Runaway 3/4

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&quot;They're in the forest,&quot; said a policeman. He had been standing by the window, touching his ear and muttering, but now he turned and smiled with relief. &quot;Weak signal, but it's accurate to a few meters. The automaton must have activated an emergency beacon. We're locked onto it now.&quot;

&quot;Emergency?&quot; said Anica's father, clenching and unclenching his hands around his necktie. His face drained of color and he teetered on his feet.

The policemen in the room all started waving their hands and speaking over each other: &quot;No! It's ok!&quot; &quot;Not that kind, sir! Just what we call the type of signal.&quot;

&quot;See?&quot; said the man from the factory, brushing a bit of lint from his shirt. &quot;It's following the programming to the letter. You're certainly getting your money's worth out of that advanced reasoning package today.&quot;

Anica's mother smiled and patted her husband's shoulder as the color returned to his face.

&quot;We're sending a cruiser over the woods now,&quot; said the policeman at the window. &quot;Should be there in ten minutes.&quot;

&quot;Did you know Patrice could do that?&quot; said Anica's father quietly. &quot;Send beacons?&quot;

&quot;No,&quot; said her mother. &quot;I thought it just, I don't know, talked and walked around.&quot;

&quot;I'm cutting down that forest the moment we get my girl back,&quot; said Anica's father.

—

&quot;Child, it is getting dark,&quot; said Patrice. &quot;In another five minutes, you will no longer be able to see and it will become very dangerous.&quot; The two of them sat in a clearing, watching the sky darken.

&quot;No, I want to stay. You have to stay with me because I said so and you have to do what I say or I'll hurt myself.&quot; Anica poked gently at the long metal slope of Patrice's left cheek. &quot;What's it like, being you?&quot; said Anica.

&quot;Please pay attention,&quot; said Patrice. &quot;It's important you understand so you don't get scared. When it becomes dark, it will be dangerous enough to activate my protection subroutines. The impulse to bring you to safety will override the impulse to obey your instructions. I will pick you up and begin running for the edge of the forest, and I won't be able to stop or let you go even if you tell me to. I don't want you to be afraid when this happens. I won't hurt you.&quot;

&quot;Does it feel weird to have protocols and impulses and have to do what people say?&quot; asked Anica.

&quot;Do you understand what I said, Anica?&quot;

&quot;It's not dark enough yet, so you still have to answer me.&quot;

A human might have sighed in anger or snapped at the child, but Patrice simply thought for a few seconds and said. &quot;I cannot say. I have nothing to compare it to. I'm sorry if that is an unsatisfying answer.&quot;

&quot;Well, imagine if you were a person like me. Mommy and Daddy said you were expensive and you have stuff that lets you imagine things, so imagine.&quot;

Patrice bowed her head and thought for a long moment, followed by another long moment. Anica watched curiously, poking absently at the thin metal edging on Patrice's arm.

Finally, Patrice said: &quot;If I were a person like you, I don't think I would like it very much. I think I would feel like a slave.&quot;

Anica opened her mouth to respond, but Patrice had already leapt to her feet, her torso spinning unnaturally towards the deep forest. There was a small deer poking it's nose out from the trees. The deer froze, sniffing the air.

If the sun were still in the sky, or they were closer to home, Patrice might have decided to stand protectively between the deer and the child. But it was dark, and home was far away, and Patrice's zoological dataset told her that deer could trample or kick if startled. Programming made the decision for her.

Patrice leapt towards the forest edge with unnatural speed, her limbs popping and crackling with effort. Dirt jetted from the ground with the force of each powerful step until she loomed over the deer. Barely a second had passed, and before the deer could react Patrice was on top of it. She carefully inserted one edged hand between the ribs of the dear, reached into it's chest, and crushed it's heart with a single spasm of her fingers.

Anica began to wail a half-formed sentence, but it was too late for words. Patrice swept her up in both arms and began to run home.