Mechana-Leg Madness
It was a sunny day and Destiny was up early. And for a good reason, it was her birthday. In the dining room, she went to mark the day off the calendar.
Destiny: I wonder what I'll do today!
She went to the mailbox and got the mail. Then, she sorted through the mail, casting aside electricity bills, swimwear brochures and tempting offers of lawn mower renovations until she found what she was looking for: a card addressed to her. The card was from her boyfriend, Oliver Chipper. While Destiny read the card, Mom and Dad came down the stairs.
Gertrude: Good morning, Destiny! What's that you got?
Destiny: It's a card from Oliver! He's invited me to see a movie at AMC Kent Station 14 with him. It's his present to me. Can I go?
Gertrude: Well, I don't see why not, considering he's your friend.
Just then, there was a whirring sound.
Chester: Do you hear that?
The whirring was just my Mega Brush-O-Matic, an invention I made so that I can brush my hair and teeth at the same time. And yes, I was in the bathroom, but this time I was just brushing my teeth! After brushing my teeth, I changed into my daytime clothes and went downstairs. At the dining room table, I pushed a button on the table activating another one of my inventions, the Jam flinger. The Jam flinger flung a sizable blob of Strawberry Jam, which flew across the table towards me. A piece of toast pops out of the toaster, intercepted the jam, and made a perfect landing on the plate in front of me.
Gilbert: Well, that went well as it could be!
I tasted the toast!
Gilbert: Mmmmm! The taste of success!
Then, Sprocket came in carrying the morning newspaper in his mouth and pulling a wagon with a present on board. He handed Dad the newspaper and I lifted the present from the wagon.
Gilbert: Happy birthday, sis!
I handed the present to Destiny. As she opened the present and revealed a silver sweater with stars, I can tell she really liked her present.
Destiny: Thank you, Gilbert! It's exactly what I asked for! And it's perfect for my night at the movies with Oliver.
If you've been wondering how I got the money for Destiny's present, I'll explain. I earn some pocket money for building inventions and fixing things for our neighbors. Anyways, after Destiny received her present, a new invention of mine entered the room. But I'm afraid it scared Destiny in alarm! My guess is that she was disturbed by the sight of a pair of robotic legs entering. But I assured Destiny that there was nothing to be afraid of.
Gilbert: I think you'll find this a value addition to our modern lifestyle. It's 50% pants, 50% dog walker, but a full 100% robot. Handily broad at the waist and magnetic at the boot. I call them the Electron Mechana-Legs 4000!
They were originally made for space exploration purposes. I demonstrated the dog walking feature by strapping Sprocket's leash to a suitable point in the Mechana-Legs and programming a 20-minute dog walking on the control panel. The Mechana-Legs set off for the front door at a fine pace with Sprocket following along.
Gilbert: Have a nice walk, boy!
While Sprocket was having his walk in the local park, Mom spotted a problem. She had her head in the household accounts and they looked by no means rosy. Pay day was coming up and there wasn't enough to pay the bills, preferably because Dad was sick from work that week, two days in a row! You see, Dad worked at the Cheesecake Factory in Seattle as a cheesecake chef, because Dad gets to be around his favorite food in the world: you guessed it, cheese. And Mom works as a photographer for a gardening magazine company. Anyways, when Mom saw we had money trouble, she had an idea.
Gertrude: There's no use prevaricating around the bush. We'll have to take in a lodger.
Lodger is another word for paying guest. By the time the Mechana-Legs returned with Sprocket, Mom had put up a 'Room to let' notice on the front window. Later that afternoon, Destiny heard the doorbell ring.
Destiny: Must be the lodger Mom told us about!
She answered the door and outside she saw a man with hawk beak-shaped nose.
Lodger: Hello, is this the Electron Residence?
Destiny: Yes, it is! You must be the lodger.
Lodger: Yes, I saw the sign.
The lodger came in and met Mom in the living room. He had come about letting the spare room we had and Mom proudly showed him around our home.
Gertrude: We're asking about $20 a week and that includes your breakfast.
Meanwhile, Sprocket and I were decorating the spare room for the lodger. I was in the Mechana-Legs for that task! I climbed up the wall, clinging on with the metallic boots you might say and holding a paint roller. Once on the ceiling, I started to paint it.
Gilbert: Wonderful things, these Mechana-Legs!
It was then that I saw the lodger in the doorway. He seem to like the Mechana-Legs!
Lodger: That's a neat contraption you have there! What's it called?
Gilbert: They're Mechana-Legs, my new invention! Believe it or not, I do my share of inventing.
Lodger: Amazing!
When the spare room was ready, the lodger decided to rest. That evening, Destiny had changed into her new sweater. She was getting ready for her night at the movies with Oliver.
Gilbert: Destiny, could you please be back by 10:30?
Destiny: I'll try!
Gilbert: Enjoy the movie!
But while Destiny was away on her 'date' with Oliver, Sprocket noticed something strange. As soon as I upgraded him with a voice upgrade, he told me what happened.
Sprocket: Earlier, I saw the lodger go out. I wondered where he was going.
Gilbert: Perhaps, he went to see a special event or something.
Later that night, Sprocket and I saw the lodger come in through the backdoor. A few minutes later, I saw Destiny and Oliver arrive at the front door.
Destiny: I had a great time tonight, Oliver! I really enjoyed the film.
Oliver: I did too! I know how much you love a good mystery. Well, I got to go, Destiny! I promise my dad I help him out with a project.
Destiny: Okay, Oliver! I'll see you at school.
And with that, my sister kissed Oliver on the cheek and went into the house. But by 11:00, I was having trouble falling sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about where the lodger could have gone to.
The next day, I told Mom, Dad and Destiny what Sprocket saw.
Chester: Maybe there was an event he didn't want to miss. What do you think, Gertrude?
Gertrude: Hard to know, Chester!
Just then, the lodger came in with the morning paper. He was a good paying guest, I'll admit! But I was still wondering where the lodger went to the night before. That evening, I told Sprocket and Destiny my plan.
Gilbert: We're going out to find out where the lodger went to.
By nightfall, Destiny, Sprocket, and I went out on our search. It was a good thing we brought our raincoats, because here comes the rain. Little did we know was that at the same time, the lodger had been tampering with the Mechana-Legs, my tools, and my science books.
Gilbert: (thinking) Why was the lodger interested in my Mechana-Legs?
I found out soon enough! Because the next day, Dad woke up to find himself in my Mechana-Legs in the living room. He was surprised!
Chester: It's the wrong pants! What happened?
Just as Dad was trying to get himself free, Mom came into the room.
Chester: Gertrude, thank goodness! I'm stuck in my son's Mechana-Legs.
Gertrude: What? But how did you get in there?
Chester: I don't know, but something strange must have happened last night while we were sleeping.
Gertrude: I think you're right! Look!
Dad looked at where Mom was pointing and what do you think they saw? They saw that the Mechana-Legs' controls were gone. Just then, the Mechana-Legs began to move. Dad's legs were being forced up and down like a robot.
Chester: Woah! What's happening? The Mechana-Legs are walking by themselves.
Gertrude: Where are you going, Chester?
Chester: I don't know!
Before Dad knew it, the Mechana-Legs took him out of the house, down the driveway and along the streets towards town. At that moment, Destiny, Sprocket, and I had noticed a police wanted poster. The poster was telling us of a jewel thief by the name of Jewelhawk. A $10,000,000 reward was offered for information leading to his arrest.
Destiny: "Wanted for multiple crimes of jewel robbery". Looks like this one is hard to catch.
Gilbert: Agreed, and he looks unusual! He looks familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
The picture on the poster DID look familiar! In the picture, Jewelhawk had a red thing on his hat that resembles a red wattle characteristic of your average rooster. He was dressed in black and white like a penguin. And he had a nose shaped like a hawk's beak. I had managed to pull down the poster when Sprocket saw Dad coming down the street with Mom chasing after him.
The Mechana-Legs were taking Dad in a series of the most unwelcome maneuvers. He was raced back and forth, turned upside down and flung in the air, even though he isn't one for acrobatics.
Destiny: Mom, Dad, what happened?
Gertrude: Your Dad woke up to find himself in the Mechana-Legs and the control panel is missing.
Chester: (Panicking) Yes, and now the Mechana-Legs are moving by themselves. They're out of control!
Destiny: What?
Gilbert: Jumping Gigawatts, somebody has been messing with my tools!
At that moment, Sprocket saw the lodger hiding in a nearby dumpster, operating the control panel that was purloined from the Mechana-Legs.
Sprocket: So, this explains it!
When the Mechana-Legs took Dad home, he was so exhausted that he went to bed. Mom tucked him in!
Gertrude: Take a rest, Chester! Destiny and Gilbert will be back soon.
Chester: (yawning) Oh my, what a shocking calamity!
While Dad was napping, Destiny decided to do some detective work.
Destiny: This calls for some serious investigating! Now, Sprocket, you said you saw the lodger out here?
Sprocket: I sure did and he had the controls for the Mechana-Legs in his hands.
Gilbert: I knew it! He had used my tools behind our backs.
Destiny: I'm beginning to think our lodger is not as innocent as he acts.
Gilbert: Alright, Sprocket, time for some tracking. Smell him out!
Sprocket tracked the lodger past areas of alleys, trash cans and abandoned garbage bags, unfamiliar to the rest of us, all the way to the back of the History Museum. There, with notable presence of mind, Destiny, Sprocket, and I climbed into some cardboard boxes and made peepholes so we can keep watch. We observed our lodger make notes concerning the museum's layout, measurements of its height and of one particularly large and significant window.
Gilbert: (whispers) What could he be up to?
Destiny: (whispers) I don't know!
When the three of us got home, Mom had something to show us. But Dad was still sleeping!
Gertrude: Thank goodness you came back! While you were away, Oliver came by and found something in the lodger's room.
At that moment, Oliver came into the room, holding a rolled-up sheet of paper.
Oliver: It looked like some sort of plans.
Oliver handed the paper to Destiny and she unrolled it. It was true! It showed a map of the History Museum and the location of where something called the Silver-Blue Hope Diamond was going to be on display the following day.
Destiny: This is some important evidence! We'll have to analyze it more closely.
Gilbert: To my lab!
With that, the five of us went to my lab. Sprocket uploaded a photo of the lodger onto my computer while I made a copy of the wanted poster picture. At the same time, Destiny and Oliver were trying to find out what the plans were showing.
Gertrude: Your suspicion about someone using your tools was correct, Gilbert! But why would someone want to use your tools?
That was a good question! I thought about it until something came to my head.
Gilbert: Wait a minute! Zeldox, scan the two photos and see if you can find a match.
Zeldox: Scanning!
Zeldox scanned the two photos, trying to find a match when suddenly the words "Match found" came onto the screen. The lodger and Jewelhawk looked exactly the same! Yes, shocking as it may seem!
Gilbert: The lodger is really Jewelhawk!
Destiny: That's our guy!
Sprocket: I knew there was something I didn't like about that man!
Oliver: He must be planning to steal the Silver-Blue Hope Diamond.
Destiny: And he's planning on using the Mechana-Legs in the process. We have got to catch him!
Gilbert: And so we shall!
The five of us decided to make a plan! That evening, we carried out the plan. Mom had secretly placed a hidden camera onto the Mechana-Legs and went downstairs. In my lab, I watched the camera monitor while Destiny waited with me for her cue. We were just in time! At that moment, Jewelhawk showed up! This time, he was wearing the same outfit from the poster.
Jewelhawk: Finally, I'll get that diamond! Those Electrons have no idea of what I'm going to do. I'll be out of town before they catch on.
But what he didn't know was that we all knew his scheme. Except Dad, of course, who was still sleeping! Dad was quite unaware that Jewelhawk had placed a crash helmet on his head. With Dad still sleeping, Jewelhawk used the controls to make him and the Mechana-Legs clamber out of bed and clump off out of the house.
Still asleep and guided by the Mechana-Legs, Dad strolled through town to the back of the History Museum. There, the magnetic boots made their way up the walls with Dad stretched horizontally in midair all the way to the top of the building. Then, Dad made his way across the roof to a large metal air-conditioning vent. Dad didn't know that the Mechana-Legs were carrying him upside down into the vent, nor did he notice Oliver and Sprocket nearby it. The Mechana-Legs carried Dad through what seemed a mile of internal piping until they arrived at a grill above a giant exhibition hall. Trance-like, you understand, Dad opened the grill, stepped upside down into the exhibition hall and marched across the ceiling.
Outside, Jewelhawk was looking through the camera that was attached to the helmet as he guided Dad and the Mechana-Legs past different exhibits until they were dangling just short of a beam of red light.
Jewelhawk: Uh oh, laser beams! One wrong step and my plan goes kaput.
He looked very tensed as he operated the control panel.
In the museum, Dad was whisked up and over and passed the laser beam until he was dangling above the exhibit hall where the Silver-Blue Hope Diamond laid on a cushion on a pedestal. In the moonlight, the diamond sparkled than Jewelhawk ever imagined.
Jewelhawk: Woah, it's even more beautiful than I thought!
But what Jewelhawk didn't know was that up on the roof, Oliver gave Sprocket a big stone. The lasers in the museum gave me an idea! With the stone in his mouth, Sprocket went into the vent to the same grate Dad went through. At that point, the crash helmet Dad was wearing opened up and from it came a grabbing device. It grabbed the diamond and lifted it upwards. Jewelhawk was pleased by the success!
Jewelhawk: At last! It's mine! Now to get it out of here!
But at that moment, Sprocket poked his head out of the grill and threw the stone at the laser beams. ZAP! The stone went through a laser beam and landed on the floor with a CLACK! The laser beam triggered the museum's alarm system to activate. The alarm system proved to be efficient and noisy! In fact, it was so noisy that it woke up Dad! There he was, standing upside down in a strange dark room.
Chester: I'm in the History Museum! But how did I get here? And what's that on my head? HELP! GET ME DOWN!
Outside, Jewelhawk was fiddling with the controls in an alarming way.
Jewelhawk: No, no, no! I can't be caught now! Not when I'm close to victory!
The Mechana-Legs were heading straight for an exit, but the way was blocked by a security door.
Chester: I must be dreaming!
But this time, Dad wasn't dreaming at all! The Mechana-Legs turned and marched him to a nearby window. They clearly got the right idea! The moment the metallic feet clapped themselves to the window, it swung completely round head over tail and lead Dad outside the building. Dad wasn't happy, not happy at all!
Chester: Help! You'll be hearing from my family about all this!
Jewelhawk: Ha, your family? Don't make me laugh!
Jewelhawk ignored all threats of legal action, got Dad and the Mechana-Legs down and took the diamond from the helmet. Just then, the sound of police sirens rang out.
Jewelhawk: (thinking) Curses! The cops!
Jewelhawk escaped back to the house with Dad in the Mechana-Legs following behind, willy nilly. Back at home, Mom was glad to see Dad.
Chester: I don't know how I got to the museum in the first place.
Gertrude: Oh dear, but at least you're home safely!
Mom had just managed to free Dad from the Mechana-Legs when Jewelhawk came downstairs, wearing his lodger disguise and carrying his bags.
Jewelhawk: You must have had a rough night! I better go! I'm going to a party tonight.
Jewelhawk was heading for the front door when an alarm sounded. I had activated the home security system! Jewelhawk was so scared, he dashed for the door. But it was too late! A security door lowered in front of the front door, blocking his way. Destiny came out from behind the lab door with me following behind.
Destiny: Not so fast! You're not going anywhere!
Gilbert: Did you really think we wouldn't find out about your scheme, Lodger? Or should I say, Jewelhawk?
Chester: (gasps) Jewelhawk?
Jewelhawk: What? How did you know it's me?
Gilbert: That's easy!
At that moment, Sprocket and Oliver entered through the fireplace before a door closed behind them.
Gilbert: Sprocket saw you outside, two nights ago! Then when I couldn't figure out where you went, Destiny, Sprocket and I went into town and saw your face on a wanted poster. But Sprocket saw you in the dumpster!
Destiny: While we were out, you waited until Mom and Dad fell asleep before you did the next phase of your plan. You used my brother's tools to rewire the Mechana-Legs and took the control panel off. You then took Dad from his bed and placed him in the Mechana-Legs and strapped him in.
Gilbert: When Oliver came to the house, he saw your plans to steal the Silver-Blue Hope Diamond. To mask your crime, you used Dad in the Mechana-Legs to do the deed. But Destiny and I took some precautions and recorded your heist.
Jewelhawk: Alright, you may have caught me in the act! But I'm not done yet!
Jewelhawk was about to head for the stairs, but Oliver tripped him up with his leg. As Jewelhawk fell, one of his bags dropped and out rolled the Silver-Blue Hope Diamond. Jewelhawk got up and almost reached for the diamond when Sprocket snatched it away in his mouth. At that moment, Destiny slapped the handcuffs on Jewelhawk's hands.
Gilbert: Caught you red-handed!
Destiny: Jewelhawk, you're under arrest for diamond stealing, tampering with my brother's things and forcing Dad against his will!
With that, I pulled out the remote for the security system and pressed a button. The security door in front of the front door opened. Outside the house, the police were waiting for us.
Jewelhawk: Curses! My plan was foolproof! And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling Electrons!
The six of us watched in relieved as the police took the diamond back to the museum and Jewelhawk to jail. The next day, we were reading the newspaper that read 'Jewelhawk outsmarted by the clever Electron Family'.
Chester: Looks like he'll have plenty of time to think about what he did.
Gertrude: Yep, and some of Jewelhawk's reward money really helped us with our money troubles.
Destiny: And we can agree that we'll have no more lodgers. Jewelhawk already gave us too much trouble. Gilbert, what happened to the rest of the money?
Gilbert: It's been put to good use! I'm working on a secret project.
Destiny: Really? What is it?
Gilbert: Can't tell, it's a surprise!
I had also decided to fix the Mechana-Legs and lock them up for good, since they also have been trouble to us as well. As a precaution, I had also hanged up a sign on it that meant 'Do not touch!' But my family and I had to agree that the Mechana-Leg madness was over.