Mother considered the intruder. She had weapons now, too; Ishikawa had scoured the dead city’s workshops and museums for a strange assortment of rockets, edge-weapons and antique guns. These had been hastily installed. Some held only a few rounds. Some were little more than quaker guns. Overall she didn’t like them. They’d been a poor trade for her second-best drill.

Remarkably, considering its fall from the surface, the creature stood. “Are you a man?” she wondered. “Or a machine?”

The creature paused, and she thought she could see movement within its reflective helmet. “Communication lasers don’t work underground,” it muttered. “Of course. Stupid techs.” It drew what might be, and what circumstances suggested was, a weapon.

Mother would have none of this. She fired three quick rounds from her 30mm chain gun, blowing the weapon and part of the arm away. “Man or machine?” she demanded.

“I am a man.”

“Then show me your dog tags.”

“I can’t. They’re inside my suit.”

“If you trust me, you can do it.”