Encounters 1: The Spiral Slayers Read Online Free Page B

possible.
    He was very cold and just wanted to sleep.
    All around him, scattered about the floating wreckage, eighty-one
of the one hundred sphere-bots were still functional and rebooting in local
mode. The local base AI net was established between them, and with their
limited local intelligence (about that of a well-trained dog), they attempted
to assess the situation.
    One took over as the master. Determining that forty-three
percent of its fellow bots had malfunctioning radios, it went into their most
basic mode of communication. Its sides, bottoms, tops and other moving parts
began rapidly extending out and snapping back with metallic clicks and clanks
as it began directing the other bots.
    It divided them into three groups.  Some began the hopeless
task of sealing all the hissing leaks allowing the atmosphere to escape, while
another group attempted the equally hopeless task of rebooting the main
computer. The third group located Adamarus and began assessing his condition.
    The master bot circled Adamarus clicking and whistling as
twenty other bots checked his vitals and injuries. As the critical nature of
his injuries became apparent, the bots began opening and closing their
multi-sectioned spheres faster and faster, clicking and clanking almost as if
they were in a panic. The master flew through the group instructing several to
get the medical kit while others were tasked with attempting to slow the loss
of blood by pressing themselves against the wound or linking together to form a
tourniquet.
    The bots sent to locate the medical kit found it was wedged
between the side of the seat and the bulkhead and could not be detached or
opened. The master bot instructed the remaining group to follow him to the
medical kit. After trying and failing to open it, they began slamming
themselves against it destroying themselves while others pried the side of it
to gain entry.
    Meanwhile the second group, deciding the main computer was
not going to reboot, reported back to the master. Clicking and whistling it
sent half to help plug the leaks and half to help with the medical kit.
    While all this was happening the mortally wounded Adamarus
stared blankly at the spinning stars while taking labored gurgling breaths.
Every few minutes the sun would come into view forcing him to close his eyes. As
he watched, a dark shape moved across his view blocking the stars out one by
one.
    Disjointed memories and thoughts came and went. The memory of
a burst of laughter echoed in his head along with a voice saying, Keep an
eye out for the boogeyman .
    As his view rotated, the thing blocking the stars became silhouetted
against the sun. The shape was moving towards him, but shifting rays of
sunlight flickering around and through it hid its form.
    Rescue ship came to his disorientated mind but something
looked very wrong. Lines and shapes emerged and the brief hope changed into
curiosity, and then into fear.
    The sphere-bots finally forced open the medical kit. One went
for the bandages but the Master bot knocked it out of the way and went right
for the Emerfreeze.
    The Emergency Freezing Unit, or Emerfreeze, was used only for
mortal injuries where death was eminent. It enveloped the injured person with a
nano driven chemical which froze the body, placing it in stasis for up to two
hours and, hopefully, until proper medical care could arrive.
    Small mechanical claws extended from the bot's open panels and
grabbing the EmerFreeze, the bot headed back to Adamarus.
    Adamarus continued to watch the object. It had slowed and
stopped its approach and a smaller shape was emerging. Again the sun was right
behind it and all he could see was an outline. Rays of sunlight broke through
its shape crisscrossing and intertwining.
    The form of a giant claw emerged and began to open as it came
right at Adamarus. Adamarus could only watch and make hoarse croaking sounds as
fear turned to terror.
    At that moment the sphere-bot plunged the Emerfreeze into