The Wild Robot Protects

While BOSUN 10 restrains Roz, Akiko and George Sammortuk, the assistant manager, question Roz about why she is at the mining station. She explains that she is a trustworthy robot who is there to stop the poison tide from destroying her island and the rest of the ocean’s inhabitants. Though the mining operation is digging for natural substances, those substances can still be toxic to the environment. Akiko and George are skeptical of a benevolent robot and claim they had no idea the mining operation was causing a problem. Roz says they must stop the mining operation immediately to prevent further damage, but George and Akiko make excuses, claiming that they aren’t in charge and “are just following orders” (185). Then George tells Roz that the station mines rare minerals to make more robots like her. Astounded, Roz must put aside her shock to continue the negotiation. Roz suggests they stop making robots, but Akiko explains that humans have become reliant on robots to do everything. She offers to send the HYDRO robots down into the ocean to inspect for runoff and promises to fix any problems they find.

Roz is about to be released from her prison, but alarms begin loudly sounding.

Vivian, the mining station’s technology manager, points to the underwater monitor screen dotted with what looks like ships. They send out the drone which confirms they are under attack but not from boats. Swarms of fish, dolphins, and other sea creatures surround the Juggernaut and crash into its walls. From the back of the swarm, the Ancient Shark directs the onslaught, cautioning the creatures to stay clear of the poison tide. When the Ancient Shark heard of Roz’s capture, it sent word to begin the attack. Roz watches helplessly from her prison room.

A cloud of birds attacks the station from the air, and humans launch the BOSUNs to counterattack. The birds poke at the robots’ faces and splatter them with droppings. A BOSUN uses a gun to shoot birds from the sky while the drone attacks the larger birds. A bird flies into the drone’s engine, sending it crashing into the station’s antenna. With the wireless connection severed, the robots stop moving, and the mining station goes offline.

The station’s hardwire connection allows them to power the HYDROs that the humans launch into the water to fight against the fish invasion. The sea creatures fight bravely, but the HYDROs use sound cannons that make a loud “BWAA! BWAA! BWAAAAA!” (196) sound, causing the fish to retreat despite the Ancient Shark’s command to “Hold the line!” (197).

Just as the humans celebrate a victory, a large group of whales advance on the station, generating a giant tidal wave that threatens to engulf the tower. The HYDROs prepare to defend the station, but the whales dive under the water and blow out tiny bubbles to divert the robots. The HYDROs try to escape, but the wave smashes HYDRO 3 into the station, breaching the outer wall. Water begins pouring into the station as another group of whales pushes an iceberg into the fray, crushing HYDRO 2. Only HYDRO 1 remains, and all the whales attack it, forcing it to sink.

The mining station’s four engines keep it from sinking even as water gushes through the hole. An army of zooplankton, the smallest organism in the ocean, arrives. “What zooplankton lacked in size, they made up for in numbers” (203), and they create a glowing cloud of slime that coats the engine’s propellers.

After hearing that Roz had been captured, Brightbill and Glimmer traveled for three days to attempt a rescue. With Nimbus’s help and an army of seabirds, they enter the station and search for Roz. Nimbus and the seabirds distract BOSUN 10, and Roz uses her superior strength to break down the door. She embraces Glimmer and Brightbill, who explains that the island has enough water, but more animals have left, and the ones who have stayed constantly argue. Glimmer’s goslings have hatched, and Loudwing is babysitting. The robot experiences her version of joy over learning that Brightbill is a father.

Akiko asks Roz to intervene and call off the animals, but the station’s engines halt. The other humans panic as the station begins destabilizing, swaying in the waves. As they move to board the airship for a quick escape, waves sweep over the station, and despite a BOSUN holding it, the airship sinks into the water. The station descends into chaos as it fills with water, and several fires break out.

The animal attack ends as the creatures retreat into the ocean, happy to see the station sinking into ruin. Free from her prison, Roz runs toward the control room to save the humans, but BOSUN 10 pursues her and commands her to stop. Using the beams and pipes like monkey bars, Roz swings through the air. She makes a giant leap toward the balcony, but BOSUN 10 is destroyed. Akiko defends herself with a rifle as she blames Roz for the animal attack. Roz explains that she tried to prevent it and offers to carry each human to safety.

One by one, Roz carries each human to the lower platform as the station, ablaze with fire, continues to sink. A pod of whales appears, and Roz says to the humans, “These are your life rafts” (220). George is reluctant to trust the creatures who, moments before, were trying to destroy him. Roz explains that the whales only wanted to stop the poison tide. She once rode a whale and assures them it is safe. Akiko warns Roz that the excavator robot will not stop digging due to its programming, even if Roz tries to intervene. She promises to send a robot clean-up crew to shut down the mine and clean up the area.

As the station sinks, Roz tells Glimmer and Brightbill that she must dive into the ocean and stop the mining robot. Brightbill protests, claiming that Roz has done enough and that she should come back to the island. He worries that she won’t get to meet the goslings if something goes wrong. Roz shares the story about the octopus she met on her journey, whose sole purpose in life is to hatch her eggs. Roz assures Brightbill that he no longer needs her, and her purpose has shifted from being a mother to a caretaker of the island. Her problem-solving skills will help her triumph over what appears to be an impossible feat. Glimmer says she understands Roz’s reasons, and she feels her instincts calling her back to her goslings. Roz exchanges hugs and heartfelt words with her children before saying goodbye.

Brightbill and Glimmer fly in circles around the mining station until it sinks below the water. Brightbill feels like he is deserting his mother, but Glimmer encourages him that she can take care of herself and that his goslings need him at home.

Roz swims to the bottom of the ocean with debris from the mining station sinking with her. She follows the sounds of machinery and clouds of pollution until she finds the robot digging into the mountain.

The mining robot looks like a giant metallic crab. Aptly named Crusher, its job is to dig out the mountain and grind the rock into smaller pieces to be carted away by the HYDROs. Crusher is much larger than Roz, and she can’t defeat it with strength alone. Roz moves into Crusher’s view, and it swipes at her with one of its massive claws. Momentarily scrambled, Roz’s recovery program kicks in, helping her reactivate. When Crusher swings at her again, she jumps out of the way, and Crusher uses his sound cannon that once again jumbles her circuits, forcing the recovery program to intervene. A small fish sent by Gurry appears, and Roz begs it to leave before being caught in the poisoned tide. The fish says Gurry has a plan to beat Crusher, which requires Roz to distract him and prevent him from disrupting the water and spreading the poison tide.

Roz lies to Crusher, saying that Juggernaut sent her to deliver the order to cease the mining project. Roz knows lying is terrible, but it is the best decision. Crusher requests a command code before stopping, but Roz doesn’t know the code. Crusher gives her 10 seconds to provide the code. Roz stalls by asking what Crusher’s command code is and what will happen if she doesn’t provide the code. Crusher’s claw reaches for Roz, and despite using her new fighting skills, she can’t escape the claw’s tight hold.

Roz tells Crusher that she is on a mission to stop the mining project that is polluting ocean water. Before Crusher can respond, large shadows appear above. Gurry directs all the ocean animals to push the wrecked Juggernaut into the deep ocean to stop Crusher. The animals don’t realize until it’s too late that Crusher is holding Roz captive. As the station falls toward them, Roz apologizes to Crusher, and the mining robot releases Roz just before impact.

Brightbill and Glimmer return to the island to see their goslings. Although conditions have worsened, the interior remains green due to water conservation. They find Loudwing teaching the goslings how to walk.

The island animals remain concerned about their future and Roz. Brightbill and Glimmer prepare for winter migration by conducting test flights across the island. On one of their practice runs, Brightbill sees that the poison tide is receding, but it has left a lot of pollution behind.

The mining station manager kept her promise and sent a fleet of robots to clean up the ocean and coastline. The island animals watch as different types of robots, each with a unique job, arrive to conduct the cleaning operation before moving south.

Slowly, the animals move toward the water, still anxious that it might harm them. Swooper, the owl, flies over the island and reports that most of the pollution is gone. Glimmer and Brightbill take the goslings to see the ocean for the first time, and they “giggled at the sounds of the sloshing water” (250). The otters are the first to try swimming, and everyone is relieved when they report that the water is safe. Still, sadness remains as Roz has been missing for a month. Suddenly, the goslings begin chirping, and they see something moving in the ocean.

At first, the animals think they see another cleanup robot coming ashore, but it is Roz. She promises to explain everything after she meets the goslings.

The goslings introduce themselves as Cloudfeather, Widestride, Quickwit, Moontail, and Lighteyes. Roz worries that her unique appearance will frighten them, but Glimmer and Brightbill tell them about Roz. The goslings climb all over Roz, inspecting her robot body. Roz giggles with happiness.

Roz recounts her northern journey with all the island animals, including how she escaped Crusher. Just before the mining station flattened Crusher, Roz dove into an ocean cave for safety. Trapped under all the rubble, Roz began digging her way out. After five days, she escaped, and the cleanup robots soon arrived. Roz was scooped up with a pile of debris and deposited on a barge, where she hid while the barge and the robots made their way across the ocean to clean up the poison tide. When she spotted the island, she jumped off the barge. Roz praises the humans for doing their part to resolve the problem. She declares that “the poison tide is gone for good, and we have survived. Life will never return exactly how it was, but in time, we will move on from this tragedy” (265). Roz hopes the island and its inhabitants can recover from the disaster.

Autumn arrives, and Brightbill tells Roz it is time for his family to leave for their migration. Becoming a parent has given Brightbill a new appreciation for how Roz raised him, and he thanks her for loving him so well. Roz spends the day with the goslings climbing a tree, teaching them lessons about how important trees are to the environment. Quickwit says the tree is like Roz, “always helping others and bringing everyone together” (268). Brightbill and Glimmer join them in the tree, and Lighteyes declares them a “strange family” (268), but everyone agrees they love their unique family.

The island animals resume the tradition of the Dawn Truce, and on this day, they meet to say goodbye to the geese as they leave for winter migration. Glimmer and Brightbill take to the air with their goslings, and after a few clumsy attempts, the goslings find the v-formation. Roz races through the forest to the top of the cliff so she can watch them fly into the distance. The island is home, but Roz knows there is a big world out there, and she will explore it again one day.