Steelheart by William C. Dietz

leave, recruit some mercenaries, and launch a full-scale assault on the repository. There are risks, however, including the very real possibility that we would lose, that the mercenaries would turn on us, or that the entire complex would be destroyed, eliminating what could have been an ongoing source of food and revenue."
    The words had a rehearsed quality, as if memorized, but there was nothing wrong with that. Annie nodded. "Yes, go on."
    "We could sell the location to others, which while somewhat safer than option one, still raises many of the same objections."
    "Or?"
    "Or we could steal one egg and one robot—thereby transforming the repository into our own private bank. Small withdrawals, made over a long period of time, will create wealth without attracting the wrong sort of attention."
    "Brilliant!" Annie said proudly. "What a smart little scrap you are! Now for the hard part. We must cross the open space, lower you down the shaft, and retrieve an egg. Are you ready?"
    Becka was frightened, so frightened she wanted to pee, but the larder was empty, and her stomach rumbled like distant thunder. The thought of scrambled Mothri egg, flavored with dehydrated onion, filled her mouth with saliva. She nodded.
    "Good!" Annie said enthusiastically. "The plottin' and plannin' are over. Now comes the goin' and doin'."
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    Enore had expected some debate, but was surprised by the extent of it. Especially in light of the fact that the other option—sit there and do nothing—was so obviously wrong. That didn't stop Rota, however, who was in mid-rant.
    "There is no precedent for such an alliance! The Mothri stand alone. So it is and so it shall ever be! Once formed, who can say where such a pact might take us? One need look no further than our relationship with the Blues to see where accommodation can lead."
    Enore felt her implant start to tingle. Security had been breached, robots were on their way, and her presence was requested. Cognizant of the fact that the outcome of the debate was far from certain, and concerned lest her absence tip the balance in the wrong direction, the Mothri ignored the page.
    "Rota's right," Huubath put in. "Dangers abound. Besides, by what authority would we enter such an alliance?"
    "By the authority of the egg," Tortna replied thoughtfully. "An imperative more legitimate than a decree from the Blue throne."
    "Yes, I can see that," Zenth allowed. "But authority is one thing ... the humans are another. All of our surveillance nano report the same things: The humans bicker among themselves and listen to Zid theology. What can they offer?''
    Enore had anticipated the objection—and was ready with a response. "Zenth is correct. The humans do bicker among themselves—and some have joined the Church. There are exceptions, however— important exceptions, such as the facility known as 'Mountain That Is Flat.' Nano-supplied video will support my argument."
    Enore vanished off their screens, video appeared, and her implant continued to tingle.
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    A layer of sleet had started to form on the north side of Android Annie's face. She had pale blue eyes, wrinkles that exploded down across her cheeks, and a smear of snot just below her nose. “You okay, scrap?''
    Becka looked down from her perch at the top of the cone and wondered about their relationship. Did Annie think of her as the daughter she'd never had, the way she claimed to? Or did the old woman simply need someone small and agile, someone she could drop into dangerous places while she remained safe and sound? There was no way to be sure.
    The girl nodded, checked to ensure that the homemade harness was properly secured, and lowered herself into the pipe. The rope ran up and over the lip of the shaft. A specially designed fitting had been secured to the cone's rim to protect the rope from wear and to provide Annie with extra leverage. Just one of the many details on which her success depended.
    As the atmosphere cooled, the