4. The Wabbit in the Shopping Centre

Acting on information received, the team hurried to a shopping centre where a giant robot rabbit was at large and menacing shoppers. They headed to the second floor and there it was, talking to a woman who didn't seem dismayed at all. "You're one of these artificial rabbits," she said. "I'm scary," the rabbit replied. Its eyes flashed red. The woman shook her head. "You've been told to be scary, and that cuts no ice with me." Wabsworth arrived with his paws aloft. "Stop," he shouted. Lapinette grabbed the rabbit from behind and pulled. The Wabbit advanced waving both paws and a hastily printed instruction manual. The woman glanced at Wabsworth. "You're a real android version of the Wabbit," she said. "Anyone can see that." The Wabbit threw his manual and Wabsworth caught it. He flicked the pages quickly, then switched a button under the robot's head. "Glad to oblige, Madam," It was a firm and authoritative voice he'd adapted from television. "This robot will trouble you no longer." Shoppers passed to right and left, but they thought it was a stunt and laughed. The rabbit groaned to a standstill. "I'm destined to be nought but a children's toy." His mechanical voice faded. The Wabbit saluted the woman and gave his most diplomatic smile. "Please say nothing of this," requested Lapinette. "It never happened," smiled the woman, "I'll roll it round to the toy store." Wabsworth passed her the manual, nudged her and grinned. "They'll need this!"

3. The Wabbit and a Technical Matter

The day had turned an electric yellow when the Wabbit caught up with Wabsworth. He spotted him from behind a van and ran to catch up. Lapinette went the other way. "Wabsworth," they shouted in unison. Wabsworth turned looking bemused. "I was just accepting an order from that van driver." He tapped his clipboard. "He was supposed to arrive at 3 pm." The Wabbit knew it was only five past and shrugged. "You look stressed," said Wabsworth. "It's a matter of artificial intelligence," said Lapinette. "It's not what it's cracked up to be," grinned Wabsworth. For an android, he had a dry sense of humour. "A project got out of paw." The Wabbit looked crestfallen, "and robots are running amuck in the city." "These would be the ones I saw on the bus," commented Wabsworth. He looked at the bus stop. "They were telling stories and entertaining passengers." Lapinette waved her paws. "They're dangerous." Wabsworth looked at his clipboard again. The Wabbit knew his android double didn't need a clipboard. Wabsworth smiled. "They're not configured properly. Artificial Intelligence is the biggest scam ever perpetrated on an unsuspecting public. You have to tell robots exactly what to do - then they do it." The Wabbit gave Wabsworth a look. "What about you?" Wabsworth shrugged just like the Wabbit. "I tell myself what to do. I'm the thinking man's android." Lapinette groaned and slapped her forehead with her paw. "Just tell us what to do about these robots." Wabsworth paused. "Did you write instructions....?"  The Wabbit nodded. "I did start but it was too much manual labour."

2. The Wabbit and the Bus Incident

Things quietened. The Wabbit shut down his program and they made their way home. But halfway along Via Gregorio VII, they met with a chaotic scene. A bus had come to a sudden standstill in the middle of the road, and it looked like the driver had long since fled. Two robots battled, stamping and scuttling. A robot rabbit, much the same as the Wabbit designed, chased a giant spider. The Wabbit jumped on the bus and tried to control the robots. But despite much jabbing of controls, it wouldn't respond. Lapinette climbed to a nearby balcony and took aim with an automatic. Bullets zipped across the street but had no effect. Lapinette shouted to the Wabbit. "What's going on?" Ambulance sirens wailed their way down the central reservation. The Wabbit shrugged. "It must have spawned." He jumped from the bus. The robot took no notice. The spider turned and shot streams of metallic venom at the robot. The robot flicked them off as if they were nothing more than insects. "I'm not sure what to do," said the Wabbit, "They're not under my control." Lapinette gave up firing bullets. With a sudden movement the robots stopped, turned and jumped on another bus to the centre. The Wabbit shrugged again. "Let the carabinieri sort it out. In the meantime, I'll talk to Wabsworth." Lapinette jumped down. "He ought to know." The Wabbit grinned. "It was his idea."

1. The Wabbit and the Robot Rabbit

Lapinette rounded a corner in Rome and spotted the Wabbit running from a ferocious Rabbit. "Need a helping paw?" Lapinette hung from the lamp post, because the Wabbit had been working in his shed and he was grinning. "Stop Robot!" The giant rabbit froze. The Wabbit laughed and laughed. "What do you think, Lapinette? I've been experimenting with Artificial Intelligence." Lapinette spluttered with mirth. "It looks like something I've seen before." The Wabbit shrugged. "AI is in its infancy. I don't expect much." Lapinette looked the rabbit up and down. "It needs a bit of work in the ferocity department, if that's what you want." The Wabbit surveyed the rabbit too. "Every time I asked for a rabbit, the computer produced chubby faced creatures that would be at home on a baby's play pen." Lapinette dropped from the lamp post. "Maybe a vampire rabbit like the ones in Wallace and Gromit?" The Wabbit considered it. "I think they were werewolf type rabbits." Lapinette danced around the robot. "Maybe he does look ferocious. But the eyes should be red." The Wabbit played with his remote. The robot's eyes glowed red. "That's better," smiled Lapinette, "Does it speak?" "I most certainly do," said the robot. "Very convincing!" murmured Lapinette. "I didn't programme that," grimaced the Wabbit. The robot's head slowly turned. "I programed that myself," it growled.

[The featured robot is created using artificial intelligence]