78 THE CHASE

CHAPTER 78 THE CHASE The street was empty. No people walking, no robots working, no automobiles driving. Roz looked to the sky, hoping to see Brightbill or Strutter. But what she saw was a fleet of white triangular airships. They were floating over the city, searching for the runaway robot, and they had just spotted her. "ROZZUM unit 7134, do not move!" Three robots zipped down from a ship on cables. They were RECOs 10, 11, and 12. Each held a rifle at his side, but they didn't fire their weapons, not yet. Their orders were to retrieve the target unharmed, if possible. Our robot's Survival Instincts blared like sirens in her head, and she burst away from the RECOs. She sprinted down the empty street and turned onto another empty street. All the streets seemed to be empty, but they wouldn't be empty for long. More and more big, bulky robots came zipping down to

join the chase. The RECOs moved like machines. Their target moved like an animal. The wild robot stayed low, gliding across the streets, darting around buildings, vanishing into the shadows. Her computer brain thought back to those games of hide-and-seek she had played on the farm. But this was no game. Roz never should have gone into that alley. She was halfway through it when RECOs appeared at both ends. There was only one direction to go. Using all the strength in her legs, our robot launched herself high into the air and she clamped onto the side of a building. Frightened faces peered out from a window. But Roz didn't want to frighten anyone! She just wanted to go home! The robot launched herself up and across the alley and clamped onto the opposite building. Back and forth she went, leaping between the buildings, climbing higher and higher, until she landed on a flat, lofty rooftop. The sky was filled with white airships. All at once, the ships turned toward Roz. Their engines buzzed as they closed in on our robot. But then came a strange swishing noise. Pigeons! Hundreds of them! Thousands of them! Wave upon wave of pigeons

streamed up from the streets and swarmed around the airships. Strutter had rallied her friends from every corner of the city. They had always hated airships, buzzing loudly, crowding the skies, forcing the birds to fly low. And now a city's worth of pigeons were finally unleashing their anger. As you'd expect, the airships fought back. Blazing beams of light flickered across the skyline and left charred feathers floating on the breeze. But the pigeons didn't retreat—they tightened around the ships, distracting them, confusing them. There was a deafening screech, little bodies fell, and a ship spiraled out of sight, leaving a trail of smoke behind it. Roz watched in horror as more pigeons and ships went down. She hollered for the birds to fly away, but they were lost in a fighting frenzy. Heavy feet thumped onto the roof. "ROZZUM unit 7134, do not move!" Roz didn't look. She just ran from the voice, leaped to the next rooftop, and kept on running. Our robot leaped up to a higher rooftop and then down to a lower one. Up and down she went, leaping from building to building, footsteps thundering behind her. But still, the RECOs did not fire their rifles.

"Mama, I'm here!" Brightbill swooped alongside his mother as she ran. "What should we do?" "Brightbill, you must fly to safety!" hollered Roz. "It is too dangerous up here!" And then in a softer voice the robot said, "I cannot escape." "No! Mama! You've come so far, don't give up now!" But Roz was finished running. She slowed and stopped at the edge of the rooftop. The goose fluttered into her arms, and our friends held each other close. "You have been such a good son," said Roz. "You have saved my life so many times. But now you must save yourself and go on without me." "Will I see you again?" said Brightbill, wiping his eyes. "I do not think so," said Roz. They still had so much to say to each other. There simply wasn't any more time. So they said the only words that really mattered. "I love you, Mama." "I love you, son." Airships circled above. RECOs dropped onto rooftops.

Rifles pointed at our robot. A voice boomed, "ROZZUM unit 7134, do not move!" But Roz did move. She heaved her son toward the sky so that he could fly to safety, and in that instant a trigger was pulled. A blazing beam of light flashed onto our robot's leg. Damage Sensors flared as the leg turned bright orange and melted away. Poor Roz tried to keep her balance, but she was already toppling backward, off the roof. She seemed to hang in the air, sparkling in the sunlight, and then she fell down down down to the street below. As Roz was falling, she took one last look at Brightbill, soaring in the sky above. She watched him get smaller and smaller. Then everything suddenly went dark.