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that I want to repeat. Whoever hacked my printer better have a good reason for me to run in this direction.
    Kari screamed as two soldiers popped out of the bushes. Their heavy electronic armor made them look like demons emerging from a cloud of smoke. Their technological camouflage blended in perfectly with their surroundings, so that Kari couldn’t seem them until she was within arm’s reach.
    “Hands up!” one of the soldiers yelled at her. They both raised their energy guns and pointed them at her, freezing her in place. Lars growled at them while hiding between her feet. Good boy, you’ll scare them away for sure. Kari put her hands in the air and tried to look around inconspicuously for a way out of this mess. She didn’t find anything promising, but did manage to see the soldier who had been chasing her come jogging up from behind.
    “Kari Tahe, you’re under arrest. Come peacefully, and you’ll be given a fair trial,” the soldier said from behind her helmet. The soldier’s mask muffled her voice in a way that made her sound inhuman. Since when is a fair trial dependent on anything?
    “OK,” Kari said. “What about my dog?” I hope this next prison has a better food printer.
    The soldier started to respond but stopped before Kari could make out what she was saying; the gun she had pointed at Kari started to melt in her hands. It held its shape stubbornly for a moment before it started to crumble into streams of black dust.The soldier dropped the gun exactly how Kari dropped a piece of clothing when a spider was on it. Kari also backed away from the gun; its dusty remains started to form tiny mounds on the ground. The other soldier in front of her dropped her gun as it started to disintegrate as well.
    I’ve seen enough. Kari pushed forward and raced out between the two distracted soldiers before they could stop her. She whistled to Lars, who scampered after her. He caught up quickly, since running in sweats and slippers through the brush wasn’t ideal. She heard shouts and footsteps behind her, closing in fast. Kari knew she couldn’t outrun them for long with their mechanically supplemented strides, but it didn’t stop her from giving the chase everything she had.
    A hand pulled back on her shoulder, sending Kari spinning around and falling into the dirt, scraping her hands against the small rocks on the ground.A soldier reached down to grab her, but before the soldier could make contact, a ball of energy collided with soldier’s chest. The blast sent Kari’s would-be jailor flying backward into the darkness, and Kari shielded her eyes from the bright light. A blur of movement leaped over her head and went running past where the soldier had just been.
    The bushes nearby rustled as more blurs raced past her toward the house. Cheetahs! I don’t know or care whose they are—I’m just glad that they’re here! The mechanical robots that resembled their organic namesake were common in the enforcement and security industries. They were fast, agile, and equipped with enough firepower to be used on a battlefield. Kari climbed to her feet, carefully this time, as the scrapes and bruises from the evening were starting to slow her down.
    A long, dark cheetah with red-lighted accents strolled up next to her. It had two large energy cannons mounted on its back, as well as some other attachments she didn’t recognize. It was unlike any cheetah Kari had ever seen. It was slick and intimidating, and had a stylistic flair that was captivating. The mechanical catlike robot trotted in front of her, leading her east over the landscape. Lars walked by Kari’s side, as far away from the cheetah as possible, while still remaining close to Kari. I don’t trust it either, boy, but it’s all we’ve got right now.
    The moon appeared from behind a cloud, which made Kari’s life a little easier. The sounds of a skirmish rang out over the otherwise lonely acres that belonged to Kari. It was comforting to hear that the