Predator

10

Steve eyed the sunlight that filtered brightly through a few gaps in the canopy of leaves overhead. The sun was low; only an hour or so of daylight was left. He made dinner with the supplies they had brought, using a small, portable electric stove.

The group sat in a circle outside the front of the tent, eating from biodegradable dishes and utensils. Steve, remembering his camping experience, had been thinking ahead. He was determined to show Chad that he knew what he was doing, at least within his own area of responsibility.

“This is going to take longer than you hoped, isn’t it?” Steve asked Hunter, between mouthfuls.

“I believe so,” said Hunter. “If the stegoceras had been under control when MC 1 appeared, I could have given chase at that time. Once he was out of my sight and hearing, though, the moment was past. From that point, a new plan was required.”

“Hunter, we have water for only another twenty-four hours. Our food will last a couple of days if we ration it, but we can stretch it indefinitely if we do some hunting and gathering here in the forest.”

“Why not just go back home for more supplies?” Chad asked. “Now that we have a better idea of conditions here.”

“That presents a problem,” said Hunter. “I have to conduct the time travel myself. The First Law stops me from leaving any of you alone for long and I would not dare leave any humans here without me. On the other hand, if we all go back and then return here, I would have to bring us back only seconds, or maybe minutes, after we left.”

“Why?” Steve asked.

“Otherwise, the additional component robots might spring up from microscopic to normal size while we’re gone and we would miss them, too.”

“So what’s the problem?” Chad shrugged. “You can arrange for us to come back here right after we left, can’t you?”

“I do not dare cut it too close,” said Hunter. “All kinds of theoretical paradoxes are possible in time travel. With a tight margin of error, it is possible that a mistake could bring us back a few seconds before we left, and we would meet ourselves. The potential harm is immense, and the First Law will not even let me consider that.”

“Wait a minute,” said Jane. “You still have to weigh the possible damage we will do to this time period if we start consuming resources.”

“I have been making calculations about that,” said Hunter. “No action is totally without risk, but I think that some careful hunting and gathering of food and water for a day or two will offer the least amount of risk.”

Jane looked up from her dinner at him for a moment. “Are you sure that our eating some fish or reptiles won’t set off a chain of events that totally changes our future? That is what the chaos theory is about, isn’t it?”

“This is ridiculous,” said Steve impatiently. “I can’t believe that catching a couple of fish is going to end the world in our own time. This kind of talk drives me crazy.” He got up and started gathering the empty dishes and cups.

Behind him, Hunter remained calm in the twilight.

“I have to take this possibility seriously,” Hunter said. “However, I feel that consuming a small amount of food will do no more damage than staying here and stepping on the plants, climbing trees, or roping and riding dinosaurs. I do believe that we should catch fish, however, as opposed to dinosaurs or mammalian ancestors.”

“What?” Steve turned around from the portable kitchen equipment. “You mean that eating a fish instead of a little dinosaur the same size might actually make a difference sixty million years from now?”

“The chance of making a significant change is less,” Hunter said patiently.

Steve noticed that even Chad was listening attentively; apparently, this question wasn’t as stupid as some of the others he had asked.

“Fish will continue to be a crucial part of the food chain,” said Hunter. “And many species will continue to evolve. However, they will not playas crucial a role as dinosaurs and mammals will.”

“Since the dinosaurs all die out later anyway,” said Steve, “who cares if we eat a few now?”

“I cannot know particulars,” said Hunter. “I am simply calculating the chances. An individual fish that you catch and eat is less likely to be important than an individual dinosaur or mammalian ancestor.” He looked around at all of them. “If the most extreme form of chaos theory is true, then we have already made serious changes.”

“Well.” Jane smiled. “I wasn’t crazy about eating a lot of giant lizard meat anyway.”

Chad and Steve laughed.

“I will help Steve carry water from the stream,” said Hunter. “We know the water has potentially dangerous microbes in it, so it will have to be boiled before you humans consume it in any form. Also, I will have to taste everything you eat from this environment first. Is that clearly understood and accepted?”

“Sure.” Chad nodded.

“Wait a minute,” said Steve. “I hate to be the only one asking all these questions, but you robots can survive all kinds of stuff that will kill humans. Just because some food doesn’t make you malfunction won’t mean it can’t poison us.”

“That’s a reasonable question,” said Jane.

“My taste sensors have the ability to study the chemical composition of substances,” said Hunter. “I can judge whether consuming something will kill a human, and the likelihood of its making one ill. Otherwise, the First Law would not allow me to let any of you eat an unknown food. Even certain kinds of fish can be poisonous. Naturally, even the food I judge to be edible will have to be fully cooked.”

“I’m convinced.” Steve grinned. “You won’t catch me’ complaining about this.”

“Chad,” said Hunter. “How should we go about catching dinosaurs to ride?”

“Well, a snare is out,” said Chad. “It might injure their legs and make them unfit for riding. I suppose we’ll just have to lasso them somehow.”

“We have rope for that,” said Hunter. “What else?”

“We’ll need a corral,” said Steve. “To hold them, especially at first.”

“A holding pen,” said Hunter. “If I make one of wood, will it be strong enough?”

“I think it’s worth trying,” said Chad. “Our prospective mounts will certainly be strong enough to smash through wooden rails if they want.”

“Then what good is a corral?” Hunter asked. “Many animals won’t try to break out unless they’re really excited,” said Steve. “Horses, for instance. They can often kick out of a wooden stall or corral if they want. But most of the time they don’t bother.”

“Exactly,” said Chad. “I can’t tell you what level of excitement dinosaurs would have to reach before they try it. I suppose each species of dinosaur might respond a little differently.”

“Then I will try it,” said Hunter. “This forest has plenty of fallen trees and standing dead ones. I can build a corral out of dead wood without killing any of the live trees.”

“We can all help,” said Steve. “Not necessary.” Hunter studied the forest immediately around them.

No one spoke. At first, Steve couldn’t figure out why Hunter was looking around in the dark. Then he remembered that Hunter had infrared night vision and could see images in the dark because of the difference in the amount of heat radiated by various objects.

“The wood I need is close enough,” Hunter concluded. “While you three are sleeping, I’ll work on the corral. I will not need to rest. I have plenty of energy stored up. During the day tomorrow, my body’s surface solar cells can replenish what I use tonight.”

“I’m worried about the distance MC 1 can cover,” said Jane. “Since we saw him, he’s already had a number of hours to keep moving. Like you, he can move all night on stored energy and replenish it in the sunlight tomorrow.”

“You mean he can stay on the run night and day?” Steve’s eyes widened.

“That’s right,” said Jane. “He has an internal monitor like Hunter’s, that tells him how much energy his body has in storage at any time. As long as he lets the sunlight restore as much or more than he uses, he can keep moving.”

Hunter looked at Jane somberly. “I suggest we split up into teams tomorrow.”

“Will the First Law allow that?” Jane asked.

“Only if everyone agrees to my conditions. Here is what I propose. During the night, I will build a small corral out of dead wood. If I am not finished by sunrise, Chad can help me finish it.”

“What?” Steve looked at him in surprise. “Building the corral sounds more like my kind of work.”

“Definitely,” said Chad. “Why not have Steve do that with you?”

“Hear me out,” Hunter said patiently. “After you and I have finished the corral, we will do some hunting. You will help me search for struthiomimuses, or other suitable dinosaurs, and we may fish in the stream as well.”

“All right,” said Chad. “You want me to help find certain dinosaurs; I understand. I still say Steve ought to work on the corral with you.”

“I want Steve to help Jane track MC 1,” said Hunter. “I have a small transmitter for one of you to carry. If you see any sign of trouble, you are to warn me instantly. If possible, you will hurry back to camp immediately. Otherwise, you take the safest course of action you can until I can reach you. Is this understood?”

“Of course,” said Jane.

“Sounds good to me,” said Steve. He grinned at Chad. They both knew that Hunter was sending Steve with Jane because he could handle the tracking and hiking better than Chad. Hunter was simply too tactful to say so.

“We’ll have to look for signs of erratic behavior or physical change in MC 1,” said Jane, “in addition to his choice of evasive pattern and his general direction. I doubt we can actually catch him without mounts, but I might find some behavior patterns that will help us anticipate his movements later.”

“Excellent,” said Hunter.

“Something you might think about,” said Steve. “I can rig reins, bridles, and cinches out of rope. But if you can think of a way to make saddles, stirrups that will hold our weight if we stand, and bits that a dinosaur can’t bite through, that will help.”

“I will consider it,” said Hunter. “May I ask if you are sleepy?”

All three of them laughed.

“Yeah, actually,” said Steve. “I usually get up at dawn and go to bed shortly after dark. I’m ready for bed.”

“Not quite yet for me,” said Jane. “I’ll just sit up and enjoy the evening.”

“Me too,” said Chad. “I’ll look through my belt computer some more.”

“Then I will start work on the corral,” said Hunter, and he moved away into the darkness.

Steve brushed his teeth and washed up using a pan of water. Then he went into the tent and took off his boots. He slipped into one of the sleeping bags, where he relaxed for the first time since they had arrived in this time. While he certainly didn’t like Chad much, he was enjoying the feeling of adventure. Tomorrow should be a real challenge.

When Steve woke up, Jane and Chad were still asleep in the tent. He quietly crawled outside into the cool, humid forest air. Shafts of bright light filtered through the trees overhead.

“Good morning, Steve,” Hunter said quietly. He was about ten meters away from the tent.

Steve turned and stopped in surprise. Hunter was standing by a sturdy corral constructed of many different kinds of wood. It was unevenly shaped, the perimeter going around various trees and even enclosing a number of them.

“Do you think this will be adequate?” Hunter asked. “It is fifteen meters across at the narrowest and twenty at the widest. The gate is this bar in front.” He patted the gate with one hand.

“It looks great,” said Steve.

“I notched the logs to fit into each other,” said Hunter. “But the rails are not really very sturdy. I do not have nails or the equipment to drill precise holes for dowels. I thought about lashing the junctures with vines, but that would mean killing living vines, which I consider unwise. Dead vines, of course, are too brittle.”

“If a good-sized dinosaur really wanted to kick down the rails, nails and dowels wouldn’t stop him,” said Steve.

“Let me show you what else I made,” said Hunter, moving to a pile of objects under a tree.

“I don’t recognize this stuff,” said Steve.

“Our storage cases had steel support bands,” said Hunter. “I broke off some pieces. This one, for instance, I twisted into a short length to use as a bit. What do you think of it?”

“Oh! Of course.” Steve took the piece of oddly-shaped metal. “It looks great for a horse. We’ll have to find out if a dinosaur can bite through it or not. What’s this other stuff?”

“Several more bits, of course.” Hunter pointed to different items in the pile. “Those flat metal pieces should support your weight as stirrups.”

“What about these big wooden things?”

“Those are rudimentary saddles,” said Hunter. “I accessed data I had about old English riding saddles and modeled these on that design. They use less material than larger ones.”

“Oh, yes. I recognize the shape now.”

“I carved the top to fit human anatomy, of course. You will find metal bands in the bottom for connecting a girth and cinch. This design has no saddle horn.”

“Very serviceable,” said Steve. “I’ll have to wait until we’ve caught a mount before I tie together a bridle or measure a girth. Otherwise, I can’t estimate the sizes.”

“Understood.”

“How could you do all this work in one night?” Steve looked at Hunter in astonishment.

Hunter grinned. “It helps not to get tired. I do not need breaks and I did not slow down until the last hour before sunrise. At that point my stored energy was running low, but I am already replenishing it now that the sun has come up.”

“We’re practically in the shade here, Hunter.”

“It is good enough.”

“Even through your clothes?” Steve asked, grinning.

“My face and hands are exposed all the time.” Hunter shrugged. “I will be fine soon. But you three will require breakfast. How much longer are Chad and Jane likely to sleep?”

Steve grinned. “I think they’ve had enough sleep. I’ll start breakfast. Maybe they would enjoy being awakened by a loud shout from a robot.”

“Really?” Hunter looked at the tent. “My experience with humans is still limited. I will try it.”