Roderick/Book One
This was originally published as Book One of Roderick, and is also Book One of the combined edition The Complete Roderick.
Summary
In an obscure Midwestern university, a computer science team develops Roderick, the first true artificial intelligence. Unknown to the researchers, the funding for their project was actually part of an elaborate scam, causing the university to drop the project and disavow their work. Lead researcher Dan Sonnenschein secretly ships Roderick out of town, but not before attracting the attention of a ruthless (but inept) assassin sent by the shadowy anti-robot group The Orinoco Institute. Meanwhile, the campus is disrupted by a visit from the dictator of Ruritania, and terrorized by a serial killer.
Roderick/Book One/Chapter I Roderick/Book One/Chapter II Roderick/Book One/Chapter III Roderick/Book One/Chapter IV Roderick/Book One/Chapter V