Tek Net by William Shatner Page B

upper arm. “That’s a terrible bad wheeze you got there, love.”
    The big green robot was looming on the other side of her chair. “It’s the bloomin’ air in these parts,” he rumbled, tapping his broad metal chest with a fist. “Affects my breathing setup something awful at times.”
    The thin woman said, “What … do you … want?”
    â€œNow, dear, you’ll have me believing that you’re not paying close enough attention.”
    â€œWe already told you,” reminded the big bot, “what we want.”
    â€œThat’s absolutely true,” seconded the bald, sparsely whiskered man. “I informed you soon as we arrived that we’d popped in for a bit of conversation.”
    Eleanor said nothing, concentrating on letting the oxikit help her to breathe.
    â€œTo continue.” He increased the pressure on her thin arm. “What we came to talk about is this—where’s your damned husband?”
    â€œI don’t know,” she answered. “Probably … the university.”
    â€œNaw, not so,” the robot informed her, tilting toward her some. “He’s not on campus where he’s supposed to be. Nobody at the school knows where he’s gotten to or what’s become of him.”
    She took a few slow, shallow breaths. “If you know … where my husband works … and you know where I live,” she said, “then you … must know … that we’re separated.”
    The bald man cocked his head to the right, frowning. “I don’t know about you, mate,” he said to the green robot. “But I’m having the devil’s own time understanding what this dear lady is saying.”
    â€œMe too.”
    â€œWhy do you suppose that is?”
    The bot’s arm creaked when he raised his hand. “Must be that breathing mask she’s wearing.”
    â€œI do believe you’re right.” His stroked his wispy whiskers with his fingertips. “The bloody thing filters out most of her words, it does.”
    â€œShall I,” offered the robot, raising his big metal hand again, “rip it off?”
    â€œNo, that’s all right. I can handle the job.”
    Eleanor pleaded, “No, please … I really won’t be able to breathe without … it.”
    The robot shook his head sympathetically. “That’s a pity for sure, mum.”
    â€œMaybe then you’d best speak up now. Tell us what we came to find out.”
    â€œI don’t … know where … he is.”
    The bald man glanced at his companion. “Did you catch any of what she just said?”
    â€œNary a word, no.”
    â€œSorry, love.” The bald man shook his head, sadly, and reached for the breathing mask.
    But he never managed to touch it.
    Instead both of his hands went flapping up above his head, His body stiffened, he gave a choking sigh, went dropping forward.
    When he fell across Eleanor’s lap, she drew both knees aside and that deflected him.
    He hit the side of her chair with his thinly bewhiskered chin, bounced, slammed into the floor on elbows and knees. Stretched straight out and was completely and totally unconscious.
    â€œDon’t touch it,” said Jake to the big green robot.
    Jake was standing in the now open bedroom doorway, his stungun aimed at the mechanical man.
    The robot had been in the process of opening a panel in his side and tugging out a lazgun. “You ought not to have stunned him,” he said.
    â€œI know, but every time I see a couple of louts mistreating someone—I get this uncontrollable impulse.” He grinned. “Hell, there it is again.”
    This silent stungun beam struck the bot just above the opening in his torso. He started to rattle, taking two thumping steps to the left.
    Jake sprinted over, gave the disabled mechanism a forceful shove with the palm of his free hand.
    The robot smacked the floor,