Robot City - Perihelion Part 11

"The robots would know that," said Jeff. "Don't you think they must have accounted for that somehow?"

"Maybe," said Derec. "But remember how logical this place is. The Hunters don't have much experience with devious thinking."

"They were programmed by a paranoid," Ariel pointed out.

"It's worth a shot," said Derec.

"I believe I can make it go straight," said Mandelbrot. "I suggest, however, that we first take the truck to the rendezvous site so that we are waiting when it arrives. It will not take the Hunters long to catch up with it."

Derec's heart was pounding with excitement, and the adrenaline seemed to be loosening up his muscles. He grinned. "Let's go!"

Mandelbrot drove the truck a much longer time than Derec had expected, but the distance he covered made sense. The fifteen kilometers the s.h.i.+p would travel down the boulevard to reach them was virtually nothing to it, even in its shuttle mode. Mandelbrot pulled the truck into a side street and brought it close to the intersection with the boulevard. Then he stopped the truck and sat motionless.

"I guess he's concentrating," said Ariel.

"They ought to rename this street Minneapolis Boulevard," said Jeff, grinning. "If this works, anyhow."

Derec was tingling with excitement. "Wolruf, when you and Mandelbrot are both inside, you can fly this thing, right?"

"Rright." A slash of street light cut across her face as she gave a nod and a caninoid grin.

"Here it comes," said Jeff.

A high, even whine was coming toward them in the distance, growing louder as Derec listened. They sat motionless, unable to see around the corner of the nearest building. Only Mandelbrot was visible, and Derec watched his dark, motionless profile as the sound grew louder.

Soon the sound was almost deafening. The s.h.i.+p pulled into view in the intersection, seeming to loom over them in the garish light and deep shadows, both huge and wonderful. Then it stopped.

Mandelbrot stood up and turned to help Derec out of the truck. The others took it as a signal to climb out themselves and run for the waiting s.h.i.+p.

Mandelbrot picked up Derec under one arm to save time by carrying him. At the robot's command, the door opened ahead of them and the ladder slid to the ground. Derec looked down the boulevard as Mandelbrot ran with him.

A crowd of robots was rus.h.i.+ng toward them in the far distance. Hunters were running along the moving slidewalks. Function robots of various sizes and shapes were rolling and driving down the boulevard. They const.i.tuted the surprise element of the trap, now neutralized by the stealing of the bait.

The function robots did not have positronic brains to think with, but they could follow orders from the Hunters to move in paths that would block or even ram the s.h.i.+p and the truck. The fastest of them were coming on rapidly.

Mandelbrot set Derec down on the highest rung of the ladder that he could reach. Derec's foot slipped on the ladder. As he clung to the ladder with another nervous glance at the oncoming rush, he felt Mandelbrot take him under his arms and lift him. Mandelbrot climbed the ladder, holding Derec up until he could deposit him inside the s.h.i.+p. Jeff and Ariel pulled him to one side as the robot entered last.

Wolruf was already in the navigator's seat looking at the override controls. The ladder retracted and the door closed as Mandelbrot took the pilot's seat.

"Straight on down boulevarrd," said Wolruf. "s.p.a.ce is enough forr takeoff. "

Mandelbrot was reaching for the manual controls. "These will be safer than risking comlink control. Everyone, please strap in."

"We're all strapped into seats," said Jeff. "I'm sure glad you can do this. All I can do is tell the computer what I want."

Just as the s.h.i.+p began to move forward, a heavy thump struck the rear of the s.h.i.+p. The impact was faint but clearly noticeable.

"Damage insignificant," said Wolruf.

The s.h.i.+p was picking up speed. Another crash against the rear of the s.h.i.+p swayed it crookedly for a moment before Mandelbrot brought it back into line. A horrible screeching sound raked along the left side.

"They can't do much," said Derec. "The First Law won't let the Hunters order anything that might cause a crash. They must know by now they can't stop the s.h.i.+p without knocking us out of control."

"Hope you're right," Jeff said grimly, as another thump shook the rear of the s.h.i.+p.

That was the last one, however. The s.h.i.+p had left the last of the function robots behind and was angling steeply into the air.

CHAPTER 11.

IN ORBIT.

"I have chosen to go into a low orbit," said Mandelbrot. "This s.h.i.+p does. not carry large amounts of fuel for shuttle mode and it will be needed for landing here and also for Jeff's eventual trip away from the planet. However, as long as we are off the surface of the planet, we are safe from the robots of Robot City."

"That's a relief," said Derec. "Unless they've developed a s.p.a.ce program we don't know about."

"The navigational sensorrs indicate no ssign of that," said Wolruf. "Suggesst I take manual controls. Mandelbrot can reconnect s.h.i.+p computerr."

"Agreed," said Mandelbrot.

"The First Law won't let them shoot us down or anything like that," said Ariel. "But they can monitor us, can't they? And have a welcoming committee anywhere we land?"

Mandelbrot now had a panel open by the controls and was studying the interior. "This craft is small and its shuttle mode offers high maneuverability. We should be able to land with an evasive pattern that will make our site unpredictable until the last few seconds."

"I'm glad to hear it," said Jeff. "This planet is never dull, is it?"

"No," said Derec, "but it hasn't always been this dangerous, either. One time we had to solve a human murder, and another time we had to solve the apparent murder of a robot. But it's only recently that we've been anyone's target."

Jeff laughed. "Last time I was here, they took my brain out of my head and stuck it in a robot. That struck me as dangerous."

Ariel laughed. Derec grinned in spite of the pain in his ribs when he started to laugh. Even Wolruf glanced back over her shoulder with an amused look.

"I'm glad you're okay," said Ariel. "And thanks again for coming back, even if it was under mistaken a.s.sumptions."

Derec felt a twinge of jealousy but said nothing. Now that the crisis was over, his body was stiffening up rapidly again. He reclined in his seat and felt the adhesions snapping in his back.

"I believe this connection is now sufficient," said Mandelbrot. "Jeff, will you test the VoiceCommand?"

"Hayas.h.i.+-Smith Minneapolis s.h.i.+p computer," said Jeff. "Please acknowledge."

"STANDING BY," said the computer.

"Can you a.s.sume flight duties?"

"AFFIRMATIVE.".

"Do so, maintaining status quo."

"FLIGHT DUTY a.s.sUMED.".

"Also record the following voices into your VoiceCommand and prepare to follow any of them." Jeff nodded to the others.

Each of them spoke in turn to the computer.

"What's our next move?" Derec asked. "We're safe for the moment, but we aren't any closer to Dr. Avery, are we?"

"We know a little more about his aims for Robot City," said Ariel. "Based on Professor Leong's knowledge of him."

"But we haven't turned that into a clue to his location," said Derec. "Mandelbrot, any ideas?"

"One, Derec," said the robot. "Computer. Scan for any sign of large-scale crop growth or organic chemical stores."

"SCANNING," said the computer.

"Dr. Avery's food source may not be in a quant.i.ty or storage facility that we can locate from here," said Mandelbrot, with a humanlike shrug. "It is only a possibility."

"Are carbon compounds used for anything else here?" Jeff asked, looking around at everyone. "Besides that hospital place I was in, or whatever you called it."

"I'm not sure," said Derec.

"We are safe in saying that the amounts are quite small," said Mandelbrot. "In addition, the amount of food required for a single human is small, as well. Our best hope of finding a source in quant.i.ty is the chance that Dr. Avery may wish to extend his interest in culture to the art of cuisine."

"Or at least, maybe he wants better food than those chemical processors give you," said Ariel. "Fresh produce, maybe."

"Hey! Speaking of which," said Jeff, "what did we grab this s.h.i.+p for in the first place? Come on, let's eat. Ariel, the compartment's next to you."

Jeff distributed rations to everyone but Mandelbrot, even locating some items Wolruf could tolerate.

"EXTENSIVE AGRICULTURAL GROWTH LOCATED," said the computer. "COMING ON SCREEN."

"Close-up," ordered Mandelbrot. "Identify if possible."

Everyone watched the screen. A tiny dark spot rapidly grew into a green rectangle. That rectangle, a moment later, was clearly a quilt of many different shades of green. On extreme close-up, the shapes of the plants came clear.

"MANY CROPS ARE PRESENT. THEY INCLUDE CORN, SORGHUM, WHEAT, AND BEETS. AT FIRST SCAN, AURORAN STRAINS OF EARTH-NATIVE PLANTS PREDOMINATE. MANY CROPS ARE UNIDENTIFIABLE AT THIS HEIGHT AND ANGLE.".

"Maybe the robots bred some of them themselves;' said Ariel. "Or they're native here."

"Pull back the view," said Mandelbrot. "Show the surrounding geography."

The view drew back to show the spine of a mountain range. It was geologically old, exhibiting the gentle edges and curves of long erosion. The range was fully forested but occasionally dotted with buildings. The agricultural park was nestled in a high-alt.i.tude valley within the mountain range itself.

"It's not city," said Jeff. "It's the first place I've seen since coming back that isn't all built up."

"Us, too," said Ariel.

"The robots are probably using the forests for lumber and the slopes for industrial power or something," said Derec. "They don't generally let anything go to waste. But those crops are all food. I think this is it. Mandelbrot?"

"The probability is extremely high that this is a human food source. We must investigate it. I remind everyone that Dr. Avery himself is not necessarily present. "

"It's a start," said Jeff. "Now what?"

"First we must find a place to land," said Mandelbrot. 'These mountains are unsuitable. Second, I suggest that Wolruf and I scout the location alone. Third, the safest place for the rest of you to wait is in the air."

"Makes sense to me," said Jeff. "You can use your comlink to reach us when necessary, and we can fly this thing ourselves again now."

"Derec?" Ariel asked.

"Yeah, okay." He s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably, angry that he couldn't partic.i.p.ate more. Still, this plan was simple enough.

"Computer," said Mandelbrot. "Scan for landing sites as close to the crop field as possible."

"CURRENTLY OUT OF VISUAL RANGE," said the computer. "SCANNING WILL BEGIN WITH THE NEXT ORBITAL Pa.s.s."

"We'll need multiple sites," said Mandelbrot. 'The Hunters will undoubtedly secure the first one after we've used it."

"Computer," said Derec, with effort. "Don't allow our orbital route to give away our interest in that area."

"ACKNOWLEDGED.".

Derec collapsed again. He wasn't sleepy, but he was worn out. The short period of excitement had revitalized him, but now he was paying the price.

Everyone seemed to be unwinding from their escape in the s.h.i.+p. Derec lay with his eyes closed and he heard someone switch out the light directly over him. The darkness on his lids was a relief.

No one spoke for some time. Then, quietly, he heard the computer again.

"NEAREST LANDING SITES TO AGRICULTURAL PARK COMING ON SCREEN AS FOLLOWS: FIVE WITHIN FIVE-KILOMETER RADIUS; TWO MORE WITHIN TEN KILOMETERS; THREE MORE WITHIN TWENTY KILOMETERS. ".

"Are any of them in relatively uninhabited areas? Especially away from urban streets?" Mandelbrot asked.

"DISPLAYING THE FIVE CLOSEST SITES. THESE ARE THE ONLY SITES NOT USING CITY PAVEMENT.".

Derec forced his eyes open. He hated feeling left out.

"It's an ocean," said Jeff, in surprise.

"A stretch of beach," said Ariel.

As they watched, five separate areas of beach on the screen were colored lightly by the computer.

"THESE SITES REPRESENT STRETCHES OF SAND LONG ENOUGH AND FIRM ENOUGH FOR A SAFE LANDING," said the computer.