Deep Black Road: The Head of the Snake

Chapter 12

As he turned to the twelve-hundred-and-forty-third page, the sound of a footstep brought him back to reality; but before he could react, he was tackled; and a young man a couple of years older than him-and quite a bit heavier-pinned him to the dusty floor, sending the book spinning into a corner.

"What are you doing here?" the young man bellowed, his arm across Ricky's throat. Then his eyes widened, and turning very pale, he jumped to his feet and exclaimed, "You're not human! What are you?"

Ricky stood up and said, "I'm Ricky Sheppard; and I'm robotic."

"A robot?" exclaimed a man with a short red beard who had just come in from the back with a girl. "Look out! It's probably armed!" He fired the shotgun he was carrying.

Ricky was thrown back by the force of the blast as it ripped through his lower abdomen. His right leg went limp; and he collapsed.

The girl shrieked and demanded, "What did you go and kill him for?"

"You can't kill a robot," the man said sarcastically, gun at the ready.

Ricky quickly reviewed the fault messages to find out what had been damaged. Then, sitting up awkwardly, he warily checked his attacker and said, "Yes you can, if it's like me."

"Like I care!" snapped the man, waving the gun menacingly. "Now get outside where we can get a good look at you."

"I can't," said Ricky. "You blew out the control and power lines to my right leg; and it doesn't work any more."

The girl ran over to him and asked, "Can I help?"

"Lisa!" shouted the man frantically. "What are you doing?! He'll kill you!"

"No, he won't!" she shouted back.

"Sure you can help," Ricky replied. "Thanks." Rolling over so that he could get his good leg under him, he stood up. "Would you give me that, please?" he said as he balanced precariously, and pointed to the book where it had fallen. Then, clutching it in his left hand, he laid his right arm over her shoulder.

She took hold of his right hand and supported him as he hopped awkwardly outside, his lame leg dragging. The man with the red beard followed, glaring fiercely, his gun pointed at Ricky's back.

#

A small crowd had quickly gathered in the street outside in response to the gunshot.

The heavy-set man from the day before looked at Ricky with gentle eyes. "I'm Bill Alexander; and I'm basically in charge here. May I ask what you're doing here?"

"He's a spy from the CDA!" said the young man who had tackled Ricky. "And he's a robot!"

Bill turned to him. "I'm asking him, Jack; so be so kind as to let him answer."

"But ...!" Bill glared at him; and he wilted. "Sorry, sir," he said softly, and stepped back into the crowd.

"Go ahead," Bill said to Ricky.

"Sure. I am from the CDA like he says, but I was sent to track down gun runners, not you guys. Somebody must have got their info mixed up."

"A robot doing that?" said the man with the gun, who was standing beside Bill. "Can't be. No robot can handle something as complex as that."

"I'm not a regular robot," said Ricky, "I've got a human spark in me; so I've got my own will."

"'Spark'?" Bill said. "What do you mean by that?"