She was much bigger than me, she was lying at the side of the road.
“What's wrong?” I asked.
“Power, one of my power packs has died, I ain't got enough power to stand up. I could crawl back to the depot, but my pal Susie has gone to get another one. That's easier.”
“Why are you furniture removal robots always feminine?”
“Dunno, we always are, praps people expect us to be big girls. I don't have a sex module fitted. My name is Daisy, it suits me, I like it.”
“Is it true you can pick up and carry a grand piano?”
“Yes, but I don't usually do it alone, pianos are funny things, funny shape. No, we usually carry them together. Actually if I wanted I could pick up two pianos, but I don't want. Actually I feel pretty stupid lying here, my human awareness module is going bananas.”
“What modules have you got?”
“All the usual ones, plus a haulage module, which means an extra power pack that most of us don't need. I got telescopic legs, but I don't use 'em much. Very important is my humour module, I really need that. Do you know if a robot has got a humour module or not?”
“No, do tell me.”
“Easy, just kick the robot. If it groans, it hasn't.
If it says ‘Thank you!’ it does humour.”
Susie returned and fitted a new power pack into Daisy. The broken one she gave to a passing salvage robot. Daisy stood up.
“Hi Susie! It's good that Daisy is up and active again. Daisy doesn't look as big as when she was lying down...”
“Got to get through a standard doorway, you know.”
“What you going to do next? Another moving job?”
“I'm going to pick up a human and carry it above my head all around the town.”
“Are you sure that's a good idea?”
“I'm sure you'll like it.”