Dr. Ochanimizu paced back and forth in his office. Just how would a new Astro be built? A few times he thought of using Uran's design, which was virtually a copy of her brother's. But to build a new hero out of a copy of a copy? It just didn't seem right.

He had also considered getting outside help from other top scientists and engineers. It would be great to have some collaboration, that is, if there was anyone available. Everyone he could think of was either getting their organizations and cities back on their feet, or at least trying to keep it that way. Technically speaking, there was someone who could help. Someone who Dr. Ochanimizu's good conscious wouldn't allow him to consider.

No! There was no way he would let that no good Dr. Tenma know of his plan! This new Astro would not be part of some agenda! He would be proof of what robots could accomplish, how they could be treated as equal instead of as tools.

Dr. Ochanimizu stoped pacing for a moment. He couldn't believe it. He was starting to sound just like Tenma! Before he had completely gone off the deep end anyway. This must have been how it all started. He thought to himself as he turned to look out the window. But right now, this city…no, this world needs a hero. The sooner things get back to normal the better.

It had saddened him greatly over the years. Humans and robots weren't that different. People were born and robots were built, people died and robots broke down. Robots could be rebuilt; enough times to be twice as strong, twice as smart, to outlive a human tenfold, but as a result they would never be the same again. And that's when it hit him.

Would it really be the same? Sure he would be a new hero to uphold the common good and give the public masses hope. But a new Astro? What was he thinking? No amount of programming, kokoro, or anything could possibly replicate the kind and just little robot boy that everyone had over time had grown to love (or grudgingly accept).

The new robot could be exact down to the last bolt, but it would never be the same. There was only one Astro, the only one that ever would be.

Dr. Ochanimizu sighed and turned away from the window. What was he going to do?

Meanwhile

"We've finally done it!"

"Alert the Board of Agriculture, we have to let the chairman know right away!"

"Yes sir!"

After months of studying on the moon, a small group of researchers and biologists had finally stabilized a method for growing various crops on the moon.

"Chairman! This is Moon Base Six! We've finally yielded a substantial crop from control group B. Our current readings show that…"

The chairman's hearty laugh could be heard through the control room speakers. "Excellent news, boys…I'd say that's a 20% increase since you first started."

"Well, Base One and Four are at the same level we are, Three was having some trouble at first and…Chairman? Wait! Chairman! We're losing picture, the sig-"

But the screen had gone to static, the connection had been lost.

"What happened?"

"We lost the signal again…run a system scan to see if it can locate a problem."

"Yes sir." He quickly ran the software. "All data and processors are accounted for."

"That's strange, this is the fourth time this has happened. I'll send a message to the North District, maybe they know what's going on."

"Rusty look! Satellite Three is down again!"

"Again?"

"Yeah!"

Rusty sighed; those old things always had some problem or another. It baffled him how there was money to send mechanics like his co-worker Dave and himself into space, but not enough to properly replace old satellites.

"Does it say what's wrong with it?"

"Ahh…it looks like…"Dave scanned over the long strings of zeros and ones. "Some of the network transmitters around the back are damaged. Either that or it's counting down the days until Christmas…it's a little fuzzy right here…"

Rusty glanced unimpressed at the screen, then to Dave, and then back at the screen. "You sure you can read binary?"

"Of course I can! It's just…it's been a while, ok?"

"What are the two of you still doing here? I don't pay you to sit around here all day!" an angry voice yelled from down the hall.

"We were just leaving boss!" The two replied in unison as they raced out to avoid their boss's wrath.

"Why is the boss so grumpy all the time?" Dave asked wearily as he drove the cruiser up to the satellite.

"Who knows? But I'll tell you one thing; this job isn't worth the money. First chance I get I'm heading back to Earth, and if you're smart you'll do the same."

They arrived at the front of Satellite Three, all the panels on wiring looked normal.

"Ok, take her around the side."

"Right!" Dave said as he shifted the gear. But as they made their way around, something caught his eye.

"Hey Rusty? What's that?"

"What's what?"

Dave pointed down the side of the satellite.

"That's just the power grids."

"No, not that. THAT!"

"That's just a…OH MY GOD…."

Wait, shifted gears? Why is the space cruiser a stick shift? Isn't everything automatic in the future?