The Auto-Aviator

The Auto-Aviator must stand as a significant feat of modern technology: a fully-articulated robot programmed with the information and capabilities to take the place of a living pilot in an aircraft. It also must stand as one of technology's greatest tragedies: an invention unique, innovative, and phenomenal, with a single flaw that destined it to utter failure. Its brief reign in mass production — if somehow prolonged — might have effectively ended the competitive shipping market and could ultimately have spelled doom to the concept of manned aviation. Thus the failure of the Auto-Aviator may be considered, in a way, providential.

The Auto-Aviator Automaton was the creation of Professor Martin Torque, a freelance inventor and business entrepreneur. Torque was one of the world's brightest young inventors, but he was also a shrewd businessman as well as an obscure modern-day philosopher. In Torque's opinion, the world around him was stagnant, relying on the same defunct and outmoded traditions that had existed since the age of the dinosaurs. The key to the future lay in using technology to advance civilization to a higher plane.

One of Torque's "keys to the future" was aviation. Since becoming an engineer, Torque's pet project had been an exhaustive study of the aviation industry, trying to identify problems and weaknesses that he could address. Torque conducted his research for a long time, carefully examining shipping businesses and trying to determine a common problem which his inventions could solve.

	The Auto-Aviator and its inventor, Professor Martin Torque.

Torque's study showed that the number one concern of employers was the efficiency and dependability of their pilots, especially ex-freelancers. Time the pilot spent eating, refueling, and resting — not to mention draining a few drinks at Louie's Place — could be better spent flying and delivering cargo. What employers needed was a pilot that did not deviate from his flight plan, one who could stay tireless and dependable on the job.

Thus was born the Auto-Aviator. Built to specifications, the Auto-Aviator stands exactly six feet tall and has fully-articulated motorized limbs. Controls and small system monitors are built into the robot's steel torso, which houses the main logic computer. The Auto-Aviator's dome-like head — which is removed to access the electronics inside — contains visual and audio sensory equipment as well as a small speaker enabling the robot to acknowledge spoken commands. Incapable of any true artificial intelligence, the Auto-Aviator tends to repeat the last few words spoken to it (which makes for some amusing conversations).

This conglomeration of wires and gears has but one primary directive — to complete its orders. The Auto-Aviator’s programming dictates that the robot is to stick to its designated flight plan no matter what the situation. The programming is very strict: the robot is not permitted to make any unnecessary stops along its route at any time, except to refuel or effect repairs. Anyone who tries to force the Auto-Aviator to disobey this law becomes the recipient of a powerful electric jolt, a standard feature in all Auto-Aviator models to repulse interference with their tasks.

The Auto-Aviator senses hostile intent, and reacts accordingly.

Torque ran a series of tests to insure that the Auto-Aviator was complete. Confident that his invention was fully tested and flawless, Torque now had to gain publicity for his mechanical marvel. It was not enough to boast of a robotic pilot — Torque had to prove that the Auto-Aviator could outmatch the best living pilot. He began a search for the world’s best cargo pilot, and found him: Baloo, of Higher for Hire. Renting the Sea Duck for a test flight with the Auto-Aviator, Torque made sure that Baloo and several reporters would be waiting upon his return to witness a demonstration of his robot's skills. At Torque’s claims that the modern cargo pilot was defunct and inefficient, the gray bear lost his temper, playing right into Torque’s hands.

Smugly, Torque challenged the ace pilot to compete with the Auto-Aviator in a cargo race to Tundra City and back to Cape Suzette. The winner would be named "the best pilot in the world." Baloo accepted, unaware that Torque had set him up to demonstrate the Auto-Aviator's superiority to Shere Khan. If the robot won, Khan Industries would begin immediate mass production of one thousand Auto-Aviators.

At their zenith, Auto-Aviators were produced by the hundreds.

The flight was rigorous — round trip for the race was forty hours — and Baloo’s reputation was on the line, as well as the job of every freelance and corporate pilot in the civilized world. However, the "Ace of the Base" just couldn’t cut it this time. Overcome by fatigue from the long flight, Baloo lost the race, and Khan Industries began building Auto-Aviators around the clock. The world of aviation was sent into a tailspin as fleets of Khan planes piloted by Auto-Aviators conquered the skies. Smaller companies went out of business overnight, unable to compete with the tireless robots. Things looked grim for the aviation world.

However, the outstanding characteristic of the Auto-Aviator proved to be its very undoing. While programmed to stick to their flight courses, the robots also ignored anything which required them to deviate from their flight plan. This included attack by Air Pirates, an oversight that Don Karnage and his Air Pirates instantly exploited. The fatal flaw was discovered when Khan’s personal plane — carrying Khan and Torque, with an Aviator piloting — was attacked by Karnage and his men near Mount Rezika. Even despite its own creator's protests, the robot refused to maneuver and used its shock mechanism to keep Torque away from the controls.

Fortunately, Baloo was in the area and heard the plane's distress call. Boarding Khan’s plane, he short-circuited the robot and took the controls, saving Shere Khan’s life. Enraged by Torque's deception, Khan made him return his payment and take back all the robots. With the Auto-Aviators scrapped, all pilots were called back to work immediately and Baloo was hailed as hero of the day.

Professor Torque, on the other hand, faded back into obscurity. No one seems to know where he is — although passengers of the Thembrian railroad line have reported seeing a disheveled figure standing on the platform of a remote way station, peddling contraptions called "Mechano-Maids" to housewives in the area.

AUTO-AVIATOR
Type: Khan Industries/Martin Torque's Auto-Aviator Automaton DEXTERITY 2D+2 Running 4D KNOWLEDGE 1D Locations 9D Willpower 9D MECHANICAL 3D Aircraft piloting 5D, navigation 7D PERCEPTION 1D Search 3D STRENGTH 2D TECHNICAL 1D Equipped With: - Two visual and two audial sensors, normal range - Two auto-balance legs - Two arms - Electronic brain (capable of processing verbal commands) - Speech/sound unit - Flight systems memory (programmed with aircraft operating instructions and navigational coordinates to every conceivable destination) - Primary directive (robot will under NO circumstances deviate from current flight plan; this flaw cannot be corrected) - Electroshock defensive mechanism (5D stun damage, delivered by direct contact) Move: 10 Size: 6 feet Cost: $2,500