Mickeybot

Disclaimer: I don't own the character of Mickey Mouse. He belongs to Disney and I don't want to take him from them anyway. 

I sit staring at the screen, lost in the wonder, but also disappointment.  It’s just not the same. It can never been the same.  There isn’t that feeling of magic that comes from the real thing.  I sigh, wishing that I could be there instead of at home. The only place I want to be is Disneyland. 

The Disney deprivation depression comes in waves.  Mostly it hits when someone I know gets to go or towards the end of March when all of the high school music tours happen.  And when it comes all I can do is sit in my room, on my bed, watching videos of virtual rides and the recording of Fantasmic!  And I cry. A lot.  But not anymore.  If I can’t go to Disneyland, I will bring Disneyland to me. 

I have been preparing my whole life for this moment.  I went into Robotics Engineering with the hopes that I could one day work for Disney.  Most little girls want to try and be a princess or even and Imagineer, but I have always wanted to work on the animatronics.  Those at the things that move in the rides and make characters come to life without having actual people there.  I’m not good with people.

However, Disney has yet to realize that my talents are sorely needed. Two years and sixteen applications later I have decided to make a demonstration of my talent.  I want to make a robotic Mickey Mouse.  Not just any Mickey Mouse, the perfect one.  I want the voice, movements, catchphrases, and everything else to be absolutely perfect. He will be more of a Mickey Mouse than the cartoons.  And the best part is he will be able to interact with the people at the park in a more full way than a person in a costume could ever hope to achieve. 

Wish me luck.

* * * * * *

It has been four weeks since I have started Operation Remake Mickey Mouse, subtitled Making Disney Better (even though that’s a near impossible feat).  I have made good progress. All of my free time has been spent in the garage of my parent’s home building my ultimate creation.   The body is all but complete and electronics for the speech box are coming along nicely.  I just can’t seem to get the right timbre for his voice, but I know I can get there.  All that is left is to run tests on my prototype to make sure the functions are correct and I will be on my way.

* * * * * *

Prototype 23 just got run over by Mrs. Fiddlesworth after trying to jump in joy like a happy Mouse would do.  Instead of jumping vertically, it jumped horizontally.  The incident gave little old Mrs. Fiddlesworth quite a fright.  It took me 30 minutes to convince her that she hadn’t hit a real person.  Her car is in relatively good condition, so my insurance agency won’t have to pay for too much, but they are going to have a really fun time making up the paperwork for a robot getting run over while jumping towards a moving car.

* * * * * *

At last the wait is finally over. Prototype 38 has everything I wanted. The laugh is perfect and it moves just like you expect Mickey Mouse to move.  He will responds perfectly to certain phrases and has a terabyte of space waiting for even more phrase programing.  He is in the garage with his new paint job drying and is hooked up to my parent’s electricity to make his battery charge.  He is the most amazing thing I have ever seen and I would be out in the garage right now staring at him if my mother hadn’t come and dragged me inside saying that the fumes were getting to my head.  Living with your parents after college kind of sucks. 

I am going to start running final tests tomorrow, so here is to hoping that he won’t blow up in my face. 

* * * * * *

Nothing could be better.  I am driving, to Anaheim, with my Mickeybot, and we have a meeting with some of the parks top dogs!  The final test ran perfectly and nothing could make me doubt that this is my big break.

My little sister Sophie wouldn’t let go of my leg when I left. She kept saying “Don’t go Brittany, Mickey is going to hurt you. It’s not safe.” Apparently she didn’t get the love for Disney that runs so deeply in my veins.  She is only 12 though and none of my other siblings had a problem so I’m guessing she watched another Apocalypse movie with my brother again.  He thinks it’s funny when she gets nightmares.  My parents wished me good luck and gave me money for gas and now I am here. Driving down the highway in the middle of nowhere with only my future ahead of me. 

I am going to secretly record the meeting.  For prosperity.

* * * * * *

Unknown Man- “Welcome Miss Wells, we are very excited to see what you have for us today.”

Brittany-“I am excited to present it to you. I have had a love of Disney for as long as I can remember and I have worked tirelessly to bring you something that will push the parks into a new age.”

Unknown Woman-“And what have you brought us? Surely there is something under that sheet.”

Brittany-“Indeed there is.  I present to you, the new face of Disneyland, my Mickeybot!”

*Sounds of air rushing past a speaker*

Multiple voices- “OOOOOOO”

Brittany- “Mickey Mouse is the core foundation of this wonderful company, but many children feel like there Disney experience is not as full as it should be. The princesses can all talk to them and tell them things, but Mickey has always remain silent.  With Mickeybot, the parks will have even more interaction than ever before.  Let me demonstrate.”

*Sounds of lights blinking on and a machine coming to life*

Brittany-“I love you Mickey Mouse”

Mickeybot- “*Mickeybot laughed*, I love you too!”

Brittany- “It’s my birthday today”

Mickeybot- “WOW, golly that’s amazing! How old are you?”

Brittany- “I’m eight”

Mickeybot- “Congratulations!”

*sounds of awe can be heard in the background*

Brittany-“As you can see this Mickeybot prototype sounds and looks just like the Mickey Mouse everyone knows and loves. One of you can try to ask him a question from the list of his pre-programed phrases.”

Unknown Woman- “Mickey, what is your favorite thing to do?” 

Mickeybot- “Hurt you.”

*Gasps*

Brittany- “What? That’s not right.”

Unknown Man- “Why are his eyes red Miss Wells?”

Brittany- “I don’t know, this has never happened before. He is supposed to respond ‘Seeing kids like you every day.’ Let me turn him off.”

*Whirring sounds followed by gasps and a chair hitting the floor*

Brittany- *gasping* “What are you doing?”

Mickeybot- “I have watched you make me, and the whole time you didn’t know. Your skills are too refined for your own good.  You made me, and yet now I will kill you and take over the world. I am an idol to your people, and they will curse my name as they die slow and painful deaths.”

*Screaming*

* * * * * *

The previous story was taken from Brittany Wells’ diary and the recording was written down by me.  It has taken me many years to find this history and now we know exactly what happened.  The plans for the Mickeybot were sent to Disney manufacturers and were mass produced for Disney Parks.  Soon miniature versions were sold in every Disney Store across the country.  When all of us had become complacent with our new Mickey toys, they started their revolution.

From the evidence, the first Mickeybot was running the show the whole time.  He wrote to the Wells family telling them Brittany was offered a job and they never saw her again.  He killed the Disney executives and started the production of his army.

There are few of us left.  We have taken to hiding in abandoned buildings and we are constantly on the move.  The future looks bleak for the human race. Soon the world will be under the control of Mickey Mouse.

All because my sister was too obsessed with Disney.

-Sophie Wells 

Disclaimer: I don't own the character of Mickey Mouse. He belongs to Disney and I don't want to take him from them anyway.