Chapter 10 · Continued
Back to the Factory
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?”
Jane nearly choked. “Oh my God.”
“The transport vehicle subsequently struck the curb at high velocity.”
“BANG. CRACK.”
Chris slapped the steering wheel. “You’re adding sound effects!”
“The front axle separated from the vehicle,” Cam explained.
“That part was implied!”
The delivery bot crackled behind him.
“MOO MART EXPRESS APOLOGIZES FOR THE DELAY.”
Cam nodded toward the cargo area. “The second autonomous unit also experienced navigational failure.”
Jane wiped tears from her eyes. “The second autonomous unit is your little yogurt friend.”
The bot emitted a cheerful beep.
“FAMILY SAVINGS EVENT NOW IN PROGRESS.”
Chris fought to keep the SUV on the road. “I’m going to need both of you to stop being funny until we get home.”
Cam continued his report. “The driver’s speech, balance, and motor coordination indicated probable impairment.”
Jane stared at him. “You mean he was drunk?”
“That is a probable explanation.”
A brief pause followed.
“His driving performance was poor.”
Chris made a strangled noise.
Cam looked down at the dent in his chest. “My communications array sustained damage during cargo displacement. GPS synchronization and RCAM telemetry have been unreliable since the collision.”
That sobered Chris.
“Can they track you?”
“Not consistently. Signal acquisition has failed intermittently.”
Chris and Jane exchanged a look.
That was important.
“Following the containment failure, I determined that remaining near the transport vehicle was not the preferred course of action,” Cam continued.
“So you walked into the woods?” Jane asked.
“Yes.”
“With the yogurt bot?”
Cam glanced toward the cargo area. “It was already following me.”
The little machine beeped.
“PLEASE RATE YOUR DELIVERY EXPERIENCE.”
Chris rubbed one hand across his face. “I swear to God, that thing sounds concussed.”
“I accessed its remaining civilian-navigation data to reconstruct the local road system,” Cam explained.
Jane stared at him.
“You used the yogurt robot to find your way home?”
“Yes.”
The humor faded from her expression.
“You were coming back to my house?”
“That was my intended destination.”
For a moment, Jane said nothing.
Then she reached between the seats and placed her hand over his.
Cam looked down at it.
From the cargo area, the bot announced, “MOO MART EXPRESS THANKS YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.”
Chris began laughing again.
Jane followed a second later, still holding Cam’s hand, until both of them were nearly crying.
Cam sat perfectly still in the back seat, watching them.
“I am uncertain why this situation is humorous.”
The delivery bot chirped proudly.
“MOO MART EXPRESS IS PLEASED TO ASSIST.”