“Of course,” Serix nodded when Cassie told him the robots needed to be repaired. “I didn’t think I was going to be allowed to drive one that easily.”

Cassie pulled the cockpit door open – it seemed to take a great deal of effort – and stepped inside. Serix followed close behind her. The space looked remarkably similar to the cockpit of a Lunairan ship, but he wasn’t a pilot so for all he knew, the controls could be completely different.

He stepped in front of the large window that overlooked the storage unit, raising a hand to brush his fingers lightly over the clear material. It felt like heavily layered acrylic. The same material was used on some Lunairan fighter ships. Maybe human technology wasn’t so different after all. He wondered – if given enough time – whether his own people would have ever invented machines like these. The materials were similar enough and the Lunairans engineers were clever enough. But then again, the humans always seemed to outdo his people in their level of creativity.

Serix stepped away from the window and went back to the control panel where Cassie was sitting. He leaned over it, looking down at all of the different buttons and knobs, and let out a low whistle. There were so many controls; it was amazing that someone could learn the functions of each and every one. Still, he wanted to drive a robot, so he would have to learn them too.

[b]“This is so cool. It still amazes me what my father could do,”[/b] Cassie said. She stood up from the control panel and crossed to the window where Serix had been standing a moment before. [b]“Tell you what. When I get the wire to fix that controlled robot down there, I'll let you drive it.”[/b]

“Sounds like a plan,” Serix replied with a grin.

Cassie walked back to the control panel and blew the dust off of it, sending up a cloud of gray particles. She had a satisfied look on her face as she examined the panel. Serix didn’t have an eye for technology like this, so he could only wonder what she saw. Whatever it was, it must have been a good sign.

[b]“So, what do you think?”[/b] Cassie looked up at him. [b]“Are they as cool as you imagined? Or is it a letdown?”[/b]

“Cool?” Serix tilted his head. “I was actually thinking it’s a bit warm in here. The robot isn’t a letdown though. This is amazing.” He glanced back at the control panel and shook his head. “It’s all so intricate. I don’t know how your father put it all together. You must be very proud of him.”