Jon kept repeating the message until the searching men began to approach his position. He left the mike connected — the men wouldn't notice it in the dark but the open line would give the unknown powers his exact location. Using his fingertips he did a careful traverse on an I-beam to an alcove in the farthest corner of the room. Escape was impossible, all he could do was stall for time.
"Mr. Coleman, I'm sorry I ran away." With the volume on full his voice rolled like thunder from the echoing walls.
He could see the men below twisting their heads vainly to find the source.
"If you let me come back and don't kill me I will do your work. I was afraid of the bomb, but now I am afraid of the guns." It sounded a little infantile, but he was pretty sure none of those present had any sound knowledge of robotic intelligence.
"Please let me come back. . sir!" He had almost forgotten the last word, so he added another "Please, sir!" to make up.
Coleman needed that package under the boat very badly. He would promise anything to get it. Jon had no doubts as to his eventual fate.
All he could do was mark time in the hopes that the phone message would bring aid.
"Come on down, I won't be mad at you — if you follow directions." Jon could hear the hidden anger in his voice, the unspoken hatred for a robe who dared lay hands on him. The descent wasn't difficult, but Jon did it slowly with much apparent discomfort. He hopped into the center of the floor — leaning on the cases as if for support. Coleman and Druce were both there, as well as a group of hard-eyed newcomers. They raised their guns at his approach but Coleman stopped them with a gesture.
"This is my robe boys, I'll see to it that he's happy."
He raised his gun and shot Jon's remaining leg off. Twisted ardtind by the blast Jon fell helplessly to the floor. He looked up into the smoking mouth of the.75.
"Very smart for a tin can, but not smart enough. We'll get the junk on the boat some other way, some way that won't mean having you around underfoot." Death looked out of his narrowed eyes.
Less than two minutes had passed since Jon's call. The watchers must have been keeping twenty-four-hour stations waiting for Venex 17's phone message.
The main door went down with the sudden scream of torn steel. A whippet tank crunched over the wreck and covered the group with its multiple pom-poms. They were an instant too late. Coleman pulled the trigger.
Jon saw the tensing trigger finger and pushed hard against the floor. His head rolled clear but the bullet tore through his shoulder. Coleman didn't have a chance for a second shot. There was a fizzling hiss from the tank and the riot ports released a flood of tear gas. The stricken men never saw the gas-masked police that poured in from the street.
Jon lay on the floor of the police station while a tech made temporary repairs on his leg and shoulder. Across the room Venex 17 was moving his new body with evident pleasure.
"Now this really feels like something] I was sure my time was up when that land slip caught me. But maybe I ought to start from the beginning." He stamped across the room and shook Jon's inoperable hand.
"The name is Wil Counter-495IL3, not that that means much anymore. I've worn so many different bodies that I forget what I originally looked like. I went right from factory school to a police training school — and I have been on the job ever since — Force of Detectives, sergeant junior grade, Investigation Department. I spend most of my time selling candy bars or newspapers, or serving drinks in crumb joints. Gather information, make reports and keep tab on guys for other departments.
"This last job — and I'm sorry I had to use a Venex identity, I don't think I brought any dishonor to your family — I was on loan to the Customs Department. Seems a ring was bringing uncut junk — heroin — into the country. FBI tabbed all the operators here, but no one knew how the stuff got in. When Coleman, he's the local big shot, called the agencies for an underwater robot, I was packed into a new body and sent running.
"I alerted the squad as soon as I started the tunnel, but the damned thing caved in on me before I found out what ship was doing the carrying. From there on you know what happened.
"Not knowing I was out of the game the squad sat tight and waited. The hop merchants saw a half-million in snow sailing back to the old country, so they had you dragged in as a replacement. You made the phone call and the cavalry rushed in at the last moment to save two robots from a rusty grave."
Jon, who had been trying vainly to get in a word, saw his chance as Wil Counter turned to admire the reflection of his new figure in a window.
"You shouldn't be telling me those things — about your police investigations and department operations. Isn't this information supposed to be secret? Specially from robots!"
"Of course it is!" was Wil's airy answer. "Captain Edgecombe— he's the head of my department — is an expert on all kinds of blackmail. I'm supposed to tell you so much confidential police business that you'll have to either join the department or be shot as a possible informer." His laughter wasn't shared by the bewildered Jon.
"Truthfully Jon, we need you and can use you. Robes that can think fast and act fast aren't easy to find. After hearing about the tricks you pulled in that warehouse the Captain swore to decapitate me permanently if I couldn't get you to join up. Do you need a job? Long hours, short pay — but guaranteed to never get boring."
Wil's voice was suddenly serious. "You saved my life Jon — those snowbirds would have left me in that sandpile until all hell froze over. I'd like you for a mate, I think we could get along well together." The lilting note came back into his voice. "And besides that, I may be able to save your life someday — I hate owing debts."
The tech was finished. He snapped his toolbox shut and left. Jon's shoulder motor was repaired now, — he sat up. When they shook hands this time it was a firm clasp. The kind you know will last awhile.
Jon stayed in an empty cell that night. It was gigantic compared to the hotel and barracks rooms he was used to. He wished that he had his) missing legs so he could take a little walk up and down the cell. He would have to wait until the morning. They were going to fix him up then before he started the new job.
He had recorded his testimony earlier and the impossible events of the past day kept whirling around in his head. He would think about it some other time. Right now all he wanted to do was let his overworked circuits cool down. If he only had something to read, to focus his attention on. Then, with a start, he remembered the booklet. Everything had moved so fast that the earlier incident with the truck driver had slipped his mind completely.
He carefully worked it out from behind the generator shielding and opened the first page of Robot Slaves in a World Economy. A card slipped from between the pages and he read the short message on k.
PLEASE DESTROY THIS CARD AFTER READING
If you think there is truth in this book and would like to hear more,
come to Room 8, 107 George St. any Tuesday at 5 P.M.
The card flared briefly and was gone. But he knew that it wasn't only a perfect memory that would make him remember that message.
ONE FOR THE SHRINKS
For science fiction, read adventure fiction, for that is what it was for many decades. In their time H. G. Wells' books were referred to as "scientific romances." No, not like Barbara Cartland's tales of snogging and bodice ripping. This is romance meaning "a tale depicting heroic or marvelous achievements, colorful events or scenes, chivalrous devotion, unusual, even supernatural, experiences, or other matters of a kind to appeal to the imagination." A description not too wide of the mark of describing science fiction itself.