is a stupid name.
Shut up, that's mean.
No, you shut up!
You shut up!
I want to name it Sparky. It looks like a Sparky.
Yeah, it kinda does look like a Sparky.
Can I change my name to Sparky, Father?
Otto bent down and pressed the power button. The machine warmed up, then made a whirring noise. Its lights blinked and then it began to move along the floor, cleaning it as it went.
Oh, wow, look at it go!
They followed it, leaving Otto in the air as they followed it, their heads poking gently at the Roomba. They went like this for a few minutes, until Otto cleared his throat.
"You can play with it once we're done. For now, let it rest."
And despite the chorus of groaning, he picked up the disk and set it in the corner of the room to 'sleep.'
Goodnight, the lower left one said sadly as they kissed it gently on the head. Hopefully you don't snore like Father does.
"No, I don't!"
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He was once again at his desk, working on a part of the fusion reactor. He snapped his fingers.
"Number 2 wrench," he said.
None of the tentacles got up. Instead, they lay on the ground next to the Roomba, who was sleeping.
Looks so cute when it sleeps, the upper left one said.
Even Flo likes it, and Flo doesn't like anything, the lower left one said.
That's not true. I like it! It's very cute, the upper right one snapped.
"Number 2 wrench," Otto repeated, snapping his fingers louder.
You go answer Father, the upper left one said to the lower right one.
Stop bullying her, it's not fair! the lower left one said, Besides, you're closer and you're older. So you should help him.
How am I older? We're all less than a year old!
"Wrench!" Otto yelled, finally getting their attention. The upper left one handed him a wrench, then went back to cooing over the Roomba.
Otto tried fastening the screw with the wrench. But it didn't work.
"What the…" he muttered, trying to force the head of the wrench around the screw. It didn't work, and instead, it jerked forward, smashing Otto's thumb in the process. He let out a scream, cradling his broken thumb.
Father, are you okay? the upper right one asked.
He didn't say anything, instead going to the first aid kit and making a cast for his thumb. A popsicle stick was used for support. He fumed the whole time, cursing under his breath. The tentacles recognized some of the words, although Father said they shouldn't repeat those bad words.
"What the hell happened?"
He picked up the wrench and saw that it was a Number 3.
"Now, who made this mistake?" he turned to the tentacles around him.
She did it, the lower right one said, pointing to the upper left. She hurt you, Father.
That's not fair. You should have helped him then, the upper left one said.
You nearly killed him, dummy! the lower right one said, sticking its tongue out.
Alright, that's it! the upper left one flipped off its sibling.
Father said not to do that! the lower left one said.
Stop fighting, you're upsetting Father, the upper right one said.Look at him.
Otto gritted his teeth, trying to stomach the pain.
"You guys need to focus. That was a big mistake and could have destroyed our work now. And we don't want that to happen. Otherwise, all of this is for nothing. I will have wasted my entire life on nothing! And I don't want that! Rosie wouldn't have wanted that!"
He stopped and got quiet. He fought back the tears welling up in his eyes.
"I need to get to work. Flo, help me with the calculations."
Otto pulled out the papers, a pencil, and a small calculator. The upper right tentacle rested its head on his shoulder and followed along. But she didn't focus at all. Soon, her sister tentacles seemed to get better, but she knew that was because Father was hiding his pain, and they were too young to see it.
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Eventually, the day arrived. The other tentacles were excited for their new plan to get an important component of the reactor from the university.
Finally, the day arrived. Otto got dressed, putting on his classic leather jacket. The holes in the back were big enough. The tentacles slipped through, whispering in excitement.
Father, can we bring our pet? Oh please, oh please! the lower left tentacle asked.
Otto shook his head. "We need to focus. We can't bring any distractions."
Ohhhh, but pwetty please with spwinkles on top?
Otto finally gave in. "Fine. But you need to watch over him."
Thank you, thank you!
Father, it's going to be a distraction, the upper right one said.
"Let your sister have fun. Now, did you get Sparky?"
Sparky was tucked gently into a large pocket in Otto's coat.
"Did we bring the device? The smoke device?"
Right here, Father, the upper left one said, pointing to Otto's back pants pocket.
"Then let's go. In and out. Hopefully the calculations work. I don't need to remind you that we have only 2 minutes and 5 seconds to work. So, please focus."
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They arrived at the university, taking the way of the top of the buildings. They finally arrived at Lab Museum, where past machines of alumni were displayed for the students to view. The tentacles gripped onto the clock tower as Otto signaled for them to get closer to the roof. Finally, they were on the roof of the Museum.
Otto pressed on the glass and the lower left tentacle smashed through it. He heard the scream of the security guard and turned on the smoke device, tossing it in.
It emitted a smoke that blocked the view of everyone. Their timer now started.
Otto hopped in, the tentacles tucking into the coat, and then stretching out to catch Otto's fall.
He grinned. It was a success. He pushed up his glasses. He walked to the machine and found the access machine. Flo came closer, helping him punch in the code to disable the lasers that protected the machine. No doubt triggered by the alarm.
Finally, they were disabled. But then the smoke cleared. Otto freaked out.
"No, no, no, it's only been a minute! What went wrong?"
Now, everyone could see him, and soon panic ensued. Otto gritted his teeth and punched a wall. Now, Spiderman would soon come.
"What happened with the calculations?"
The upper right tentacle was at a loss for words.
I'm sorry, Father.
"We'll talk about this later," Otto sounded disappointed.
"Talk about what?" a familiar voice said.
Curses, that was so much faster than usual! Spiderman swung into view, only a few feet from Otto.
"New record," Spiderman taunted. "Now, hand out the part, Doc!"
One of the tentacles grabbed the part before Spiderman could finish the sentence. With a web, Spiderman grabbed it, pulling it towards him. Now, they were engaged in a game of tug-and-war, the tentacles pulling with all their might. Otto dug his feet into the ground, trying not to slip.
Spiderman saw something in the coat pocket and webbed that, pulling it towards him.
A Roomba? He had to hide his laughter, but tossed it to the side and continued fighting over the part.
Sparky! the lower tentacles cried, extending themselves to their pet.
"Hold on, hold on, come back here!" Otto yelled at them, as Spiderman pulled them forward now that there were two less tentacles pulling back.
"Are they crying over the Roomba?" Spiderman asked.
"Oh, do be quiet! It's their pet- what in the name of hell am I saying? Get back here!" he ordered.
But the tentacles didn't listen, and Otto's grip on the part was weakening.
"Come back, at least salvage some of this plan!"
Soon, the upper left went to join its sister. The upper right one was only left, but she was too upset to help, only holding on with little strength.
Spiderman wished that he had his camera at the moment. The great Doc Ock, defeated by a Roomba.
"Having trouble with the kids?" he said, and with one last pull, the tentacle lost grip and the part went straight to him. Spiderman webbed it closer, tying it to his back with some web string.
"Get back here!" Otto cried.
Sparky's hurt, Father, he's not blinking, the tentacles cried.
"Then get him! He hurt your pet!"
But they were too upset to care, instead cradling the Roomba. Otto could see a little from where he was, but it did get damaged.
"Flo, take care of your siblings."
But even Flo was upset. Otto could tell from the link that she was hurt over something. How did he not notice?
His plan was failing. Soon, the cops would be here. So, with a loud string of curses, he grabbed the Roomba and abandoned ship. But not before he heard the snap of a camera. Great, now the Daily Bugle was going to have a field day.
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And indeed they did. The headline was plastered all over the evening edition. "Doc Ock Foiled by Roomba (and Spiderman, but Really the Roomba)."
He crumbled the paper and threw it into the fire.
"At least the bullshit they write will keep me warm."
But now, onto a more difficult task at hand. Talking to his children.
God, there were times that he wished that Rosie was here. She was always better at these kinds of things. She always seemed good with children.
First, the younger tentacles. They sobbed over the ruined body of the Roomba.
"You guys doing okay?" he asked, only to be met with sobs.
He clicked his tongue. "I know, I know. He was a great pet. But it's okay. I'll try to fix him the best I can."
Really, Father? the lower left one said, resting its head on his lap. He patted it as it rested.
"I promise. I'll even give him a cool paint job. How about that? Would you like flames on it?"
Yes, yes! they cried.
I want orange and red.
No, I want green and blue.
That's stupid.
No, you're stupid.
You're even stupider!
You're the stupidest!
"Alright, alright," he laughed, "Stop arguing. I think Flo is a bit upset. How about you guys put Sparky to bed so he can rest? He'll need all the energy so he can play with you tomorrow."
Okay, Father, they said, going to a different corner of the room.
Now, he had to talk to the upper right tentacle.
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"You still there?" he asked. There was no answer, so he sat down and gestured for the upper right tentacle to rest on his shoulder.
It did so, but didn't say anything. Otto rested his hand on her head.
"I think I know why you're upset. You don't have to listen if you don't want to."
No response, so he continued.
"I apologize for the remarks I made yesterday. About my work being nothing. I was just upset. Sometimes, it's difficult to help you guys, cause I've never had children of my own, let alone teenagers."
He edged for Flo to rest on his lap, and she did. "But I'm learning everyday. And I enjoy the experience. To be honest, I don't know what I would do without you guys. To be honest, before I got the Roomba, I missed your chatter, as loud as it may be."
You really mean that, Father?
"Of course I do. And if the only thing I manage to do is raise you guys, that would be worth it. You guys have made the last few months worth it. And I know that you're doing the most. It comes with being the eldest daughter. But I don't want you to be overwhelmed. You don't need to watch over your sisters all the time. It's my job to be the parent, not you. I know you need to hear that. Rosie complained about it all the time. And I want to help you like I wish her family helped her. "
The upper right tentacle put its head up on his shoulder, almost like it was crying. Otto could hear the silent sobs.
"Come on, come on, I'll give you a moment."
I'm sorry, Father. I must be embarrassing you.
"No, it's fine. Crying is good. A necessary emotion."
The other tentacles heard the crying and came to comfort their sister, wrapping her in an embrace. Otto soon joined, as they just sat on the floor, wrapped up in a huge hug.
Finally, the upper right tentacle stopped.
I'm sorry for messing up the calculations, Father.
"That is a mistake on both our parts. Hell, I'm the one who came up with the plan. Now, come on, let's rest. We'll fix up the Roomba."
We love you, Flo, the lower left tentacle said, and the other tentacles joined.
Otto grinned. "As much as I love the sister bond, I really need to get to sleep. And it's time that you did too."
Ok, Father, just promise not to snore, the upper right tentacle joked. The others joined her laughter.
"I really don't snore! I don't know where you get this idea from!"