“Don’t know yet,” said Tusk-anini. “Snipe be quiet; Mother listening.”
Snipe opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say a word, all hell broke loose.
Chapter 16
Journal #600
My employer had thought that getting inside the Legion camp would put him in position to untangle all his remaining problems. He would find the robot and reprogram it verbally to act as liaison to the Nanoids, then take its place-his own proper place-as a Legion officer. From there, he could present his solution to the Zenobians’ problems and possibly use the prestige of that accomplishment to regain command of his company. It would take some politicking and an end run around the Legion brass, but with patience-and the liberal use of a Dilithium Express card-it ought to be possible.
Little did he realize just how fast events were already moving.
“Where you want to go now, Captain Clown?” Flight Leftenant Qual asked in a reptilian whisper. Once inside the Legion camp’s perimeter, the group had taken cover behind Chocolate Harry’s supply depot, a Legion-issue prefabricated metal shed across the compound from the MBC where most of the company were undoubtedly sleeping.
“I’m not sure,” said Phule. Then, after a pause, he said, “I should probably try to find the robot so I can reprogram it and take its place. Does anybody have any idea where it’s quartered?”
“Officer’s quarters, I’d think,” said Sushi, peering around a corner of the shed. “You don’t want to go there. You’re likely to run into the major.”
“That’s no problem,” said Phule. “He’ll just think I’m the robot. No, he doesn’t know about the robot, does he?”