Author: Bryan Pastor

Jayce watched it trudge out of the desert.

It took its good old time. Twice now Jayce went in for water. The desert air was dense with heat and blew in swirls making it impossible to hide from. Jayce added a little something to the second drink, something that would help with whatever this was that moved slowly thought the waste.

Jayce had almost fallen asleep leaning on an outbuilding when the noise caught his attention. Clack, skid, clack skid. It was maybe a hundred paces out. Jayce walked slowly, matching the pace. After about forty steps Jayce stopped, holding up his hand. He examined his guest waiting for it to notice hm. It was a bot, nothing factory made. It had a humanoid shape, though not symmetrical, each appendage looked scavenged. The right arm looked familiar, the O-95 unit he had lost last cycle? A leg was an inch shorter than the other.

Jayce decided it wasn’t stopping.

“Hold up there buddy.”

The bot stopped with a rattle and thud, the termination of its movement punctation on what had been a very long sentence.

“I am Royce9Blue, hand of the Master.” It began. Its voice was an unwelcome imitation of the old ship’s computer. “I have been sent here by Master to inventory your hold. It is his duty to know of all available resources should an emergency arise.”

“Not happening.” Jayce replied cutting R9B off before he could continue.

“As stipulated in the Accord of First Fall, Master is the protector of these lands and as such….”

“An accord needs at least two parties to agree to it.” Jayce interrupted, “Since your master decreed these things with no one’s consent then there is no accord.”

Jayce spat in the dust to mark his point.

“Master warned me that there would be resistance. I am prepared to complete my count by force.”

“No, you won’t”

“Say’s who.” The bot challenged.

“Says the imp you’re standing on.”

R9B’s head bobbed rapidly back and forth between looking at Jayce and the ground.

A maniacal laugh rang out, culled from some long-forgotten media. Its head stopped moving.

“I call your bluff.” R9B said

“Suit yourself.” Jayce turned and headed toward the outbuilding for a wheelbarrow.

The was a flash as R9B lifted his mis-aligned leg, though not in a spectrum Jayce could see.

_____

“Hey buddy. You, Okay?” asked the stranger.

Royce9Blue swiveled its head. It was laying on a rocky path. To its left was a steep hillside that rose a dozen meters straight up.

“Looks like you might have taken a fall. Though doesn’t look like you broke anything.”
The stranger helped R9B up. R9B looked at him, there was a moment of recognition, then a spike of interference, sight and voice crackled, then it was gone.

“Do you remember where you are going?” the stranger asked.

“NoooooooooooYeesssssssssssssss.” It stammered; its head started to bob in acknowledgement. “Back to Master. I am to receive orders of a most important nature.”

“Well then off you go.” The stranger gave him a little nudge.

_____

When it was out of sight, Jayce went up to the top of the rise and monitored R9B’s trek home.

After about an hour it disappeared. Jayce became concerned, but then twenty minutes later it reappeared. Two clicks further west.

“Tunnels. I have to start listening for frying bacon.” Jayce made a mental note to set up listening terminals.

Another two hours would go by before the explosion.