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. A large metal plug sealed it shut. Tycho and Jamil removed the plug just as the first 'bot rumbled down the conduit and exited onto the floor. The 'bot was cylindrical in shape, moved on crawler tracks, and didn't look particularly intelligent.
Jamil hooked up the hose from the chemical tank on his cart to 'bot one. As he refilled its tanks, Tycho ran the selfcheck program built into the unit. That was routine. What wasn't routine was the placement of a microchip specially designed by Quong. Minuscule in size and perfectly harmless--unless activated--one microchip inside the 'bot's complex inner workings would never be noticed.
By the time the team had finished with the first 'bot, numbers two and three had arrived. Quong ordered robot one back into the duct. Tycho placed identical microchips in 'bots two and three.
'Bot five had just been serviced when Xris heard a beep in his ear. He looked around. Station personnel were moving through the work area, going about their business. No one was paying any attention to the exterminators. Xris activated the comm. "Xris here."
"Harry here. I'm in the can just outside security. I'm surrounded! Two guys are working the computers and monitors and that damned Marine's still with me. Nobody told him he could go home, so he's sticking to my ass like one of those fleas I was reading about. I'm surprised he's not inside the stall with me
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