Edge of Solace (A Star Too Far) by Casey Calouette Read Free Book Online Page A

He took in all of the relevant details and decided that there wasn’t much to see. His jailer , though, was more interesting.
    The thing that stood outside was quartered away from him with the armored head looking inside. The edges were smooth, graceful, simple. It reminded him of a bird of prey. The waist was wasp thin while the legs expanded out into hydraulic -like legs.
    “A fucking robot,” Archie mumbled. He took his time and grasped the wall firmly.
    The armored humanoid in the hallway said nothing. It offered enough room for Archie to exit and go one way. He stopped. His eyes scanned up and down. A slip, a push, a grapple. The bastard would be tied up in a knot, he’d already tested something of a similar size.
    It shifted stance and drifted backwards. The metallic creature of grace and subtle violence was poised to pounce.
    “You could just ask nicely.” Archie stepped out into the hallway. He arched his back and stretched. The hallway was devoid of anything. It was about ten meters long, ending in a curve. He turned his head to look behind him and was rewarded with a nudge.
    “Move,” the voice stated.
    Archie walked slowly down the hallway. As slowly as he thought he could get away with. He turned his head and scanned but found little of interest. He neither saw, nor heard, anyone.
    His knowledge of the Sa’Ami was greater than most, but still lacking. Colonies of North Africans with Southern French tossed in for good measure. They had stolen a copy of the entire database of the industrial giant Siemens and left Earth with a patent library unlike any other. Medical. Military. Naval. Augmetic. What they lacked in volume they made up for with technology.
    As with the Hun there were growing pains and territorial disputes. Cease fires led to an agreement. No one entered Sa’Ami space. They were satisfied to trade at neutral outposts. Neutral outposts like the one where Archie was stationed. As colonies grew, expanded, and the Haydn drive was refined, the distance between the factions shrunk.
    They rounded the sweeping corner into a narrow room. A small stool sat near a low circular table. A metal cup sat on the edge of the table. On the far wall a console blinked nothingness. The strider walked past and stood on the opposite side of the table. It beckoned to the chair.
    Archie sat on the cold alloy and rested his arms on the table in front of him. The metal chilled his skin, as if the entire room was open to vacuum before he came in. The thought made his heart flutter, what if it was?
    “Name.” The slender body shifted.
    “I’m not going to have a conversation with a robot.” Archie looked over at the cup. He locked his eyes onto the strider and nudged the cup over. Water splattered onto the floor. “Clean it up, robot.”
    The sound of the water dripping finally stopped. The humanoid didn’t move.
    “Name. Please.” The tone hadn’t changed, but the inflection was a touch different.
    “Ahh , well done, a polite robot. The Sa’Ami do make wonders.” Archie sat with his back straight and gripped the edge of the table tightly. He pulsed his muscles, it didn’t move, but it wasn’t bolted down. “Call me Klaus. Santa Klaus.”
    The humanoid titled its armored head slightly and nodded. The humanoid gesture made Archie uncomfortable.
    “Position at Transfer Station?”
    “To find out who’s been naughty or nice.” Archie smiled and leaned forward slightly. It wasn’t entirely untrue.
    The strider remained locked into the same position. Archie sat back and took the opportunity to stretch. The increased gravity hadn’t taken him long to get used to. He just had to move a bit on the slow side.
    Drips stopped. The silence loomed as the only sound in his ears was the beating of his heart. It had never seemed so loud.
    The thing could strangle him. He half expected that it would. It simply waited as if on a perch.
    The tone of the voice changed. “Rank.”
    Archie sensed a shift—someone was