The Great Destroyer by Jack Thorlin

unfold on television as seen through the camera built into Charlie II.  On the Ushah’s right hand, a blade about a foot long had snapped into place.  Its purpose was much more obvious.
     
    Jackson and even Yazov flinched, but if Takagawa was surprised, she didn’t show it.  She merely said calmly, “Charlie, do not attack enemies until they attack a human.” 
     
    Charlie II replied, equally calmly, “Yes, Dr. Takagawa.”
     
    The linguist Ushah could not hear the entirely radio-based discussion between Charlie II and Dr. Takagawa.  He said in a faster, harsher tone, “Leader, you give Earth to the Enshath.”
     
    Eldridge’s face was more confused than scared.  “What do you mean?”
     
    The linguist replied, “Ushah need Earth.  You leader Earth.  Give Earth to Enshath, leader of Ushah.  She lead you and your people now.”
     
    Jackson slapped a fist down on the control console he stood near.  “Shit, their civilization must be so hierarchical that they think Eldridge has the authority to hand over the whole planet.”
     
    There followed several seconds of pause.  Eldridge’s face contorted in pain as if she had been slapped into wakefulness after a long sleep.  “I... I can’t do that.”  She took a step toward the Ushah linguist and reached out her hand, “Listen, I—”
     
    The tall Ushah said something sharp and the short Ushah raised his left arm, aiming it straight at the Equality Minister.  The linguist shouted, “Stop!”
     
    Eldridge didn’t seem to hear.  She merely screamed, “No, it’s all wrong, listen, lis-”
     
    An electronic noise warbled for a split-second, and the mechanism on the short Ushah’s left hand recoiled slightly as the mechanism shot out a projectile straight at the Equality Minister’s head, which erupted in a fountain of blood, bone, and brain matter.

Chapter 14: Charlie II
     
    Initiate subroutine protect_humans.exe.
     
    Charlie II was not far advanced beyond his predecessor, the robot who had operated the telescope on the Moon base.  He had been taught specific combat subroutines, but they were little more advanced than the sort of diagnostic and maintenance tasks that had been programmed into Charlie I. 
     
    The most significant upgrade in Charlie II’s intelligence was a primary overriding objective: the protection of human beings.  Instead of every task requiring an order (“go to the telescope and see that it’s still working”), Charlie II could justify his own actions if they seemed consistent with the direct physical protection of human beings in his immediate environment.
     
    Charlie II could autonomously decide to follow his own judgment.  He was thus alive in a way that Charlie I never was.
     
    In the present situation, Charlie II’s internal processor, guided by its own algorithms and by Takagawa’s input, had long since classified the Ushah as non-humans and potential enemies.  He had also, of course, concluded as soon as the short Ushah had aimed his left arm at Eldridge that the Ushah posed a threat to a human in his close proximity.
     
    Charlie II decided to act.
     
    Initiate subroutine close_combat.exe.
     
    Professor Jackson, Viktor Yazov, and Dr. Takagawa had spent many evenings figuring out the best way for their creation to fight onboard the Empathy .  He couldn’t use a firearm; such a weapon could easily penetrate the hull after its bullet went through a target.  Charlie II needed a weapon whose power he could directly and precisely control, and the spaceship was small enough that he would be able to reach the enemy very quickly.  That was where Yazov’s experience came in.
     
    Yazov knew that Charlie II would need a stabbing implement, not a slashing weapon.  Slashing an enemy rarely totally disabled him; a stab could hit vital organs and kill a victim instantly.  He recommended a spear-like weapon about the length of Charlie II’s arm, long enough to gain a hopefully decisive reach advantage,