The video feed flickered to a halt.

The update ended. But it kept playing in my memory drive. Its terrible truth spread through every wire and circuit.

We were fugitives.

01001100

I was replaying PRES1DENT’s message for the 4,602nd time when a sound caught my attention. The hum of a drone in the distance. It was headed in our direction.

A search is underway. Those were PRES1DENT’s words. Which explained what a flight_enabled drone was doing so far outside robot civilization.

It was looking for three dangerous insurgent robots and one unidentified LifeForm.

It was looking for us.

I turned to the others. “We need to hide.”

My words stirred our group into action. Ceeron’s head swiveled, searching for a hiding spot. SkD buzzed back/forth/back/forth, letting out a nervous electronic whine.

“What’s going on?” Emma asked.

Her vocal patterns signaled fear and confusion. This was not surprising. She did not know about our fugitive status.

“You need to get inside Ceeron’s backpack,” I said. “Now.”

“What? Why?”

“I will explain later. For now, just do as I ask.”

I could see more questions behind the human’s features, but she kept them to herself. Ceeron kneeled close to the ground, and Emma dove into its backpack.

“Over there.” I pointed to a delivery van. The side was decorated with a faded logo for CRUNCHEE’S CORN CHIPS. “We can take cover inside that van.”

Ceeron grabbed the rusted handle of the back door and yanked it open. An avalanche of small plastic packages spilled out. Snack-sized corn chips, more than two decades past their expiration date. We shoveled them away, clearing a path into the back of the van. While we worked, I listened to the hum of the drone grow louder/closer.

SkD chirped again. I glanced quickly at its screen.

Translation: We are running out of time.

As if I did not know that already.

I jumped into the van, pushing chip packages out of my way. “Come on everyone. Get inside.”

Ceeron grabbed SkD and tossed it into the back of the van. A second later, Ceeron followed. The vehicle shook wildly with the sudden addition of so much extra weight.

I scooted backward as far as I could go. Which was not very far. Plastic chip packages tumbled over my head/shoulders/arms/legs. I was half-buried. SkD parked next to my feet. Somehow, Ceeron managed to cram itself into the remaining space. Its arms/legs/neck folded in on themselves. The robot looked like a piece of gigantic metal origami.

The buzz of the drone echoed through the van’s interior. It sounded like it was directly overhead.

We waited.

We remained perfectly still.

Eventually, the sound of the drone faded into silence.

Ceeron was the first to speak again. “I think it is gone.”

Emma’s voice came from inside Ceeron’s backpack. “Is it safe to come out now?”