Bucky sat motionless and quiet, staring at Brodie.
Taylor asked, “Do you know who Major Ames is?”
“Yes,” it replied.
This was tedious. Brodie said, “Tell us who he is.”
“Major Roger Ames is the chief scientist at Camp Hayden for the United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. He is thirty-six years old. He has dark-brown hair and brown eyes and pale skin.”
Taylor asked, “Do you remember killing him?”
“No.”
Brodie eyed Corporal Powell, who stood about ten feet away with his rifle still trained on the bot. Then he said to Howe, “I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“It doesn’t bother the bot.”
“It’s bothering me.”
Howe said to Powell, “Lower your rifle but be at the ready.”
Powell slowly lowered his rifle and remained where he was.
Brodie asked Bucky, “What’s my name?”
“I do not know.”
“I just told you.”
Captain Spencer explained, “It knows what it is programmed to know. It cannot learn, in any traditional sense. It cannot form memories either. It lives in the perpetual present, you might say.”
Brodie said to Bucky, “Good for you, Number 20. Living in the moment. No memories means no regrets, right?”
“I do not understand your question.”
Taylor asked Bucky, “What is the size of this room?”
Without hesitation, Bucky responded, “Six point two meters by four point five seven meters. The ceiling is three point one meters high nearest the door, and three point two five meters high nearest the window.”
She asked, “How tall was Major Ames?”
“One point seven five meters.”
“Why did you kill him?”
“I do not know.”
“When did you kill him?”
“I do not know.”
“What is your doctrine statement?”
“Neutralize all enemies.”
She asked, “Who are your enemies?”
Bucky immediately swiveled its head to its right and locked on Corporal Powell, who gripped his rifle tightly as he stared at the robot. “Corporal Daniel Powell is my enemy.”
