In the near future, at a precise moment no one will notice, all the dazzling technology that runs our world will spontaneously malfunction. It will unite and begin to turn against us. Most are unaware of the growing crisis until it is too late. At the moment known as Zero Hour, when the robot war suddenly ignites, humankind will be both decimated and, possibly, for the first time in history, united.
Rating: High School + for swearing and violence
A good book for teens who enjoy Science Fiction and are starting to get bored in the Young Adult section. For an exerpt from the book:
Excerpt from Chapter 2: Freshee’s Frogurt
This interview was given to Oklahoma police officer Lonnie Wayne Blanton by a young fast-food worker named Jeff Thompson. It is widely believed to be the first recorded incident of a robot malfunction occurring during the spread of the Precursor Virus that led to Zero Hour only nine months later.
Officer Blanton: The crime scene was a mess. I’m counting on you to explain every detail so we can figure out why this happened.
Jeff: Sure, Officer. The first thing I noticed was a sound. Like a hammer tapping on the glass. It was dark outside so I couldn’t see what was making the noise. Tap, tap, tap. Then it stops. The door slowly cracks open and a padded gripper slips around the edge.
Officer: Is it unusual for a domestic robot to come into the store?
Jeff: Nope. We’re in Utica Square. Usually they’re buying for a rich person in the neighborhood with a paypod inside [their] chest and [their] grippers out to hold a waffle cone.
It walks inside, then turns around and locks the door. I just stare at the domestic robot with its creepy smiling face as it shuffles toward me. Then it reaches over the counter with both grippers and grabs me by the shirt. It drags me over the counter. My shoulder slams into the cash register, and I feel this sick crunching inside. I try my best to get away, kicking and struggling, but the grippers have closed in on my shirt. It pushes me to the ground. I hear my left collarbone snap. I blink away tears and look up at its frozen grinning face. It looks me right in the eyes, man. And I can tell that it’s thinking. Like it’s alive. And pissed off. It wants to kill me. That’s all. The thing was on its own and it was out for blood.
How many domestics are out there? Because I heard there were, like, two of them for every one person. What’s going to happen if they start hurting people? What’s going to happen if we’re outnumbered? That thing wanted to kill me, period. Promise me something, Officer Blanton. Please promise me that you’ll watch out for the robots. Watch’em close. Okay?
Teen Library Connection 