" I'll do no such thing!" Ray told Professor Zum.

" Alright... then would you at least think about simply allowing me to transfer Darmo the robot's memories into your mind? Tell me now.. haven't you felt as though something was missing in you... that you have a feeling of being incomplete?"

" I.... do feel like there's something that ought to be there... yes.. but, if I submitted to such a procedure, what would happen to me? I don't want to stop being me."

Ray was worried.

Carol was concerned, too.

Darmo finally spoke.

" Sir," he began, turning to Zum. " What would happen to me?"

" Who and what you are.... would merge with Dar.. Ray.. and you two would be as one."

" Is that not death, Sir?"

" No. You would still be you. Ray would still be Ray. The two parts of you which are incomplete would become whole."

" Then.. I would not cease to exist?"

" No, Darmo... you would not cease to be." The Professor smiled sadly at his creation.

" What is it, Professor? I sense there is more to this than you're letting on." Carol had very good intuition.

" I fear that, not having heard more from R - Tran.. that my world will simply keep sending more and more robot assassins.. until Darmo is finally destroyed. Each one will be more powerful than the last."

Ray looked at Darmo, then at Carol.

" You said he... Darmo saved your life twice?"

" Yes, Ray... he did.. and my mother's life, too.. R Tran killed Russ, though.. and Greg is missing now!"

" Is mom okay?? " Ray asked, quite worried now.

" Mom is just fine. I made sure she was safe."

" Thank God for that. I won't miss Russ.. from what you told me, he was a dick. We have to find Greg, though."

" We do, yes.. If only I could call Mom, and let her know that you're fine. She's very worried, Ray."

" But we can contact her... all we need to do is hook up your cellular phone to the booster in my ship." Professor Zum informed Carol and Ray.

" Have you thought more about the memory transfer? " Zum asked.

" I don't know... it sounds pretty scarey to me." Ray told the older man.

Suddenly, Darmo froze up. His eyes began to blink off and on with a bright red light.

" Alert, alert! Another hostile robot has been detected! It has just entered the Earth's atmosphere, and is on an intercept course, headed directly for our current location! Projected time to arrival here... 4 Earth minutes!"

" Oh, crap." was all the professor could say.