When I spot the quadruped circling my campsite, I almost mistake it for a sheep in the gloom. It doesn’t have the distinct hopping gait of a hunting drone, and the wide wooly frame and pointed face are certainly evocative.
But there can’t be any livestock left, and the AI Overlords wouldn’t create anything so whimsical, would they?
As it trots closer, I see that the head is an antique white bakelite telephone with a rotary dial. A mass of curly plastic-coated beige wire wrapping the body like wool compounds the effect
When it sees me, the phone starts ringing.

The Mountain’s Shadow, now available in print and ebook from Amazon and other electronic bookstores!