The Age Atomic by Adam Christopher

them. So they were released.”
    â€œJust like that?”
    The King clicked his fingers. “Just like that.”
    Rad and Jennifer exchanged a look, and she asked, “So why are they all up here? The Naval robot yards are a long way from Harlem.”
    â€œAh, that is my doing,” said the King. “I am from downtown, actually. One night, among the chaos, I had my own little encounter. I discovered the robots – all lost, afraid, hiding in the shadows.” He held his hands out. “I decided to help them.”
    Jennifer stepped around the slab with a speed that surprised Rad. “Help them? How could you help them?” She leaned over him as she pressed her questions, her face pale.
    â€œMs Jones, please! I am both an engineer and a doctor. I thought there might be a way to reverse the process of robotization. If the mechanical and electronic parts of these poor creatures could be removed, maybe the men trapped inside their steel prisons could be freed, and return to normal life.”
    Rad hrmmed . This sounded like the kind of endeavor Captain Carson would have had a hand in, being the guy who had helped invent the damn robot technology in the first place. The fact that Carson had instead vanished and this guy had set up what was starting to look like a crazy person’s backstreet robot surgery crossed Rad’s mind as not particularly good signs. He raised a hand, but stopped when he saw the look on Jennifer’s face.
    She was standing even closer to the King now, her eyes wide, her lips parted. Rad could see the rise and fall of her chest.
    â€œIs it true?” she asked the King, her voice a breathy whisper. “Can you save these people?”
    The King still had the smile on his face, and he nodded.
    Rad jerked his thumb over one shoulder. “What about those robots outside? They don’t look much fixed to me.” He stepped up to Jennifer and pulled her away from their host. When she looked at Rad there was a spark in her eyes: she was hot on the trail of whatever it was she was looking for. “And what about our erstwhile friend, the amazing Cliff? There’s warehouses full of robots just like him downtown, all packed up like toy soldiers, waiting for something. That anything to do with you?”
    Rad pulled the metal rod from his pocket. The King’s eyes lit up and he smiled before holding out his hand. Rad pulled his own away and shook his head. “I met a guy earlier who didn’t like the look of this little thing one bit. Was scared of it even. You care to explain why?”
    The King raised an eyebrow and slipped his hands into the pockets of his velvet jacket. “Oh, probably thought it was some bad hoodoo. My work here makes some people nervous, although I can’t think why.”
    Rad sighed and held the object out. “OK, fine, knock yourself out,” he said.
    The King took it slowly, his fingers wrapping around the cylinder. Then it quickly disappeared into a pocket.
    â€œKane Fortuna,” said Rad. “Now.”
    The King nodded. “Come.”
    The King walked toward the backstage door. Rad followed, but when Jennifer moved after him the King stopped, turning on his heel and holding up a hand.
    â€œAh, Ms Jones. Please make yourself comfortable here. Mr Bradley and I won’t be long.”
    Jennifer met Rad’s eye. Rad frowned.
    â€œWhere are we going?” he asked. “Why can’t she come?”
    â€œTrust me,” said the King. Then he smiled the infuriating smile and turned away, vanishing through the door.
    Jennifer sighed. “I don’t like this.”
    Rad adjusted his hat. Neither did he. He glanced around the theater, his fingers playing over the pistol in his coat pocket. He was armed… but so was Jennifer. The big silver gun still hung from her hand.
    â€œWe’ll be fine,” he said, drawing in close, his voice low. “If I can keep his majesty busy, you can