Its skin seemed to be made of a series of small scales of equal size. It had no discernible head, just a continuation of the long body. No mouth, no ears. Spots on the forward scales could be eyes, or something else? A robot of some kind was her second thought, though like nothing she had ever imagined. She couldn’t guess its purpose from its configuration. Slowly she put the helmet on her head, not wanting make sudden movements that might alarm it. She pushed a button above the faceplate, engaging the helmet sensors. The creature leapt forward in her vision, as the face plate magnified the image. Definitely some kind of robot, she thought, wondering if it might be dangerous. On infrared it glowed an even orange color, no apparent power-generating center, as if the entire robot was equally power producing and using. Suddenly her faceplate went blank, opaqued over as if struck by a bright light. That was when she knew she was under attack. Dedication This novel is dedicated to writer Charles Sheffield. Your words of encouragement kept me going through the hard times of putting my words on paper. Thank you. You will be missed.
