Brodie asked, “Then why aren’t you trying to neutralize him?”
Bucky swiveled its head back to them. “Two conditions must be met for me to activate my doctrine statement. One, be issued orders by an authorized individual. Two, be located within the battlespace. Neither of those conditions has been met.”
Taylor asked, “And what does it mean to neutralize your enemy? What do you do?”
“I shoot the enemy with my rifle.”
Taylor leaned forward. “And then what happens?”
“He is dead.”
“Define ‘dead.’?”
“He sits down. He removes his helmet. The laser engagement system deactivates the targeting guidance.”
Brodie said, “That’s not dead. That’s just a game you play. Major Ames is dead for real. Do you understand?”
Bucky replied, “No.”
Brodie picked up his full water bottle and threw it at the robot. It bounced off Bucky’s chest. The robot looked down at the bottle as it landed on the table and rolled.
“Not great reflexes, pal.”
Taylor looked at her partner. “What are you doing?”
“Running diagnostics.” He picked up the bottle again and flung it at Bucky’s head. It smacked the robot square in the face, causing its head to jerk back slightly, and the bottle landed on the floor.
Colonel Howe stepped forward and said sternly, “Mr. Brodie. Is this how you normally conduct an interview?”
He turned to her. “Interviews are withpeople, Colonel. As you made clear, this is a thing.” He looked at Caroline Dixon. “A self-driving car. And this is reminding me never to get one.”
Howe said, “You are abusing our equipment.”
“I don’t think a Costco water bottle stands a chance against titanium alloy.” He looked at Spencer, then Dixon. “Why doesn’t it defend itself?”
Spencer answered, “Self-preservation is an element of its doctrine statement. Survival within the battlespace for the duration of the exercise. Outside of the battlespace, it won’t raise a finger, unless it is instructed to by an authorized individual.”
Except for two nights ago in the DEVCOM lab, when it raised all its fingers and wrapped them around Major Ames’s cranium.
Brodie leaned down and picked up the water bottle. He asked Captain Spencer, “Are you an authorized individual?”
Spencer nodded, then said in a commanding voice, “Number 20, avoid getting struck by the water bottle.”
Brodie flung it at the robot again, harder this time. With lightning reflexes, both manacled hands shot up from the table. It caught the bottle with its right hand and gripped it tight, causing the plastic to burst open and spray water all over itself, the table, and Brodie and Taylor.
Bucky remained frozen with its arms lifted, squeezing the crushed plastic bottle as water dripped down its head.
Brodie wiped the water off his face. “Nice catch.”
Bucky did not respond.
Spencer said, “Arms down, Number 20.”
Bucky lowered its arms to the table, still gripping the crushed bottle.
Brodie asked it, “Who built you?”
“I was manufactured by Synotec Systems in the state of Nevada.”
