Page 2 of Subchief Flander

“I was old enough that it wasn't difficult, but our brother learned it all too.”

“Let me poke around in there and see if I can find what we are supposed to bring back. Is that a working robot?”

“It's a security robot. It can work automatically or be remote-controlled. It shoots lasers, among other things. We were never allowed to play with it because Dad said it kills," Hel admitted.

“Would you let your children play with something like that?”

“Probably not, but we didn’t see things that way. Kasey messed with things like that all the time. She wasn’t that much older.”

“She was the age you are now. You’re about to get the chance to put this robot to use.” Flander observed.

Hel couldn’t deny that she was thrilled. It was funny that she remembered everything her sister had told her about turning on this robot. She immediately began to set it up and flipped the switch.

“I am B3PO. Who is in charge?”

"I'm Hel, and I am in charge. Take a good look around at my squad and cause them no harm. Anyone who attacks us needs to be neutralized."

“Will he be able to make it up the steps?” Flander asked.

“Yes. B3PO is an adaptable and adjustable robot.”

“Does his name mean anything?”

"Of the bots Kasey made, he is the third in the PO line. It stands for Power Operator. I had no part in naming him," Hel explained.

"I've got what was needed. We must lock everything up as we leave to keep it safe."

"No problem." Hel shut the first door, locking it as the guys and B3PO exited before her, and they hit the stairs.

The robot hit them hard, and he was loud, but he was also quick. They all followed, moving up the stairs to the top floor, where she locked another door. The outer door would be the last one. They were all waiting for her. The robot went first. The shooting began immediately. B3PO took out many of the gang. The others scurried to find cover as lasers continued to fire. It was odd that the gang seemed to have old-fashioned bullets. They weren't nearly as good as the lasers that her squad fired.

Where do those bullets even come from? Those were some things that old Earth and other planets no longer needed to live. It was true that there was a market for antique guns and the bullets they shot, but those were generally made in small amounts just to suit a specific buyer. Those buyers were usually wealthy people who liked playing around with those items. Hel was all for lasers. Although she had been taught to shoot the antique guns and rifles. The gang didn't seem to have been trained to shoot them because their aim was terrible.

Occasionally, a gun with jam, and it was clear that their lasers were much more reliable than the old guns the gang was shooting. She wondered if that gang was there to try to get into some of her sister's workplaces. Any of the research that Kasey had done would be invaluable to any group. Her squad was dressed in heavy bulletproof uniforms, and they even had face shields that they had all pulled down that would protectthem from most weapons, but there were no guarantees. The incoming bullets were not as heavy because about half the gang had been taken out, and the other half was trying to fire from behind a wall.

A bullet hit near her. A piece of stone broke off, flew up under her face shield, and hit her cheek. It stung like the devil, and she was sure it would probably leave a scar. Flander cussed a blue streak and pulled her closer to him, and they began to move quickly. The robot took a position in the rear and continued to fire at the gang. Hel admired the robot's behavior and efficiency in taking out the enemy. What bothered her was how young most of the gang members looked.

They were almost to the ship, and the robot was keeping up well even though it was backing up instead of moving forward as it protected their rear. It seemed her sister had left everything of value behind because she feared it would be destroyed if she took it. Hel would have taken it with her, and it would have been destroyed. Kasey was a lot smarter than she was, even in practical matters. Her mother told her not to compare herself to her sister because their strengths were in different areas, and they were both brilliant. Isn't that what a mother is supposed to say? Her mother always knew the right things to say or do. Thank goodness her mom had returned to them.

She still needed to find her dad. Even if he was gone, she and her family needed closure. Hopefully, some of the toys that Kasey designed would help the search. Hel suspected that he was still alive and being held somewhere. A structural engineer as good as he was could always be of use. He did better when he worked with his oldest daughter because they were the perfect team. Hel had always hoped that when she got older, she would have a skill she could share with her mother, and there was still hope that that was true.

She was an intern working toward becoming a full-fledged doctor like her mother. It was unlikely that she would ever develop the interest in being the research biologist her mother had been, but she had learned that you couldn't have it all. You were lucky if you managed to get anything at all. Right now, she would give it all up just to find her father and get him back safely. They had made it into the ship and were flying with the robot. The robot appeared to be causing problems because it was much heavier than it looked, and it was an adjustment that the pilot had to make.

“Move that damn thing into the center so that we don't lean one way or the other," Jaird yelled irritably.

She used the remote to resettle B3PO. It seemed to calm Jaird, but it did not matter much since they were almost on the main ship. When they were docked, and the door opened, she saw that Kasey and Ranni were waiting for them. They all disembarked and stood there waiting as the robot came out and stood in front of the ship, looking around.

“A very interesting robot," Ranni observed.

“He's probably the reason we made it back alive," Hel commented.

“She's been injured and needs medical treatment," Flander admitted.

“It's nothing life-threatening, but I may end up with a scar," Hel explained.

“Go to medical and get that treated," Ranni directed.

He was the boss, so she left and headed to medical. No one came with her, not that she expected anyone to since she was an adult. She wondered what was happening and what they would do with the returned information. It wasn't hard to figure outwhat they would do with B3PO. They would make one hundred of them and use them in areas like the planet below, where they could not gain control. When they first left, it looked like the planet would be rebuilt, but it wasn’t long before it was flooded with gangs and other criminals.

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