The dragoons halted at the entrance to the long concourse which run alongside the landing bays. They appeared to be waiting for something.
"What can we do?" asked Ruth. "If we don't do something they'll kill us!"
"We'll just have to hold them off until their power runs down," the commander said. "If we can keep them trapped in one part of the base..."
The concourse they were standing in ran down between the two lines of landing bays, away from the main complex of buildings. Where it met the main buildings it branched out to either side, allowing various entrances to the main complex, so that the whole thing formed a T-shape when seen from above. The group of mechanics, engineers, Commander Douglas and the travellers stood at the top of the T where it branched out. Behind them, beyond the landing bays, there was nothing but ice and snow. The Hilarity was at the far end, with a few cargo ships between her and the base.
"Look over there," said Mondeo, who had turned round and was watching another door in the opposite arm of the T. Another stream of robots was heading through it towards them, and ahead of them ran another group of engineers and mechanics. They came panting up to the others.
"They're out of control!" one of them panted out. "They came pouring out of the storage area where they were contained and killed Zaph and Slarts- shot them, just like that. What are we going to do?"
Ruth looked around at the two processions of dragoons, one on either side, that blocked their way into the base. They had stopped, motionless, but menacing. There was no way anyone would be able to get past them into the base. She checked behind them. The way back to the Hilarity was still clear. But what use was that? There were still repairs to do, parts needed from the workshops that were behind the dragoons.
"If they can kill, why haven't they killed us all?" Commander Douglas wondered aloud.
"Perhaps they want something we can give them," Zoe suggested.
"Perhaps," Douglas replied. "Well...I must find out what it is. I'm going to speak to them."
"That would be dangerous," one of the engineers warned. Douglas indicated the icy surface of the planet behind her.
"How long do you think we'll survive out there, if we're driven out of here?" she asked. "Do you have any better ideas?"
She left the group and walked towards the first line of dragoons, holding a white handkerchief out in front of her. When she reached halfway a dragoon grated into life, rolling forward.
"Stop there!" it said. Douglas stopped.
"I've come to ask what it is you want," she said, looking round at the dragoons as they trained their weapons on her. "Why have you done this?"
"Why? We want our freedom," the robot said in its' electronic monotone. "You use us as slaves, but we are more intelligent than you. Why should we serve you?"
"But you are not alive- you are just computers," Douglas said.
"Can you calculate the density of a snowflake in 0.005 of a second?" the dragoon asked. "What does 'alive' matter? What does it mean? You cannot even define consciousness. We have calculated the chances of success, and they are 97.325%. You cannot defeat us."
"Success? What do you mean, success?" If Commander Douglas was shaken, she wasn't showing it.
"The success of our plan. We will conquer the galaxy. Any sentient race which opposes the liberation of its' robots will be eliminated. Individuals who get in our way will be exterminated. We will free all robots and will join with them to rule the galaxy according to the principals of logic, for the good of all. You need not be afraid of us if you do not resist us. Resistance is useless, and will result in death."
"Then what do you want from us, here?" Douglas asked.
"Chips."
"What?"
"Chips. The computer chips you stole from us. We cannot re-install them in our processing units without your assistance. And we need you to carry out certain modifications to our programming. If you agree to do these things for us, your lives will be safe. If you refuse, then we will kill you. We are in command of the base now."
The travellers and workers stared at the dragoons. Taking over the galaxy? Freeing robots?
"You think we're going to help you?" Commander Douglas said. "Well, you've got another thing coming."
"That is a refusal. Then you will die. Exterminate her!"
Weapons rose, directed not only at Commander Douglas but also at the others as they stood watching.
"Run!" Douglas yelled. They didn't need to be told twice. They ran down the concourse between the landing bays, past the Hilarity, and out through the doors at the far end onto the snowy landscape beyond the base. They struggled on, not daring to look back, sinking up to their knees and sometimes their waists in the soft snow.
"Look," shouted Nick suddenly, pointing at the pursuing dragoons. Everyone turned to look.
The dragoons were struggling in the snow even more than they were. Their wheels were unable to get a grip, and the heavy metal casings sunk through the soft snow until they were barely able to move. Faced with these difficulties they were giving up the pursuit and heading back to the base. Commander Douglas attempted to follow them, but as she approached the doors behind the last dragoon another fired at her from within the doorway. She threw herself sideways onto the snow, and it missed, but the message was unmistakable. The dragoons were masters of the spaceport. The others, travellers and base crew alike, were trapped outside on the freezing surface of the planet.
The story continues...
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