Doctor Tenma wasted no time walking to the laboratory where the demonstration was going to take place.
'Build the strongest robot you can' he was told, 'Let it have as many advanced weapons as possible and make it unable to disobey whatever command it is given.'
Not to be fooled though, Tenma had much respect for the Ambassador- the youngest Ambassador instated to the position for the first time in nearly fifty years, and she was the first female to ever take up the position. With that being said, the situation at hand was initially debunked- due to stigmas, grudges, and failed compromises, the Ambassador had approached the Ministry of Science with the project and they had no choice but to go through with it.
Doctor Tenma entered the laboratory and was greeted with the Ambassador herself in only a few moments.
"Good morning Doctor Tenma." She said to him in a kind, yet rather stern, tone. "Thank you for arranging this meeting and completing the project."
"Likewise Ambassador." The doctor replied with a soft smile as he gave her a respective bow. "I've heard from the rumor mill that you're expecting?"
"This is hardly the place for such conversations doctor." The Ambassador told him with a stern look. But the corners of her lips slowly curled into a smile. "Although the rumors happen to be true."
"Congratulations." Doctor Tenma nodded.
"Are you finished with your small talk yet?" an annoyed scientist asked that was over by the control panel. "Can we start the demonstration now or are we going to start talking about the weather too?"
The Ambassador and Doctor Tenma gave each other a look, then turned back to the scientists.
"We are ready to begin the demonstration." Doctor Tenma affirmed.
Meanwhile, Toby inconspicuously made his way to the Ministry of Science building. It wouldn't have been the first time he tried to sneak into one of the most so called 'highest security' buildings in Metro City. Nor was it the first time his father had denied him to view the unveiling of a new robot and Toby found a way to see it any way.
Knowing just where to go, Toby snuck around to the back of the building and cracked the code of a back door. From what he had overheard from his father, the demonstration was going to take place in a laboratory with two sections connecting to it, one for the scientists to observe and the other for the robot itself to be testing on through various simulations. Through pure memorization of the Ministry of Science's layout, Toby knew that there was an air vent duct that had a panel piece that could look directly into the observation section of that particular laboratory.
It was almost too easy!
. . .
"We have detected an intruder in the air duct system sir." One of the scientists at the console reported.
"That's strange…" Doctor Tenma said under his breath as he looked on the console. "Who would get pass the security protocols to start navigating in the air vents? They could have just walked right in after all the leg work it would have taken."
"What do you want us to do about it?" the scientist then asked. Tenma thought about it for a moment and turned to look at the Ambassador.
"As far as I'm concerned the demonstration is over." She told him with a raise of her left shoulder.
"Let's put the droid under one more challenge." Tenma told her. "A real challenge, not a simulated one."
"As you wish." The Ambassador agreed. With a confident smirking smile, Tenma took over the intercom system that could be heard in the demonstration room that the droid was held in.
"Take out the intruder." Tenma ordered to the robot.
"Objective accepted." The droid confirmed.
Inside the air vent, Toby's eyes grew wide as the droid mindlessly aimed a canon at him. In a single blast, the droid hit the air vent with precise accuracy, making the vent loosen off the ceiling. With a surprised yelp, Toby fell out of the busted air vent and tumbled onto the cold floor with a sickening crack. All the scientists on the other side of the barrier let out a surprised gasp in shock.
"Toby!" Doctor Tenma cried when he recognized his child. The boy did not respond as the droid started to get closer to the unconscious child. Desperately, Tenma turned to one of the scientists at the control panel. "Shut that thing off before it fires at Toby!"
"We can't." the scientist told him. "We haven't had control of the droid since you gave it the order."
Tenma suddenly felt so sick that he nearly lost his lunch. Moving without thinking, the Doctor Tenma shoved past the scientist to get to the intercom.
"Toby!" Tenma shouted, "Toby wake up! You need to get out of there Toby, wake up!"
The boy did not stir as the droid started to prepare its weapon system to fire a fatal blow. Helpless, everyone present could only stare the droid followed through with its instructions.
"Objective completed." The droid uttered before shutting off. Slowly, the Ambassador turned to look at Doctor Tenma, who in turn was frozen in place with wide eyes that almost couldn't blink.
Gone.
Toby was… gone… In just a blink Toby was… his son was dead…
"Are… are you going to be alright?" the Ambassador asked Tenma softly as she put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I hate to say it but… the droid was only following orders Tenma."
"It wouldn't have if it were given a consciousness…" Tenma muttered. The Ambassador gave him an odd side glance. "Then it would have known… then it wouldn't have…!"
"Tenma this was my mistake," the Ambassador then told him, "I shouldn't have backed down when the Board kept pushing the decision."
"No…" Tenma softly said, started to turn to her. "It was my mistake for creating a robot that powerful without the ability to think enough for itself so it wouldn't… harm a human. Next time…"
"Next time…?" the Ambassador cautiously repeated. "Doctor in all due respect, at the cost of your own child, there will never be another project like this again."
Tenma turned away from the Ambassador and looked back at the spot where Toby's ashes now lay. She was right, there was never going to be another robot allowed to be that powerful ever again. Or… a robot that couldn't think for itself, at least…