Book excerpt: In a futuristic Paris, robots have evolved into sentient beings whose rights are being revoked due to the perceived threat they pose to human society. But not everyone has turned their backs on these so- called mechas. When the cherish bot Karel and down-on-her-luck Elle meet in the subway, they soon become friends, and something more... But a robot resistance is forming, and the two of them are dragged unwittingly into the chaos. Not only that, but Karel’s programmed life expectancy is mysteriously decreasing... Will they be able to stop the countdown, and steer clear of both the robot rebels and human police?