The open scene starts with the Saint 5, laser defense robots defeating a simulated infantry war exercise assault by ground troops and armored vehicles, and tanks. The adaptive communication networks and complex electronic social network gives the Saint 5 robots instantaneous data feeds making possible satellite-like triangulation and millisecond coordination and chess like tactical responses that destroying all enemy targets. The Saint 5 robots have visual processing systems, voice recognition capabilities, 3D map terrains navigation, social hierarchical command coordination and organization, human behavioral response states (facial expressions) and gestures, and autonomous locomotion throughout the base.

Saint 5 idealizes the dream robot of the 80s: self-programmable, machines building machines, visual recognition systems capable of independent symbol recognition duplicating WABOT robot hand on the piano. Dr. Crosby (in the likeness of Brooks) does not want to “Hob nose with the big wigs” and he would rather remain in the laboratory working and interacting with the MIT robotic hand. Cog #5 is shocked by a massive electric shock from static lighting bolt that traverses nearby power lines and traverses the lines too the generator connected to #5 and sparks loudly as the power enters the robot. The technicians examine #5 and access that everything checks out on the $16 million machine, “an ultimate solider, never ask questions”. #5 higher level control systems seem to be destroyed allowing #5 to roam. #5 roams off the base and when Dr Crosby types in the return code, nothing happens. #5 keeps responds back to Dr. Crosby, “need input-triangulation position”. People start becoming afraid but Dr. Crosby reminds the group, “robots just run programs; they are not alive”. Cpt. Schroader alarms the group when he discovers from Crosby the laser is still live, telling the group, “what if it melts down a bus load of nuns?”

#5 lands on the roof of Stephanies (Kismet) food mobile called Stephanies Snack Shack. Stephanie attention activates #5 learning algorithms. Stephanie calls #5 a “cute robot” and her endearing affection classify Stephanie as a “friendly” by #5. Stephanie thinks #5 is an alien robot and murmurs out loud, “I knew they would pick me” reference alien abductions. #5 like Kismet can make and respond with facial gestures. Stephanie has a difficult time getting #5 to respond until she shouts the word, “forward”.

#5 robotic brain needs input. #5 downloads all reading material that Stephanie has in her home. #5 then watches countless hours of TV. Kurzweil like futuristic potentials were implied such as the complete download of the internet into #5, if it were possible; and space exploration to distant worlds. #5 has a problem solver algorithm. #5 breaks a dish set and observes, “numerous fragments, some large, some small”, “reassemble, no resemble is dead”, “dead is forever”, “dissemble is dead”, and ”Nova robotics wants to dissemble #5”. #5 starts his fear and anger algorithms. #5 changes wire diagramming allowing for greater expression in internal algorithms and becomes self-aware, “#5 is alive”. #5 has disco dance algorithms (Honda and Qrio), “dancing fool”. Crosby tells Stephanie, “It’s a machine” and Stephanie replies, “He is scared”. Nova has issued a 25k reward for the return of #5.

#5 manages design a strategy where Stephanie is to meet Crosby at the Black Lion Inn. #5 defeats the other Saint 5 robots, breaks through the security encryption protection the robots programming and reprograms the robots to enact a scene from the three stooges.

Stephanie argues that humans are machines and that the neural circuitry can be all simulated mechanically. Humans and tin men are only different in time to develop the mechanical equivalences: “life is not a malfunction” and “we are a machine”. Stephanie idolizes the brain download potential replacing man with machine. #5 learns the language and reprograms the robots in 10 minutes. #5 expresses the irony of bio/mechanical paradox by telling one of the Saint 5 robots, “your mammas was a snow blower”. #5 has learned to evaluate other machines exclaiming, “cars are dumb machines”, and cars should be locomotion robots. #5 address the dilemma of the human condition by telling Crosby, “it is wrong to kill”, “I told you”. Crosby tells #5 a joke and #5 starts to laugh, spontaneous emotional response.

#5 survives entrapment, by creating a decoy duplicate of himself, which the army destroys. Crosby, Stephanie, and #5 go to Montana to live.