"They're gunning for you," Luna linked as she and Astro sat together on the railway trellis above Hamegg's new buildings as the sun set quietly in the clear evening sky.

"Yup."

"You're still going ahead with helping God's people?"

"Uh-huh. If I ran and hid, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"I know what you mean." She leaned against him. "It's our best destiny."

He put his arm around her. "And if they get me, it'll be at God's best time."

"I just hope it isn't soon."

"Me too. I can't bear to think of you having to get by without me."

"You've been there, though, totally alone."

"Not exactly. I didn't lose somebody; I was just the first."

"Yeah. It's less painful when you don't know what you're missing."

"Still painful."

She turned and gazed into his eyes for a moment, then hugged him close. "Don't you dare go."

He returned the hug and said, "I'm not about to volunteer, if that's what you're thinking."

The man with the goat's-head-in-Ouroboros tattoo hidden on his wrist watched with satisfaction as the other two men—'No names please, so nobody can trace us.'—eased the coffin-sized crate onto a dusty table in an otherwise deserted warehouse in a corner of the industrial district of Sanpacho, the capital city of Antemonain. The Holy One was ready to make his move.

The broad-shouldered man in the black leather jacket whistled. "This must be some special robot to ship it all the way from Suenisia to the world centre of robotic development," he said. "What did they fly it here for?"

"It's got to trap the most powerful robot on Earth, Astro Tenma," the Mellanine said. "The Holy One himself commanded it."

The third man turned and said, "What's so special about Astro? Isn't he just that kid robot that does parts deliveries?"

The Mellanine laughed. "'Kid robot'? I guess they must keep it pretty quiet, but he's single-handedly taken down armies. And it's not like he's got powerful weapons. They say he outsmarted Leader Orkan's best soldiers three times, then destroyed the Leader himself when he found out he was also a robot."

"No kidding?" The man shrugged and pointed at the crate. "So how's this thing supposed to defeat him?"

"That," said the Mellanine, "is a secret, but I'm going to have to monitor the robot's every move to make sure everything goes according to plan. The ascendancy of the Holy One depends on it."

The man in the jacket scowled as he reached for his pry bar, and said, "What's this ascendancy business anyway?"

"The Holy One has led a financial enterprise named Imperator for many years now, and through the diligent work of his disciples has gained economic and political control of the world. In two weeks, he will take his place as the true ruler of us all, bringing in a glorious age of peace and love."

"Pah! Like I care about such garbage! Just give me a job, and pay me at the end of the week." He jammed the bar under the edge of the lid and gave a violent yank. The nails groaned in protest, and he moved along to repeat the process.

Soon the lid was on the floor, and the Mellanine reached in to remove the protective packing material.

"It's a boy," exclaimed the third man when he took a look, then hesitated. "No, it can't be, of course. What a remarkably human-looking robot." He moved his hand to touch the dark skin of its face.

The Mellanine instantly had a pistol pointing at the man's head. "Nobody touches the Holy One's chosen robot," he snapped.

The man yanked his hand away. "Sorry! I had no idea he was so delicate."

"Not even I am permitted." He pulled a computer device from beside the head of the robot and turned it on. "Time to wake up, Berq'an," he said as his fingers danced over the various icons.

Berq'an immediately sat up and removed the rest of the packing material, then clambered out of the crate. Standing comfortably at ease, it said, "What is your command, sir?"

"Hi Astro," said Cora when Astro answered his phone.

"What's up?"

"I just thought you might like to know that there's this kid I was just talking to who was asking about you. I'm here in the Robovale East Mall, and I sent him over to Hamegg's because I know you hang out there a lot."

"Can you tell me anything about what he looks like?"

"Um, you know, about your height, darkish skin, brown eyes, red shirt; that's about it."

"Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for him. I wonder what he wants."

"He didn't say."

"Sure."

Berq'an glanced around at the rundown storefronts and the potholed roadway. The girl's directions had gotten it to the street where this place called 'Hamegg's' was located, but now it would have to ask someone else for help to finish the job. Seeing a girl of about the same height as itself, it approached her. "Excuse me," it said.

"You need help with something?" answered Evan-sa.

"Yes. My name is Berq'an, and I'm seeking Astro Tenma. I understand that he stays at Hamegg's. Can you tell me where this place is?"

"Sure, but I'll do even better than that: I'll take you right there."

"I thank you. That's very kind."

As they strolled down the dusty street, Evan-sa said, "You're a robot, aren't you?"

"Yes."

Back at the warehouse, the Mellanine operative stared at the computer controller screen in shock, but quickly recovered. "Berq'an," he said. "Ask her how she can tell that you're a robot."

"Excuse me," Berq'an said obediently. "How can you tell that I'm a robot?"

"Eh," Evan-sa shrugged. "It's pretty obvious to me; after all, I'm robotic too."

The Mellanine nearly dropped the controller. She was a robot? Were there more robots like Astro? And if so, how many? This could get interesting. (It might even mean a promotion.)

"Astro," she radioed. "I've just run into a robot named Berq'an that's looking for you."

"Oh yeah?" he answered. "Could you please send me an image?" What he saw matched Cora's description, and was also a duplicate of his disguise in Suenisia. "Berq'an, huh. There's not too many people who know that name. Did it say why it was looking for me?"

"I'll ask." Evan-sa turned to Berq'an. "Why are you looking for Astro, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I have something that my master wishes to give to him."

She transmitted that to Astro.

"Okay, a robot named Berq'an with a gift is looking for me," radioed Astro. "How suspicious is that? I'm at the dorm right now." The 'dorm' was the new building where Hamegg and the children now lived, separate from the 'shop'. "But maybe I'll head over to the railway trellis, just in case that gift is another bomb. Meet me there."

"Gotcha. On our way."

Astro sat on a rock that was pockmarked by the numerous feedings of baby androids. A few metres to his left, Orkan stood alertly, trying to imagine what sort of trick Dr. Mella might pull this time.

As Berq'an approached, Astro noticed that Ran-tan, carrying their baby on one arm, had joined Evan-sa and was watching the visitor warily.

Berq'an stopped several metres in front of Astro and bowed. "I greet you, Astro," he said.

"Hi," Astro replied. "You said you had a gift for me."

The Mellanine in the warehouse blinked. He knew already? They must communicate by radio. Not bad. "Aim," he said to Berq'an.

"Yes," said Berq'an. "The Holy One sends his respects and wishes for you to have this."

"Fire!"

A small object shot out from Berq'an's forehead and attached itself to Astro's chest. Tiny tendrils crept out and sank into Astro's clothing as he grabbed at it, then the thing vaporized at his touch.

Instantly, Ran-tan and Evan-sa dashed to Astro's side, while Orkan tackled Berq'an with both hands aflame with blue energy.

The Mellanine agent struggled to make sense of the information he was getting on the controller until it reset and reported that it had lost contact with its robot. He swore mightily, then dashed out to his car, hoping almost beyond hope that the Holy One's precious robot hadn't already been destroyed.

"What happened?" Luna linked anxiously from the dorm, but all she got was a busy signal.

She started to push and search around Astro's mind, and discovered that his dynamic memory was jammed with very unfamiliar data. Then Ran-tan linked in as well.

"Ran-tan," she linked. "Do you know what's happened to Astro?"

"That robot that just showed up, Berq'an, shot some kind of probe thing at him. Have you figured anything out yet?"

"Just what you can see yourself: his dynamic memory is loaded with some weird stuff."

"How about you purge it, and we'll see if he reboots."

"Okay. Master override: initialize dynamic memory purge; complete."

[Confirm (master override: initialize (dynamic memory purge))] [Complete] [Initialize (dynamic memory purge)] [Complete] [Initiate (dynamic memory purge)] ... [Complete]

Luna waited for a moment. "Astro?"

"Try commanding a reboot," linked Ran-tan.

"Right. Master override: reboot; complete."

Still nothing.

"The processor's running," linked Ran-tan. "So where's Dad at?"

"He's here somewhere," replied Luna. "I'm still linked to him after all."

"What's up?" Orkan linked.

"Astro won't restart," replied Luna.

"Hmm, I wonder why. I crashed Berq'an's computer so it wouldn't do anything dumb like self-destruct, so let me go scan its memory and see if I can get any clues about what it did to Dad. Be right back." He broke the link.

"I better go with him," linked Ran-tan, and broke off too.

Luna concentrated on the feeling of Astro's presence in their link. What's wrong, Astro? Why won't you answer me?