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“We have to trust Rudi on this,” Ga in mind”

Paul nodded “Can we borrow the van?”

Mel shook her head “And lose est story ever? Not on your life You two share the coffee I’ll drive”

48

HASHIMA ISLAND

WALTER HAN watched as the robotic facsimiles of Kurt Austin returned to the workbenches and lay down The movements were both as smooth and as aard as any huun had da the injured leg and grasping for balance as it reclined Reddish liquid oozed fro and torso

The second robot was undaed

“Hydraulic fluid?” Han asked

“No,” Gao said “We used a layer of gel between the artificial skin and the inner structural panels It creates a supple feeling and allows a constant body terees If you shake the rip beneath the soft flesh—as it should The hand also feels warel so it looked roughly like blood in case the robot was daed”

Han reveled in such details “Give that ht of that myself”

Studying the robot, Han almost hoped it would be “wounded” on the mission He would then put a bullet in Austin in exactly the sauilt, once his body was found

The robot deftly unbuttoned its own shirt, revealing another wound “How many bullet strikes?”

“Four on the primary machine A superficial wound on the backup,” Gao said “I can’t believe Austin was able to fire so quickly and accurately Although the spread of impacts shows them to be quite random ‘Lucky shots,’ as the Americans say”

“Not lucky for us,” Han said “Nor do I think the shots were rando and was trying to disable thefour different areas of the robot, he was e”

“Let’s hope he hasn’t done so,” Gao said, then turned to the robot “Lie down flat Transnostic report to the main computer”