"You sure it's not just some residual effect from... whatever it was just 'appened, mate?" Grissom asked.

"Not entirely," Phil confessed, "but would you really like to take that chance?"

"Point."

"Any clue what it is that's supposedly coming?" Brute Force asked timidly.

"Working on it," the telepath replied.

"Can't you just... use your ESP or whatever to look through the walls or something?"

Phil smirked briefly. "Doesn't quite work that way, man. There's a door down there," he explained as he pointed off down the corridor, "but I can't see through it at the moment."

"Think we ought to see what's behind it?" Grissom asked.

"Robo Squirrel recommends sending one individual to investigate to warn the rest of any potential hazardous condition."

"Are you volunteering?" Brute Force asked. "'Cause I... just... got here, and... yeah."

"Robo Squirrel is not expendable. Robo Squirrel is too important to risk damage to investigate. Choose another individual."

"We should stay as close together as possible," Euro advised, brandishing Durendal warily, "in case something like that happens again."

"I agree," Rama chimed in. "We would not want to be separated somehow. Does that flying rodent have anything more to add?"

"Robo Squirrel will not be affected by the outcome of your decision," the increasingly irritating artificial creature droned on.

"So do we all rush the door at once?" Brianna asked.

"In such an occurrence, Robo Squirrel will remain in current location to monitor the situation."

Brianna glared at the robot. "Why can't you just scan the door with your sensors or something?"

"Robo Squirrel is not a space probe."

"Does that mean you can't do it or won't do it?" Euro asked impatiently.

"Robo Squirrel does not understand the question."

"What if there's something really dangerous behind it?" Brute Force objected. "Or even worse... what if there's nothing behind it?"

"Robo Squirrel does not understand the question."

"Robo Squirrel," Phil called.

"Robo Squirrel, ready to assist," the annoyingly cute automaton chimed.

"How long, hypothetically speaking, would it take you to fly down this corridor, if you actually wanted to, and give us a readout of what's behind that door down there?"

"One moment please..." The hovering robot seemed to hesitate. "At maximum safe flying velocity, the estimated distance to the door can be covered in no less than seventeen point six two-"

"Right, right." Phil shook his head. "How strong is your construction?"

"Robo Squirrel is proud to reveal that its structural strength is vastly superior to most common-"

Without warning, the hovering metal squirrel shot down the corridor toward the door at dizzying speed. The rustproofed rodent chirped frantically in alarm as it hurtled ass-backwards down the corridor, unable to slow itself with its own propulsion system. All heads (save Robo Squirrel's) turned to gape at the telepath.

"With any luck," Phil explained, "he'll probably be the first one through the door, like it or not."

Nobody blinked.

"It's not gonna hurt him," Phil insisted. "Trust me!"

Brute Force shifted his weight back and forth uneasily. Everyone else kept staring at Phil with quizzical expressions.

Phil held up his hands. "Come on! It was the only way to shut the damn thing up!"

The others shrugged and nodded.