11-year-old orphan Felix misses his brother Charlie, who had left him with his foster parents, the Blixts, six years ago. Felix has been secretly constructing a “car” from a wrecked engine. When he connects his laptop, the car – with the help of a mouse that runs across the keyboard – establishes contact with the Internet, and then it has a mind of its own!

From this moment on the car, which Felix calls Charlie II, has an insatiable appetite for new information - and that’s not all. Charlie II is determined to see the world, and to do so he needs wheels. If Felix helps him get hold of some, Charlie II promises to help the boy find his brother.

The “magical” software that Felix has accidentally downloaded from the Internet was developed by Anna Dixon, who is working on an artificial intelligence project sponsored by her uncle. When Anna discovers who stole her software she is soon hot on the heels of Felix…