Loopy the Robot Dog : A Short Story

It was the year of our lord, Twenty-Twenty. Professor Jacob Einsted was a very clever man. He knew so much about science and engineering that scientists, from all over the world, would contact him when they had a problem. Some years ago he had lost his beloved wife. Now he was a sad and lonely man.

To cheer himself up, he constructed, in great secrecy, a robot dalmatian dog called Loopy. He made Loopy very strong and gave him the ability to talk every language known, and some unknown, to man.  Loopy was so well made that he looked like an ordinary dalmatian. Because he didn't eat or drink, the professor didn't have to fuss with meals for him. Loopy was told he must never allow anyone to hear him speak, otherwise some bad men might capture him, put him on TV, and make loads of money from him: as The Miracle Talking Dog. Loopy promised he would only talk with the professor when they were alone.

The professor had a second-hand Tiger Moth aeroplane, which he bought from the RAF. With it he flew to various countries where he gave lectures at universities. After lecturing in Hungary he flew, with Loopy, over the high Alps en route to Kloten airport in Zurich, Switzerland, where he would give another lecture. After that he would fly back to England and his Laboratory in Cambridge university.

Flying over the high Alps their engine stuttered: Brunch! Crunch! Brunch! The engine made a final splutter and stopped, and the propellers no longer turned.

The professor said, "I'm sorry Loopy we will crash into these high mountains and that will be the end for us."

Just as they stalled and were about to crash, to their amazement they saw, surrounded by steep cliffs, a beautiful green valley.

"Hi, Ho, Loopy. It wont be easy, but I'll try to glide down and if we're lucky, make an emergency landing."

The professor managed to land, and apart from bruises they were both OK, but the Tiger Moth would never fly again.

Feeling shook-up and dizzy, the two survivors gazed in amazement at the landscape before them. They were in a previously unknown green valley. There were trees laden with fruit, rabbits, wild fowl, goats, some dainty Roe Deer, and best of all there was a crystal stream of pure water that ran into a small lake.

"Well Loopy, it looks like we've discovered an unknown valley."

When they felt less groggy, the survivors noticed some primitive huts. They became concerned because groups of people, appeared out of the huts, and walked towards them. They looked like people from an earlier age dressed in animal skins.

The strange natives advanced nearer and nearer towards them. They carried no weapons and their faces expressed amazement rather than aggression. Stopping about twenty feet from our two adventurers they muttered amongst themselves in a strange language.

"Can you understand anything of their strange tongue Loopy?"

"Yes I can. They have never seen a western man before, or a dog, and certainly not an aeroplane. Unfortunately, they think you are a God."

"Tell them we come in peace and mean them no harm."

Loopy relayed the professor's message and to his relief the group surrounded them and began to smile and laugh.

A curious Loopy questioned the crowd, "Who are you people?"

An old man stepped forward.

"We are known as Hunites and we have lived alone in this lovely land for centuries.  Many years ago we were hunter gatherers. One day, lost in the mists of time, starving and thirsty we wandered through a pass in the mountains and discovered this land, with its abundance of game and clear drinking water. We intended to fill our satchels and water bottles and return to our homeland.  Fate thought otherwise; there was an earthquake,  followed by fierce storms and weeks of heavy rain. The mountains collapsed, rocks fell, and our exit passage was blocked. Thankfully, none of us were hurt. There was no way out and we were trapped. In the end, fate had been kind to us because we made our home in this wonderful valley. We built houses from the plentiful timber and bulrushes. We grew healthy and strong and we were never hungry. Our only weapons, for hunting, were bows, arrows and clubs. The shame was that the animals were so tame they would run up to us and be friendly, but we had to eat, and we killed only as many as we required. We all have equal standing in our tribe, but as I'm the wisest they have made me their leader."

Loopy answered, "Thank you. What is your name?"

"Yohannah. What's yours?"

"This gentleman is Professor Jacob Einsted and my name is Loopy."

The old man held out both arms in a welcoming gesture.

"We are your friends, you will sleep in my house until we have built a house for you. We start building tomorrow. As well as timber we can use some parts of your broken flying machine."

All that was left for Loopy to say was, "Thank you Yohannah."

The old man said, "Man who flies in the sky, with wounded bird, follow me.  I have something mysterious to show you."

After Loopy had translated they trailed after Yohannah.

Yohannah took them to the plane and said, "Strong dog lift the wing of your bird."

Loopy easily pushed the wing to one side and they were surprised to see an old stone with carved writing on it.  Excited, Jacob went to the house and returned, with a pen and some paper, and drew a diagram of the scribbled writing.

Jacob asked Loopy, "Do you understand this strange lettering?"

"No I can’t, but I can tell you it's older than Sanskrit, which I can read."

None the wiser Jacob stashed the drawing, he had made, into his pocket.

The Hunites were an attractive race. The men were tall, with good feature’s, and fine physiques. The woman were willowy, gracious, and appealing. They were good workers; they had the professor's house built in three days. With the help of the professor's planning, the construction of his home was remarkably efficient, helped by the professor salvaging some items from the plane.

Life continued and the Hunites proved to be faithful friends. Loopy would play ball with the children and together they enjoyed fun and games. He took this opportunity to find out more about their unexpected hosts.

Yohannah told him, "We all love each other and we are all mothers and fathers to the children."

Loopy received a strange answer when he broached the sensitive subject of burial.

Looking serious the old man said, "We have no need for burials because none of us ever die. We stay the same age as we did when we arrived here. If you remain with us you will also never die."

When Loopy relayed Yohanna's answer to Jacob, he retorted, "Please my friend, don't tell me any more fairy stories, life is complicated enough."

Some weeks later, Loopy brought a pretty girl called Marannah to Jacob.

Loopy's story to the mystified professor was, "Yohannah has sent this girl to you, she will cook, clean, and wash your clothes, she will also live with you and care for us both."

Jacob hesitated, but before he could refuse Loopy intervened, "If you refuse to have the girl, the tribe will be insulted and our friendly relations will cease."

A bewildered Jacob, not wishing to stir up trouble, made a show of making the girl welcome. The choice should have been an easy one because Marannah was extremely pretty. She had large dark eyes, and jet-black hair that curled down to her waist. She smiled easily, had a trim figure, and her animal-hide dresses were fashioned in a modern manner.

The couple enjoyed life with the Hunites, but after a month Jacob talked seriously with Loopy, "As you know I have a dear friend, Doctor Tom Galbraith, who is my lab' assistant in Cambridge. Tom will be worried about our disappearance. Unfortunately, I've no way of contacting him and explaining our dilemma. We've no satellite phone and our radio was wrecked beyond repair. I would dearly like to contact Tom, but I don't know how."

Loopy stated, "When Tom receives no messages from you, he will look into things."

"Of course he will, but I must admit to growing happier every day. I want us to be found, but life is so peaceful here.  Do you feel the same way Loopy?"

"Yes professor, I would be happy to stay here with my new friends."

"Duty is duty Loopy and I'm sure Tom will be delighted to find us in this wonderful place.  Let's stand by the wreck of our plane and marvel at how lucky we've been to make a miraculous landing in this unknown valley." 

In Cambridge, Tom was on the phone to the Swiss Mountain-Rescue-Service.

"My two friends were flying from Hungary to Zurich, Switzerland, but they never arrived. Perhaps weather conditions forced my friends  to alter course. It's all a bit of a mystery. Tell me, are you  willing to mobilise a search team from Switzerland?--You are!--Excellent!--Would you mind if I flew to Switzerland and took part in the search?--Don't be daft!--I'm only forty and I keep myself in tip-top condition-- I can--Good! I'll meet your team and we'll get going in three days time.  My friends will be surprised,  but pleased to see me.  I hope they are OK because I'm very fond of them both.  Jacob is a competent pilot so I expect they will both be fine."

Some days later, after a difficult search, Tom with the searchers found the crashed plane and his two close friends. The beautiful valley was non-existent; there was only the rocky mountain terrain. Tom stared at the ancient stone tablet and asked if anyone could understand it. Naturally this was impossible because no person alive could decipher the scribbled script. If someone could have, they would be able to decipher just one word: PARADISE.

Philip's Army is now available in Paperback and Kindle formats.

ASIN: B008R7DD20
ISBN-10: 1479242624
ISBN-13: 978-1479242627


Chapter One The War Council can be read for free here.