Brobots by Trevor Barton

Author:Trevor Barton [Barton, Trevor]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2016-12-19T18:30:00+00:00

High above the charging station a drone hovered. It sent targeted pulses at video cameras positioned on the station building and elsewhere in the street. Below, Tasley waited. He was dressed in his cargo’s and hivis, and ready with the laser pencil pointed out the window at the station door. Ned came out first.

Fire. Tasley saw a tiny point of red on Ned’s left arm. It wavered, and went off target hitting the wall behind. He tried again, this time for the forehead. Ned frowned for a moment. Then his eyebrows went up. He made for Tasley’s pod. Tasley didn’t know how she’d done it, but the pod was painted up like the others provided by Dartonia. That was fine. But Ned’s approach was blocking Tasley’s view of Chuck, who he could just about see coming out to queue. Chuck was almost at the front of the queue by the time Ned was opening a pod door. Fire. Did it work? Chuck was going for the door of the pod in front. Shit. Then he stopped. Retreated. Headed for Tasley. Got in.

Tasley looked at his bro’s. He smiled at them, but they weren’t out of trouble yet and couldn’t afford a smile themselves. The pod moved off from the curb, following the one in front in an orderly line to join a main street. High above, the drone gently moved itself to another position in which to hover. It switched its EMP guns to lasers. With precision firing, several civilian street cams fried their tiny circuits one by one. How satisfying.

Checking that the cameras were down on her bunker computer, Susan signaled the pod. It broke out of formation, turning right down an alleyway. Next she texted Tasley’s wristband. ‘Parking here. Five minutes. Get changed.’

Tasley started unbuttoning his shirt and pointed at the bags on the floor. One was labeled ‘Chuck’, the other ‘Ned’. The boys followed Tasley’s lead, unbuttoning their shirts and looking into the bags to see what was inside. After three minutes they’d traded construction clothes for suits and shades. Tasley wondered how the pod was going to change its clothes too. As if Susan had read his mind, another text appeared on his wrist. ‘Electric paint.’ Outside, the Dartonia branding and stripes disappeared. In their place, taxi markings formed. The pod pulled away for the far reaches of town, gently speeding up and taking its precious disoriented cargo to the farm at breakneck speed.

During the operation, Susan had missed a call to her office line. She wasn’t there, but she could pick it up like she was. Unknown number, but local. She dialed.

‘Hello?’

‘You tried to call me. This is a secure line, and the number is obscured. My name is Dr. Harper.’

‘Oh! Yeah. I was wondering if I could book an appointment to see you.’

‘Are you non-human?’

There was a pause. ‘Yes, ma'am.’

‘Will you be coming alone?’

‘No.’

‘Who will be with you?’

‘A human friend.’

‘Do you trust this friend?’

‘Completely.’

‘I’m out of the office today. Is it urgent?’

‘Guess not. But… how does it work? I can’t just wander in to your office?’

‘No.

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