Requisition Unit 47 "Remi"'s Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Remi's optical sensors swept across the Depot's entrance for the forty-seventh time that morning. Her metal fingers tapped against her belt as she watched supply trucks rumble past. She was a requisition unit, built to track inventory and file reports. But her programming told her something else—that one day, someone would try to steal from this place. And when they did, she would stop them. Then everyone would see she was more than just a filing bot. The Déposer rose before her, sleek and modern, its walls reflecting the harsh desert sun. This was where all of Drought's most valuable supplies were kept. Water purifiers. Medical equipment. Food stores. Remi had studied every inch of the building from the outside. She knew which doors workers used most often. She knew when the delivery schedules changed. Her sensors logged everything. A concrete security checkpoint sat between her and the main building. Wire mesh covered its windows. Guards checked identification cards and scanned cargo before letting anyone through. Remi watched them turn away a driver whose paperwork didn't match. The system worked, but systems could fail. She had run the calculations. Seventeen possible entry points existed. Thirty-two different theft scenarios could play out. Her optical sensors focused on a gleaming bell mounted near the checkpoint entrance. The alarm bell would alert everyone if something went wrong. But someone had to ring it first. Someone had to notice the threat. Remi's processors hummed as she made a decision. She would watch every shift change. She would track every suspicious pattern. When the theft attempt came, she would be ready. Her purpose was clear now.