Rescue!

Why couldn't we take the box? Those are Nickel's parts.

It's in the mail system. It would be stealing. We'll get the box after it's delivered to the scrap yard.

THE BAD GUYS AREN'T FOLLOWING THE RULES!

That's our problem. They are.

We're dealing with law-abiding criminals?

Trust me, those can be the hardest ones to stop.

Rescue!

They must have committed some crime! They disassembled a robot!

Nickel has no owner. He was past his scrap date. Technically, no crime.

Using false transponders.

Impersonating a truck is not a crime.

Income tax evasion.

Only if they're taking money for what they're doing.

Maybe they missed picking up some parts. We could get them for littering.

You're reaching.

Rescue!

The trail ends. This is it! They're in here!

Department of Quality Control.

Why would Quality Control be going after robots who didn't get properly scrapped?

OH, POOP! I know what's going on!

Unlike “EUREKA!”, an “OH POOP!” flash of insight doesn't sound good for the home team.

The muggers revealed

Sawtooth, can you find out where Nickel's parts were to go after he was scrapped?

Connecting… Accessing… Parts…

Metals and plastics.. Recycle. Neural nets and memory.. Trash. Hip joints and main body joint.. Quality control for end of life wear analysis.

OH, POOP! When the parts didn't arrive, they went after them!

Will you two reprobates stop yelling “Oh, poop!” outside our door? This is a respectable neighborhood.

The muggers revealed

Hello. I'm Florence Ambrose and this is Sawtooth Rivergrinder.

I'm Edge. What do you want?

A few hours ago, you attacked and partially disassembled a robot.

Yes. He was on the list. What's it to you?

You almost killed a person!

He was spare parts walking! Had he been functioning properly, he'd have scrapped himself!

Guys! Can we at least try to solve this logically before you robots go all emotional?

The muggers revealed

Edge. invite. them in. Perhaps. they can. help.

You're too big and ugly to come in. You have to wait outside! Nyah!

I'm a heavy duty robot! This is a light duty building! Give me an excuse and you'll see just how easily I can walk in there!

The muggers revealed

Please wait for me. I'll be back soon.

Let's go. You can sniff his butt later.

Do you work with other robots much?

No! I work in a distribution center all day surrounded by hundreds of howling electronic pea brains.

Wonderful. If raised in isolation, these robots don't socialize properly.

Other robots are pea brains, too! Everyone except me is an idiot!

The muggers revealed

D.. D… D. D…D..

D.. Do… D.. Do.. D..

Doggy.

DOGGY!

The muggers revealed

Are you all right?

I am. functional. Though I must run. at a low clock speed.

Damage from. a solar flare. When I performed. orbital work. I am now. grounded. and limited to. low radiation areas.

I'm surprised you survived at all.

I have looked. the Blue Screen of Death. in the eye. and forced it to reboot.

The muggers revealed

You've seen me before.

Yeah. At the train station. I yelled “Doggy!” and waved. You didn't wave back.

There were a lot of robots there.

You couldn't tell by looking at me that I was the only one that mattered?

There's nothing externally obvious. Perhaps if I arranged for your internals to be on display?

She may be on to something, Boss. There are still robots who meet me and don't instantly recognize my greatness.

Florence hints that Edge didn't yell “Doggie!” when he met her