■ 8 An animal is made

Arobot can do many different things from taking care of a baby to building a spaceship． It can do anything except think． The Star Zoo computer was the only one that could think．

Well， our family robot could build a robot animal， easily． That was no problem．

First we had to choose what animal to make， so we went round the Star Zoo to look at all． the animals． Hee-Haw carried me and Hoo-Woo came with us． The robot followed．

I don't know how many rooms the Star Zoo had； I couldn't count them all． Some rooms were filled with water where there were big fish and small fish． There were horrible monsters walking under the water and I felt a little afraid again．

Some rooms were covered in snow and all the animals there had while fur． There were dry rooms， hot wet rooms， forest rooms…And animals and birds and trees and flowers！

There were more living things than I had ever dreamt of！

I sat on Hee-Haw's back as the donkey walked on． We went through a door into a room full of strange life， then we went through another door and into another room， It was like a dream． In a dream， things change suddenly， without reason． It was like that．

We went back to the computer． I didn't know which animal to choose and neither did the robot． Hee-Haw and Hoo-Woo didn't understand the problem； they weren't intelligent in the human way．

So I asked the computer．

'Watch humans， 'the computer said． 'Humans enjoy playing with animals． Find an animal which enjoys playing with humans． '

So we went to see the humans．

The humans in the Star Zoo couldn't speak． I sat down and watched them while the humans played up in the trees， swam in the pool and played games in the grass． They played all the time．

Most other animals didn't play with the humans． But finally I saw one animal come through the grass to play． It liked playing with humans！

The humans played with the animal for an hour． The animal and the humans enjoyed playing together．

'That's the animal you must make， 'I told the robot．

The robot watched the animal and touched it and measured everything． In the end it was ready to build a robot just like that animal．

'What do you need to build it？ 'I asked．

'Plastic， 'the robot answered． 'I will use real fur on the outside． But I need some metal． Where can I find metal？ '

There was only one thing in the Star Zoo made of metal－ the computer！

The computer told the robot to take off two small pieces of metal from its back．

The robot worked fast． Sometimes it needed a special tool． Then it opened its stomach because the tools were kept inside the body there．

First， the robot made a plastic body which it covered with soft plastic， like a skin． Then it used fur to cover the skin．

I left before the robot finished because I was worried about Buff． I didn't want him to die．

Buff still wouldn't eat or drink But the worst thing was， he was still crazy． His mind wasn't getting better…

If Buff stays in the Star Zoo， I thought， he'll die．

I talked to him but he didn't answer． I knew he wanted to kill me． He wanted to kill all living things．

The robot finished its work and showed me a little animal． It looked， and sounded， and played like the real animal． I took it to the computer．

'Yes， it looks just like the animal， 'the computer said． 'It's very small-a baby animal． 'the computer told me its name． It checked the animal， then said to the robot， 'Make it warm． '

The little animal was cold．

So the robot made the baby animal warm， like the real animal． We were ready．

The robot put Buff to sleep， then put the spacesuit on him and carried him to the spaceship．

I was leaving the Star Zoo for the second time． Would our plan succeed， I wondered？ Before I went through the door， I looked back at all the life that existed only here in the Star Zoo， and in no other place in all the Galaxy！

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