Still scanning the rubble around her as she ran, Sprite wondered what the guardian would do if she simply killed Scotty. Would it concede failure? Would it commit seppuku? Or would it seek revenge?

She hoped she wouldn’t have to find out, as she still needed Scotty and his crew to help her find Randal.

The guardian made rapid leaps, turning blacktop into dust and still advancing on Sprite.

There it was! Sprite spotted the core artillery! It was the only thing she had left that might even put a dent in that machine’s hide. And then the unthinkable happened.