“I’m giving you a second chance.” He held up a Browerton-branded flash drive. “Upload your program to this new flash drive.”
Matty was still trying to figure out what was happening, but he wasn’t going to turn down a second chance. He plugged it into his laptop, uploaded his program, and handed it back to Professor Chertok.
“Very good. Now let’s go. Marathon’s waiting for us.”
* * *
Minutes later, the class migrated to the robotics lab, where Marthon stood in the corner with his arms tied down. Professor Chertok cut him free. Matty was back where it all happened, and that day flashed back in his mind like a wicked migraine.
“What’s going on?” He asked Linh.
“I don’t know, but good luck, Matty!”
Professor Chertok inserted the flash drive into Marathon. The class crowded around to watch, except for Kelvin, who hung by the door and texted on his phone.
Matty held his breath and turned off the lights. Marathon rolled over to the door, and Kelvin had to duck as the robot turned on the light.
“Did you see that, Professor Chertok?” Kelvin said. “This program is violent.”
“Or maybe you shouldn’t be hiding by the door on your phone, Mr. Zhang.” The professor’s lack of patience for anything Kelvin was a welcome sight for Matty, and probably everyone else in there.
Marathon wheeled around the lab. He extended his arm and pushed objects out of the path.
“This program allows Marathon to learn the layout of the room. He is constantly absorbing data and updating himself.”
Marathon touched one of the lab tables, but simply maneuvered around it.
“When Marathon touches an object, he can calculate if he has the force to move it, as well as its general weight. That way he won’t try to move a kitchen table or a couch.” His classmates watched with rapt attention. Matty’s whole body was on fire, as he felt that special buzz of being Matanga fucking Kapoor.
Marathon wheeled past students. He held out his arm, but stopped inches from their bodies. “Human activity,” he said.
“This program also allows the sensors on Marathon’s hands to detect body heat, so he won’t harm humans, or pets.” Matty gulped back the thought of people diving out of the way the last time. That was in the past, tucked away with embarrassments like Matty Germs and the I Hate Matty club. He wouldn’t let those moments define his future.
“Room secure,” Marathon said.
Matty shut him off. He petted the robot, which might seem odd, but felt oddly natural in the moment. The class gave his demonstration a light round of applause, as they did for others on the day of the contest. Then all eyes turned to the professor.
“Nice.”
Nice?
“I think your robot service dog serves a very good purpose, but its functionality seems a bit elementary, and the actions aren’t very complex. It moves around the room, basically. And constantly saying ‘human activity’ could get a little annoying for its owner. I think it’s a nice start, though.”
A nice start?He was still breathing, still making sense of that four-letter word.
“Now that I’ve seen all the programs, I feel confident in announcing a new winner. Congratulations, Linh.”
It took a few seconds for the class to compute this development. All eyes had been on Matty, but they shifted over to Linh. She was visibly shocked, opening her mouth but nothing coming out. Matty was just as shocked. He wasn’t first. He worked his ass off and he wasn’t first. But as he looked over at Linh and the genuine surprise lighting up her face, he didn’t feel jealousy or spite. He thought of the classmate who loved to talk to him, who hugged him when he needed it. He found himself smiling, too, profoundly happy for his friend’s success.
Matty gave her a rousing round of applause, clapping so hard his hands were red. “Go Linh!”
The other students joined in, and the sounds of celebration echoed off the walls.
* * *
After class, Matty approached Professor Chertok about what happened. He told the professor that he had suspected sabotage and that Kelvin was behind it.
“Technically, I can’t say anything because some students have very good lawyers.”
