Discovering Alien Tech
Copyright© 2025 by GMet
Chapter 7
Thursday, everyone came prepared with our laptops ready to show our various concepts to the others in the robotics lab. I had made short, animated videos of my designs to show how each would move or work on top of having my robot dance video as well as having the CAD designs ready. Derek, Amanda and Peter started off with Derek showing us his concept design for a robot waiter. Amanda then presented her design for a robot nurse, followed by Peter’s dolphin robot. Riley showed off a surprisingly sophisticated caterpillar design and animation, then showed a second one, a spider design and video showing the body hinged in the middle to allow the spider to stand on four of it’s legs while the other four could be manipulated to do various tasks like picking up things.
“Very good designs,” Derek complimented her. “Ben, your turn.”
I showed off all four of my designs and videos, the eagle, emergency robot, dancing robots and pair of hands, including the video of the actual dancing robot.
“Those are also very good designs,” Derek said. “Unfortunately, both yours and Riley’s designs are probably too complex for a high school robot club. Peter’s also falls under that category. So, we’re left with a robot waiter or a robot nurse to vote on.”
“I disagree, those two are too simple and have already being used in real life,” I replied. “If we want any chance to win our high school contest let alone go any further in higher level contests, we need a complex robot design. It might be harder but all of these are doable.”
“We disagree,” he responded. “We’re the leaders of the group this year. When you get to be a leader, you can decide. So, pick the waiter or the nurse robot to vote for.”
Just to piss him off, I picked Amanda’s robot nurse as did the rest of us. The two seniors listed the various tasks and I picked programming the robot while Riley decided on working on the communication portal, both visual and verbal. I was still angry when our time was up and was surprised when Riley caught up with me as I headed for the to where the buses congregated.
“You looked ready to thump him in there,” Riley said when I looked over at her.
“No matter how good a job we do on this, it won’t be unique enough to move on,” I told her. “It’s been done before and they’re using versions of them already in some teaching hospitals. I really liked your designs by the way, either one would be a good one to use.”
“Thanks, yours were great as well,” she replied. “The dancing robot video looked real; is it a real robot?”
“Yes, my dad and I have been working on it all summer; I just got the software installed and it can do a few things based on a RC command,” I answered.
“You’re much further along than anyone else in the club,” she stated. “I’d like to work with you if you’d like another set of hands and mind.”
“I’d think your whole body would have to show up to carry those portions,” I said deadpan.
She blushed but quickly responded, “I’ll be sure to bring it along then.”
I grinned at her and she actually cracked a small one in return.
“Alright, how about you come over on Saturday to see what we’ve got done and what you can add,” I suggested.
“Okay, I’ll have to get permission and a ride to your place,” she informed me. “You better give me your phone number and your address and I’ll let you know what my mom and sister say.”
I pulled my phone out and showed her my info from my contact page and she made a new contact in hers. She texted me her info as we exited the building and made our way towards the busses. Her sister was sitting on the top of a picnic table waiting for her. She stood up when she saw me walking with Riley.
“She doesn’t look happy to see me walking with you,” I said to Riley.
“She won’t bite,” Riley said, with a small grin.
“I’m glad to hear that,” I said, as we stopped in front of her sister. “I actually met your sister back on our first day of school; she helped diffuse a situation in the hallway.”
“Oh, do tell?” Riley asked her sister.
“Carl Steiner was being his usual immature self, walking down the middle of the hallway with his two idiotic friends, when this guy decides not to move out of the way. If Sage and I hadn’t gone between them, there would have been a collision that at a minimum would have caused a fight,” she explained.
Riley looked at me with an eye raised.
“I don’t like bullies,” I said with a shrug.
She rolled her eyes and then looked back at her sister.
“This guy follows us and we caught him looking at our butts and then he had the audacity to ask for a date to thank us for what we did,” she added.
Riley looked over at me.
“It was the least I could do for not getting in trouble on the first day,” I explained. “Of course, they said no, so I went to my next class, crying like a little baby. I’m over it now but it was touch and go there for the rest of the week. I’ve been scarred.”
They both grinned at that.
“I never introduced myself, I’m Ben Addler,” I said to the other sister.
“I’m Reese Owens and you already know my little sister Riley,” Reese responded. “So, you couldn’t get a date with me so you’re going after my little sister instead?”
“We just got out of our robotic club’s meeting and we were discussing what went on,” I explained. “The other idiots on our team want to make a robotic nurse instead of aiming for a more complex design that would have a better chance of winning.”
Riley jumped in, “Ben has a robot already built and showed us a video of it dancing the Groundhog; I’m going to help him with it on Saturday.”
Reese looked at her for a few moments and then up at me. They were both tall for girls, at least five-eight or nine, but still had to look up at me.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Reece said slowly.
Riley got a steely look on her face and responded, “It will be fine, I’m sure his parents will be there.”
“Nevertheless, we’ll discuss this at home with mom,” Reece said.
I spoke up, “My parents will be home and my dad works with me on the physical robot so let me know tomorrow if you’re coming over. I have to go; I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I left them talking to each other and got on my bus. I watched them out my window as they had an animated conversation walking away from school. The bus passed them on the street and they were still talking to each other. I mentioned the potential visit on Saturday to my parents and told them about Riley’s involvement in my robotics club team and her desire to help with our robot. I also had to explain about her older sister’s reaction to that and what I saw of them after I boarded the bus.
“Obviously she’s worried about her fourteen-year-old sister coming to a boy’s house and rightfully so,” Mom stated. “Dad can be with you two when you’re in the garage and I’ll be around when you come inside. Do you like this girl?”
“Sure, she’s very smart,” I replied. “Her designs were unique and she had them drawn up in CAD software already. She had a spider design that hinged to allow four legs to be used as arms while the other four allowed it to stand.”
“Is she pretty?” Mom asked.
“I think so but she hides her face with her hair and her body with loose clothes,” I told them. “Her sister is very pretty and they are both tall, probably five-nine or so.”
“Hmmm,” Mom reacted. “That’s not normal dress for teens these days; something may have happened or they’re making sure nothing happens with her. You be very careful with her Ben until you know more.”
“Sure, she was the one to ask to help so she’ll have to be the one to get permission to come over,” I said with a shrug.
They left it at that and we had some lasagne for supper. I went out to the workshop and Base and I discussed changing the physical robot’s torso to allow more movement of the upper body than just rotating. He showed me designs of Telan robots with a simulated spine and even better hips that would help with the dancing portion. Both required many more joints and activators and a great deal more programming of sub-routines. We finished with just a concept of the new version before I went inside. I found myself dreaming of Riley and Reece that night in bed, this time with both of them in much more revealing clothes.
“You’re up early,” Mom said Friday morning when she came out of their room.
“Just a little bit,” I responded as I ate some cereal.
She poured two coffees and placed one on Dad’s spot and then sat down in her chair. After taking a sip, she looked at me.
“So, anything we need to talk about?” she asked.
“Nope,” I responded before taking another spoonful of cereal.
She waited for me to continue but I just ate my cereal.
“Could Riley be a potential girlfriend?” she inquired.
I shrugged and said, “This isn’t a date or anything, she wants to see the workshop and the robot and maybe help with it. I’m not infatuated with her or anything like that so I’m not expecting anything to happen with her.”
“Alright, give her my cell number so her mother can call me if she has any questions or concerns,” Mom told me.
“Will do,” I agreed and kept eating.
Dad came in and I saw them communicating with each other via shrugs and visual expressions but ignored them. I finished up and got ready for school while they sat at the table with their coffees.
“I’ll see you after school Dad,” I said. “Mom, see you after practice.”
“Alright Ben, have a good day at school,” Dad replied.
“Bye Benny,” Mom said.
I rolled my eyes at her again before leaving the house to walk up the winding driveway to wait for the bus.
“What do you think Base?” I asked.
“Help freely given is always welcome, and her designs and her video of her design shows she is smart and further along than most of her age,” Base responded. “Both your parents and her mother are worried about normal teenage interaction that could lead to physical intimacy. It might not be prudent to intermingle work with play with this female.”
“Good thinking,” I agreed.
Riley wasn’t in my homeroom but was in both English and Canadian History this morning and I found myself anticipating seeing her and finding what her mother decided. Once on the bus, Base and I continued to work on the concept and decided to make a whole new robot, calling it version two design rather than changing the current physical robot we had made. We stopped when the bus arrived at the school so I didn’t walk into anyone in the halls while doing internal designs.
After putting my stuff in my locker and grabbing my books for English and History and packing them in my backpack along with my lunch, I went to homeroom to listen to the announcements. Other than mentioning hockey tryouts tonight, the only other thing we had to do was to vote for student council members for our grade. I didn’t pay attention to who was running but recognized a couple names from my classes and picked a boy and a girl who didn’t annoy me too much.
Riley was sitting in her seat across the room from the windows where I sat and didn’t make any extra effort to catch my attention before or during class so I just listened to the teacher drone on about grammar and proper sentence structure for the hour. She left the room as soon as the buzzer rang so I couldn’t catch up to her in the hallway. She was in jeans and a hoodie so no change to hiding her body was in the works. History was all about the British and the French fighting over what was now Quebec so was a bit interesting. At the end of the class, I was surprised when Riley was waiting for me in the hallway and started walking with me towards the cafeteria. I looked over at her and she wasn’t looking at me but kept pace as we turned into the hallway that led to the cafeteria. I let her go first through the door and she went to where she usually sat with her sister while I didn’t need the drama of someone that wouldn’t even talk to me so I split off to where I usually sat.
Riley looked back at me in surprise but continued on to sit across from her sister. They talked for a bit but and looked over at me but I did my best to ignore them after being ignored. I quickly finished my lunch and pulled out my laptop to continue working on the version two concept and initial design.
“Ahem,” I heard and looked up to see the Owens sisters standing on the other side of the table.
“Hello ladies,” I said, before saving my work. “How are you this morning?”
“We’re fine, and you?” Reece asked.
“I’m good,” I replied.
“So, we talked to our mother but she doesn’t want Riley to come over alone on Saturday, so the only way she can is if I come along,” Reece informed me. “You okay with that?”
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