episode 02

Meladin HQ

The human encampment was little more than a handful of temporary structures situated around a central command center. The large domed tent in the center appeared to be impaled by a large array of communication antennae jutting out toward the heavens, spewing forth invisible ones and zeros out into the cosmos and catching their replies out of thin desert air.

Meladin was the name given to this temporary settlement by the occupying humans. It was situated at the northern edge of a vast desert that dominated the terrain of the planet Casiadin. The small planet was deemed inhabitable by the Council on Planetary Affairs, though the difficult task of exploration – not to mention the vile disputes that would inevitably erupt in opposition – would make the prospects of a permanent settlement impractical. Besides, preliminary scans revealed small pockets of robot civilization still in existence on the planet, making a sizable human presence here illegal under current human legislation. For the time being, a small exploratory force of thirty soldiers and just as many technicians and support staff made up the entire human population of this inhospitable planet.

And for all their reconnaissance work, for all the patrolling and data-gathering the humans busied themselves with, something else was watching them from afar. From over a mile away, it tracked their every move, their every spoken word. Itself undetected, it was getting to know them, learning their habits and customs.

“Meladin HQ. This is Jupiter One reporting in – Over.”

The human voice came in strong over the robot’s receivers, the high-bandwidth data stream waking the old communications unit from its afternoon nap – its numerous drive bays had been busily collating the vast amount of information gathered from the soft, busy bipeds all afternoon. Within nanoseconds, the bot had the location of the transmission on radar and was tracking their vehicle, hearing their six faint heartbeats beneath the heavy drone of the engine – they were passing very close to his position.

It bothered him not. Communications units were designed for recon work, made of non-reflective polymer and insulated to minimize their energy footprint in the environment. They were built to send and receive data, but in the end they absorbed obscenely more information than they gave back. A greedy robot, in that sense.

Sttaglite lowered his large retractable antennae below the rocky outcropping he was positioned behind. “We will soon meet this Jupiter One,” he thought, “soon enough.” The human vehicle roared past his location, kicking up the red dust of the planet.

“Jupiter One. We read you loud and clear. Go ahead,” came the response from the human camp.

“Jupiter Squad, all present and accounted for. On approach now. Recommend a few technicians meet us at the debriefing tent – Over.”

“Roger, Jupiter One. Alerting technical staff. Welcome home, Boys.”