Numbed! by David Lubar Page A

video. Ms. Fractalli led us down a hallway toward an area called the Chamber of Fractions.
    Just then, Benedict grabbed my arm and shouted, “Look!”
    With his other hand, he pointed at a sign hanging from the middle of a thick rope that blocked an opening on the left side of the hallway. I could see a flight of stairs past the opening, heading down to the basement. The sign read:
    RESTRICTED EXPERIMENTAL AREA
CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC
ABSOLUTELY NO VISITORS ALLOWED
    â€œAwesome!” Benedict said. “They wouldn’t put up a sign if it was really a secret. They want people to go there.”
    â€œThat’s ridiculous.” I grabbed Benedict’s shoulder. “If they wanted people to go down there, they’d say so on the sign.”
    â€œThen everyone would go,” he said. “They want people, but only the ones who are smart enough to figure that out. Like us. Let’s go.”
    Before I could say anything, he’d slipped from my grip, ducked under the rope, and raced down the stairs. I found myself alone, listening to the fading squeak of his sneakers on the tile floor and imagining what Ms. Fractalli would do to both of us when Benedict got in trouble down there.
    If I didn’t chase after him, I’d get blamed. But the last time I’d chased him anywhere, I ended up getting punished. That had not been fun.
    â€œI hope this time is different,” I muttered to myself.
    I had no idea I was about to get my wish. This time would definitely be different—mostly because it would be a whole lot worse.

CHAPTER
1 + 1
    I checked over my shoulder to make sure Ms. Fractalli wasn’t watching. Then I slipped under the rope and hurried down the steps. They led me to a long hallway with doors on both sides. I found Benedict in the third room on the left. He wasn’t alone.
    A small man wearing a lab coat was hunched over a workbench. His frizzy hair was just ­starting to turn gray at the sides, but his mustache was still dark black. My jaw dropped as I stared across the workbench. It wasn’t the man who surprised me. It was the robot. “Awesome!” I said. I love electronics.
    â€œYeah, awesome,” Benedict said.
    The robot had all kinds of flashing lights on it, like an old-fashioned pinball machine. It had a pair of video camera lenses for eyes and small microphones for ears. It had jointed arms that ended in three-pronged claws like those machines at the amusement park where you try to win a toy. The robot didn’t have any legs or wheels. I guess it wasn’t supposed to walk or roll anywhere. Or maybe it wasn’t finished. The man had a whole table full of parts in front of him.
    â€œI agree. It’s definitely awesome,” he said. “Or it will be, once I work out a couple of glitches.” He smiled at us. I relaxed a bit when I realized he didn’t seem to mind that we were there.
    â€œWhat is it?” Benedict asked.
    â€œA new interactive exhibit—Cypher, the Number Cruncher. We’re developing a whole section of new math experiences.” The man held out his hand. “I’m Dr. Thagoras. I just started working here last month.”
    â€œCypher must know a zillion numbers,” I said.
    Dr. Thagoras laughed. “Actually, he only knows two numbers. Make that two digits. But that’s all he needs.”
    â€œNo way,” Benedict said. “Even Logan’s dog knows more than that.”
    â€œCypher’s memory is nothing but switches.” Dr. Thagoras reached over to the wall and flicked the lights off and then back on. “Off and on—that’s all he has. Or 1 and 0. If on means “1” and off means “0,” you have every number you need, as long as you have enough switches.”
    â€œNo, you don’t,” Benedict said. “You don’t have the number fifteen. Or ten thousand.”
    Dr. Thagoras grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. “Let’s