Available to read here - http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/palmer_09_17/
An entertaining story, told from the point of view of an obsolete bot, on an old and decrepit ship, in the midst of a last desperate attempt to defend dear old Earth from attack. As the human crew despairs of meeting it's mission objective, the intricate society of maintenance bots has other ideas, or at least a desire to do something more interesting than chasing rats! It is light and great fun to read.
Perhaps it is doing a little bit of channelling Thomas M Disch's 'Brave Little Toaster' in its examination of cooperation and inspiration by what should be expected to be dull little pieces of machinery.
An entertaining story, told from the point of view of an obsolete bot, on an old and decrepit ship, in the midst of a last desperate attempt to defend dear old Earth from attack. As the human crew despairs of meeting it's mission objective, the intricate society of maintenance bots has other ideas, or at least a desire to do something more interesting than chasing rats! It is light and great fun to read.
Perhaps it is doing a little bit of channelling Thomas M Disch's 'Brave Little Toaster' in its examination of cooperation and inspiration by what should be expected to be dull little pieces of machinery.