Prelude to War: Books 1 -3 of the Robot Empire Series (Robot Empire Box Set) by Kevin Partner

Author:Kevin Partner [Partner, Kevin]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Publisher: Trantor Press
Published: 2018-03-04T05:00:00+00:00

Arla stumbled as she tried to keep pace with R.XL. The robot stopped, his head rotating 180 degrees. “Are you injured?” he said.

“No,” Arla responded, struggling to her feet. She felt as though they’d been walking for hours but the only change she’d seen as she followed her guide was that the tunnels were getting narrower and were less well maintained, though the air was fresher. They’d been forced to stop several times lately to clear mud and other debris from their path and it felt as though, soon enough, they’d be forced to give up and take to the road above.

“How much further, XL?”

“I have been forced to take many sub-optimal paths, mistress, but I believe we are nearing our exit point. We may have more open ground to cover than I would ideally like, but we must be ready when the charge detonates.”

Arla wiped down the mud-encrusted trousers R.XL had given her before they’d left the maintenance room. He’d said that, from a distance, she would stand out less if she were dressed in the same manner as the irrigation workers, especially if she was seen walking with a robot of his type. Arla hadn’t complained - her peasant clothes were muddy and wet. And, anyway, she preferred trousers.

“How did you make sure no-one in the building would be harmed?”

The robot’s eyes flickered momentarily. “The device is designed to attract attention, not to cause much real damage. The explosion will be extremely loud and much smoke will be emitted, but I have manipulated the duty roster to make it likely that there will be no humans inside when it detonates. I cannot guarantee this, of course, since I cannot entirely rely on my masters to adhere to the schedule, but that risk must be taken as it is imperative that you are returned to the Command Module immediately.”

“That’s what I don’t understand,” Arla said. “What catastrophe am I the only solution to? I’m just a girl.”

R.XL’s head swung backwards and forwards. “You are the captain.”

“Judging by what’s happened to me since I came back to the valley, I’m captain in name only. And, anyway, why not just appoint another?”

“Because you were judged to be the best candidate, I presume. You are the captain and, in times of crisis, your place is in the Command Module.”

Arla shook her head. “I still don’t get it. I have no experience, how can I make life and death decisions?”

“You must make them because we cannot. You must judge between evils and, to do this, you will have to weigh up the value of human lives. My kind cannot do that. If the officers appoint another captain, then they are responsible, at second hand, for any human deaths that result from that appointment. This is why the captain is appointed by his or her predecessor.”

“I have to take responsibility for these decisions so you don’t have to?”

“Regretfully, yes,” the robot said, as he began moving along the tunnel again. “We are products of

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