…in many respects, they are like teenagers
The Doclopedia #917
The Alphabet: G Is For…
Golden Robots: In 1923, the Eastern European country of Grubansky unleashed an army of golden robots on its two neighboring countries Oxomistan and Anthillia. Within days, they were conquered and the robotic army was heading west. By the time the major European governments heard anything about this, three other countries had fallen and the robots were headed for Germany.
War was declared and the remaining European nations mounted a massive attack on the advancing robots. Despite the Allies having a huge advantage in manpower, the golden robots were winning. They seemed totally indestructible and the heat beams they could fire from their eyes could melt thick steel plates in seconds.
All seemed lost until a team of commandos made their way into Porgo, the capital city of Grubansky. Once there, they met up with a young scientist named Hargo Bovinki. He told them how the evil Professor Yevki had built the first golden robot in his lab, then demonstrated it to the countries mad dictator Orlo Smadlonko. Soon after, a factory was built and dozens of robots rolled off the line every day, all of them controlled by radio signals from the dictators palace.
Using old maps of the nearly 500 year old building, the commandos were able to sneak into the building and take control of the robots, causing them to self destruct. They also managed to capture both Smadlonko and Yevki, who were publicly executed a couple of days later.
Unfortunately or fortunately, depending upon your point of view, the diagrams and equipment for building the golden robots were destroyed when Professor Yevki set the factory on fire just before he was captured.
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The Doclopedia #918
The Alphabet: H Is For…
HMS Apollo: Commissioned in 1883, the HMS Apollo was the very first armored airship in the British Areofleet. It measured 150 meters from bow to stern and 35 meters from port to starboard. It had three decks and a crew of 300 men. It was armed with 12 cannons, bomb bays fore & aft and a bow mounted lightning cannon.
The Apollo fought in the War of the Worlds and the first World War, both times with great distinction. It was decommissioned in 1928 after 35 years of service. It is now on display at the Royal Air & Space Museum.
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The Doclopedia #919
The Alphabet: I Is For…
Inky McCoy: Seamus “Inky” McCoy, so nicknamed for his many tattoos, was a safecracker of great skill and fame. He was constantly in demand by thieves and bank robbers between the years of 1925 and 1938. It was said that he would often take a job just to crack the most up to date type of safe or vault. With his help, tens of millions of dollars worth of currency and other valuables were stolen, most often by the Penny Gang, who always cleaned out a safe or vault, then left a single penny behind.
In the spring of 1938, Inky was caught trying to crack a brand new type of safe at the Gruber Safe Company in Chicago. He was all alone at the time the FBI busted in, but they allowed him to finish cracking the safe before he was taken away. Company president Leo Gruber was not happy about that, but the FBI told him to get over it.
Inky was taken to FBI headquarters in Washington, where several official looking men told him that he could avoid life in prison if he would teach safecracking to American intelligence agents. Moreover, they told Inky that when he wasn’t teaching, he could crack safes in several selected foreign countries. Being a practical guy, Inky accepted their generous offer.
Things went along smoothly until after World War 2, at which point Inky just vanished shortly after helping to rob the safe of a major diamond mine in South Africa. His whereabouts were never determined, partly because the US government didn’t do much to find him. In 1992, one of his many illegitimate children, a daughter named Kerry, announced that her father was dead at age 93. Later that year, his autobiography “A Cracking Good Life” was published and became a worldwide best seller.
