Free Star League 6 by H.J. Harper Page B

doesn’t bother me as much as what Jay said: that I don’t understand. How could I not understand? It’s my job to understand things.
    I store the data away in a memory file for later analysis and head into the factory with the others.

The Happy Android Robotics Factory has one of the most hi-tech security systems in the world. It might prove challenging, even for my programming. I open the control panel, ready to get to work, when I discover that it has already been disabled.
    â€˜Oh,’ I mutter. ‘The alarm is down. The intruders must still be inside.’
    â€˜Okay, I want everyone to be careful in there,’ says Jay. ‘We don’t know who or what we’re dealing with, so keep your wits about you.’
    We sneak into the factory, keeping to the shadows. On the way we pass a motion sensor panel, which gives me an idea. I remove the tip of my left index finger to reveal a plug underneath.
    I slot the plug into the wall panel and download the data stored within.
    â€˜The intruders are on the second level,’ I say, analysing the motion sensor data. ‘They’re in the workshop.’
    We head up towards the workshop, but as we climb the stairs I hear a voice.
    Hello, Sam. It’s nice to finally meet you .
    I scan the area for life forms, but there are none besides the six of us.
    â€˜Be quiet,’ I tell the rest of the Star League. ‘Our success to failure ratio goes up significantly if we can launch a surprise attack.’
    The others look at me in confusion. ‘But we didn’t say anything, Sam,’ whispers Leigh.
    â€˜Is your brain malfunctioning or something?’ asks Asuka.
    I’m hearing voices? That seems statistically impossible. There must be a logical explanation
    There is a logical explanation, Sam , says the voice. I am wired into the factory’s computer system, just like you. That’s why you can hear me.
    I stop where I am. The others don’t notice and keep walking ahead.
    â€˜Who are you?’ I whisper.
    I am iRis , comes the answer, and I’m a robot like you. Which is why I want to help. Stay where you are for a moment.
    Normally I wouldn’t trust a strange voice in my head. It seems logistically unwise. But there’s something about iRis’s voice that puts me at ease, almost like I’m being hypnotised.
    I watch as Jay, Connor, Asuka, Roger and Leigh pass through a door, which slides shut behind them. Then I hear them cry out in shock.
    Your friends have walked into a trap, says iRis.
    â€˜What? You tricked me?’ I try to run towards the door but my feet feel frozen to the spot.
    It was necessary to help them , explains iRis. If you had followed them into the trap you could not have savedthem. The same would have happened if I had warned you it was a trap. This way has the greatest chance for success, at 0.18 per cent.
    â€˜Those are not very good odds,’ I say.
    They are better than zero , says iRis. Now, you must follow my instructions exactly if you want your friends to live. Climb up into the air vent above your head .
    I look up and see the vent iRis is talking about. I climb to the top of a piece of machinery and open the air vent, then pull myself inside and start inching along the crawlspace on my hands and knees.
    Good, now turn left. If you look down you’ll be able to see your friends.
    As I peer through one of the vents I spot the Star League below me, and my systems switch to high alert mode.
    They’re surrounded by over fifty robots and, unlike me, I don’t think these robots are the friendly type.

I watch as the Star League try to fight back against the robots. They manage to take out a few of them, but there are just too many robots. Jay gives the signal to stop fighting and the robots surround them, holding them prisoner.
    Sam, can you still hear me? asks iRis.
    â€˜Affirmative,’ I answer.
    Those robots down there are Sentrybots that have been