 How is Alan able to evade so many robots?
The robots were built to serve Man; to do his work, see to his comforts, make smooth his way. Frowning, worrying about the sounds, Alan momentarily forgot to watch his step until his foot suddenly plunged into an ant hill, throwing him to the jungle floor. Then, through the trees he saw the clearing of the camp site, the temporary home for the scout ship and the eleven men who, with Alan, were the only humans on the jungle planet, Waiamea. Without pausing to think, Alan leaped back, and fell sprawling over a bush just as one of the robots rolled silently up from the right, lowering its blaster barrel to aim directly at his head. "I suppose," he muttered to himself, "that Pete assembled these robots in a batch and then activated them all at once, probably never living to realize that they're tuned to pick up human brain waves, too. If I can just hold out until morning, when the big ship arrives ... The metal killers, tuned to blast any living flesh, would murder them the instant they stepped from the ship! Blaster ready, Alan rolled over onto his back. In the movement, his elbow struck the top of a small earthy mound and he was instantly engulfed in a swarm of locust-like insects that beat disgustingly against his eyes and mouth. The planet's double moon had risen and he could see a robot rolling slowly across the clearing in his general direction, blasting indiscriminately at whatever mind impulses came within its pickup range, birds, insects, anything. Apparently the robot hadn't sensed him yet, but Alan didn't know what the effective range of its pickup devices was. Minutes later, looking back he saw that the machine, though several hundred yards away, had altered its course and was now headed directly for him. Powerful as a small tank, the killer robot was equipped to crush, slash, and burn its way through undergrowth. Nevertheless, it was slowed by the larger trees and the thick, clinging vines, and Alan found that he could manage to keep ahead of it, barely out of blaster range. The twin moons cast pale, deceptive shadows that wavered and danced across the jungle floor, hiding debris that tripped him and often sent him sprawling into the dark. Behind, the robot crashed imperturbably after him, lighting the night with fitful blaster flashes as some winged or legged life came within its range. His foot tripped on a barely visible insect hill and a winged swarm exploded around him. Almost blinded by pain, whimpering, Alan stumbled forward.
 Luckily for Alan, the robots are shooting at all the living creatures, including bugs.
 Luckily for Alan, the robots are shooting at all the living creatures, including bugs.  Luckily for Alan, the robots are being attacked by pumas.  Luckily for Alan, the robots are having a difficult time navigating the jungle terrain.  Luckily for Alan, a sticky oozing blob-like creature was dissolving the robots one by one.