Test Drive

[Aura]

(Jake Mordetsky continued from In Relative Solitude)

Between two neighborhoods in Seattle, there is a quite large vacant lot.  The lot is a large section of smoothly paved concrete, as though someone was going to put a basketball court or a parking lot there.  No one ever built anything there, however, so it is mainly used as a place for neighborhood barbeques and block parties.

Today, however, there were no barbeques or block parties.  Just a scrawny teenage boy with a remote control, and a wedge-shaped robot.

Jake Mordetsky hit the power button on the controller, and Tadakatsu the robot ras ready to roll.  Jake gave his commands through his controller, and Tadakatsu faithfully followed them.  Reaching speeds nearing 20mph, and executing turns on a dime, the robot was the culmination of Jake's work for the past three years.  Constantly being maintained and improved, it was an impressive specimen of robotics.  If Robot Wars ever came back, Jake would be ready.

The scruffy robot fan brought his robot back over to him, parking it next to a bench.  Jake sat on the bench and took a bottle of water out of his backpack.  With his free hand, he turned off the robot's power.

"OK Tadakatsu, take five."

Taking a drink of water, Jake took a moment to relax.

A few minutes later, Jake urned Tadakatsu's power back on, and tested him for a few more minutes before heading home.

((Jake Mordetsky continued elsewhere...))