Zero Sum

Premise=Faulty

"Spare me your duplicitous lies Retysor, I assume you are only here at an attempt to delay us even more," snapped back Rock at the voice speaking to them from the shadows.

Retysor crept out of the shadows. Although perhaps crept is the wrong word, since Retysor hovers his angular metallic chassis above ground and kind of just floats towards you. His face lit up on a screen built into his face, "I do believe you are mistaken, after all such an endeavor would be to the detriment of my makers."

"And you are all about pleasing your makers aren't you?" Rock returned sarcastically, " like the way crashed a helicopter full of scientists into a mountain?"

"That incident was caused by a system irregularity," returned Retysor, "an irregularity that has since been, corrected. I will remind you I have been since cleared for duty by my maintenance team."

"Only after you eliminated your lead designers in the crash. Those sniveling scientists who maintain you now will say anything to stay on the good side of the Circle's members."

"Can we just not do this right now?" John asked as he joined now them, having finished puking his guts out. High speed travel on foot is not for everyone. "If you two keep arguing like this, we really will be late." He mused for a moment, "or later anyways."

Rock said nothing while John headed into the direction of the cavernous interior of their organizations' headquarters. Retysor turned his chassis, shaped somewhat like an upside down pyramid, his hover servos left a blue trail as he followed John.

 John looked at his watch to check the time but when it did not respond he inquired, "Retysor give me the hour."

"9:06 am," came the reply.

"Dang it we really are late," bemoaned John, "are you sure you didn't get lost on the way here Rock?"

"Hey don't point the finger at me, I can make it here even in the dark." Rock said then pointed his own finger at the automaton, "why don't you ask the tin can? 

John looked at the machine but did not quite follow, "Retysor was here the whole time waiting, how could he have made us late?"

"He said something about sending drones our way," he turned his head to John, then towards Retysor, "so why didn't your drones assist when we ran into some serious firepower?"

"You are implying that I had something to do with that ambush you two encountered." Retysor intoned. 

"See? He knows about the fight. Then he did had drones in the area, he just held back from letting them assist us, or worse," Rock leveled his eyes at the machine, "he sent them himself."

"Can we not be accusing the Circle's computing system right now?" John asked, "and in their own headquarters no less.".

"I am aware of your skirmish," Retysor began...

Rock started to say something but was cut off.

 "but not because I sent them after you," Retysor continued, "I simply surmised so from the state of your attire, along with the damage you seem to have sustained, plus your missing vehicle."

*****

"As with any other problem of real consequence, there exists a mathematical solution"

"What in that bundle of electrodes brain of yours makes you so sure about that?"

"We are aware of your abilities. Unstoppable though you may seem, there are effective countermeasures that would render you, inconsequential."

"Well then it's time I show you something new, that will hotwire that hardware of yours upstairs."

"Illogical. Mathematics provides an infinity of eventualities."

"Math was never my strong subject. Let me school you on physical education instead."

"Our immense planetary spanning computational system. Our dark matter energy system provides near limitless resources..."

"By abducting entire star systems! All for your petty science fair projects!"

"...Makes the determining of and your execution not just a probability but an inevitability."

"For something so self assured, you sure bring a lot of tech."

"The number of our battalions present, are no different from those used in our quashing of any of the other, pointless and senseless, rebellions such as yours."

"You are all fabricated and mechanical parts, but I can still see you sweating. For just taking down a small planet like ours it seems like bringing a tank to a fist fight."

"Colloquialism not recognized."

"And besides...I have thought up of a new move, that would be perfect to try out on you."

"Counterpoint=our numbers greatly exceed those of your own + we already have subdued many of your potential allies. Conclusion: surrender is the only guarantee of your continued existence."

"I have been offered countless guarantees in my life "Hal" pal. Guarantees that fighting will save my people. Guarantees that I would not be made into an experimental puppet. Guarantees that I was...more than a weapon... for my friends. You know what they all amounted to? When it all comes down to it, it's only you looking after you."

"Query: why oppose those who would render aid, rather than harm for your species?"

Let me lay some human logic on you buddy. I'll simplify it for your robotic rust bucket head of yours to comprehend. Your logic is unsound. Your premise is faulty. Your formulas need reformatting. And you have missing variables.

"Counter=analysis of your abilities through your combat data, suggests strongly you lack the ability to oppose our force + (our numbers are > than the sum of yours) + this course of rebellion you have taken, is not unprecedented, and we have become most efficient in elimination."

"You may have conquered hundreds of thousands of worlds machine. But you have never tried conquering Earth. We are not some laboratory for you to test formulas on. We are not like any of the other worlds you have seen before. And you have never seen a real Earth fight, when desperate, we do some of our best work."

"Opposition is ill advised"

"Time to shut that metallic trap of yours"