“Agreed,” Helen said, and the two began to run away, leaving Scotty behind.

“Hey,” he shouted, “what about me?”

“You’re its commander,” Sprite yelled back. “Looks like you two won. I’ll be back for that favor another time. And don’t forget, you still owe me, Scotty!”

But the machine wasn’t leaving them alone, despite their best efforts to let it win the day. It was one arm short, but there was no other noticeable damage to its functionality as it was once again gaining on them, albeit perhaps slightly slower than before.

“Go, Helen,” Sprite said. “I’ll draw its attention.”