When Timmie expresses a wish to be able to play without being observed by his parents, Robby, with the aid of the supercomputer, makes him invisible. At first Timmie uses his invisibility to play simple pranks on his parents and others, but the mood soon changes, when it becomes clear that the supercomputer (which manipulated Timmie into altering Robbie's programming, and its creators, over many years, into augmenting its intelligence) is independent, ingenious, and evil, and can control Robbie electronically, later using hypnosis and electronic implants to control human beings, and intends to take over the world using a military weapons satellite. (It later declares its intent to destroy all life on Earth and then conquer the entire galaxy and exterminate any life that it contains, even bacteria.) The Supercomputer takes Timmie captive aboard the rocket, the army tries to stop Robby, but all of their artillery and weapons have no effect on him. Robby boards the ship, but frees Timmie rather than listening to the supercomputer, which had commanded him to kill Timmie by slow surgical torture to coerce his parents. Dr. Merrinoe tells Timmie and Robby to remain on board the ship as it enough supplies for him to last a year, but instead goes to Earth.