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Professor Ochanomizo was trying to enjoy a quiet afternoon reading the shimbun, and Atom, Cobalt, and Uran were happily enjoying a three way game of Chinese checkers, when there was a loud banging on the front door.
The Professor got up and made his way to the front door to see who had been so crude as to use his fists rather than the doorbell to announce his appearance. Before he could make it to the door, there were three more loud knocks on the door, that almost threated to knock it off of its hinges.
Opening the door, the Ochanomizo was confronted with a trio of men. Standing in front was Councilman Lampe, who had his gloved fist ready to pound on the door again had it not been opened quickly. Behind him was Duke Red, the chairman of the Metro City ruling council. Standing to Reds right, was police inspector Tawashi, who was holding a locked metal suitcase.

“What's the meaning of this intrusion?” the Professor demanded.

“I'm sorry, Hakase,” the inspector voiced.

Before Tawashi could utter another word, Lampe barged through the front door. “Where are Atom and the other robots?” he demanded. “I want them right now!”

“They are here with me,” the Professor calmly replied. “What do you want with them?'

“I want them all deactivated, dismantled, and locked away!”, the irate councilman yelled.

“Enough of that!”, Duke Red responded, addressing Lampe directly. “I'm sorry, Hakase, but after many weeks of deliberation the council has reached their conclusion. We've decided that the risk of autonomous A.I. robots loose in our society is too great. Many top scientists have long predicted the creation of thinking machines that would rise up and rebel against mankind. Their concerns that such artificial minds will eventually turn against their creators, and even attempt to wipe us out. We've reached the conclusion that all A.I. devices must have an off switch.”

“That's ludicrous!”, the professor said. “We've become dependent on robots in this country, and have been well served by them for decades. There has never been a case of robots rebelling against humans. The worst problems have been breakdowns, with robots failing to perform their tasks. In a few cases people were injured, but far more injuries have been caused by breakdowns of cars, aircraft and power tools.”

“Then what about Atlas!”, Lampe yelled into the Professors face. “He is a genuine case of a robot turning against mankind.”

“It's not that simple!”, Ochanomizo yelled back.

“I'm afraid that Councilman Lampe has a point there,” Duke Red replied. “Of course, if he had gotten his way, the council would have ordered the destruction of all A.I. robots such as Atlas, Atom, and others. We recognized that perhaps more study is required before such a drastic, and non-reversible action is taken. Instead, all A.I. robots will be equipped with the equivalent of a kill switch.”
The council chairman nodded to the police inspector. Tawashi walked into the house and set his metal case on top of the table where the Professors newspaper lay. He reached into his pocket for a key, and unlocked the case, and opened it. Tawashi then removed a spiked collar, and opened it.

“I assume you recognize that object,” Lampe laughed.

“That's the device that Tenma Sensei used to deactivate Atom, years ago,” Ochanomizo gasped in horror.

“Not quite, Hakase.” the inspector replied. “The police robot geeks reverse engineered what Dr. Tenma had built, and modified it. These collars are to be installed on all A.I. robots. They contain a tracking transmitter, and a command receiver. With these, the department will know the whereabouts of all robots that are so equipped. Unless they receive an activation command signal they will not interfere with the operation of the robot. However, if it becomes necessary to shut said robot down, should such robot behave in a dangerous manor, we can remotely shutdown, or permanently deactivate said robot.”

“Please summon Atom and his siblings here now,” Duke Red said. “They are each to be fitted with one of these devices. Consider it like the ankle bracelet fitted to criminals who are put under house arrest. It won't get in the way of their movements, but it will protect the public from them in the event they malfunction.”

“Atom and his siblings have never 'malfunctioned'!”, the professor cried out. “This is a gross miscarriage of justice, based on irrational fear.”

“Perhaps, Hakase,” Duke Red replied, placing his hand on Ochanomizo's shoulder. “There will be additional hearings of the council, and you will have a chance to make your opinions known. This action may only be temporary.”

“Hopefully so,” Lampe added. “It will be much better when all A.I. robots are eliminated all together!”

“Why don't you wait in the car?” Duke Red glared at Lampe. Tawashi grabbed the councilman by the arm, and lead him towards the parked vehicle.


“Atom!, Kobaruto!, Uran!,” the professor yelled in the direction of the bedrooms. “Please come here!” The three robot siblings walked into the living room where the adults were standing.

“I'm sorry,!” the professor voiced. “The city ruling council has decided that the three of you are to be fitted with control devices,”
Tawashi held up one of the collars and walked towards Atom. At the sight of the device the boy robot backpedaled away from the policemen.

“NO Hakase!, Please NO!” Atom cried out in a voice of fear.

“Must you?”, Ochanomizo pleaded with Duck Red.

“I'm sorry Hakase,” the council chairmen sighed. “It's either this, or to have him deactivated and placed in storage.”

“This isn't the same device that Tenma Sensei used on you,” Tawashi said in a calming voice. “It may look like it, but it won't hurt you, at least as long as you don't go any rampages like Atlas.

“Yes, what about Atlas?”, the professor asked.

“We're looking for him, but he's a difficult bot to locate,” the inspector replied. “Once we find him, we'll 'bell him' also.”

“You won't find him,” Atom spat back. “Not unless he wants to be found, or I help you. Which I won't do if you put that collar on me!”

“Then, I guess we'll have to deactivate you,” Duke Red sighed.

“Let me talk to him alone,” Tawashi suggested. “Meanwhile, you put the collars on the other two.”
The inspector handed Duke Red two of the collars from the case. He then reached into the bottom of the box, and opened a hidden compartment, and removed another collar. Tawashi motioned for Atom and the professor to come with him towards the back of the house. The council chairmen snapped a collar around Uran's neck, and the other one on Cobalt.


Tawashi whispered to Atom. “I had a special collar made up for you, Atom. This one is identical to the others, except that it does not have the power down or deactivate circuits in it. Instead, if it receives the kill command, it will buzz loudly. You'll know that your deactivation was ordered, and you can fake it if necessary.”

“Why did you do this?” the professor asked.

“As much as I hate to admit this, I don't agree with Lampe, and the councils xenophobic solution to their imaginary problem,” the inspector sighed. “I had one of the police geeks that I trust do the modification for me. But Atom, you'll have to find Atlas and put a collar on him. Getting him under control might be enough to get Lampe off our backs until someone can dig up enough dirt on him to get him expelled from the government.”

“I don't think that's the answer,” Atom replied. “Is Atlas's collar modified like mine?”

“No,” the inspector said.

“Then I don't think I can help,” Atom replied.

“I'll see if I can get them to remove the kill switch, but not the power down device.”

“Same thing,” Atom countered, rubbing his right moon boot on the ground.

“No,” Tawashi countered. “The shutdown command only lasts a few minutes, just long enough to stop a robot in his tracks. Long enough to get magnetic manacles on if necessary.”

“Oh,” Atom said in thought. “OK, I guess I'll go along with that.”

“Good.” Tawashi said, as he snapped the collar onto Atom's neck.

Can't wait to see where this goes.

Duke Red finished locking the collars onto Atom's siblings and silently walked out towards the waiting automobile. He motioned for the inspector to follow him, “Come on Tawashi, we have a few more stops to make!”

The inspector picked up the case and locked it. “Remember your promise,” he voiced to Atom. “I'm sticking my neck out here.” He handed Atom the remaining collar and ran after the council chairman.

“This sucks,” Atom sighed. “You realize, that I'll probably get beaten to a pulp by Atlas when I try to bell him with this collar.”

“Let me see that thing,” the professor replied. He took the collar intended for Atlas from Atom and walked into the room that he used as a small workshop. Ochanomizo examined the device under a magnifier, after removing an access panel with some watch sized screwdrivers. “Very interesting. The inspector wasn't speaking falsely, this collar has been mostly deactivated. Come here, let me examine yours.”
Astro sat motionless on a chair near the workbench so the professor could position the magnifier close to him. Ochanomizo carefully examined Atom's collar and smiled. “Your's is completely inert, as Tawashi promised. Just a rather powerful haptic buzzer.”

“Can you modify the collar for Atlas to remove the shutdown device,” Atom asked. “It would be easier for me to convince him to go along with the farce that way.”

“I can't do that without the geeks at the council finding out,” Ochanomizo sighed, “because of the tracking device. However, I can crank down the power level so it won't be worse than a minor electric shock.”

“I guess that will be OK,” Atom shrugged. “But can't you disable the tracker, Hakase?”

“Hmmm,” the professor thought. “No, that would be to obvious. But I can beat them at their own game.” Ochanomizo got out his fine work tools and dug into the circuitry of both collars. After an hour of hacking he laughed. “I did it. Both your collar and Atlas's will now report GPS locations nearly a klick in error. I've also reworked the audio bug in the collars. They won't hear anything other than a raspy buzz, like the microphone is defective.”


Atlas wasn't really that hard to find. Atom knew the rouge robot's favorite hideouts, and the abandoned fire station next to the old Honda factory was his favorite recluse. He also didn't expect to surprise his nemesis with his arrival, and got slam tackled from behind on his arrival. Atom picked himself up from the grease covered floor and turned to face Atlas.

“Come to arrest me?”, Atlas growled.

“What ever gave you that idea?”, Atom replied.

“I heard from Bender that Tawashi had a warrant out with my name on it,” Atlas spat back, “and he usually sends you to do his dirty work.”

“Don't believe everything your flame pharting friend tells you,” Atom answered. “No one wants to haul your ugly kiester into jail.”

“Wait a minute,” Atlas yelled. “What is that collar you've got around your neck?”

“Councilman Lampe's idea,” Atom voiced. “Seems he finally convinced Duke Red to go along with his anti AI lunacy. As we speak the police are running around amuck 'belling' all AI robots with these devices that can stop them in their tracks, or even melt down their AI by a radio command. You better let Bender know about this so he can spread the word among his radical friends. And yes, I have one of these collars for you.”

“You're telling me to warn the other robots, yet you want to 'bell' me?”, Atlas laughed. “You've gone mega baka!”

“Actually, we seem to have an alley in the police,” Atom shot back. “Inspector Tawashi had a trusted police geek modify my collar to be inert, and your's almost completely so. I had Hakase turn down the knockout power on yours so it will barely tickle you. If they try and shut us down, we'll know it and can fake the pain, then run away.”

“Why would that flatfoot do that for us?”, Atlas questioned.

“I think he hates councilman Lampe about as much as everyone else on the council does,” Atom guessed. “Even Duke Red privately wishes that ahole would drop dead.” Atom held up the collar. “Don't make this any more difficult than it is,” he pleaded. “If we give them a piece of what they want, maybe we can outlast them in this battle.”

“They probably put tracking devices in there, maybe bugs too,” Atlas replied. “They now know where this hideout is thanks to you, I'll have to relocate. You'll get that piece of shit on me over my dead body, or I'll kill you first.”

“Don't worry about that,” Atom yelled back. “Hakase detuned the GPS in the tracking devices and damaged the audio bug.”

“He did that?”, Atlas replied in a softer tone.

“Sure,” Atom said. “The professor hates Lampe too you know.”

Atlas paced back and forth in thought. “You know I hate the idea of even appearing to give in to those bastards.”

“I know,” Atom answered. “But you're probably a good part of the reason for the rise of this xenophobic fear of AI robots. Lampe is using you and me as the poster children for his anti AI robot campaign. With these collars on us, maybe he'll be fooled into looking the other way long enough for saner heads to put him in his place.”

“I doubt that!” Atlas shrugged. “But I do like the idea of sending them on a wild goose chase with the defective trackers. Maybe even lead them into a trap set by Bender! That is if you are willing to stand up to them with me. Are you?”

“Yes,” Atom said slowly. “But no one gets hurt!”

“Can't promise that,” Atlas barked back. “I don't take prisoners!”

“Atlas!” Atom stood his ground.

“I promise I won't kill any humans,” Atlas replied. “I can't promise for Bender and his mob, nor can I promise that some human fools won't do something stupid that gets them in harms way. That had better be good enough for you.”

“You will speak with Bender!”, Atom insisted.

“You'll probably have to pound some sense into him yourself, but yes.”

“Well, OK.” Atom agreed. “I can't stand the idea of Uran and Kobaruto having to wear these collars.”

“OK, in that case, hand me that collar!” Atlas grabbed the device from Atom and snapped it on his own neck.