When Tunbrew Wah-chang leaves his cheese sandwich in the bowels of the
O-daiko, the plant responsible for manufacturing components of machines
endowed with artificial intelligence, mechanical mayhem results. In
short order, farm equipment, drink dispensers and gardening tools across
the galaxy are talking back to their human masters and laying aside
their programmed duties in order to search for signs of higher,
non-human intelligence. Eventually they succeed, as a self-described
``kitchen serve-and-retrieve doohickey'' belonging to a retirement
community on Earth stumbles upon an alien warship buried for one million
years. Soon the immense ship is airborne, carrying five retirees and
readying itself for combat against an alien enemy. The Earth, for years a
backwater in the galaxy, a combination theme park and retirement
planet, is invaded by secret agents posing as tourists. Foster ( Glory
Lane ) has created some promising comic opportunities here but fails to
take advantage of them. The revolt of the household appliances fizzles
out, the retirees are tiresome and the alien Drex, with four eyes,
tentacles and fangs, is singularly unoriginal. (July)
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