They rode in silence the rest of the way.

Lily huddled against Daddy, wishing she could remove the restraint and hug him. She laid her head on his shoulder instead, and fell into troubled sleep.

Hours later, they landed with a shift and thud against the hard ground. The door opened, ramp extended, and early morning light beamed in.

A voice shouted, in their language. "Come out, please."

Daddy chuckled. "They're so polite."

"Most Pruessians remember their manners." Ben grinned. "Even if we're about to kill you, we'll thank you for serving your purpose first. Until we meet again, friends." He walked calmly down the ramp, and allowed the troopers and robots to lead him away.

It was Lily's first look at a driver robot. Many children feared the drivers. Stories described them as being terrible machines which forced families to separate. She always pictured them with glaring optical panes, and threatening weaponry on all sides. In reality, they resembled a common custodian model. Her fear was replaced with curiosity, and she wondered how many deterrents and devices were built into their round copper frames.

Daddy bumped her with his elbow, and broke her reverie. "Make sure they notice that you control Krept. What Ben told us, about technicians being valued, gave me an idea. We might be able to bend the rules some. Are you ready to do this?"

She took a deep breath. "Ready."

Daddy descended the ramp first.

They patted him down, and confiscated his pistol and knife. Then they shoved him, indicating the direction they wanted him to go.

He winked as they led him around the corner of a nearby building, and out of sight.

Lily paused at the bottom, remembering what Daddy had said.

"Krept 1A, come," she said, as boldly as she could.

The shiny robot scurried out to meet her.

The troopers raised their rifles, taken aback.

One of them approached slowly. "This is your machine?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. This is Krept, the prototype of its model."

The trooper's eyes widened. "You are of skill with robots?"

She nodded. "I'm a technician, apprenticed to my father. I'm familiar with basic programming, too."

"You are so young to have these abilities." He spoke with one of his comrades. After a brief exchange, he beckoned. "Follow, please. Bring the robot."

She stared at the drivers as they passed, fascinated by Pruessian robotics.

So, this was one of the dreaded ration camps. She couldn't see beyond the long rows of austere buildings, but she imagined that the walls were high, the barbed fences sharp, all defenses impeccable.

The troopers weren't uncivil. Regardless, she was angry, and repulsed by them. The enemy was responsible for so much death. Mama, Nana, her sisters. Plumgrove. Clarence's life was in danger, too, because the Kaezer shot them down.

Though she was young, she knew the bitter contrast of irony. She clenched her fists, until her nails pierced skin, raging that she'd sacrificed so much to the people she hated most.

They emerged from the clustered buildings, into a large open area. The camp sprawled across gently rolling hills, as far as she could see. It had once been a small city, much larger than Plumgrove. Her confidence sank, as she realized escape would be difficult. But Delia had promised to rescue them, and it was a reason to keep faith.

A convoy of transport vehicles arrived, laden with crates and barrels, and parked before a large warehouse. A voice shouted over a loudspeaker, and a crowd of workers dressed in drab black coveralls hurried to unload. They handed the cargo to a line of utility robots, which carried it inside.

Rows of towers formed a domineering perimeter around the camp, communication terminals of advanced design. Delia once explained that the Kaezer coordinated his mechanical armies through an immense wireless network, constantly transmitting his commands. She assumed it was similar to radio, but knew little more.

She was tired and hungry, after such a long walk. Her strength was fading, and she wondered where the troopers were taking her.

They arrived at a large building, and she was told to wait outside.

She was left with two troopers and a trio of drivers on guard. Leaning against Krept's leg, she closed her eyes. Sleep called to her like some forbidden, yet irresistible friend. She dozed for a few minutes, but it was achingly short-lived.

"Wake. Follow me, please. Tell the robot to wait."

Startled, she forced herself alert. She trudged up the steps, and followed the trooper inside. A pair of heavy steel doors marked the entrance, with bold red letters painted across the front.

'Mekanetri'.

She couldn't read Pruessian, but the word's meaning was soon apparent. It was the largest robotics station she'd ever seen. A long aisle stretched between at least twenty workbenches. The technicians wore the same plain black coveralls she'd seen on the workers outside. Only a bright red patch on the chest, the Kaezer's symbol, gave color to the uniform.

A man to her left bent over a welding torch, his mask aglow in the glare. The distinct, sweet odors of hot metal and oil wafted.

To the right, a woman wearing a display visor spoke lines of Pruessian code in swift rhythm.

It was like a dream, an environment comforting in its familiarity. She didn't know the ways of the enemy, but she knew robots. She suddenly wanted to work here, and learn all she could.

Three officers wandered up and down the rows, observing with stern expressions.

Lily's escort hailed one of them, and saluted. He pointed at her, speaking in Pruessian.

The thin officer straightened, regarding her coldly as he approached. A widow's peak pointed between his stony blue eyes, toward his arrowed nose and jaw. His brush mustache concealed his upper lip, while the lower jutted in a haughty pout.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Lily Fairpoole."

"And how old are you?"

"Eleven," she said, looking at the floor. "And a half."

"You are a technician?" His accent lilted, a different dialect of Pruessian.

"Yes, sir."

"I do not believe it. But we need anyone with skill. Follow, please."

One of the drivers removed her restraint, and she rubbed her wrists.

They led her to a nearby workbench. A utility robot lay disassembled upon it, wires and copper circuitry jumbled about.

The technician saluted. "Seigh til Hir Kaezer!"

"At ease." The officer waved him aside, and turned to Lily. "Come here, little girl."

She obeyed.

"Tell her what the job is here," the officer said.

The technician wiped the sweat from his face with a handkerchief, looking at her with obvious skepticism. He was one of her own countrymen, yet he treated her with disdain. "The anterior servo-mechanism overheated, sir. I've got the part. This is a standard installation."

The officer grinned. "A basic task, indeed. Finish it for him."

The technician snickered, but she wasn't deterred.

She asked for a pair of goggles, gloves, and the necessary tools, all of which were given promptly. Then she put the gear on, and set to work. Installing a servo was as routine as changing fluids, but they didn't think her capable. She'd prove them wrong.

Though she was fatigued, stomach grumbling, thirsty beneath the hot lights, she focused. This wouldn't take long. She climbed onto the workbench, and knelt beside the assembly.

The officer eyed his pocket watch as she stripped and trimmed the ends of the damaged wiring, and tightened all of the connectors.

She aligned and secured the part to the frame, feeling the incredulous stares around her. Trusting her skill, she knew she was as qualified as others in this room.

It was done in fifteen minutes. She fastened the last brass bolt with a dexterous twist of her wrench, then lifted her head. Once her goggles were off, she noticed a crowd of stunned faces. Several technicians and troopers had gathered to watch.

"Activate it," the officer said.

She switched it on, and stepped back, allowing the system to restart.

Soon after, the robot sat up, looking about with inquisitive beeps.

The technician ordered it to stand, and perform basic movements of the upper torso. It responded smoothly, with no malfunction.

The officer looked amused. "So, you speak the truth. And your father is also in our care?"

"Yes, sir."

"I am also told there is a robot with you. Show it to me."

They went outside, into the cool autumn air. Krept was surrounded by a curious crowd of troopers and laborers. All stared and pointed, whispering among themselves.

Pale sunlight gleamed along the brass and copper fixtures.

The officer froze, and his jaw dropped. "Where did you get this machine?"

Lily shrugged. "I worked with its designer for a couple of years."

"I have long wished to study this enemy model, but we always failed to capture one. Now, you bring it to my doorstep." He smiled at her. "I am Hir Teobold Zilejager. I oversee all robotics in this camp. You will come to work for me, first thing tomorrow. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

Hir Zilejager ordered her to bring Krept to a maintenance area at the back of the station. She hated leaving it here, but she had no choice.

The troopers led her away, with no restraints. She wouldn't have struggled, anyway, as she was too exhausted to care.

They passed through the maze of crowded lanes and back alleys, to a facility much bigger than the robotics station. There were few windows or doors. It looked like a jailhouse, or an orphanage. She soon discovered it was both.

The troopers led her into a foyer, with two rickety chairs beside the door. Floral perfume and dust hung in the air. A middle-aged woman scowled over a large desk, stacks of folders and various display panels scattered around her. Her blue eyes fixated upon Lily. She stood, accidentally knocking over a jumbled heap of folders and pens. Coughing, she picked them up, and tossed them back onto the disorderly pile.

"Kindrenet ar tunnshye," she said.

The trooper saluted. "Yie. Fach dyet navushke il mekaner."

Lily knew that 'mekaner' meant robots in Pruessian, and she assumed that they talked about her assignment tomorrow.

The woman covered a yawn, with a hand bedecked in gaudy rings. She dismissed the troopers with a wave. Once they'd left, she paced a slow circle around Lily. The sound of her tall heeled boots echoed through the room. Tanned skin contrasted with her pale blond hair, which she wore in a tight bun. The sleeves of her black uniform coat were rolled above the elbows. She looked strong, and practical, and she walked with assured poise.

"I am Fru Ilse Haeveka. And you will do as I say, from this day forth."

"Yes, ma'am."

A routine enrollment followed. Fru Haeveka and two driver robots led her down several corridors, to a small, ominous room. They were met by a female trooper, wearing a long black apron over her uniform. A table and a metal stool were the only furnishings, with a single ceiling light casting shadows upon the floor boards.

Lily wanted a nap more than the bland lunch they served her, but she ate it all. At least the water was refreshing.

The trooper took her dishes away, and returned with a set of shaving knives. Her voice was brusque and demanding. "Take off your clothes."

Lily folded her arms around herself. "All of them?"

Fru Haeveka nodded once. "Do it, now."

She obeyed, trying not to cringe.

She was examined, prodded for every possible illness or deformity. Fru Haeveka asked far too many personal questions, and recorded the answers into the Kaezer's database. Within half an hour, the enemy knew more about her than her family did.

She endured the degrading scrape of a razor across her scalp, her throat tightening as the black braids fell around her feet. Tears pooled, but she blinked them away, and reminded herself it was for Clarence. All of this was worth his chance to live.

The afternoon was long and humiliating. There were more inspections, both physical and mental.

At sundown, she was given a meal that vaguely resembled chicken, mixed with dubious vegetables, and bread soaked in too much butter. It wasn't tasty, but it was hot and filling.

The drivers took her to a room that was barely the size of a closet. A cot waited, with only a single pillow and two scant blankets. It was enough. Sleep was all that mattered, and she sank into its depths.