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THE CASE OF THE MISSING ROBOT

“ATHENOS II?” I bellow. “Where’s Fribby?!”

No answer.

“ATHENOS II, you’d better answer me now or I’m going to fly to the nearest junk star and trade you in for scrap metal and parts.”

“Are you talking to me, sir?” says ATHENOS II.

“Don’t be an idiot. ’Course I’m talking to you! Where you been?”

“An idiot, sir?”

“Why didn’t you answer me?”

“I did answer you. Just now, sir.”

“I mean before. You didn’t answer me.”

“I didn’t know if it was OK for me to talk, sir.”

“Listen, I’ll tell you when it’s OK for you to not talk. But unless you hear differently, it’s OK for you to talk. Roger that?”

“Is it OK for me to talk now, sir?”

“What did I just get done telling you?”

“Or should I keep my big fat mouth shut, sir?” ATHENOS II says. “What do you think, sir? If you wanted, I could just keep my big fat mouth shut. Maybe that’d be better. I wouldn’t want my big fat mouth to get in the way here. Especially considering how I’m an idiot and all.”

I am stuck with this psycho in outer space.