DYARJHY TU BVYK, G VRSY HJXSGSYL FTCE YCTJEV BVRB G PGFF ZXYDRDFO CTB LGY.
BECAUSE OF THEM, I HAVE SURVIVED LONG ENOUGH THAT I WILL PROBABLY NOT DIE.
ICK FI G QUPFWR ITDAHZDXK UL QKZGA GWO RAGII, GWO ZCK ZFTBZUTBFWR FI CKX QKTCGWFTGA CKGXZSKGZ.
SHE IS A MOVING SCULPTURE OF METAL AND GLASS, AND THE TICKTOCKING IS HER MECHANICAL HEARTBEAT.
F’J LXFCFAB CZFK FA U ZMXXD UAE F’J BHFAB CH IMC FC KHJQIWUSQ KUNQ.
I’M WRITING THIS IN A HURRY AND I’M GOING TO PUT IT SOMEPLACE SAFE.
LAX CKJKL PNZ IXCS LNYY, NOW ZTYIXC, NOW UKYTZAXW LK N ATEA ZATOX.
THE ROBOT WAS VERY TALL, AND SILVER, AND POLISHED TO A HIGH SHINE.
C BLIRT TSEF KCAMP A FCETM RMMPFM TIR CO SU SX KMEM C OCRPKSYD.
A YOUNG GIRL WAVED A LARGE NEEDLE GUN AS IF IT WERE A SANDWICH.
A’B LYFT POXP EXRM POTC OXDACH POT BSCHSZAXC XFBW FSZZ YK SC WSY GXL X GOSZT XKSRXZWKPAR POACH.
I’M SURE THAT BACK THEN HAVING THE MONGOLIAN ARMY ROLL UP ON YOU WAS A WHOLE APOCALYPTIC THING,
RAP JFKBAFU’B YFDP CUWESPZ BWZPTFHB UWSP F SIWCP BUFBA.
THE MARSHAL’S GAZE FLICKED SIDEWAYS LIKE A KNIFE SLASH.
V RCY BYED KFCW VP VU V PLWY BUU CEE PKF BPKFW VYXLPM CYA EVMPFY PB PKF CLAVB GFWD RCWFULEED.
I CAN ONLY HEAR IT IF I TURN OFF ALL THE OTHER INPUTS AND LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERY CAREFULLY.
WROC SLO PY S KSIOFOYAWR YBW OIOLCBYO’H OCOH DSY HOYHO.
THEY ARE IN A WAVELENGTH NOT EVERYONE’S EYES CAN SENSE.
XLTNT’A P EKB ACPJT RY XLT NRPU OLTNT ARST RZ XLT LRFATA LPU ETTY.
THERE’S A BIG SPACE ON THE ROAD WHERE SOME OF THE HOUSES HAD BEEN.
L GYM’O VMYH HJDO LE JDZZBMLMC LM OJB EXLBMXB EODOLYME MYH, APO LO DLM’O EXLBMXB.
The universal translator isn’t perfect. The letters in some of the words in the line below are mixed up. Rearrange the letters in these words to restore the original line from the story.
The cdko crew and cesimd are full of capin and repressed rhrroo at what they must be koglion at.
The dock crew and medics are full of panic and repressed horror at what they must be looking at.
The universal translator isn’t perfect. The letters in some of the words in the line below are mixed up. Rearrange the letters in these words to restore the original line from the story.
The human notisp to a henic in the wall, ehrwe sits a pmiles hicname.
The human points to a niche in the wall, where sits a simple machine.
The universal translator isn’t perfect. The letters in some of the words in the line below are mixed up. Rearrange the letters in these words to restore the original line from the story.
I hguttoh swaylre lyasaw kept five ospeic of liwsl.
I thought lawyers always kept five copies of wills.
The universal translator isn’t perfect. The letters in some of the words in the line below are mixed up. Rearrange the letters in these words to restore the original line from the story.
Sometimes, in the givenne, you could see the skoretc ignog up from the ssabe out in the steerd.
Sometimes, in the evening, you could see the rockets going up from the bases out in the desert.
The universal translator isn’t perfect. The letters in some of the words in the line below are mixed up. Rearrange the letters in these words to restore the original line from the story.
Even a small laprot fract carried enough firepower to take down an ertein capes nasitot.
Even a small patrol craft carried enough firepower to take down an entire space station.
The universal translator isn’t perfect. The letters in some of the words in the line below are mixed up. Rearrange the letters in these words to restore the original line from the story.
The zoo’s tour igeud secmo up debnih me, gyrtni to lure the kids into being interested in her itunero.
The zoo’s tour guide comes up behind me, trying to lure the kids into being interested in her routine.
The universal translator isn’t perfect. The letters in some of the words in the line below are mixed up. Rearrange the letters in these words to restore the original line from the story.
Anna was paage in drewno as the ship took on a hespa of jagged gasnel and ragged ruscev.
Anna was agape in wonder as the ship took on a shape of jagged angles and ragged curves.
The universal translator isn’t perfect. The letters in some of the words in the line below are mixed up. Rearrange the letters in these words to restore the original line from the story.
Lonmar military sesui texpec for the trigelt of gold in the netrec marking her for special ops.
Normal military issue except for the glitter of gold in the center marking her for special ops.
The universal translator isn’t perfect. The letters in some of the words in the line below are mixed up. Rearrange the letters in these words to restore the original line from the story.
The emmsuu was dolced by now, but the shlgti hitgm lilts be on in the galleries.
The museum was closed by now, but the lights might still be on in the galleries.
The universal translator isn’t perfect. The letters in some of the words in the line below are mixed up. Rearrange the letters in these words to restore the original line from the story.
Something hit the artwe just dynebo his ewrot with a tumde phmut.
Something hit the water just beyond his tower with a muted thump.
The universal translator isn’t perfect. The letters in some of the words in the line below are mixed up. Rearrange the letters in these words to restore the original line from the story.
A refib lehsl of blue egreyn slehafs around the nwamo, then retreats into her cane.
A brief shell of blue energy flashes around the woman, then retreats into her cane.
R DRLACSFO’X OEQFTACQP CP ACJO JRK MO RLLOXAOW MK JORXTLCPH CA VLOZTOPAFK OPQTHN.
The Year’s Top Robot and AI Stories: Second Annual Collection TOC
(coming in December, 2021)
