An accident in space has left Navigation Specialist Jenkins alone on a ship that is dying. She is almost certain that the initial malfunction was caused by a robot, proving in her mind that all robots are useless. Jenkins finds this conviction challenged by Repair Bot 3, the last of three bots that is struggling with becoming aware. The two advisories must find a way to understand each other and work as a team in order for both to survive.
Recommended to those who enjoy the tradition of classic pulp ... January 25, 2015
By T K Flor
A meteor hits a spaceship, causing severe damage. One of the two crew members is unconscious. Both of them are trapped in the control room, where the air is thinning. To survive and to start again the inert ship, Navigation Specialist Jenkins needs the help of the ship's three bots. But only one of them comes to her assistance...
A race ensues to make the most pressing repairs, to save the other crew member and to get the ship moving again. And it turns out that this is not all. There is a reason why only Repair Bot Three (RB3) came to the rescue.
The events are told through the eyes of Jenkins and RB3. The pace is fast, the language is terse and sprinkled with mild cursing. There is a lot of dialog, some disregard of science (concerning the laws of physics and what is known in artificial intelligence), a tough human who does what is necessary for her own and her crew member's survival, and a robot that is more than what it seems to be.
I read it in one gulp.
Recommended to those who enjoy the tradition of classic pulp science fiction.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for a non-reciprocal review.