“They were programmed by a paranoid,” Ariel pointed out.
“It’s worth a shot,” said Derec.
“I believe I can make it go straight,” said Mandelbrot. “I suggest, however, that we first take the truck to the rendezvous site so that we are waiting when it arrives. It will not take the Hunters long to catch up with it.”
Derec’s heart was pounding with excitement, and the adrenaline seemed to be loosening up his muscles. He grinned. “Let’s go!”
Mandelbrot drove the truck a much longer time than Derec had expected, but the distance he covered made sense. The fifteen kilometers the ship would travel down the boulevard to reach them was virtually nothing to it, even in its shuttle mode. Mandelbrot pulled the truck into a side street and brought it close to the intersection with the boulevard. Then he stopped the truck and sat motionless.
“I guess he’s concentrating,” said Ariel.
“They ought to rename this street Minneapolis Boulevard,” said Jeff, grinning. “If this works, anyhow.”
Derec was tingling with excitement. “Wolruf, when you and Mandelbrot are both inside, you can fly this thing, right?”
“Rright.“ A slash of street light cut across her face as she gave a nod and a caninoid grin.
“Here it comes,” said Jeff.
A high, even whine was coming toward them in the distance, growing louder as Derec listened. They sat motionless, unable to see around the corner of the nearest building. Only Mandelbrot was visible, and Derec watched his dark, motionless profile as the sound grew louder.
Soon the sound was almost deafening. The ship pulled into view in the intersection, seeming to loom over them in the garish light and deep shadows, both huge and wonderful. Then it stopped.
Mandelbrot stood up and turned to help Derec out of the truck. The others took it as a signal to climb out themselves and run for the waiting ship.
Mandelbrot picked up Derec under one arm to save time by carrying him. At the robot’s command, the door opened ahead of them and the ladder slid to the ground. Derec looked down the boulevard as Mandelbrot ran with him.
A crowd of robots was rushing toward them in the far distance. Hunters were running along the moving slidewalks. Function robots of various sizes and shapes were rolling and driving down the boulevard. They constituted the surprise element of the trap, now neutralized by the stealing of the bait.
The function robots did not have positronic brains to think with, but they could follow orders from the Hunters to move in paths that would block or even ram the ship and the truck. The fastest of them were coming on rapidly.
Mandelbrot set Derec down on the highest rung of the ladder that he could reach. Derec’s foot slipped on the ladder. As he clung to the ladder with another nervous glance at the oncoming rush, he felt Mandelbrot take him under his arms and lift him. Mandelbrot climbed the ladder, holding Derec up until he could deposit him inside the ship. Jeff and Ariel pulled him to one side as the robot entered last.
Wolruf was already in the navigator’s seat looking at the override controls. The ladder retracted and the door closed as Mandelbrot took the pilot’s seat.
“Straight on down boulevarrd,” said Wolruf. “Space is enough forr takeoff. “
Mandelbrot was reaching for the manual controls. “These will be safer than risking comlink control. Everyone, please strap in.”
“We’re all strapped into seats,” said Jeff. “I’m sure glad you can do this. All I can do is tell the computer what I want.”
Just as the ship began to move forward, a heavy thump struck the rear of the ship. The impact was faint but clearly noticeable.
“Damage insignificant,” said Wolruf.
The ship was picking up speed. Another crash against the rear of the ship swayed it crookedly for a moment before Mandelbrot brought it back into line. A horrible screeching sound raked along the left side.
“They can’t do much,” said Derec. “The First Law won’t let the Hunters order anything that might cause a crash. They must know by now they can’t stop the ship without knocking us out of control.”
“Hope you’re right,” Jeff said grimly, as another thump shook the rear of the ship.
That was the last one, however. The ship had left the last of the function robots behind and was angling steeply into the air.
Chapter 11. In Orbit
“I have chosen to go into a low orbit,” said Mandelbrot. “This ship does. not carry large amounts of fuel for shuttle mode and it will be needed for landing here and also for Jeff’s eventual trip away from the planet. However, as long as we are off the surface of the planet, we are safe from the robots of Robot City.”
“That’s a relief,” said Derec. “Unless they’ve developed a space program we don’t know about.”
“The navigational sensorrs indicate no ssign of that,” said Wolruf. “Suggesst I take manual controls. Mandelbrot can reconnect ship computerr.”
“Agreed,” said Mandelbrot.
“The First Law won’t let them shoot us down or anything like that,” said Ariel. “But they can monitor us, can’t they? And have a welcoming committee anywhere we land?”
Mandelbrot now had a panel open by the controls and was studying the interior. “This craft is small and its shuttle mode offers high maneuverability. We should be able to land with an evasive pattern that will make our site unpredictable until the last few seconds.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” said Jeff. “This planet is never dull, is it?”
“No,” said Derec, “but it hasn’t always been this dangerous, either. One time we had to solve a human murder, and another time we had to solve the apparent murder of a robot. But it’s only recently that we’ve been anyone’s target.”
Jeff laughed. “Last time I was here, they took my brain out of my head and stuck it in a robot. That struck me as dangerous.”
Ariel laughed. Derec grinned in spite of the pain in his ribs when he started to laugh. Even Wolruf glanced back over her shoulder with an amused look.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” said Ariel. “And thanks again for coming back, even if it was under mistaken assumptions.”
Derec felt a twinge of jealousy but said nothing. Now that the crisis was over, his body was stiffening up rapidly again. He reclined in his seat and felt the adhesions snapping in his back.
“I believe this connection is now sufficient,” said Mandelbrot. “Jeff, will you test the VoiceCommand?”
“Hayashi-Smith Minneapolis ship computer,” said Jeff. “Please acknowledge.”
“STANDING BY,” said the computer.
“Can you assume flight duties?”
“AFFIRMATIVE.”
“Do so, maintaining status quo.”
“FLIGHT DUTY ASSUMED.”
“Also record the following voices into your VoiceCommand and prepare to follow any of them.” Jeff nodded to the others.
Each of them spoke in turn to the computer.
“What’s our next move?” Derec asked. “We’re safe for the moment, but we aren’t any closer to Dr. Avery, are we?”
“We know a little more about his aims for Robot City,” said Ariel. “Based on Professor Leong’s knowledge of him.”
“But we haven’t turned that into a clue to his location,” said Derec. “Mandelbrot, any ideas?”
“One, Derec,” said the robot. “Computer. Scan for any sign of large-scale crop growth or organic chemical stores.”
“SCANNING,” said the computer.
“Dr. Avery’s food source may not be in a quantity or storage facility that we can locate from here,” said Mandelbrot, with a humanlike shrug. “It is only a possibility.”
“Are carbon compounds used for anything else here?” Jeff asked, looking around at everyone. “Besides that hospital place I was in, or whatever you called it.”