BALL!
[!0.987]2016-01-20

Helix and I need to run some errands. Will you be okay here with Winston?

We'll be fine. Don't worry, I'll lock the door after you leave.

Is Florence mad at you?

Better. She's at that perfect level of annoyance that she wants us out of her sight and will avoid thinking about us after we're gone.

Oh. Ooooh.

Her ethics would get in the way and we give her plausible deniability. It's a win/win situation.

Color by George Peterson

BALL!
[!0.987]2016-01-22

Tentacles can't possibly move through each other. Can they?

[!1.7]AIEEG!

Welcome back to reality.

I remember reality being less moist.

Color by George Peterson

BALL!
[!0.987]2016-01-25

Sam and Helix went off to run some errands.

So we're here by ourselves.

With a chaperone.

Who is easily distracted by doggie treats.

Color by George Peterson

BALL!
[!0.987]2016-01-27

We're taking Winston's truck?

We're using his truck. We'll bring it back.

It's part of the new sharing economy. We don't need to own a vehicle when we can use one that's available.

I really should complain. All this time of being called a car thief when I was merely ahead of the curve.

Color by George Peterson

Am I the only one who thinks Flo will have a job? (Lonely Wolf)

BALL!
[!0.987]2016-01-29

You don't care if you're not known as a car thief?

Inconsequential. It's this caper that will make my name.

First, we need to make sure the robots get their freedom. My plan rests on you guys owing me for saving you all.

I thought Florence saved us and you were the comic relief sidekick.

I'm not the sidekick! I'm the hero! Why is it so hard for people to see that?

Color by George Peterson

BALL!
[!0.987]2016-02-01

Let's go see Max Post. He'll know what's going on.

Max has been working on getting rights for robots for a long time. How come he isn't the hero?

Because what he does has become normal. By being good every day, he's faded into the background. We're only good occasionally, so when we do something nice, it stands out and we get all the accolades.

That doesn't seem fair.

It is unfair. What you're missing is that it's unfair in our favor, so it's okay.

Color by George Peterson

Gratitude is Not Quite Its Own Reward
[!0.987]2016-02-03

This looks like the place. Let's meet some of our grateful public.

Who is it?

Sam Starfall, savior of robot kind.

GO AWAY!

Of course, grateful doesn't always mean appreciated.

Color by George Peterson

Gratitude is Not Quite Its Own Reward
[!0.987]2016-02-05

Let him in. Sam did play a part in preventing the destruction of the robot population.

Him? We owe him? The worst person on the planet?

Get used to it, Blinky.

No! No way! We're going to find a way to make us even.

Gosh. I never even thought about the possibility of a reward.

This is going to be worse than I can possibly imagine, isn't it?

Color by George Peterson

Gratitude is Not Quite Its Own Reward
[!0.987]2016-02-08

Max! How goes the battle?

Better than expected. Mr. Ishiguro sees the economic potential of having robots as customers.

Then things are going well.

So far. Unless a monkey wrench gets in the system, the robots are going to get their freedom.

Ah, so that's why you invited me in.

It never hurts to know where the monkey wrench is.

Color by George Peterson

Gratitude is Not Quite Its Own Reward
[!0.987]2016-02-10

What's going on down there?

Meeting. We have the mayor, Mr. Ishiguro, Mr. Raibert, Qwerty and Sawtooth, who is attending by remote.

Now I have a problem. Qwerty's friend Dvorak is a robot you can't leave bored. If you go down the hall and keep him occupied for thirty minutes, I'll owe you one.

Dvorak. He's the one who likes big crazy ideas, right?

These guys are either going to cancel or amplify, and even if they amplify, they'll cause less of an explosion than the one which will occur if the Mayor sees Sam.

Color by George Peterson