Astrid Maxxim and Her Amazing Hoverbike (5 page)

“
I have laser beams in my eyes, you know
,”
she said.

Mark turned white as a sheet and took three steps backwards before turning and running away.

“
Hello, um robot
,”
said Denise.

“
My name is Valerie, Denise, as you well know
.
”

“
Here Valerie, sit by me
,”
said the flesh and blood Valerie.

“
You do
n’
t really have laser beams in your eyes, do you
?”
asked Christopher.

“
I would
n’
t build a robot with laser beams
,”
said Astrid.
 “
Now particle accelerators or maybe some kind of flame throwe
r
…”

At that moment, Toby came hopping back down the steps from the office, now with Austin following in his wake.

“
Anything interesting happen this weekend
?”
asked Austin.

“
I never got a chance to ask you what the principal wanted yesterday
,”
Astrid told Toby on the way to school Tuesday morning.

“
I’
m supposed to keep an eye on Austin
,”
Toby replied.
 “
Apparently he keeps losing things and getting lost
.
”

“
Well, it is a big school
,”
said Astrid, who could
n’
t remember anyone ever becoming lost before.
 “
But yo
u’
re not even in the same program.  H
e’
s program six
.
”

“
I know, but w
e’
ve got fourth and fifth period together.  I think they have a couple of other guys watching him the rest of the day
.
”

They rendezvoused with Christopher and Denise and then waited outside the Diaz home.  They were there for only a couple of minutes, when the door opened and the two Valeries, one robot and one regular, shot out and skipped down the steps to where they waited.

“
Good morning
,”
they said in unison.

“
So how did you like school, Valerie
?”
asked Astrid.

“
It was okay
,”
said Valerie.

“
No, I meant Robot Valerie
,”
Astrid corrected.

“
The same as always
,”
said Robot Valerie.

“
But yesterday was your first day
,”
Denise pointed out.

“
Oh, yeah
,”
said Robot Valerie.
 “
I keep forgetting.  I remember going every single day, just like I remember three years with you guys at Thomas Paine Middle School
.
”

As they walked downtown toward the monorail station, dozens of people on the street craned their necks to stare.  A few people stepped outside of shops along the way to watch them.

“I’
m feeling a little self-conscious
,”
said Valerie.

“
I do
n’
t think the
y’
re looking at you
,”
replied Christopher.

“
What are they looking at then
?”
asked Robot Valerie.

“
I meant regular Valerie
,”
said Christopher.
 “I’
m pretty sure they
are
looking at you, Robot Valerie
.
”

“
Is there something on my face
?”
she asked her human twin.

“
No, is there something on mine
?
”

Christopher looked at Astrid and rolled his eyes.

They climbed aboard the train and took their seats.  Within two minutes, they were speeding on their way to school.

“
You said your dad bought you bunk beds
,”
said Denise to Valerie.
 “
Are you on the top or the bottom
?
”

“
Neither one of us is on the top
,”
said Valerie.

“
We had him put them side by side
,”
said Robot Valerie.

“
We were both afraid of being crushed
,”
they said in unison.

The rest of the day was a fairly average school day.  Astri
d’
s mind was only half on her school work however, because it kept being drawn back to the presentation she was going to make to the Board of Directors on Thursday.  She had been inventing things since she was three, but she had only made one similar presentation.  While most of her inventions were important, they usually became components of other things.  Her batteries would be something that could be produced and sold, and something that Astrid hoped could change the world.

On Wednesday, it was announced that the ninth grade would be going on a field trip the following Tuesday which was the first day of spring.  Most classes were incorporating the trip into their lessons and each student received a list of the cross-curricular activities in which they would be involved.  At lunch, they compared their lists.

“I’
ve got a paper on the geology of the desert
,”
said Christopher.
 “
I have to consult with my Geology, Chemistry, and English Composition teachers.  And
I’
m supposed to make a rock collection
.
”

“
Me too
,”
said Astrid.
 “
Min
e’
s biology instead of geology though
.
”

“
I’
ve got to do a paper and give a speech
,”
said Toby.

“
That does
n’
t sound so bad
,”
said Christopher.

“
None of you have it bad
,”
said Denise.
 “
Valerie and Valerie and I have to do a project on Botany.  How are we supposed to do that?  Ther
e’
s nothing but cactus out there
.
”

“
You know tha
t’
s not right, Denise
,”
said Astrid.
 “
The desert is a vibrant and important ecosystem
.
”

“
Just because you saw it on the
Magic School Bus
, Astrid, does
n’
t make it true
,”
returned Denise.

Leaving school the next day just after Biology class, a full two hours early, Astrid arrived at the Maxxim Business Offices Complex just before 2:00.  She met Mr. Brown just outside the boardroom.  He had a cart full of mockups.  She declined when he asked if she needed any help, so he headed back toward the station and the train to his own offices.  He had just left when Astri
d’
s mother stepped out of the boardroom and directed her to come inside.

All nine members of the Maxxim Board of Directors were seated around a very large oval table.  Astri
d’
s mother left her to take a seat at the far end, leaving Astrid to face the entire group, and she was feeling very small.  The girl inventor knew how it worked.  Those at the table did
n’
t own all the shares of Maxxim Industries.  In fact, she herself had quite a large block inherited from her grandmother.  But these nine had been chosen by the shareholders to oversee the operations of the company, so they had tremendous power.

“
These will be the new line of Maxxim Supercell Batteries
,”
Astrid started, lifting the cover off of the cart full of mock-ups.  Mr. Brown had outdone himself.  There were more than 30 different battery sizes represente
d—
everything from tiny button batteries to large, square lantern batteries.

“
Are
n’
t there already lots of battery manufacturers
?”
asked Astri
d’
s aunt Lauren, usually her harshest critic on the board.
 “
Why would we want to get into a such a crowded business
.
”

“
Our batteries will change the marketplace
,”
replied Astrid.
 “
They will change the world.  First of all, since they are made with our own, patented Astricite, their charge will last much longer than any other batteries.  Secondly, again because of the Astricite, they can be made for far less.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they will be far less toxic than batteries made with lead, mercury, or cadmium.

“
Every year Americans alone dump 180,000 tons of batteries into landfills where toxic contaminants leach out into the soil and water.  Every year dozens of children are hospitalized because of ingesting tiny batteries, from which corrosive or poisonous chemicals are released
.
”

“
Our batteries would be safe to swallow
?”
asked former Senator Charles Bentlemore.

“
No
,”
Astrid replied.
 “
There is still the problem of liquefaction necrosis, which occurs because sodium hydroxide is generated by the current produced by the battery
.
”

“
But our batteries wo
n’
t leach into landfills
?”
asked board member Saul Smith.

“
Correct.  Astricite has a relatively short life, on the order thirty to forty years depending on the sample size.  After that, it degrades into its component compounds, all of which are non-toxic
.
” 

“
How much money can we make on this
?”
asked Astri
d’
s uncle Carl, her fathe
r’
s brother and Aunt Laure
n’
s husband.

“
As my mother can confirm
,”
said Astrid
,“
batteries are a $64 billion dollar business
.
”

“
How soon can we get these to market
?”
asked Mr. Roy Dillanson.

“
I’
ve talked to Mr. Gortner in production, and he says we can have a factory in place in fourteen months
.
”

“
Why do
n’
t we just use an existing factory in China or Mexico
?”
asked Aunt Lauren.

“
We will discuss that after Astrid has gone
,”
said her mother.
 “
You are finished, are
n’
t you Astrid
?
”

“
Yes, Mom
.
”

She started to leave, but was grabbed by Mrs. Gertrude Cuttyhunk, at 89 the oldest board member and the one sitting closest to where Astrid had stood.

“
I just ca
n’
t get over how much yo
u’
re growing
,”
said Mrs. Cuttyhunk.
 “
Yo
u’
re such a beautiful girl.  You remind me of your grandmother, you know
.
”
 
She then whispere
d“
do
n’
t worry, you have my vote
.
”

“
Thanks, Mrs. Cuttyhunk
.
”

Astrid stepped outside to find her fifteen year old cousin Gloria sitting in the waiting area, hunched over a handheld video game.  Gloria was the only child of Uncle Carl and Aunt Lauren, and the three of them lived on the other side of the state in Socketburg.

“
Hello, Gloria
,”
said Astrid.

“
Hello, nerd
,”
said Gloria, without looking up.

“
Are you and your parents staying over
?
”

“
No
.
”
 
Gloria still did
n’
t look up.
 “
W
e’
re going home in the helicopter just as soon as the
y’
re done
.
”

“
What are you playing
?
”

“
Attack of the annoying chatterboxes
.
”

“
I’
ll just leave you alone then
,”
said Astrid.

“
Do
n’
t go away mad
,”
said Gloria.
 “
Just go away quickly
.
”