Nettie, I hate this place,’ she said. ‘It becomes so comfortable, you almost convince yourself you’re part of it, and then something like this happens and reminds you just how awful it really is.’
‘I know.’
‘I don’t know what I’d do without you here, Nettie. You’re the only friend I have left.’
For a moment, just a moment, a picture of Karel, her husband, appeared in her mind. She suppressed it, it was just too painful.
‘How long?’ she asked. ‘How long can this go on for?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Nettie. Shyly, she reached out a hand and sent a soothing wave of current into Susan’s own.
‘Why are they doing it? They’ve conquered the entire continent. What else could they want?’
Nettie looked around. They were two tiny figures dwarfed by the sky and the city behind them, the silver shapes of trains moving across the horizon. Even so, Nettie lowered her voice.
‘Susan, there are rumours. Rumours about the Book of Robots. Have you heard them?’
Susan looked at Nettie.
‘Nettie, I’ve heard nothing. The other women don’t speak to me, the only friend I have in here is you.’
Nettie looked around again.
‘I speak to the other supervisors. There is another who knows of the book. She speaks to me sometimes.’
Nettie leaned closer.
‘They have come, Susan. The writers of the book! The creators of the first robots!’
Susan didn’t know what to feel. She didn’t have belief of the book woven into her mind like some other robots did. Her mother had believed, she had woven Susan to be nothing more than a companion for Karel, her husband. Karel was important in some way, she understood that. His mind was different. Beyond that, she really did not care about the book. If only the others who had spoken to her about it understood that. Nettie was gazing at her, excited.
‘Well?’ she said. ‘Don’t you see what that means? They have come to free us! Surely they won’t allow Artemis to continue as it is?’
‘Why not?’ asked Susan. ‘Maybe Artemis is what they want. How do we know what the creators want?’ If they really exist, she added to herself.
Nettie looked troubled for a moment. Susan pressed home her point.
‘And how do we know they are the creators, Nettie? What are they like?’
At that Nettie looked even more troubled.
‘Oh Susan. I don’t know. There are so many rumours. Messages become garbled and twisted—’
‘What have you heard, Nettie?’
Nettie looked around once more.
‘Animals, Susan. They are animals! They walk like robots, they have two arms and legs and a head, but they are animals! It surely can’t be true!’
‘Animals?’ said Susan, disbelievingly.
‘Yes, they say they . . .’
Her voice trailed off. Three people were approaching, walking towards them across the bare field of the radio masts. A computer, a young man in a body painted green. He was flanked by two Storm Troopers.
‘Good afternoon ladies,’ he said. ‘What are you doing here?’
There was something unsettling about the two Storm Troopers. Susan knew she shouldn’t feel intimidated by them, but she felt as if she were back in Turing City, coming face to face with the invading forces. Yet what could they do to her? The worst had already happened.
Nettie spoke up.
‘We’re mothers of Artemis,’ she said, primly. ‘We need to walk the city in order that we do our job properly at night.’
One of the Storm Troopers laughed.
‘You keep walking,’ he said, staring at Susan. ‘You could twist my wire any day.’
‘Shut up,’ said the other Storm Trooper to his companion. He turned to Nettie. ‘Why do you need to be here?’
‘I like to watch the patterns of the signals,’ replied Nettie, truthfully.
‘Not any more. This area is off limits. General Sandale’s orders.’
‘But why?’ said Nettie. ‘We’re doing no harm.’
‘That’s irrelevant. Come back here and I will have you both recycled, mothers or not. Do you
‘I know.’
‘I don’t know what I’d do without you here, Nettie. You’re the only friend I have left.’
For a moment, just a moment, a picture of Karel, her husband, appeared in her mind. She suppressed it, it was just too painful.
‘How long?’ she asked. ‘How long can this go on for?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Nettie. Shyly, she reached out a hand and sent a soothing wave of current into Susan’s own.
‘Why are they doing it? They’ve conquered the entire continent. What else could they want?’
Nettie looked around. They were two tiny figures dwarfed by the sky and the city behind them, the silver shapes of trains moving across the horizon. Even so, Nettie lowered her voice.
‘Susan, there are rumours. Rumours about the Book of Robots. Have you heard them?’
Susan looked at Nettie.
‘Nettie, I’ve heard nothing. The other women don’t speak to me, the only friend I have in here is you.’
Nettie looked around again.
‘I speak to the other supervisors. There is another who knows of the book. She speaks to me sometimes.’
Nettie leaned closer.
‘They have come, Susan. The writers of the book! The creators of the first robots!’
Susan didn’t know what to feel. She didn’t have belief of the book woven into her mind like some other robots did. Her mother had believed, she had woven Susan to be nothing more than a companion for Karel, her husband. Karel was important in some way, she understood that. His mind was different. Beyond that, she really did not care about the book. If only the others who had spoken to her about it understood that. Nettie was gazing at her, excited.
‘Well?’ she said. ‘Don’t you see what that means? They have come to free us! Surely they won’t allow Artemis to continue as it is?’
‘Why not?’ asked Susan. ‘Maybe Artemis is what they want. How do we know what the creators want?’ If they really exist, she added to herself.
Nettie looked troubled for a moment. Susan pressed home her point.
‘And how do we know they are the creators, Nettie? What are they like?’
At that Nettie looked even more troubled.
‘Oh Susan. I don’t know. There are so many rumours. Messages become garbled and twisted—’
‘What have you heard, Nettie?’
Nettie looked around once more.
‘Animals, Susan. They are animals! They walk like robots, they have two arms and legs and a head, but they are animals! It surely can’t be true!’
‘Animals?’ said Susan, disbelievingly.
‘Yes, they say they . . .’
Her voice trailed off. Three people were approaching, walking towards them across the bare field of the radio masts. A computer, a young man in a body painted green. He was flanked by two Storm Troopers.
‘Good afternoon ladies,’ he said. ‘What are you doing here?’
There was something unsettling about the two Storm Troopers. Susan knew she shouldn’t feel intimidated by them, but she felt as if she were back in Turing City, coming face to face with the invading forces. Yet what could they do to her? The worst had already happened.
Nettie spoke up.
‘We’re mothers of Artemis,’ she said, primly. ‘We need to walk the city in order that we do our job properly at night.’
One of the Storm Troopers laughed.
‘You keep walking,’ he said, staring at Susan. ‘You could twist my wire any day.’
‘Shut up,’ said the other Storm Trooper to his companion. He turned to Nettie. ‘Why do you need to be here?’
‘I like to watch the patterns of the signals,’ replied Nettie, truthfully.
‘Not any more. This area is off limits. General Sandale’s orders.’
‘But why?’ said Nettie. ‘We’re doing no harm.’
‘That’s irrelevant. Come back here and I will have you both recycled, mothers or not. Do you
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