Nothing happened. No sharp crack, no smell of ozone. The robot had failed!

Joe sighed dismally. Resignedly, he steadied the robot in his lap and reached his thumb for the "clear" button. Then he saw it.

The tiny, glowing letters beneath the lens were different! The words he'd typed out were no longer there!

In their stead, he read:

DELAWARE 6-2717,
ASK FOR BARBARA!

He dialed the number.

"Hello?" a soft, feminine voice answered.

"Is this Barbara?" he asked.

"Yes. Who're you?"