Jessie gave a low whistle. “You’ve really been thinking about this.”
Stevie nodded. “When I’m not playing with this clever toyI’ve created. Or going after those bastards who kidnapped my father. That’s been taking up quite a bit of my time. You might think about it, too, Jessie. You’re tough and smart. We need all the ideas we can get.” She turned back to the robot. “But right now, I’ve got to finish checking out Archie. Unless there are any other questions you’d like answered?”
“Only one.” Jessie grinned. “I’m still a bit uneasy being around your robot here, but I’m pretty good at tinkering. Anything I can do to help?”
NIGHTFALL
“Ready?” Kendra stepped inside Stevie’s makeshift workshop, where the girl was fastening a long coat around Archie.
“Almost.” Stevie buttoned the coat and positioned the knit ski mask over Archie’s silver metallic face. “Archie, run your rapid diagnostic routine.”
After a few seconds, Archie responded. “All systems fully operational.”
“Good. Just what I want to hear.”
“I appreciate your concern, but the danger to you is far greater than it is to me. Perhaps you would prefer to remain here while I scout out the area.”
“No way,” Stevie said. “My father’s out there, probably in danger, and soon you’ll be out there, too. You’re the two most important things in my life.”
“Ah. I’m sure your father will be flattered to hear that you ranked him at my level.”
Stevie laughed.
“A joke?” Kendra asked. “Did Archie just come up with that himself?”
Stevie shook her head. “I didn’t program that. He constantly hears things and incorporates them into his programming. He may have seen me laugh at something similar, so he determined that it was a good way to communicate with me.” Stevie stepped back. “Archie, give me a deep knee bend on one foot.”
The robot raised his left foot and descended to a level that few humans could hope to accomplish. He extended his arms slightly for balance.
“Incredible,” Kendra said. “He’s so . . . lifelike.”
“But better,” Stevie said. “Smoother and better balanced than almost any living creature. Archie, switch feet.”
With a quick hop, Archie raised his right foot and landed on his left.
“Good,” Stevie said. “By the time I’m finished, I want Archie to be able to jump from basketball hoop to basketball hoop across the entire length of a gymnasium floor as if he were dancing.”
Kendra looked at her as if she might be joking. “Is that even possible?”
“It will be.”
“I like your confidence.”
“Take a look at the robots on YouTube. The things they can do are almost at that level. I’m just pushing the boundaries a little further.” She met Kendra’s gaze with a quiet serenity. “If I don’t challenge myself, what’s the point?”
Kendra smiled. There was nothing obnoxious or braggadocious in Stevie’s manner; like many brilliant people she’dknown, the young woman was simply confident in her abilities and channeled that mindset to do things nobody had done before. “Good point, Stevie.” She gave the girl a fist bump. “Now let’s go find your father.”
When Kendra, Stevie, and Archie left the cabin, Lynch and Jessie were already standing in the darkness, prepping the automatic weapons Lynch had taken from the gunmen outside the gas station.
Stevie unzipped her knapsack and produced four small earpieces. She placed one in her ear and gave the others to Kendra, Lynch, and Jessie. “Here. Put these in.”
Jessie looked at her earpiece. “Is this so we can communicate with one another?”
“No. It’s so Archie can speak to us using his internal transmitter and not make any unnecessary sounds.”
After the others had inserted the devices, Archie’s calm voice sounded in their ears. “Hello. Is this a comfortable volume for you? If anyone would like me to make an adjustment to your individual audio feed, please let me know.”
Jessie turned to the others. “Why should he have anything to say to us?”
