"A what-omaton?" cried Liz.
"An automaton!" said Ark.
"What's an automaton?"
"It's a posh word for an automated robot," replied Will, " And by the looks of things it's broken."
"Reckon you can fix it, Will?" Asked Ark.
"Think so but I'll need the tools we have on board.
With that the crew and the robot made their way to their flying vessel, where the trapdoors were pulled closed and the engines turned to extended hover. The tools clanked as Will worked them into his strange system. He replaced some of the chipped broken cogs and the pistons that operated it's jaws and arms, he pulled out and cleaned. The legs were the hardest to fix, powered by hydraulic pumps it was confusing but fixed soon after. Then came the head. First he detached the bucket and polished the glass. Next he replaced the valves on the bunsen burners that lit the eyes up. He repaired a clever device that he had found in the robots head and observed the device starting to send pulses through electrodes to it's mouth. Then he screwed the bucket back on, riveted the plates back on and it was done. The others gathered round and it was Ark who broke the silence. "Five."
"Five?" asked Liz
"Yes, father invented six robots and this I'm very sure is number five."
"Well," interrupted Will, "That would explain why it's vertabrae features the five from a die. Now if we can fill all these sockets which I believe may bring it to life."
"With what?" asked Liz.
"Inside his chamber I saw devices which would do the job and using broken peices I've made a small replica," which he produced from his pocket, "all I need to do is connect an actual version to the ships power supply."
"Simples," said Liz.
A few hours later and a a lot of arguing the main table had a automaton power amplyfier connected to it. So now the device was ready. It made sense that the ship would fall rapidly when the process began so it was landed on the sea. Like a mad professer revelling over the creation of a monster, Will activated the engine. The lights blinked, the engines slowed and the propeller, which was slowly revolving, stopped dead. And then he sat up. A tinkering noise reverbrerated from the chest and a clicking noise started to grow and then the bunsen burners exploded in flame and the automaton rose. It fell to the floor and stood up, clicking. The plugs fell off and the lights and engines came back on. The automatons mouth started to clunk up and down and then the scratch of pin on vinel made it's sound. The voice that came out was soul rebuilding for Ark for it wwas that of his fathers.
"Ark if you are hearing this then something has gone wrong, either that or you've been very naughty snooping around where you've been told not to. I doubt that but you never know. Well anyway, I've been doing an experiment into a device that could bring our great city back but it all depends on a human test. It may be dangerous so I'm doing it far far away. Quintus, the automaton, will breif you on everything. And Ark, son, you are to recruit two other members, a captain and a skipper, you are to be the navigator. To the captain you must give my hunting rifle, it holds all he could need. To the skipper your mothers lighter, it will light the worst darkness and you can have my sexton, maps and charts. Good look."
The children looked at each other, the robot looked at the children and they had a feeling that said, "Welcome to the greatest adventure of all."
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