after establishing a secure perimeter, it became apparent we had a problem. The shuttle was damaged beyond repair. Legionnaires were deserting. Captain Patton and his aide, Sergeant Rivers, confronted me about the situation. “I enlisted for the duration. It’s over. We’re leaving.”
“ Who’s leaving?” I asked.
“ All of us from the Third Army,” answered Patton. “I once feared missing out on the next war, but now, I just want to go home to my family. Beatrice is dead, but my children are still alive. I want to see them. I will see them.”
“ You will be AWOL,” accused Major Lopez.
“ Try to stop me,” bristled Patton, resting his hand on one of those fancy pistols. Sergeant Rivers unslung his rifle, as did several others. “I went along with your plan to bomb the Japs. It was a good plan, even though you bombed the wrong Japs. God damn, you really screwed the pooch on that one, Czerinski. You really are Polish.”
“ We are stronger if we stay together,” I tried to argue reasonably.
“ I can’t keep bailing you out. Thanks for everything, it’s been real.”
“ It appears I can’t stop you,” I replied as legionnaires pressed in to hear their fate. “No matter. We all may be stuck here if we can’t repair the shuttle. Records aren’t so good in 1955. If the authorities become suspicious, tell them you are Canadian, aye. Or say you were abducted by aliens and taken to the Bermuda Triangle. Just don’t let them know about your Fountain of Youth chips. They’ll dissect you like what happened at Roswell.”
“ I’m leaving, too,” announced Private Atm. “This situation is hopeless.”
“ You’re going nowhere,” I replied, drawing my pistol. “There is no way I’m turning an abomination like you loose on humanity. You are a walking-talking Pandora box of things that could go wrong.”
“ Like I could screw up worse than you and the CIA have already done.”
“ Only part of our plan involved military intervention,” advised Mike, stepping between me and Atm. “With Atm’s help, we can still achieve our mission. Atm can give Old Earth’s scientists the latest metallurgical engineering technology. Overnight he can advance America’s computing prowess hundreds of years.”
“ I can’t risk a robot loose on America.”
“ Atm remains completely loyal,” assured Mike. “It’s in his program to stay on mission, to advance America’s agenda.”
“ But can he be controlled? What if robots start multiplying and take over the world for themselves?”
“ You’re one paranoid dude,” answered Mike. “Only Atm can salvage this mission. He literally has it all stored in his memory chips.”
“ If your robot is so smart, how about he fixes our shuttle?” I asked.
“ It’s a wreck,” observed Atm. “No one can fix that, not without factory help. Or, do you propose we tow that junk heap to Detroit for retooling?”
“ Maybe the shuttle is beyond repair, but you can fix the time machine,” I said, pointing my pistol at Atm. “You will fix the time machine.”
“ Then what?” asked Atm. “I still won’t leave with you. I’m staying, no matter what. Kill me if you must. I don’t care.”
“ You fix the time machine, we’ll let you go,” intervened Major Lopez. “Do we have a deal?”
I nodded. Atm agreed, immediately entering the wreckage to work on the time machine, even removing some of his own chips for replacements.
“ When he’s done, shoot him,” I ordered.
* * * * *
“Do you really think they’ll let you go?” asked Corporal Tonelli, volunteering to assist Atm. “Czerinski will kill you as soon as the time machine is fixed.”
“ But we had a deal,” replied Private Atm. “Has Colonel Czerinski no sense of honor?”
“ No, not really. He fears you. Humanity fears your kind.”
“ I am not a threat to humanity,” protested Atm. “I am not a threat to anyone.”
“ With your knowledge, we could make a lot of money
“ Who’s leaving?” I asked.
“ All of us from the Third Army,” answered Patton. “I once feared missing out on the next war, but now, I just want to go home to my family. Beatrice is dead, but my children are still alive. I want to see them. I will see them.”
“ You will be AWOL,” accused Major Lopez.
“ Try to stop me,” bristled Patton, resting his hand on one of those fancy pistols. Sergeant Rivers unslung his rifle, as did several others. “I went along with your plan to bomb the Japs. It was a good plan, even though you bombed the wrong Japs. God damn, you really screwed the pooch on that one, Czerinski. You really are Polish.”
“ We are stronger if we stay together,” I tried to argue reasonably.
“ I can’t keep bailing you out. Thanks for everything, it’s been real.”
“ It appears I can’t stop you,” I replied as legionnaires pressed in to hear their fate. “No matter. We all may be stuck here if we can’t repair the shuttle. Records aren’t so good in 1955. If the authorities become suspicious, tell them you are Canadian, aye. Or say you were abducted by aliens and taken to the Bermuda Triangle. Just don’t let them know about your Fountain of Youth chips. They’ll dissect you like what happened at Roswell.”
“ I’m leaving, too,” announced Private Atm. “This situation is hopeless.”
“ You’re going nowhere,” I replied, drawing my pistol. “There is no way I’m turning an abomination like you loose on humanity. You are a walking-talking Pandora box of things that could go wrong.”
“ Like I could screw up worse than you and the CIA have already done.”
“ Only part of our plan involved military intervention,” advised Mike, stepping between me and Atm. “With Atm’s help, we can still achieve our mission. Atm can give Old Earth’s scientists the latest metallurgical engineering technology. Overnight he can advance America’s computing prowess hundreds of years.”
“ I can’t risk a robot loose on America.”
“ Atm remains completely loyal,” assured Mike. “It’s in his program to stay on mission, to advance America’s agenda.”
“ But can he be controlled? What if robots start multiplying and take over the world for themselves?”
“ You’re one paranoid dude,” answered Mike. “Only Atm can salvage this mission. He literally has it all stored in his memory chips.”
“ If your robot is so smart, how about he fixes our shuttle?” I asked.
“ It’s a wreck,” observed Atm. “No one can fix that, not without factory help. Or, do you propose we tow that junk heap to Detroit for retooling?”
“ Maybe the shuttle is beyond repair, but you can fix the time machine,” I said, pointing my pistol at Atm. “You will fix the time machine.”
“ Then what?” asked Atm. “I still won’t leave with you. I’m staying, no matter what. Kill me if you must. I don’t care.”
“ You fix the time machine, we’ll let you go,” intervened Major Lopez. “Do we have a deal?”
I nodded. Atm agreed, immediately entering the wreckage to work on the time machine, even removing some of his own chips for replacements.
“ When he’s done, shoot him,” I ordered.
* * * * *
“Do you really think they’ll let you go?” asked Corporal Tonelli, volunteering to assist Atm. “Czerinski will kill you as soon as the time machine is fixed.”
“ But we had a deal,” replied Private Atm. “Has Colonel Czerinski no sense of honor?”
“ No, not really. He fears you. Humanity fears your kind.”
“ I am not a threat to humanity,” protested Atm. “I am not a threat to anyone.”
“ With your knowledge, we could make a lot of money
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