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David’s hijacking of the aircraft provides him with a distraction, and he escapes, leading to revelations about his origins and a startling display of his complex, territorial nature.
Following the darkest scene in the film, the robot David emerges from Dr. Know’s building to find police waiting for his companion, Joe, who is wanted for murder. David, displaying a surprising virtuous streak and an unexpected piloting skill, ignores the police and steals a helicopter to fly to Manhattan. Joe, despite David’s initial anger, joins him in the aircraft, also revealing an unexpected ability to pilot. Their journey takes them to a flooded Manhattan, where they locate Professor Hobby’s office within a ruined building. David quickly finds a door inscribed with part of the text Dr. Know had previously read to them, marking the next phase of David’s quest.
Upon entering Professor Hobby’s office, David encounters a mysterious figure who turns out to be another, seemingly happier, version of himself. This shocking discovery triggers an intense, territorial outburst in David, who exclaims 'She’s mine!' and 'You can’t have her!' before violently decapitating the copy with a lamp, screaming 'I’m David!'. The author notes the scene's unexpected humor due to David's sudden murderous streak and intense egotism, which was previously only hinted at. This behavior suggests David's 'love' for Monica is an obsessive imprinting rather than genuine affection, making him more akin to Norman Bates than Pinocchio. This moment ultimately undermines the film’s central premise about the nature of 'real' love and implies Monica and her husband were justified in getting rid of him.
Professor Hobby, played by William Hurt, arrives to explain David's true nature. He reveals that David was one of many robots created to resemble Hobby's deceased son, yet he is unique as the first to develop a genuine 'want' – his desire to find the blue fairy. Hobby declares David 'the first of a kind,' seemingly oblivious to David’s escalating mechanical-mental breakdown. David then discovers a vast production line of his own copies, both male and female versions, and recognizes the chair he 'woke up' in. He also realizes his initial memory of a 'bird with outstretched feathers' was a distorted perception of a man with feather-like symbols, further eroding his sense of uniqueness and 'realness'.
Overwhelmed by the crushing reality of his manufactured existence and the endless copies of himself, which fundamentally challenge his individuality and purpose, David climbs out of the office window. With a final, poignant utterance of 'Mommy,' he deliberately lets go, plunging into the vast, flooded ocean below. This desperate act concludes the current segment of his journey, leaving his fate uncertain and setting the stage for the next phase of his quest for identity and belonging, as explored in the subsequent review part. The author questions the practicalities of Hobby's flooded lab, adding to the narrative's contrivances.