Read Online Pyramid Lake by Paul Draker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Paul Draker
Tags: USA
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robot slowed and stopped. The treadmill slid to a halt beneath its feet.
Blake turned to stare at it, frowned, and poked at his iPad screen. “I must have brushed this by mistake…”
PETMAN extended one arm in front of its chest. And then the other. It rotated its extended forearms one at a time, turning them one hundred eighty degrees. Then it raised bent-elbowed arms high, one after another. The robot’s wrists shuddered to a halt behind its flashing red nub of a head.
Blake’s frown deepened, tapping faster at his iPad. “For some reason, he’s not responding…”
PETMAN lowered its right arm to reach behind its back, followed by its left, and swiveled its hip joints in place. Then it crouched and sprang a foot off the treadmill, rotating its body ninety degrees in the air.
Cassie and Blake jumped back.
PETMAN’s Nike-shod feet slammed back down on steel mesh surface with a resounding crash. Side-on to us now, it raised its arms again, one at a time.
Blake slowly lowered the iPad to his side and stared at his robot. “What the hell is he doing?”
“Looks like the Macarena to me,” I said.
Blake’s face went red. “You little shit! How…?” He turned to Cassie, “I’m sorry, he—”
“I’ll come back at a better time,” Cassie said. She turned on her heel, and walked out.
The robot continued its jerky dance movements, punctuated with those ninety-degree leap-turns that shook the floor beneath our feet. It should have made PETMAN look ridiculous, but somehow it didn’t.
My stomach muscles clenched again, and I looked away.
Blake was breathing heavily. “I have to get McNulty and security involved, Trevor. I have to.” He looked more upset than angry now. “Why would you sabotage my project, my hard work—?”
“Relax,” I said, turning to leave. “Reboot that thing, and it’ll be back to normal.”
At the door, I spoke over my shoulder.
“Better than normal, actually. Try it out on the stairs now.”
CHAPTER 16
“T his isn’t going to work,” Cassie said once we were back in my lab.
“That’s too bad.” I kept my voice neutral. “I was kind of looking forward to working with you.”
“See?” She laughed. “That’s what I’m talking about. You’re very smart, Trevor, but maybe not as smart as you think, because you’re not giving me enough credit for intelligence.”
“I know you’re smart,” I said.
“Do you?” she asked. “Then why do you think acting like an ass and treating your coworkers like shit in front of me is going to bother me in the least?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I said. “I wasn’t making any special effort on your behalf.”
“What I mean is, why would I care? It’s not my job to go around apologizing for your behavior or to keep you out of trouble. So trying to get me to quit that way isn’t going to work.”
“Sounds like you’re overthinking this a bit,” I said.
“Frankenstein,” she called out, “what’s Trevor feeling right now?”
Oh, shit.
“Resentment,” came the rumbling voice that shook the floor tiles. “Surprise. Embarrassment. Grudging respect.”
“Nice,” I said. “You’re taking orders from her now?”
“She is your research partner and co-lead,” Frankenstein said.
I didn’t have an answer to that, so I kept my mouth shut.
Cassie looked at me and shook her head. “You’re too intelligent for this, Trevor. So here’s what I propose.” She looked at her phone, checking the time. “I’m going home now—”
“To California?”
“…to my uncle’s place in Wadsworth, to visit with family I haven’t seen in a while. But tomorrow, we can start as early as you want. You can give me an overview of Frankenstein’s software, and we’ll take it from there.”
“I’m out tomorrow,” I said. “Prior engagement. So there’s not much point to you coming in and sitting around bored, either.”
“Don’t worry about me,” she said. “I’ll just dive in and get started on
Blake turned to stare at it, frowned, and poked at his iPad screen. “I must have brushed this by mistake…”
PETMAN extended one arm in front of its chest. And then the other. It rotated its extended forearms one at a time, turning them one hundred eighty degrees. Then it raised bent-elbowed arms high, one after another. The robot’s wrists shuddered to a halt behind its flashing red nub of a head.
Blake’s frown deepened, tapping faster at his iPad. “For some reason, he’s not responding…”
PETMAN lowered its right arm to reach behind its back, followed by its left, and swiveled its hip joints in place. Then it crouched and sprang a foot off the treadmill, rotating its body ninety degrees in the air.
Cassie and Blake jumped back.
PETMAN’s Nike-shod feet slammed back down on steel mesh surface with a resounding crash. Side-on to us now, it raised its arms again, one at a time.
Blake slowly lowered the iPad to his side and stared at his robot. “What the hell is he doing?”
“Looks like the Macarena to me,” I said.
Blake’s face went red. “You little shit! How…?” He turned to Cassie, “I’m sorry, he—”
“I’ll come back at a better time,” Cassie said. She turned on her heel, and walked out.
The robot continued its jerky dance movements, punctuated with those ninety-degree leap-turns that shook the floor beneath our feet. It should have made PETMAN look ridiculous, but somehow it didn’t.
My stomach muscles clenched again, and I looked away.
Blake was breathing heavily. “I have to get McNulty and security involved, Trevor. I have to.” He looked more upset than angry now. “Why would you sabotage my project, my hard work—?”
“Relax,” I said, turning to leave. “Reboot that thing, and it’ll be back to normal.”
At the door, I spoke over my shoulder.
“Better than normal, actually. Try it out on the stairs now.”
CHAPTER 16
“T his isn’t going to work,” Cassie said once we were back in my lab.
“That’s too bad.” I kept my voice neutral. “I was kind of looking forward to working with you.”
“See?” She laughed. “That’s what I’m talking about. You’re very smart, Trevor, but maybe not as smart as you think, because you’re not giving me enough credit for intelligence.”
“I know you’re smart,” I said.
“Do you?” she asked. “Then why do you think acting like an ass and treating your coworkers like shit in front of me is going to bother me in the least?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I said. “I wasn’t making any special effort on your behalf.”
“What I mean is, why would I care? It’s not my job to go around apologizing for your behavior or to keep you out of trouble. So trying to get me to quit that way isn’t going to work.”
“Sounds like you’re overthinking this a bit,” I said.
“Frankenstein,” she called out, “what’s Trevor feeling right now?”
Oh, shit.
“Resentment,” came the rumbling voice that shook the floor tiles. “Surprise. Embarrassment. Grudging respect.”
“Nice,” I said. “You’re taking orders from her now?”
“She is your research partner and co-lead,” Frankenstein said.
I didn’t have an answer to that, so I kept my mouth shut.
Cassie looked at me and shook her head. “You’re too intelligent for this, Trevor. So here’s what I propose.” She looked at her phone, checking the time. “I’m going home now—”
“To California?”
“…to my uncle’s place in Wadsworth, to visit with family I haven’t seen in a while. But tomorrow, we can start as early as you want. You can give me an overview of Frankenstein’s software, and we’ll take it from there.”
“I’m out tomorrow,” I said. “Prior engagement. So there’s not much point to you coming in and sitting around bored, either.”
“Don’t worry about me,” she said. “I’ll just dive in and get started on
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