Another robot must have spotted Emma. Maybe a flying drone identified her infrared signal through the ceiling. Or a machine caught sight of movement through a broken window.

Either way, Emma’s hiding spot was no longer hidden.

I watched as the HunterBots neared the electronics store. Predators silently stalking their prey.

My processing server switched into crisis mode. Circuits sparking with sudden urgency. Emma’s chance of survival tumbled lower with every microsecond. I had to act quickly.

But what could I do?

A blizzard of calculations swirled through my head. I considered thousands of possible scenarios. They all ended with the same result. They all ended with Emma being discovered/captured/eliminated.

I was too far away. The HunterBots were too close. There were too many of them.

These dark absolutes vanished with the sound of Parent_1’s voice.

“We should go,” it said. “Otherwise, we will be late.”

My FamilyUnit began moving again.

I did not.

Parent_2 glanced back at me. “Are you not coming?”

I hesitated for 0.7 seconds. “I . . . I would like to see what happens?”

“But you know what will happen,” Parent_2 pointed out. “The LifeForm does not stand a chance.”

That was exactly what I was afraid of. But I could not say this to my FamilyUnit. And so it became another secret.

A new wave of unsteadiness rocked through me.

“Go on without me,” I said. “I will come along later.”

They remained in place for another moment. Confusion thrummed behind their smooth metal features.

“You have been behaving strangely all morning,” said Parent_2.

“And last night, you returned home late,” Parent_1 added.

Parent_2’s eyes flickered. “Are you sure something is not wrong?”

Of course something is wrong. The last human on Earth is inside that building. She is being hunted by intelligent/graceful/ferocious/deadly machines. I might be the only one who can help her.

These words scrolled through my circuitry in a single instant.

Of course I could not say them out loud.

So I deleted them.

Instead, I said, “I am sorry for my strange behavior. I am fine. But I am curious.”

My parents stared at me as though their vocabulary databases did not include the word curious.

“Well, come along soon,” said Parent_1.

“You do not want to fall behind,” Parent_2 added.

They turned and walked away. As the sound of their metal footsteps faded, I shifted my attention to Electronics Extravaganza—

Just in time to watch the last HunterBot enter the building.

00100011

Emma’s probability of survival fell with every passing second. I needed to help her.

But how?

I analyzed everything I knew about HunterBots. Every detail. They looked nothing like I did. They were designed for an entirely different purpose. But our basic programming was remarkably similar. If I could think like them, maybe I could stop them.

HunterBots traveled in a pack. All motivated by the same goal. The same target.

But what if they had multiple goals?

Multiple targets?