Free Spear of Light by Brenda Cooper

and Cricket’s, you do know what this will look like? What people in town will say?”
    The soulbot grinned. “Like the evil robotic Next have invaded the planet Lym and killed the native robots dead?”
    To think he had once wondered if Yi had a sense of humor. “Like that. I think you should avoid Manna Springs until we find out what happens there and how this gets spun.”
    Nona came up and touched his arm. “Maybe I should go check on Manny.”
    â€œI’ll go with you,” he said.
    â€œYou can’t. If you get caught they’ll kill you or lock you up or something.”
    He stopped. Was she right? He had never felt anything other than safe in Manna Springs, but then again neither had Manny. Davis was dead, and Manny was under siege.
    Amfi, still right next to him, looked up at him. “We could use you out here.”
    They might need a real ranger. He didn’t want to be separated from Nona, but he had to do his job. “Jean Paul can go with you.”
    â€œOkay.” She looked around at the Port Authority robots. None of them moved. She slowly walked toward the one that Jean Paul had destroyed. It was hard to see details, or to separate parts.
    She stared down at it.
    â€œHere!” Jean Paul called.
    She turned and caught a holstered handgun. Charlie expected her to drop it, but instead she stared at it, felt the weight of it. “Maybe I need this.”
    Jean Paul replied, “Maybe you do.”
    â€œWe should burn them.”
    Charlie said, “It won’t work.”
    â€œSo then what? You need to get rid of them.”
    â€œThey could have a hundred body cams each. They’re probably recording us right now.”
    Amfi sniffed. “There’s a lot more interesting stuff than this happening on Lym right now.”
    Charlie stared at the robots. The one Jean Paul had destroyed probably didn’t have any electronics at all left. “If the Port used beacons to track them here, they might give away the location of the cave. It’s not very far away. We can dump them over the edge with the skimmer.” He had trouble believing he was actually suggesting that they litter the river with toxic technology.
    Nona didn’t flinch at the idea. But then, she probably didn’t understand the damage that might do. “Jean Paul and I can do that.”
    â€œThat might make you a target.”
    â€œI don’t think so.”
    She would be in danger in Manna Springs or with him. Or in transit. He didn’t want her to go. But it was cold and almost dark, and Manny might be in trouble.
    The robots were heavy, but not enough to unbalance the skimmer. “Jean Paul, is that okay with you?”
    Jean Paul didn’t look happy about it, but he clearly understood. “Someone needs to check on Manny.”
    He glanced at Cricket. “I’ll keep her.”
    Jean Paul started toward the mess he’d made. “We’ll load the skimmer.”
    Charlie headed for one of the broken Port robots, but Nona pulled him with her into the nearby trees, buying them some privacy. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his mouth and cheeks and nose and his mouth again, tasting of desire.
    He almost forgot there were so many people near them.
    She shivered in his arms.
    He scooped her up and held her so close he could feel her heartbeat like a small bird against his chest. “I only just picked you up.”
    â€œBad first date lines,” she said.
    â€œYou know what I mean.”
    He leaned down to kiss her. They didn’t speak for quite some time. Periodically he noticed a grunt or the rattle of someone hauling a robot into the cargo end of the skimmer. Yi could do this easily. He was free to enjoy these few moments. “I’ll meet you soon. Maybe as soon as later tonight.”
    â€œI’d like that. But I’d hate to have flown all the way here from the Deep just to watch you get lynched.”
    He