Robots Versus Humans (The Robot Planet Series Book 2) by Robert Chazz Chute Page A

it’s macho but it’s not bravado if it’s real.”
    He slipped his backpack from his shoulders and handed it up to me. He offered his rifle to Emma. “Take it. I’ve got more.”
    I expected my father to climb up into the engine. Instead, he stepped back. “Dad? What’re you doing?”
    “This isn’t goodbye. I expect to see you again when all this is over. I’m not old yet and, Dante, you’re going to live to be old. Find a way. There’s always a way. If I’ve learned anything, occupying forces have a hard time dealing with insurgents. I’m going to keep ’em busy and cover your rear.”
    Bob extended his legs and climbed into the engine compartment. The assistive bot went to the front and reached under the dashboard. Bob’s manipulators were strong. The bot found what it was looking for and pulled a skein of wires out of a console. Sparks flew. A small green light dimmed and died.
    Bob returned to the door and spoke to Raphael. “The pilot is disconnected, sir.”
    My father scanned the landscape in the direction of town. “Won’t be long. Raphael, get on board. I’ve got shit to do.”
    “This is ridiculous! Dad, get up here.” I got on my knees and reached down to help him up. It’s a tight fit, but there’s just enough room. There’s nothing left for us in Marfa. What are you going to do for food?”
    “The bots won’t destroy the wind farms and solar fields. The insectiles are already gone. Bob did a scan. The big bots are easily avoided if you know how and I know how.”
    My father reached up and, instead of allowing me to help him up, shook my hand. “I’ve been preparing for this. It’ll be all right.”
    “What are you going to do for food, Mr. Bolelli?” Emma asked.
    My father sighed. “I emptied out the store. I left a recording with Bob, but better you hear it from my mouth. Travis left me no choice. I was going to empty out Chinto’s store and make the town’s few survivors leave for the domes or the coast, whichever way the train was heading when it stopped. Then the bots showed up and — ”
    “You murdered Travis,” I said.
    “Negotiations got out of hand.”
    “Let me guess,” I said, “Complications — ”
    “Ensued. Yup.”
    “Bob helped,” Raphael said. “I was prepared to pay a high price to stock up for the last exodus of Marfa’s survivors. But like I told the sheriff, Travis wanted too much for too little. He wanted my Jenny.”
    “Oh, lord,” Emma said.
    “If it had gone right, our last survivors would be loading this train with supplies to escape,” Raphael said. “We would have saved Chinto’s selfish ass, too. We’d be heading to the coast and sailing ships and who knows where? I was thinking Samoa. Never been on a sailing ship. That would have been epic.”
    I stared at my father, unsure of what to say to his confession of murder. He’d told me that, in the Sand Wars, he’d shot looters. It was hard to square with what he’d done.  
    Then whatever I had to say didn’t matter.
    Emma looked toward Marfa. “We’ve attracted attention. C’mon! ”
    “Time to go old buddy!” My father offered the old man a boost. Bob reached down and grasped Raphael below the elbow. My mentor was half-way off the ground when a sec bot’s sniper bullet struck him in the back.

16
    “R aphael?” Bob held his master’s arm. “You are injured, sir.”
    The old man looked down at the massive cavity where his abdomen used to be. Blood spurted from his torso, painting Bob red.  
    “ Classic ,” Raphael said.
    I looked for my father but he had no time for registering any shock. He was already on the run, heading for the eastbound engine’s nose. I looked through the front window and, in a moment, he appeared south of the train and out of the line of fire. His cy-suit carried him along in a loping run with long strides I could never match. He ran for the solar fields to the south.
    “I think this is goodbye,” I said.  
    Emma turned to the controls.