In the blink of an eye, Clanker stood between me and the man, its cool hand on my upper arm to keep me in place, its torso facing the assailant.
“Get back in your car,” my bodyguard said, its voice a commanding, masculine bark, so different from the one it used with me. I recoiled. “I am authorized to neutralize every threat to my principal’s life and wellbeing. You are a threat.”
The man’s face slackened as his gaze traveled up, taking in Clanker’s enormous size. He took a jerking step back then spat on the ground as his face twisted with fear and hate.
“Fucking robots,” he grunted, turning back to his car. “Learn to drive, you moron!”
Meanwhile, our car drove away on its own, parking itself neatly in the first free space down the block. Traffic moved along, the street loud with the sounds of cars, someone laughing nearby, someone talking fast in a hissing sort of language, probably not human.
I pulled in a deep breath that felt like the first in a very long time. Clanker led me under an awning in front of a colorful café, and gripped both my shoulders, lowering its face to mine.
“We are exposed,” it said slowly, its voice back to its normal, androgynous lilt. “I recommend getting back in the armored car. I will drive you safely to the airport. Alternatively, we can find secure accommodation and wait until you are capable of driving.”
I was about to answer when a soft, whistling sound pierced the air. Clanker’s lights went out, and it beeped a long, loud sound. Its palms on my shoulders tightened, and it shivered, its armor making soft, clinking sounds. It remained upright, but it seemed like it was offline.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, staring into its dark face.
“Vi-vi-vi-virus,” it said in a low, raspy voice, different from any other I heard from it before. “De-de-designed for Zenkyoza cy-cy-cyborgs. Sta-stand by.”
“What virus?” I asked, terror gripping my throat.
It was happening. I would be slaughtered by my own bodyguard. I tried to pry its fingers off me so I could run, but the thing’s hold was merciless. Clanker stood completely still, making no sounds at all. Its face was inches away from mine, its mouth hard, eyes still dark.
“Help,” I tried to scream, but my throat was so constricted, barely a squawk came out. “Somebody, please. Help!”
I flinched when its lights came on, purple and bright. I stared into them, wondering if it was infected now. Was purple light a sign of the virus taking hold?
“Help…” I whispered, barely hearing my own voice.
Its eyes went out for the briefest moment and then lit again. It was… a blink. I blinked back on reflex, and Clanker straightened, pressing me to the front of its body while its back faced the street. I was trapped between it and the wall.
“Shooter on the roof behind me,” it said in a low, gravely voice. “Objective: protect Sera at all costs.”
I had no time to answer, because Clanker picked me up and set off down the street at an inhuman pace. Its long legs pumped fast, its body barely jolting as its feet hit the ground.
The air whistled, and there was a low, metallic clang, but it didn’t slow it down. Our car’s doors opened, and Clanker shoved me in the back, jumping in the passenger seat. The car shot out of its parking spot and merged into traffic, the steering wheel moving on its own.
“Seat belt,” Clanker said without turning to me.
I was still lying across the back seats, one hand pressed to my madly pounding heart. I tried clearing my throat, but no sound came out. The car sped up, then turned sharply right.
“Seat belt because I need to go faster.”
So he drove—without even touching the controls. He controlled the car the way Charlie controlled screens and elevators at the MSA base.
I scrambled to sit up and fumbled with the clip. As soon as it clicked, the car roared ahead, zinging into the left lane to overtake two cars and merging back onto the right lane. I gasped. We almost crashed head-on into a red van.
My breathing was audible and harsh as I watched the world zoom by. It was surreal—like being in a car race in an action movie, only, I was in it, and I was going to die.
“Stop,” I whispered, panic and hysteria bursting in my chest. “Let me out.”
“Negative,” Clanker said, and did I imagine it, or was its voice even rougher? “You’ll die if you step out. Close your eyes if you can’t handle it.”
I didn’t. The car turned sharply left, brushing another sedan. We were jolted with a screech of metal, but Clanker regained control at once. We hurtled down the street, overtaking cars in short bursts. I watched it with a slack-jawed terror as our car weaved between lanes seamlessly, jumping onto the left one to overtake one or two vehicles, then back just in time to avoid a deadly collision.
Police sirens blared behind us, but only briefly. I bit my nails, a nasty habit I was sure I got rid of years ago, but I couldn’t force myself to close my eyes. If I was going to die, I had to see it.
“Your heartbeat is dangerously elevated,” Clanker said, missing a towing truck by a hair’s breadth. We swerved onto the sidewalk, almost brushing an old lady supporting herself on a cane. “Let me address any worries you might have.”
