The Wild Robot

RECO 1 turned his face to Roz and spoke in a quiet, garbled voice. “Mmmore RRRECOs will c-c-come for you. And if you d-d-destroy them, still mmmore will c-c-come. The Mmmakers will not rrrest until all missing robots have b-b-been rrretrieved.”

“When? When will they come?” said Roz. “How long do we have?”

“You c-c-can ssstill be fixed, Rrroz. Go tooo the airship. B-b-bring all of the robot parts wwwith you. The ship knows wwwhat tooooo dooooooooooooooooooo—”

His voice went silent.

His eyes went dark.

RECO 1 was dead.

CHAPTER 76 THE BROKEN ROBOT

Geese and otters were bustling all around Roz. They were pulling arms and legs out from the robot pile and pressing them against her body. They were hoping to hear thwip sounds and that the robot limbs would snap right into place and Roz would return to her old self and life on the island would go back to normal. But nothing happened. No matter what they did, the limbs wouldn’t attach. Our robot’s body was too badly damaged.

“I’m sorry, Ma,” said Brightbill, his voice trembling. “I thought this would work.”

“It is okay, son,” said Roz calmly. “I am lucky I can still think and speak.”

The animals tried to smile at their poor friend. But they couldn’t hide their sadness. Roz was a mangled wreck, and there was nothing they could do to fix her.

The robot wanted to be strong for her son and her friends; she wanted to ease their worried minds and tell them everything would be fine. But Roz knew that everything would not be fine. She looked down at her broken body. Then she looked up at the geese and the otters and said, “I will need some help getting home.”

CHAPTER 77 THE MEETING

Strong, nimble creatures carried Roz up the sea cliffs and across the island. They carefully propped her up inside the Nest. They built a fire. And then they left the robot with her son.

Roz and Brightbill sat there, staring at the flames, until the goose finally said, “Do you need anything, Ma?”

“I could really use some new arms and legs!” The robot chuckled at her own bad joke.

“That isn’t funny!” cried the goose. “My mother is broken and I don’t know what to do about it!”

“I am sorry for joking.” Roz adjusted her voice to a more serious tone. “I know you want to fix me, but there is nothing anyone here can do.” At these words, her son looked away. “Brightbill, I am afraid we have some difficult decisions to make. I think you should arrange a meeting of our closest friends. We could use their advice.”

The goose disappeared out the door, and soon Roz’s oldest and wisest friends were on their way. Loudwing was the first to arrive. She limped into the lodge on her injured foot and sat close to her robot friend. Mr. Beaver appeared next, followed by Fink and Swooper. Then Tawny curled up on the floor. Mother Bear was too badly hurt to make the journey, so Nettle came in her place. She sat in the garden with her enormous head jutting in through the doorway. Brightbill returned with Chitchat, who was nursing her burned tail. The last one to crawl in was Crag, the old turtle. Once everyone was there, the meeting began.

The group talked all through the night. They discussed the RECOs. They discussed what to do about Roz. They discussed how to keep the island safe. There were stark differences of opinion, and tempers flared, but by daybreak the group had agreed to a plan of action.

That morning, the Dawn Truce didn’t take place in the Great Meadow. Instead, it took place in a small meadow by the foot of the mountain, in front of the airship. Weary animals quietly hobbled into the clearing. The only sounds came from a gurgling brook that wound through the gathering and right past our robot.

Roz sat in the wet grass. She was leaning against a rock. She looked so sad and frail. However, she still had her thoughts and her words, and for the moment that was all she needed.

“Good morning, animals of the island!” Roz’s voice filled the meadow. “I must look strange to you, all beaten up like this, but I hope I still sound like your old friend.”

Hundreds of heads nodded.

“You fought bravely yesterday. You risked your lives defending me, and I am eternally grateful. But many of our friends were wounded. Some may not recover. And there is worse news. Before the last RECO died, he told me that more of his kind will come to our island. They might already be on the move. And even if we defeat them, still more will come. My Makers will not rest until all of their property has been retrieved. They want the dead robots. They want the broken parts. They want me.”

The crowd was silent.

“But I care about this island far too much to put any more lives in danger. And so, my friends, I must leave.”

Voices cried out.

“Don’t go, Roz!”

“Next time we’ll be prepared!”

“We risked our lives so you could stay!”

“I hear you!” The robot’s voice cut through the din. “But look at me! My body is ruined! And the RECO said the only ones who can help me are my Makers.”

“What if he lied?” howled a voice. “You can’t trust those monsters!”

“You are right!” said Roz. “He might have been lying. There may be no hope for me. But that is a chance I have to take. Animals, you taught me to be wild. I want to be wild again! And so I must try to get the repairs I need. It is for the good of me and the island that I return to my Makers.”

A calm settled over the crowd.

They knew Roz was right.