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When Osmo Martin answered the door, he was dressed for the beach. "Ah, you are back. Hope you had a nice time at church. Let's go to the beach!- Hey, Sheila, why aren't you dressed for it?"

Sheila Bright gave the young man a big hug. "I got a better idea, Osmo. Go change; we're going robot hunting!"

"Huh? But Albert and Jane are going to meet us there.”

She rolled her eyes. "Like you never stood up a pal that you planned to meet."

Osmo thought about it. "True, but I never stood up Albert before. Oh well, there's always a first time for everything. Besides, I think Mita will be there to keep them company. Let's go robot hunting, Sheila!”

"Now you're talkin', you gorgeous Earther!"

In short time Sheila Bright was driving Osmo along the highway, past the beach, heading to the outskirts of Sparkle City by the wastelands. Osmo waved to the people laying out  on the sand. "See ya, Al, see ya, Jane!"

And on the beach, Jane Ashton, in her tiger bikini, just happened to look up while on her blanket. "Al, will you look at that. I think I just saw Osmo and that Sheila girl drive by the beach, and keep on going.- Imagine that, they didn't even stop."

"Osmo stood us up, eh?" Albert Zoeniga sighed. "I guess they have a better date planned, and he forgot about us. That's Osmo for ya."

Nearby, Mita Morgan soaked up the sun on a blanket. She had also come to the beach because she had learned this was where the gang would be this afternoon

She had felt foolish earlier this morning when she had brought Osmo Martin breakfast, but now here she was, doing her best to make him aware of her. After all, this was the new Mita Morgan! Looking foolish was no excuse to let opportunity slide by, so she had shown up here, hoping Osmo Martin noticed her. She fretted- How could she get him to see her, if he never stopped by here? And he was with that Sheila Bright again! 

Mita Morgan grumbled, I won't wait forever for him to notice me!

When Sheila Bright reached the edge of town past the rocketport, she pulled off the road into a dusty parking lot. The highway died here, becoming a rough dirt drive leading into the desert.

Here and there robots patrolled the perimeter, guarding Sparkle City.

"Where does the road go? To the mines?" asked Osmo Martin.

"Oh yes. That's a dreary place. Don't go if you can help it. The road also branches off to some pretty resorts, however. And over that bridge are the farms."

"So what's this robot hunting all about?"

She beamed. "Sometimes I do it, just for fun. You'll get a kick out of it."

The young lady called over the robot nearest her. "You there, what is your designation?"

"M-15, ma'm." He stood by her truck, ready to serve. Since the other robots recognized Sheila as Gov. Bright's niece, they paid no attention and continued to march about, guarding Sparkle City.

"You know who I am, right?"

"Yes, Miss Bright."

"Very good, M-15. Since you know who my uncle is, you will obey me, correct?”

“Of course. The only way I would refuse you is if the Governor himself opposed your command or someone else in a position of authority higher than you, Ma’m."

She turned to Osmo. "This is so great, the way these robots want to please us. Can you imagine having such a servant-type disposition?"

Osmo Martin vigorously shook his head. "No, I can't. Not in the least. I guess I am not made that way, nor do I want to be such a people pleaser." He mimicked vomiting.

"Give me your blaster, M-15,” ordered Sheila.

He did so unquestioningly. It was a sleek weapon, as compact as a pistol, but with a lot more whack to it.

“Now run, run as fast as you can into the wilderness. Try to avoid me shooting you. Zig-zag and give it a real effort, like you are running for your life!"

"Yes, Ma’m."

The robot complied. It took off at an incredible speed, and Sheila Bright used his blaster to try to peck him off. She shot close to its feet, but missed, then she tried again, and the energy blast passed just over its head. Finally, she nailed it, and M-15 blew up into thousands of parts, scattering all over the splotchy ground.

And still, the other robots paid no attention to the incident.

Sheila cheered. "Yaay! Did you see that, Osmo?! I plugged him with my third shot! I'm getting pretty good at robot hunting. See if you can beat me."

She handed the weapon to the stunned Osmo Martin. "Whaa-aaah?? You just killed it. I can't believe what I just saw. I don't want to kill them for no reason!"

She frowned at him. "What are you talking about, Osmo? They aren't even alive, and anyway, they don't care if they get killed.”

“Oh, come now, the instinct for survival is a very strong instinct. I've done some bad things already in my short life, but, to tell you frankly, this is too cruel for my tastes. I thought when you said we were going robot hunting, you meant we were going on a hunting expedition with some robots in our hunting party, to help catch the quarry."

Now Sheila Bright looked stunned. "What fun is that? And why would you be willing to kill an animal that's alive, but you can't shoot a robot that is not alive?”

“Well... they can think!" he protested. "I am sure they don't want to die."

She called over another robot. "Tell me, does it bother you if we shoot you and kill you?"

"Not at all, Ma’m, if by my destruction I am serving you," answered the robot. "That is my main purpose in life, to serve humanity. It is that service which makes a robot happy, and satisfied, if a robot can be said to experience happiness."

Osmo tried to comprehend the concept. "Doesn't it bother you that you will cease to exist, unless, and which I doubt, there is a robot heaven, or some sort of robot afterlife--"

"Why should it bother a robot if it ceases to exist? If we stop existing, we won't know it. So why should that be anything to concern us? And if there is some sort of afterlife, then I hope dead robots go to a place where we can continue to serve and obey humans. Maybe the souls of dead humans? Now that would be what I have heard called heaven."

Osmo Martin turned to Sheila. "Didn't your uncle station them here for a purpose? They are on patrol, guarding Sparkle City. And you said that supplies on Hope are rather short. So is it wise to just zap them for fun?"

"But this is my only vice. Sometimes you have to grab life by the horns and enjoy it. Besides, from what are the robots guarding us?" She waved her arm toward the wilderness beyond the city. “From rocks and stones? From a whacky miner? We have Eaters positioned at the mines- They keep the miners there at the mines. So what are the robots protecting us from? I think we can spare a robot or two."

Osmo Martin pondered the matter. "Okay, then, I guess. I am convinced." He took the blaster from the robot and told the robot with which he had been talking, "Okay, your turn. Run for it. Give me a challenge!” He also told Sheila, “You use your blaster, and let's see who can shoot it first.”

“Oh, you want a contest? Okay, you're on!”

The robot sped away from them. He proved harder to kill than M-15, and Osmo Martin felt embarrassed that a stupid robot gave him such a hard time to kill it. He tried and tried again.

Sheila also tried and failed. This robot was really good!

A Security Agency car pulled up while they played the game.

“Uh oh,” said Sheila. “Trouble.” She put down her blaster and advised her companion, “Knock it off, the long arm of the law is here.”

Caught up in the game, Osmo Martin paid her no mind. He continued shooting. He managed to wing the robot just as Security Leader Clyden lumbered over from the car, choking on rage. 

“What are you doing? What are you doing?" His fury got Osmo's attention.

Osmo Martin instinctively put the gun behind his back, looking like the kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The robot continued to run about, however, until Sec. Ldr. Clyden yelled at it to stop acting like a nitwit and to go back on patrol. It did, without its weapon.

"Give it back its blaster!” Sec. Ldr. Clyden snarled at Osmo Martin, who sheepishly obeyed.

Clyden stormed at Sheila, "Don't you have any sense? Why are you letting him shoot robots? And I am pretty sure this isn't the first time you went robot hunting; I've noticed some have been missing lately. You are wasting our resources! You know Earth never wants to send us anything. It's good I came out today to check on the patrol."

She glared at him. "Oh, what's the big deal? So we shoot a few robots, so what?"

"The big deal is we are short on parts. Very short. We lack enough chips for robot repair. Robots do more than butler and patrol. We use them in environment engineering and maintenance. We use them to guard the miners, so we can get our daily quota of energy fuel ore. I am going to give Gov. Xavier a report on this incident. I am sure he will be very displeased. And no one wants your Uncle displeased."

"Oh, you're no fun, Sec. Ldr. Clyden," Sheila meekly complained.

"And you aren't responsible or mature," Clyden snapped back. He turned to Osmo Martin. "And you, you are even worse. Sheila, you must not become like this fellow. One could not find a less desirable character with whom to keep company. I've heard about this Osmo. I read up on his antics. He is a bad influence. He will bring out your most childish side! Why don't you go back to Earth and your rich Daddy, Osmo Martin?”

Clyden stomped over to the patrolling robots and they fell in line for inspection.

Osmo and Sheila just looked at each other, and then burst into quiet laughter. "I don't think he likes me very much," said Osmo Martin flippantly.

"Yeah, I noticed. It's good you are my friend and my Uncle wants nothing to spoil your good time here during your visit to the World of Hope. Otherwise you should be concerned. Sec. Ldr. Clyden isn't someone you want to make your enemy."

"Oh, look at me, I am so scared," Osmo Martin joked.

He saw she didn't have his cavalier attitude. "You should be. Watch out for him, and stay close to me, Osmo, for your own good."

Something in Sheila Bright’s voice made him realize she meant it in all seriousness. He tried to make light of it anyway. "Okay, if you want that, you bet I'll stay close to you."

"Oh, you!”

(c) drk 2011