“Dean, we need to talk to them!” I gasped out, still trying to push his arms away. “Just… Let me go!”
His hold loosened, and I managed to slip out and around him, standing by his side and facing the two tanuki. Dean didn’t even look at me, and I elbowed him angrily. My elbow exploded with pain, and I swallowed a yelp. Right.
“We should keep them,” the female tanuki, Motori, chuckled, shaking her head. “They are fun. Like clowns that bash each other with frying pans. How long has it been since I saw a good clown show?”
“Never, since that’s an oxymoron,” the male tanuki snorted. His gun was lowered, like promised, and he watched us warily. I hadno doubt he would shoot at the slightest provocation, and then Dean would shoot back, and I’d never get my Trojan horse—or robot.
“My name’s Sera Evans,” I said, a gamble that was utterly stupid if it backfired. I prayed it didn’t.
Motori’s muzzle furrowed, but the male tanuki recognized my name at once.
“The American loon who hates technology? Color me surprised.”
“I’ll color you crimson if you insult her again,” Dean said. His voice was perfectly clear and cold, and I exhaled with frustration, taking his hand.
“I deserved it. Calm down, Dean. Please. Okay, if you know me, you know I’ve worked to expose Zenkyoza for years. Well, they got tired of me and hired contract killers—or maybe sent the ones they have on retainer, I don’t know the details.”
The male exchanged a quick, loaded glance with Motori, then turned back to me. “So you came here. Why?”
“I’m tired, too,” I said, some of my tension dispersing. They weren’t running off to call the police. It was likely we had a common enemy since Dean said the company interfered with tanuki business on the landfill.
“I’ve worked very hard to bring attention to Zenkyoza’s wrongdoing. That case with the smart nanny that ended up choking the ursa baby, because its pro-human bias was so strong? I reported on it, even got one of the American Zenkyoza researchers on record saying they knew that could happen, and the case was still dismissed as a misuse on the parents’ part. Zenkyoza walked away. And that baby wasn’t the only victim. Now that I have nothing to lose, I decided to try here—where all the answers are.”
“But not literallyhere,” Motori said doubtfully. “You know every robot’s core module is wiped clean before they are dumped, right? You won’t find anything.”
I shook my head. “I want to build one, stick some kind of covert uplink inside, and send it on a rampage in the city center, so it makes some noise before it gets captured.”
Motori bared her sharp, white teeth in a wide grin. “And once they take it inside, boom. You’ve got access.” She turned to her partner. “Why haven’t we thought of that?”
“Not enough paid killers on our tails,” he said with a huff. “So is that how the famous robot-hater ended up with a robot? Having to run for your life helped you reevaluate some things, like the fact stupid ideals won’t save your ass when it gets hot?”
I averted my eyes, gritting my teeth.It will get so much worse than some gentle taunting,I reminded myself.Grin and bear it.
“He was the only bodyguard I could afford, and yes, I’ve reevaluated big time. Will you help us or not?” I asked, raising my chin in defiance.
“What about him?” the male nodded toward Dean. “What’s your opinion,clanker?”
His voice was clearly derisive. I stepped forward before I realized what I was doing, my fists clenched. “Don’t call him that! His name’s Dean.”
The tanuki gave me a long, contemptuous look, and Motori laughed.
“Oh, I get it,” he said, his muzzle twisting. “Onlyyouget to call him that.”
“I don’t mind the word,” Dean said. “And I’m with her. Why are you asking for my opinion?”
“Because you, my friend, are a ticking bomb,” the male tanuki came a step closer and pointed at Clanker’s collar. “How are you able to wear that? It should have gone off the moment you had one half-aware thought in your core.”
My heart dropped into my stomach. The tanuki knew Dean was sentient. If he told anyone, it was over. I couldn’t risk it, even if it meant abandoning my plan.
“We’re going to leave and never disturb you again. We’re sorry for trespassing. Come on,” I said, my voice hollow as I tried to pull Dean back the way we came from. He didn’t budge, eyeing the two tanuki with a neutral expression.
“So protective,” the male huffed with amusement. “Relax, I won’t report him. In fact, I’m going to introduce him to a friend. Gokiburi, come here!”
“Gokiburi? Cockroach?” I whispered, bewildered.
A large robot with a beautiful female face shimmering silver in the sunlight emerged from behind another pile of metal. This place seemed to be crawling with robots. This one was an older type, but I couldn’t place it as either Zenkyoza or VerdeLumen. I’d never seen this model.
It jogged over and stood by Motori’s side. I craned my neck. It was even taller than Clanker, its limbs long and graceful. I squinted. One hand was human-shaped with five fingers, but the other had a pair of large metal shears in place of a palm.
