Minjy the Robot Search for Wing Wong

Minjy the Robot Search Wing Wong Cover O

Minjy the Robot and the Search for Wing Wong

Minjy’s Fifth Adventure

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photo-copying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This book/e-book story is a work of fiction. All names, characters and incidents depicted in this book/e-book story are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, organizations, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and is not intended by the author.

Published by Steven Michael Krystal

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

E-mail: stevekrystal4@gmail.com

eBooks by Steven Michael Krystal

Minjy the Robot

Minjy the Robot Returns

Minjy the Robot – A Pirate’s Life

Minjy the Robot in Glitter City

Minjy the Robot and the Search for Wing Wong

About This Story

In this next story, Minjy, Monique, and Juliette are on their way from Glitter City to St. Belle to see Wing. They have no idea that she has gone missing somewhere in Nepal. Monique and Juliette soon learn that Minjy - their little robot friend - has also disappeared. A host of different characters are now looking for both. While doing research with a group of scientists near the village of Nagarkot, Wing decides to leave without telling anyone. Upon discovery that she’s missing, helicopter pilot Mike Bellford is asked to help search for her by air. Despite his persistent efforts, Wing is nowhere to be found.

It’s much the same for Minjy - her whereabouts are a mystery. For Monique and Juliette, hope of finding their little robot friend is unwavering. Yet in their wildest dreams, they could not have imagined where Minjy actually is. The search for Wing Wong and for Minjy continues. Mike asks his son, Jimmy, for help, and the scene shifts to beautiful Port Marcia. As the story unfolds, Jimmy makes friends with several people. Unknowingly, the mystery starts include others - it is not a certainty that it can be solved.

A series of unlikely events unfold and lead to outcomes unforeseen. Will the search for Wing Wong prove successful? Will Minjy’s location be discovered? Will looking for Wing and Minjy uncover their whereabouts only, or perhaps something more? Minjy the Robot and the Search for Wing Wong is, as always, based on the continued theme that goodness prevails.

PART ONE

She’s Missing

Chapter 1

Conditions on Mount Everest can change at a moment’s notice.

“This is November-Four-Papa-Tango,” said helicopter pilot Mike Bellford.

He was practically shouting into his headset – the howling winds made it almost impossible to hear. On the other end, the dispatcher listened carefully and could hear the intense, background noise.

“I’m at Everest South Base Camp and my location is twenty-eight degrees north and eighty-six degrees east,” said Mike. “The weather has gotten worse and snow is moving in quickly.”

Challenges on this great mountain came in every form, shape, and size.

He struggled to hear the dispatcher yet understood that there was a missing person situation. A female scientist had wandered off alone. She had mentioned something to the others about gathering more information for her research. She separated from the group and disappeared. Everyone began searching for her but she was nowhere to be found.

“Mike, we have an emergency,” he said. “There’s a team of scientists doing research in the hills of Nagarkot.”

The scenic village of Nagarkot was about twenty miles east of the capital city of Kathmandu in Nepal.

“A bad storm has hit the area and everyone had to be evacuated,” said the dispatcher. “All are accounted for except one – her name is Wing Wong. She was last seen about an hour ago. Mike, we need your help. Please get over here as quickly as possible and begin an air search. You know how dangerous it can be to get stranded once bad weather sets in.”

“Okay, I’m on my way now,” he replied. “I’ve got to get this chopper into the air or else I’ll be stranded here.”

The dispatcher heard the sound of the helicopter’s mighty engine gaining power.

“Understood, November-Four-Papa-Tango,” said the dispatcher. “Do what you have to do and remember - safety first. Good luck, Mike.”

During his thirty years of working the air waves he had encountered the same situation twice. Fortunately, both had ended without incident and searchers managed to find the missing. The dispatcher hoped for no lesser an outcome this time around.

* * * *

As the search for Wing Wong continued, Monique and Juliette Hevelle were on an overseas flight from Glitter City to Borne.

Prior to departure, Minjy the robot had been powered off and stored in the plane’s cargo hold. The flight from Glitter City to Borne took about twelve hours, much the same as flying to cities like London or Paris that were nearby. After landing, it would be just a short car ride from Borne International Airport to the town of St. Belle where Juliette lived. The plan was for Minjy to be re-united with Wing Wong.

A friendly announcement from the flight deck was a welcome sound to the passengers.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking,” he said. “We’re now over the Atlantic Ocean, and about half way between the shores of North America and Europe. We have another four hours until we land in Borne. For those passengers seated on the left side of the aircraft, there’s a great view of the Northern Lights. For most of you, I’m sure this is the closest you’ll ever be to this beautiful display of colors.”

To say that Juliette was remotely interested in what the captain had said was an overstatement. Her mind was on Minjy. She was taken from the sisters by airline personnel and stored away. Although the same was done when Minjy flew from Port Marcia to Glitter City, this time something happened which only Juliette seemed to notice.

When it came time for Minjy to be powered off the usual procedure was followed, which was to feel the back of her neck and gently apply pressure. This is how it had been done before by Wing Wong and Monique. This time, however, Monique was looking inside her handbag for her passport and asked Juliette to attend to Minjy. Juliette immediately felt uncomfortable with the task – she had always been told by Monique that she was heavy-handed. For this reason, Juliette didn’t ask her sister for any assistance.

She reluctantly reached for the back of Minjy’s neck and squeezed. Juliette felt Minjy jerk which was not out of the ordinary. This was usually followed by a slightly slumped posture, but this time Minjy was as floppy as a puppet with no strings. A groaning noise came from her mid-section and became less and less audible until it was silent. Juliette didn’t like the sound of that.

Juliette seemed troubled from the moment she boarded the plane, and her mood was the same for several hours. Monique, on the other hand, peered out the window and was captivated by the Northern Lights. Then she leaned aside so her sister could look.

“Juliette, you’ve got to see this, it’s so amazing!”

She wasn’t interested and barely turned her head. Monique couldn’t tell if there was something wrong or her sister was merely tired.

“Juliette, what’s the matter? You love to gaze out the window when you fly. You’re nose is usually pressed up against the glass. Are you tired? Please tell me.”

“Everything’s fine - I’m just a little worried about Minjy.”

“Why would you be worried about Minjy? She’s safe and sound. As soon as we land she’ll be here, there, and everywhere! She’s flown before and has been absolutely fine afterwards. It will be no different this time.”

“I hope so. Monique, you’re always the voice of reason.”

“Was everything okay when you powered her off?”

Juliette hesitated to respond.

Monique didn’t wait for an answer, saying, “My goodness, Juliette, you’ve really grown attached to our little robot friend. Just a few more hours to go and we’ll all be re-united. I hope you can last!”

Juliette struggled to smile. It was as if she had a sixth sense that something was not right.

* * * *

A short while later an announcement interrupted the quiet calm of the overseas flight.

“Good morning ladies and gentlemen,” said the flight attendant. “As you can see, the captain has switched on the seat belt sign. We will be landing shortly, and please return to your seats and ensure that your seat belts are fastened. Thank you.”

Juliette put aside the magazine that she’d been casually glancing through. She turned her head towards Monique who had fallen asleep. Juliette gently nudged her arm.

“Monique, it’s time to wake up. We’re landing soon.”

“I must have fallen asleep. Juliette, I just had the strangest dream!”

“What was it about?”

Monique took a deep breath and gained her composure.

“It was about Minjy. I dreamt that I was outside on a very cold day. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue and the sun was shining brightly. There were hills all around – very big hills. In fact, they were more like mountains. There was snow everywhere – powdery, crisp snow that glistened like crystals.

“I turned to look in every direction. All I could see was a beautiful canvas of white and blue – the snow and the sky – all alight by a golden sun. Suddenly, an array of very different colors caught my eye. It was some kind of object and its appearance was drab, grey, and stood out against the snowy backdrop.

“It was Minjy, and she standing waist-high in a mound of snow. She was frozen – lifeless. Then I heard whimpering sounds - I didn’t know who made them or where they came from. I screamed Minjy’s name and tried to run towards her, but the snow was deep and impeded my every step. In desperation, I lunged forward to get to her. It was to no avail – I fell. The snow was cold and all over my face. I wiped it away and looked towards Minjy – she was gone. I guess that’s when you woke me up. I don’t remember how the dream ended.”

Juliette felt a sudden chill.

“That sounds more like a nightmare than a dream,” she said. “It seems like my worrying about Minjy was contagious. At first I was concerned about Minjy, and now you. I hope this isn’t a bad omen.”

“Nonsense, Juliette, it was nothing more than a silly dream,” she replied. “I guess we’re just over-tired and not use to being apart from Minjy. We’ll be on the ground in a few minutes and be re-united with her soon enough.”

“I hope so,” said Juliette, “but I just don’t know why I have this strange feeling that something’s wrong.”

She turned her head and looked out the window. Strangely, her intuitiveness would prove to be correct.

* * * *

After disembarking from the aircraft, Monique and Juliette found themselves in an unforeseen predicament. Upon arrival in Borne, they and the other passengers proceeded to the airport’s customs and immigration hall. It was all fairly routine for arriving travellers. When it was their turn, Monique and Juliette approached the counter and presented their passports to the customs officer. He was stone faced as he studied their passport photos and glanced at their faces. He spent a lot of time checking his computer, every so often looking up at the sisters with a look of suspicion.

The wait made them uncomfortable, but in different ways. Monique was the more seasoned traveller of the two. She took nothing for granted when being scrutinized by any kind of official, be it a police officer, or in this case, a customs officer. Most of the time these encounters were mundane, yet experience had taught her to expect the unexpected.

Juliette, on the other hand, was pre-occupied with Minjy’s well-being. She was anxious to be re-united with her little robot friend and had difficulty re-assuring herself that Minjy was okay. They breathed a momentary sigh of relief when the officer handed back their passports. This, however, was short-lived and he escorted them to the airport’s immigration department.

Minutes had turned into hours and they were on edge while waiting in the sterile, white hallway. By Monique’s calculation, it had easily been at least two hours since their plane landed. The sisters were fatigued from their overseas flight and were now dealing with a lengthy delay. Sitting on hard plastic chairs made them uncomfortable and irritable.

There was nothing they could do but wait.

Monique, looking confused, turned towards Juliette.

“What is this all about?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea. Monique, what about Minjy?”

“What about her?”

“She’s waiting for us - we have to claim her from the airline right away.”

Their brief exchange was interrupted by an immigration officer who escorted them to his office. He asked them to be seated and momentarily excused himself. After a few minutes he returned and sat down at his desk opposite the women. The officer - an older gentleman with grey hair and reading glasses - opened a red file folder and began to thumb through a thin stack of papers. Monique and Juliette sat quietly and were nervous.

“Which one of you ladies is Juliette Hevelle?”

“I am, Officer. Is something wrong?”

“What would make you think that, young lady?”

“No reason – it’s just that I’ve never been questioned by an immigration officer before.”

Monique took the opportunity to interject.

“Excuse me, sir. I’m Juliette’s older sister – my name is Monique. Why are we being detained?”

The officer looked at Monique, was silent for moment, and then began to smile.

“It is very nice to make your acquaintance, Monique. My name is Officer Elfson.”

Monique and Juliette became more at ease upon seeing the officer smile and hearing his gentle manner of speaking.

“I apologize for the inconvenience and please do not worry. I will keep this as brief as I can. Juliette, do you recall being a patient at St. Belle Medical Center?”

“Yes, I do. Why are you asking?”

“According to the center’s records you were not officially discharged.”

Once again, Monique interrupted the conversation.

“Officially discharged? What does that mean? Who told you that?”

“Ladies, please let me explain. The Department of Health reviews the records of all our patient care facilities. It is standard practice and done to safeguard public health and prevent the spread of contagious diseases. The center’s records were checked and they indicated that Juliette was being treated for pneumonia. She left the center on her own rather than being discharged by a doctor. Her chart revealed that she still had symptoms of pneumonia including a high fever. According to the law, all patients must receive the okay from a doctor prior to leaving. I’m afraid you could have harmed yourself and others by leaving while still sick.”

“But Officer, I’m fine,” said Juliette.

The officer smiled and then replied, “I’m very happy to hear that, but I’m afraid you’re missing the point. You left the center without a doctor’s consent and posed a risk to the public. Fortunately, it’s apparent that you recovered from your bout of pneumonia and did not make anyone else ill.”

“Then why have we been prevented from leaving the airport?” asked Monique.

“Juliette left the country immediately after leaving the medical center,” he replied. “When the Department of Health learned what had happened, Juliette’s file was flagged. That means that upon re-entry to the country, it must be ensured that she does not pose any risk to public health.”

“What am I supposed to now?” asked Juliette.

“Another immigration officer that is responsible for healthcare matters will meet with you shortly,” replied Officer Elfson. “You’ll be required to complete a form and they’ll sign off on your paperwork - then you’re free to go. In the meantime, I’m afraid you’ll have to sit tight until someone arrives. That’s the best I can do.”

Having said that he smiled politely and stood up to leave.

Monique appraised the situation and was resigned to wait. She knew that in a case like this, the path of least resistance was their quickest and only option.

“Monique, what do you think we should do?”

“There’s nothing more we can do. You heard Officer Elfson - hopefully the other officer will be just as understanding. Obviously you’re well and the paperwork is just a formality. Let’s hope they get here soon so we can be on our way.”

“I guess you’re right. Monique, what about Minjy?”

“Oh my goodness – with all that’s gone on I’ve completely forgot about her. I’m going to speak to Officer Elfson at once. I’ll tell him that we were supposed to claim Minjy from the airline hours ago. He seems like a nice man – maybe he’ll let me get her while you wait here.”

Juliette thought it was worth a try.

Monique found Officer Elfson in the corridor just outside the office. She explained that Minjy was waiting to be picked up from the airline and asked if she could get her while Juliette stayed behind. He agreed, and Monique was on her way.

Chapter 2

While the sisters were dealing with their situation, pilot Mike Bellford was trying to help with another. The ongoing search for Wing Wong had turned up nothing. He assisted the search team by combing Nagarkot’s hilly terrain by air. He flew several times a day and took few breaks other than to rest and re-fuel.

Mike had done all he could for now and was heading home. His flight departed Kathmandu and was en route to Borne with a connecting flight to Gibraltar. As Mike sat and relaxed in his window seat, he was determined to return to Nagarkot and continue to search.

Upon landing in Borne, Mike made his way to the baggage claim area. His connecting flight to Gibraltar was scheduled to depart in three hours which gave him ample time to get to his gate located in an adjacent terminal.

Mike was not accustomed to airline travel on the weekend - he much preferred weekdays which were less crowded. As he anticipated, the baggage claim area was packed with people and luggage. Row upon row of baggage in all colors, shapes, and sizes filled the hall, and identifying his suitcase and bags would prove to be no easy task. To make matters more challenging, Mike had decided to bring back his cold weather equipment. His upcoming work assignments were in hot climates, meaning that his heavier gear could be stored at home for the season.

“I figured that this place would be busy, but not like this,” he thought. “It’s a good thing I have plenty of time between flights – this is going to take a while.”

He spotted his suitcase without too much trouble. Yet he was unaware that some of his bags were bundled into a storage pod. This was a new system that allowed airlines to place several pieces of a passenger’s luggage into one pod which was made of a strong, opaque, plastic material. It was meant to streamline baggage handling operations in an effort save time and money for the airlines.

It was no easy task finding the pod that belonged to him. He finally did and rolled it and his suitcase towards the check-in counter. In this new era of enhanced airline security it was necessary for travellers to identify and re-check their luggage for connecting flights. Upon presentation of a boarding pass and passport to the airline representative, suitcases were whisked away for onward flights.

Mike stood patiently in line and waited for a representative to process his baggage for the connecting flight. The wait seemed to take forever and he wondered if the new pod system was any sort of an improvement. When his turn came he placed his suitcase and the pod onto a floor level conveyer belt. The representative serving him barely spoke a word of English and relied heavily on her computer to process his luggage.

She managed a thin smile.

“Sir, my computer say two pods for you,” said the representative. “I need one more please.”

Mike seemed puzzled.

“My baggage tag number matches the one on this pod. I checked inside and all of my bags are there. I have everything.”

The representative did not appear to pay any attention to what Mike was saying. Rather, she stared at her monitor and looked confused.

She repeated her command, saying, “Sir, my computer say two pods for you. I need one more please.”

“Sorry, but I’m afraid your computer is wrong,” he answered. “I have everything - I already told you that.”

She continued to stare at her computer and avoided eye contact with Mike. After feverishly entering information into her computer, a baggage handler suddenly appeared and brought over a second pod.

“Sir, my computer say this pod also for you,” she said. “Tag number the same as your airline ticket.”

Without giving him a chance to respond, she swiveled her monitor to face Mike. She highlighted his travel itinerary with her curser and illuminated two luggage tag numbers. Then the baggage handler was told to move the second pod onto the belt. With one mouse click both pods and his suitcase were on their way. The representative returned Mike’s airline ticket and passport to him and called for the next passenger in line.

“What just happened?” he wondered. “I’m certain that my bags were all in one pod. Either I’m mistaken and some are in the second, or I’ve ended up with someone else’s luggage.”

By now, Mike was tired and just wanted to get to the gate for his connecting flight.

“If there’s a problem, I’ll straighten it out once I arrive in Gibraltar,” he thought.

* * * *

Gibraltar was a three hour flight from Borne. After having traveled for almost twenty hours, getting home was all that was on Mike’s mind. His flight got in ahead of schedule which pleased him.

“I’ll pick up my luggage and then catch a cab for home. Ah, home sweet home!” he thought.

This proved to be a bit premature as he heard an announcement over the airport’s PA system.

“Gibraltar International Airport is paging arriving passenger Mike Bellford,” said the announcer. “Please proceed to the baggage claim area on the ground floor and meet with a representative. Thank you.”

The announcement caught him off guard and he was wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him. Mike was certain, however, that it was his name that he heard.

“Gee, I hope everything is okay with my luggage,” he thought.

He picked up the pace as he continued towards the escalator to the ground floor. Once there, he noticed the customer service kiosk and went over to introduce himself. Before he had a chance to speak, the woman behind the counter gave him an inviting smile and initiated the conversation.

“Good afternoon, sir. Are you Mr. Bellford?”

“Yes I am. I thought I heard my name being announced over the PA system. I guess I heard correctly. Is everything okay? Is there a problem with my luggage?”

“My name is Ella, and thank you for responding to my announcement. Everything is fine for the most part, Mr. Bellford. We did, however, have a problem while unloading one of the storage pods belonging to you.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I hope my gear didn’t get damaged.”

“That’s the thing, Mr. Bellford – we’re not entirely sure what to make of your gear, or if its condition is intact. Perhaps it’s best if I show you.”

Ella asked Mike to follow her and they passed through a doorway leading to a restricted area of the airport. Mike immediately recognized his suitcase and bags resting beside two open pods. He checked things over and they looked fine to him.

“Everything looks good. Is there something I’m missing?”

“Our baggage handler reported that when one of your pods opened, your statue took a tumble and landed heavily onto the concrete floor. We’re very sorry about that, but its weight must have shifted while in transit. The handler noticed that your statue has a glass bulb on its front. Not to worry – it does not appear to have broken. We have no way of knowing, however, if your statue is working okay. Only you’d know for sure.”

Mike looked puzzled and had no idea what she was referring to.

“Please forgive me - I’m a bit confused. I don’t own a statue, nor do I see one. What exactly are you talking about?”

“Oh, you’re right, Mr. Bellford. Someone placed the pod in front of it.”

She walked over to the pod and rolled it aside. The object was now in plain view but it was no statue – it was Minjy.

“Well that’s interesting,” said Mike. “I’m not sure what to make of it. That looks more like a robot – or should I say a one-armed robot - than a statue to me."

Now it was Ella’s turn to be puzzled. She looked over at the robot and noticed that one of its arms was missing.

“Oh my, I didn’t even notice that!” she said.

“The arm probably fell off in transit and is still inside the pod,” replied Mike. “Let me take a look.”

Sure enough, it was resting at the bottom of the pod.

“Here it is,” he said. “It looks like the kind of attachment that snaps. My mountaineering gear is designed the same way. The pieces snap on and off with the click of a button – that makes it easier to disassemble and transport.”

Mike walked over to Minjy and reattached her arm in matter of seconds.

“There – it’s no worse for wear. Ella, I can tell you with absolute certainty that this robot doesn’t belong to me.”

“But it was in your pod, Mr. Bellford. When the computer scanned the pod’s bar code it corresponded to your airline reservation. May I please see your ticket? The luggage tag should be attached to it.”

Mike grabbed at his coat pocket and pulled out his ticket. Just as she had said, the tag was on the underside of the ticket. She pointed her handheld scanner at the tag’s bar code - moments later there was an error message. She tried a second and third time and the results were the same. Then she manually entered the number into her computer.

“This has to be the longest number I’ve ever seen,” she said, “and not to mention that it’s practically all sixes and nines. It’s enough to make you dizzy!”

Despite her best efforts, Ella’s computer kept responding with the same message. Mike waited patiently.

“There’s definitely something not right about this tag number,” she said. “Sometimes the lines on the bar code are illegible when scanned and the error message occurs.”

Ella decided to scan the bar code on Mike’s airline ticket. Instantly, his travel information appeared.

“Now that’s better. Okay, let’s have a look. My computer shows that you’ve just arrived from Borne. Is that right, Mr. Bellford?”

“Yes, and as a matter of fact we arrived a few minutes early.”

“Well, that’s always good news! Now, I see that your flight originated in Kathmandu – that’s in Nepal. That must be such a fascinating place! You landed at Borne International Airport and caught a connecting flight to Gibraltar. As far as your baggage is concerned, it shows that you checked two pods for your flight from Borne to Gibraltar. That all makes sense.”

Mike was getting tired as he waited yet remained gracious.

“Excuse me, Ella - I really appreciate all the time you’ve spent trying to help me with my luggage. The truth is, I’ve been travelling for practically twenty-four hours and I’m exhausted. Aside from the robot, the rest of the stuff is mine. If I can please grab my suitcase and bags, I’ll be on my way.”

“I’m sorry to have held you up, Mr. Bellford.”

Mike paused momentarily and then asked, “Why doesn’t the airline send the robot back to where I came from? The owner is likely at the airport and looking for it.”

“That’s a great suggestion,” she replied, “and that’s exactly what we’ll do. It was nice meeting you, and let me get one of our baggage handlers to help you with your things. Again, I’m sorry for keeping you so long. Have a good ride home, Mr. Bellford.”

Mike thanked her and he was on his way.

Ella brought up Mike’s ticket information. Because his flight had originated in Nepal, her computer generated a new baggage tag for the airport in Kathmandu, instead of Borne where Minjy had come from. She gave it to one of the handlers who then put Minjy back into the pod. It was sealed and the tag was affixed.

“I feel sorry for the robot’s owner – I’m sure they’re upset that it has gone missing,” thought Ella. “Hopefully it will make its way back to the owner soon.”

The pod, with Minjy inside, was on its way.

“Have a good trip home my little robot friend!” she said with a smile.

End of Sample.