Free Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson Page A

you repeating, girl?”
    I turn my tear-streaked face and look directly into Mrs. Dorian’s round, scared eyes. In my strongest voice I say the words, “Robot defense act.”
    And then I say them again. And again. And again. I know I mustn’t forget these words. I mustn’t get them wrong. For Nolan’s sake, I must remember these words perfectly. Soon, I’m going to have to tell Mommy what happened. And she is going to have to believe me.
    When Laura Perez returned home from Washington, D.C., young Mathilda told her the story of what had happened. Congresswoman Perez chose to believe her daughter .
    — CORMAC WALLACE, MIL#GHA217

6. S EE AND A VOID
    American 1497 heavy.… Say souls on board .
    M ARY F ITCHER , D ENVER A PPROACH T OWER
    PRECURSOR VIRUS + 8 MONTHS
    These air traffic control communications occurred over the course of seven minutes. The fate of more than four hundred people—as well as two men who would become distinguished soldiers in the New War—was determined in seconds by a single woman: Denver air traffic controller Mary Fitcher. Note that italicized passages were not transmitted over the radio but collected from microphones inside the Denver air traffic control tower .
    — CORMAC WALLACE, MIL#GHA217
    START OF TRANSCRIPT
    00:00:00
    DENVER
    United 42 heavy, this is Denver Approach. Say heading.
    + 00:00:02
    UNITED
    Uh, sorry, we’re turning back on course. United 42 heavy.
    + 00:00:05
    DENVER
    Roger.
    + 00:01:02
    DENVER
    United 42 heavy, turn left immediately. Heading 360. You’ve got traffic at twelve o’clock. Fourteen miles. Same altitude. It’s an American heavy 777.
    + 00:01:11
    UNITED
    Denver Approach. United 42 heavy. Unable, uh, unable to control my heading or altitude. Unable to disconnect the autopilot. Declaring an emergency. Squawking 7700. (static)
    + 00:01:14
    DENVER
    American 1497 heavy. This is Denver Approach. Climb immediately to fourteen thousand feet. You have traffic at your nine o’clock. Fifteen miles. A United heavy 777.
    + 00:01:18
    AMERICAN
    American 1497, roger. Traffic in sight. Climbing to fourteen thousand.
    + 00:01:21
    DENVER
    United 42 heavy. Understand you are unable to control your heading and altitude. Your traffic is now thirteen miles. Same altitude. Heavy 777.
    + 00:01:30
    UNITED
     … makes no sense. (inaudible) … can’t.
    + 00:01:34
    DENVER
    United 42 heavy. Say fuel on board. Say souls on board.
(long moment of static)
    + 00:02:11
    UNITED
    Approach. United 42 heavy. We have two hours thirty minutes fuel on board and two hundred forty-one souls on board.
    + 00:02:43
    DENVER
    American 1497. Traffic at your nine o’clock. Twelve miles. Same altitude. United 777.
    + 00:02:58
    UNITED
    United 42 heavy. Traffic is in sight. He doesn’t appear to be climbing. Get that plane out of our way, will ya?
    + 00:03:02
    DENVER
    American 1497. Have you started that climb yet?
    + 00:03:04
    AMERICAN
    American 1497 heavy. Uh, we’re declaring an emergency. Uh. We’re unable to control altitude. Unable to control heading. (inaudible) Unable to disconnect autopilot.
    + 00:03:08
    DENVER
    American 1497. Understand loss of control. Say fuel. Say souls on board.
    + 00:03:12
    AMERICAN
    An hour and fifty minutes fuel. Two hundred sixteen souls on board.
    + 00:03:14
    M. FITCHER
    Ryan, get on the computer. Whatever this problem is, both of these planes have got it. Figure out when these two were last near each other. Do it now!
    + 00:03:19
    R. TAYLOR
    You got it, Fitch. (sound of typing)
    + 00:03:59
    R. TAYLOR
    Those planes both flew out of Los Angeles yesterday. They were at gates right next to each other for about, uh, twenty-five minutes. Does that mean anything?
    + 00:04:03
    M. FITCHER
    I don’t know. Shit. It’s like these planes want to hit each other. We’ve got about two minutes before people die. What’s going on in Los Angeles? What’s (inaudible). Anything weird there?
    + 00:04:09
    R. TAYLOR
    (sound of typing)
    + 00:04:46
    M. FITCHER
    Oh no, oh no. They