Robot Empire: Battle for Dawn: A Science Fiction Adventure by Kevin Partner

Author:Kevin Partner [Partner, Kevin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Trantor Press
Published: 2017-11-28T22:00:00+00:00

“We are here,” R.XL said, coming to a halt and shining a light upwards to reveal an access port in the roof. A ladder extended almost to the floor and the robot trundled to a position directly beneath it. The feet of the ladder descended and, with a clunk that echoed around the chamber, attached to sockets on his shoulders. “Please allow me to go first, mistress. I will assess the situation and signal with two flashes of my torch for you to follow me. If I do so, I must ask that you make haste.”

Arla watched him disappear, as the ladder slowly compressed. There was a burst of daylight from above as the cover was opened and then darkness again. She heard the ladder grinding its way down again and reached out to grab the bottom rung which hung just above the level of her shoulder. Her heart beat so fast it was all she could do to resist the temptation to run into the tunnels and keep running until she found somewhere to hide. But no, she had to see it through. So much, apparently, depended on her, although she felt she was more the grease that freed up the mechanism of Dawn rather than the rudder that steered the ship. Whatever her role, however, she had to escape capture for long enough to see it through.

With a clang, daylight appeared again and she saw the two flashes. She grabbed the rung and, with adrenaline-fueled strength and a good deal of swinging backwards and forwards, was able to pull herself up until her feet found purchase. In moments she was out, shielding her eyes from the bright noon sun. And, just as she pushed the cover back on the drain, she heard a deep boom and spun around to see a plume of smoke erupting in the distance.

“That is the diversion, mistress, now we must move quickly. This is the perimeter road and over there ...” he gestured to his left, over an irrigation ditch that ran parallel to the road “...is the hinterland. We must travel approximately one kilometre along this road before we are parallel with the Command Module door. You wandered much when you travelled across it before - it is essential that you follow the direct route this time.”

Without another word, the robot began to walk in his odd seesaw gait and Arla fell into step alongside him, trying her best to look as though she was a maintenance tech on a routine assignment.

And then the cry went up.

“Go, mistress. Head into the hinterland when you reach the small bridge across the canal,” R.XL said, before starting off in the opposite direction.

Arla sprinted along the road. She didn’t even stop when there was a huge bang and sounds of alarm overtook her. She wondered what had become of R.XL, but she didn’t slow down. She began to relax, even to exalt in the sheer joy of release as she ran over the rough road surface like an uncoiled spring.

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