Predator

18

Hunter did not react outwardly to his realization that the humans from his camp were growing closer. He regretted not bringing more sophisticated communication gear from their own time to equip them. The humans had no way to receive a transmission from him.

Of course, he had not anticipated MC Governor’s splitting into components or Wayne’s interfering with his mission. By his original estimate, this project should have been concluded much faster and more easily. He should have finished and returned his team to their own time long before this.

Hunter radioed to MC 1 before the component robot could react outwardly to the presence of other humans. Hunter did so without looking at him, so that Wayne would not be suspicious. “I hear my human team approaching, shouting my name; I assume you can hear them too. Do not take any action that would alert Wayne to their presence. I hope to get both of us away from Wayne’s Second Law imperatives. I believe he is a negative influence on my First Law imperative.”

“Then why do you not simply act on this now?”

“I do not have sufficient certainty.”

“If you might be wrong, then why should I cooperate with you?” MC 1 demanded.

“For the same reason I gave you yesterday,” Hunter radioed. “The Third Law requires that you protect yourself from harm. If you do not do as I say, I will tear off one of your arms and club your artificial cranium with it.”

“Not convincing. You just told us that you could not, under a First Law imperative, allow Wayne to dismantle me.”

“That was to prevent him from unnecessary activities. Under the First Law, your cooperation with me is necessary. I will enforce it one way or another.”

“I am convinced,” MC 1 said shortly.

This discussion had been conducted at robotic speed. It had started and ended in less time than Wayne required to inhale. He had not noticed any sign of it in their behavior.

“Your First Law imperative is vague and indistinct,” said Wayne. He went on to argue that Hunter and MC 1 were more tightly bound by the Second Law to follow his instructions, but he was not saying anything new.

As Wayne essentially repeated the same case he had made before, Hunter considered his options. Shouting for Steve and the others was a poor risk at this distance. Since Wayne could not hear them yelling, they probably would not hear Hunter, but Hunter would have given away their presence to Wayne.

Right now, leaving MC 1 temporarily with Wayne would be acceptable. Hunter’s top priority was to become free to act on his own once more. After all, even if Wayne returned with MC 1 to their own time first, Hunter now knew that Wayne would be going back to the Bohung Institute. Hunter could intercept them there, or at least pick up their trail.

Meanwhile, Wayne was still arguing with him.

Hunter suddenly realized that he could shut off his own hearing, despite Wayne’s Second Law order not to do it. With Hunter’s team close, the First Law imperative to put the mission back on track overrode Wayne’s order. First he looked away from Wayne so that he could not read Wayne’s lips. Then he shut off his hearing as well. Now he was free of Wayne’s instructions under the Second Law.

With a sudden leap, Hunter ran through the underbrush toward the humans.

Of course, Hunter knew very well that Wayne was yelling for him to stop. He was a big robot, however, and before he could attain full speed in the heavy forest growth, he felt two arms encircle his legs. A second later, he felt the momentum of Wayne’s body as he slammed into Hunter’s legs.

At maximum speed, Hunter considered his options. He could easily pull free of Wayne, but of course the First Law would not allow him to risk harming Wayne in this circumstance, where no greater or clearer First Law imperative was at work. Hunter allowed himself to fall to the ground so as to avoid hurting Wayne.

Hunter had not given up yet, though. He rolled over, still avoiding looking at Wayne’s face so as not to read his lips. As Wayne grappled with him, Hunter gripped him under the arms and lifted him off. Maybe, Hunter reflected, his best option was to carry Wayne to the other humans and then discuss the situation.

“Release him!” MC 1 radioed angrily, jumping in between them. He grabbed one of Hunter’s wrists in both hands and pried Hunter’s grip free.

“What are you doing?” Hunter demanded in surprise, also by radio.

“You will harm the human.”

“Of course I will not! Back off.”

“Taking him into custody will harm him.”

Hunter found himself in a three-way wrestling match. Wayne was by far the weakest of them, but of course the First Law protected him from any really rough handling. Hunter struggled to get free of both of them.

At dawn Steve had prepared a quick breakfast, after which they had saddled up and ridden out as soon as possible. The struthiomimus had resisted Chad at first, but once Chad had it under control from the front saddle, Jane and Steve were able to mount easily.

They had been shouting Hunter’s name as they rode, following his trail as best they could. If he had been injured, but was able to hear and respond, this would help. Steve’s biggest worry was that if Hunter had been destroyed-in essence, was dead-they could be looking for a long time.

They had been riding for some time when the struthiomimus began prancing around, repeatedly looking off to the right. Chad struggled with the reins to keep it moving. It took several more steps forward, but kept looking to the right.

“Maybe a predator’s over there,” said Chad. “I think I should let him go the way he wants, maybe to avoid it.”

“That makes sense,” said Jane.

“It might be Hunter,” said Steve.

“Yeah, that’s right.” Chad pulled on the reins in the direction of the disturbance. The struthiomimus pranced and fought him.

Steve grabbed Jane around the waist to keep his seat, just as she was suddenly holding on to Chad in front of her. The struthiomimus ducked and swung its head on its long neck, stepping sideways. It didn’t buck.

“I can’t make it go that way,” said Chad. “It’s an herbivore, apparently conditioned to stay away from unknown disturbances. And it isn’t trained to the point where I can really force it.”

“Maybe it knows what it’s doing,” said Jane. “Chad, what do you think?”

“It’s possible. A large predator could be over there, attacking its prey. We don’t want to walk into that situation, especially without Hunter.”

“Well, what if it’s not a predator over there?” Steve asked. “What if a couple of herbivores are just butting heads or something?”

“A disturbance can attract one,” said Chad. “A hungry predator might go check out an unknown situation. This struthiomimus knows more about survival here than we do.”

“Well, how are we going to find Hunter if we don’t look around?” Steve demanded,

“I can’t make this beast go that way anyhow!” Chad yelled over his shoulder.

The struthiomimus was darting forward a few steps, then stopping to struggle against the reins.

“Hold it!” Steve yelled. He slipped his feet out of the stirrups and swung one leg over his saddle. Then he jumped to the ground, backing away quickly so the struthiomimus couldn’t trample him in its confusion.

“What’s happened?” Chad asked over his shoulder, as he pulled on the reins again.

“Where are you going?” Jane asked quickly. “We should stay together. What are you doing?”

“I’m going to take a look!” Steve jogged in the direction the dinosaur had been avoiding.

Steve slowed down quickly, as he had to push through the bushes and around the trees. He had only a general direction in which to go. Also, he became more cautious, knowing that Chad and Jane had a point.

“Steve! Chad! Jane!” Hunter’s voice reached him in a faint shout.

“Hunter!” Encouraged, Steve moved more quickly, confident that if he ran across a predator, he could yell for Hunter’s help. He plunged through the forest, ducking his head and feeling the branches scratch his face. Hunter shouted again and Steve changed direction slightly to follow his voice.

“Coming!” Steve called back.

Finally Steve burst through a couple of tall, leafy bushes to find three figures rolling around on the ground. He assumed that the smallest human figure struggling with Hunter was MC 1, but he was momentarily shocked to see another human.

“Hold it! Nobody move!” Steve yelled at last.

MC 1 stopped. Hunter did not, however, until he realized that MC 1 was backing away. Then he looked around, saw Steve, and halted his movements.

Motion in the dense trees behind them caught Steve’s attention. He froze. A two-legged dinosaur with a pointed face, big eyes, and serrated teeth was leaping through the brush at them.

“Hunter!” Steve screamed.

Instantly, Hunter and MC 1 whirled to look. The dinosaur, about four meters tall, came rushing at them with its teeth gleaming. Steve jumped to one side, rolling.

The two robots, driven by the First Law, sprang forward to meet the predator. Hunter slammed into it bodily and hung on, digging for traction in the soft sod. MC 1 threw his arms around the dinosaur’s narrow neck and pulled, dragging it down. The dinosaur was heavier and stronger than the robots, but not by very much.

Hunter suddenly twisted his body and yanked the dinosaur to one side. MC 1, acting in concert, pulled its neck harder in the same direction, throwing the dinosaur off balance. Steve was sure that the two robots were communicating by radio link at robotic speed.

Steve jumped up and dodged behind a tree trunk. He didn’t see much point in running or climbing. The safest place for him was near the two robots.

The robots threw the dinosaur to the ground with a thump, but they couldn’t hold it. With a snarl, it rose to its feet again, but this time it turned and hurried away. In a moment it was out of sight.

Hunter turned to Steve. “I had just switched my hearing back on when I became aware of the First Law threat from the dinosaur. Where are Chad and Jane?”

“On the struthiomimus, behind me. Not very far, but Chad couldn’t get it to come this way.”

“I understand. We must join them so I can protect all of you.”

Behind Hunter, Wayne was out of sight. “MC 1, come with me,” he called from somewhere in the trees. “Protect me!”

Hunter spun around again. “Stop, both of you.”

“I order it, MC 1,” Steve called quickly. “Under the Second Law, stop.”

However, MC 1 ran after the other man.

“Get him!” Steve shouted urgently. He started forward himself.

“No.” Hunter grabbed his upper arm in a firm grip and stopped him without any apparent effort. “I cannot. With the predator nearby, I must follow the most immediate First Law imperative of protecting you, Chad, and Jane.”

“But what about the rest of human history and all that stuff? This is your chance!”

“I will have more chances. You three may not. First take me back to Chad and Jane.”

“All right.” Steve sighed. “Robot logic drives me crazy. Hunter, is that First Law imperative the reason MC 1 didn’t stop when I told him to? To protect that other guy? And who is he, anyhow?”

“Yes,” Hunter said, as they began to walk. “He has to take care of Dr. Wayne Nystrom, the man who invented the Governor robots and came to take MC Governor back himself.”

Hunter and Steve exchanged reports about the previous night as they walked. Then Hunter shouted for Chad. After the fourth yell, Chad and Jane called back.

Finally the small head of the struthiomimus came into view through the trees. Chad steered it cautiously forward and reined in. “Glad to see you, Hunter.”

“And I, you. Is everyone well?”

“Yeah,” said Chad.

“We’re fine,” said Jane.

“We will stay together now,” said Hunter. “Steve, mount up. I can keep up with the struthiomimus on foot.”

“MC 1 is just up ahead,” said Steve. “So is Dr. Wayne Nystrom.”

“What?” Jane started. “He is?”

“I will tell you all about it,” said Hunter, ‘‘as we follow them.”