The mine elevator’s rumble sank through a labyrinth of tunnels. Its echoes in the cavernous, dimly lit terminal were replaced by an unnatural nothing. Any little sound the two mechanized people made—the pop of a cooling panel, the whining of a servomotor—echoed long under the dead city.

“Lieutenant.”

“Yes, Mother?”

“There’s an audio-video cable in my starboard supply locker. Please see if you can find it.”

The Reckall-drone opened a supply hatch, and held up the cable in camera-range.

“There’s an electrical bay just above. Plug it into the third outlet from the left.” Then; “Take the other end with you. Crawl between my treads as far as you can, and plug it into your system.”

“Why?”

“I think I may die soon. I shouldn’t be afraid. I’ve little to lose; I’m half a brain in a jar. But I can’t imagine not existing. This way, we may be able to talk longer, if …” She was silent for an instant. Then shields covered her ports and sensors, and her antennae withdrew into her armor.