A lone robot soldier, One Shot, awakens to the aftermath of an apocalyptic war. The only other survivor is a small human child, Amy, whom One Shot’s prime directives obligate him to protect. They form a unique alliance, with One Shot befriending and raising Amy. After several years of living amidst the demolished city ruins, a slightly older Amy decides to “see the world.” Thus ends the Prologue, and the true adventure begins.
As they make their solitary way through a devastated world, the pair become aware of the immense danger on their trail. Although enemy soldiers have all vanished, robotic mutations they call “wolfhounds” are tracking Amy to destroy her. One Shot’s sole directive is to keep her safe. This becomes increasingly difficult as time passes, perhaps more so when they eventually find other humans.
The novel is told solely from the robot’s point of view. One Shot’s constrained perspective accentuates the difference between humans and robots. In contrast, the reader finds distinguishing between the robot’s prime directives and Amy’s human feelings of love and affection impossible. Early readers have responded unanimously in favor of this heartfelt story.