Heavy Metal

Chapter 2

     Our scientist at last makes her way through the door of her apartment, slamming it and locking it and then sliding her back down it in relief. She is safe now, but she is still shaken by her strange encounter with the rogues. From what she has read in the virtual library, those robots are extremely dangerous; they hide away in abandoned buildings and power themselves with stolen red lightning as they plot new ways to terrorize society. Alert has no clue why they called for her, though. Did they really know who she was, or is that just how they function, preying on innocent passersby?

     At least it wasn’t the Baldies stalking her, she thinks as she turns on the shower hose. She would prefer the rogues over the baldies any day.

     After showering the scientist climbs into her twin-sized bed and pulls the covers over her head like a scared little girl, and sleeps the night away. She wakes up the next morning to a nightmare in which three robots had kidnapped her and burned her alive for fuel.

     It’s just a dream, she tells herself.

     The scientist finds herself covered in sweat as she drags herself out of bed in the morning. Time for yet another shower. As the hot steaming water rolls down her pale face, she forces herself to think happy thoughts. I am getting married. I am getting married.

     Pulling on her crisp, professional-looking work attire, Alert exits her building once more and strolls through the Arizona heat. She enjoys the heat down here; it is much more pleasant to her than was the forty-below of Alert, Canada. Those were not her best memories.

     Alert sits quietly at the airbus station as she does every morning, reading her “Hovercoasters Monthly,” when the ticking of claws against pavement causes her to glance up. In front of her sits a pitiful-looking robotic beagle, whimpering, its red eyes dim as if it hasn’t had a charge in days. It looks so sad, as sad as an inanimate object could look without actually feeling. Its steel parts quiver as it takes a cautious step closer, sniffing Alert’s mechanical arm.

     “Yes,” the scientist says softly as it nudges it with its nose. “Just like you. Sort of.” The bot continues to investigate, then releases a computerized bark from its voice box. “Do you have a master?” Alert asks. It simply stares at her, its eyes seemingly growing dimmer by the minute. The woman never thought that she would feel sorry for a machine, but this particular doglike android just makes her heart melt. “Why don’t you come to work with me?” she offers, and the beagle perks up. “I can get you a nice charge, and maybe later you could come back to my place.” The robot barks again in agreement. The truth is, Alert has always wanted a dog but her landlord wouldn’t allow it. He couldn’t say anything about an automaton, though.

     Alert lifts the beagle and carries it onto the airbus when it arrives, which is a bit difficult considering that it is about twice the weight that a dog of its size would typically be. She shows her card to the security men positioned by the entrance to the lab and they let her through, the dog trotting along beside her like a loyal companion. She leads the bot to the charging room where it is hooked up and refilled with charged red lightning, then heads back up to the chemistry wing. She expects to work with Nic just like every other eventless day, but instead the chemist is stopped by Carlisle, her boss.

     “Good morning, Dr. Brown,” she greets nervously. “What can I do for you?”

     “Actually,” the man says, clearing his throat. “I’d like to speak with you privately. In my office.” Uh-oh, the woman thinks to herself. That can’t be good. Unless he’s finally promoting her to work in nuclear physics! Alert clamps a firm lid on her thoughts so that she can’t get carried away as she follows Carlisle Brown into his immaculate white office. He takes his seat behind the titanium desk, and Alert sits daintily across from him.