Robot Empire_Sledgehammer by Kevin Partner

Author:Kevin Partner [Partner, Kevin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Trantor Press
Published: 2018-03-25T22:00:00+00:00

Coles

It had been suspiciously easy to get into New Hope. The massive multi-domed settlement that included the Imperial Palace was, according to Hal, normally locked up tight and they’d rehearsed their stories until Arla had almost begun to believe she really was Hal’s wife and that McCall was her mother. The ID card Scout had synthesized with Hal’s help was tucked into a pocket of her spacesuit. Turns out that being a super-intelligent robot ship designed to operate on its own initiative made Scout ideally suited for subterfuge. At least that was the theory - they’d soon enough find out whether it stood up to scrutiny.

They’d landed Scout on the far side of a ridge of mountains to the south of the domes. It had been a risky strategy as they’d expected to be contacted by Air Traffic Control and it was possible they’d be identified as an alien vessel. But they’d landed without interference. Arla had sensed that something wasn’t right as soon as they’d entered the system. They’d been ready to do a quick about-turn and head back to the gate if they’d emerged to find themselves looking down the barrel of a phase cannon, but the gate was unguarded and the Vanis system almost devoid of military spacecraft.

They’d proceeded with care to the planet Neavis and its moon, Vanis, from which the federation took its name and which housed the imperial palace. Arla, Hal and McCall had donned spacesuits and headed towards the city as Scout took off and retreated back to orbit. There had been no question of Wells coming with them as he was too well known, but Arla had asked Hal to remain with Scout since he was a wanted criminal. Hal had refused, pointing out that he didn’t resemble the perky thief who’d stolen an imperial yacht and sought refuge on Dawn. In the end Arla had given in and she was, in truth, glad he’d come along.

The journey through the mountains had been tougher than expected. There was no weather to contend with since Vanis had next to no atmosphere, but its gravity was around two-thirds that of Earth so, even though there was a well-trodden pathway through the peaks, Arla was exhausted by the time the domes came into view. Now that they were approaching the edge of the settlement, her oxygen supply was running low and she found herself wondering whether, if she ran out, Scout would be able to land in time.

She shook all such anxieties from her mind as she walked up to the nearest access portal, digging out her fake ID and double checking the name she’d been given.

The sentry station was set into the concrete wall that ran around the entire settlement and supported the domes. As she approached, a camera above the metal door swivelled and a face appeared in its centre. It would have been impressive once - 150 years ago, say -but decades of use had left the silicon display scratched and missing every third pixel.

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