The thing in front of me was a paradox.

Two opposite ideas that are true at the same time.

[1] Humans are extinct.

[2] A human is standing in front of me.

Each idea was true/false.

Each idea was possible/impossible.

This strange logic raced on an infinite loop through my wiring. Until the moment the paradox opened its mouth and spoke.

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“Please don’t hurt me.”

The words came in a soft, shaking voice. The paradox’s brown/green eyes stared up at me. It displayed the palms of its hands, as if to show they were empty.

Somewhere behind me, I heard my coworkers carrying out their tasks. The vrrrmmmm of SkD rolling from place to place. The heavy ka-klunk of Ceeron setting down a solar panel.

They did not know about the paradox. Yet.

What would they say when they discovered it?

I hesitated for 0.3 seconds. Then I said, “What are you?”

The paradox pressed one of its hands against its chest. “My name is M-Uh.”

I gave it a confused look. “M-A?”

The paradox shook its head and spoke more slowly this time, breaking its name into two distinct syllables. “Emm. Ma.”

“Emmmmmma?”

“Emma.”

I adjusted my vocal settings and tried again. “Emma.”

The paradox nodded. The hint of a smile showed on its lips. “I’m twelve. How old are you?”

“I am also twelve.”

The smile grew. “We’re the same age!”

I updated my files to include this information. Emma was still a child. That explained its small size. Unlike robots, humans grew as they got older.

“Are you male or female?” I asked.

“Female,” said Emma.

I added another update to Emma’s profile.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“XR_935.”

Emma repeated my name to herself. She began to speak again, but the words froze on her lips. Her smile vanished. Replaced by a wide-eyed expression. She was no longer looking at me. Her gaze was focused on something behind me. Turning around, I saw what had caught her attention.

Ceeron.

The massive bot approached quickly. Stomping its huge metal feet. Swinging its huge metal arms.

Emma staggered away from the robotic giant. Her escape did not last long before SkD veered into her path.

Although it was much smaller, SkD must have looked just as frightening. Dust swirled around its treads. Its mechanical arms extended, metal claws clanking.

The same symbol repeated itself on its screen, over/over/over again.

Emma stumbled to a halt.

She had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

We had her surrounded.

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Ceeron stared at Emma. “Are you a human?”

Emma nodded.

“That is impossible,” I remarked. “Humans are extinct.”

“If they are extinct,” Ceeron said, “then why is one standing in front of us?”

“There must be another explanation. Maybe . . .” My brain performed a scan of all possibilities. “Maybe it only looks like a human. Maybe it is actually something else.”

“Like what?” Ceeron asked.