Hank chuckled. “Don’t look at me. It claims you’re its daddy. But hanged if I can see much resemblance!”
“Think it’ll live?”
“If not,” Hank replied, only half jokingly, “the boys who worked on it will sure be disappointed. No kidding, skipper, that’s quite a gadget you dreamed up!”
The device stood about shoulder-high, with a star-shaped head, one point of which could be opened. The head would contain the actual brain energy. Its upper body, cylindrical in shape and of gleaming chrome, housed the output units through which the brain would react, and also the controls. Antennas projecting out on either side gave the look of arms.
Its “waist” was girdled with a ring of repelatron 52 THE VISITOR FROM PLANET X
radiators for exerting a repulsion force when it wanted to move, by repelling itself away from nearby objects.
Below the repelatrons was an hourglass-shaped power unit, housing a solar-charged battery.
The power unit, in turn, was mounted on a pancake-shaped transportation unit. This unit was equipped with both casters and a sort of caterpillar-crawler arrangement for the contrivance to get about over obstacles. Inside was a gyro-stabilizer to keep the whole device upright.
Tom felt a glow of pride-and eager impatience-as he inspected the device. If it worked as he hoped, this odd creature might one day provide earth scientists with a priceless store of information about intelligent life on Planet X!
Bud and Chow, entering the laboratory soon after Hank Sterling had left, found Tom still engrossed in his thoughts.