The AI War Part 22

"Yes."

D'Trelna nodded slowly, picking up his gauntlets. "That should do it-let's go home. Everyone back to Implacable.'' Implacable.'' "And the brainpods?" "And the brainpods?"

"Leave them."

John had been teleported by a S'Cotar before-he still found it staggering. One second, and he was standing in his quarters, looking down at Guan-Sharick; the next, he stood blinking in some dim cavern, heart pounding, adrenaline surging through his body. Peering about, he saw that the light came from around a bend of what was a great round tunnel, carved through bedrock.

"Where are we?" he demanded, voice sounding hoa.r.s.e.

"About half a mile down-the remains of an old tube system of D'Lin," said the blonde. "The metal was scavenged after the Fall." She pointed to old gouges along the walls and floor. "Now pull yourself together, and we'll go visit your wife and the kids."

"Kids?" said the Terran as the S'Cotar led the way around the bend.

John threw his hands over his face as battletorch beams blinded him. Then he found himself clutching a warm, buxom body. Zahava.

"You're okay?" he asked, holding her at arm's length, looking her up and down.

"Of course," she said, kissing him.

It was then that he saw the children sitting along the walls, silent, watching. And the other S'Cotar.

"We still have time to get away," said L'Wrona. He and D'Trelna stood in front of the big board, watching the tactical plot. The Combine ships were coming in at flank. "They'll be launching missiles soon," he continued when the commodore didn't reply. "The shield-"

"We stand," said D'Trelna, turning from the board. "If we don't, they'll finish whatever h.e.l.lish business they were doing down there." He sat down in his chair and dialed up a fata.

"If we stand," said L'Wrona softly, "we die."

D'Trelna sipped and shrugged. "We've cheated death a long time now, H'Nar."

"Excuse me, Commodore," said K'Raoda. "Commtorps launched. Ninety-nine point eight percent chance they'll hit jump before they can be intercepted."

"Thank you, T'Lei," said D'Trelna. He looked back at the captain. "Everything's in those torps, H'Nar. Fleet will be warned-they'll smoke Combine T'Lan and continue the search for the Trel Cache."

"Wrong," said a different voice. Both men turned. R'Gal stood behind the commodore's chair. "You underestimate the depth of infiltration, gentlemen. Combine T'Lan's influence is pervasive. Your report will either be dismissed or lost, Commodore. Your only hope is to break off now, jump for K'Ronar, and sound the alarm."

16.

"My G.o.d!" said John, looking down the tunnel. "What are all these kids doing here?"

Zahava explained, precisely and clinically.

"Why are the AIs ripping off brains?" asked John, turning to where the two S'Cotar stood next to the D'Linian troopers. They looked up at his question.

"We think," said Guan-Sharick, "that their ships were damaged in some way-computers destroyed. It's the only plausible explanation. The Rift sealed by the Trel has opened-the Fleet of the One can enter this reality at any time-yet they haven't. Perhaps they're awaiting a signal.''

D'Trelna looked at R'Gal for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Maybe. But ..."

"But?" said the AI.

"But I still like to follow my instincts," said the commodore. "My instincts say if we go back, they'll arrest me and disregard our story. My instincts say we stay and fight-then go back."

"If we survive," added L'Wrona, watching the target blips closing on the board.

"Captain L'Wrona," said the commodore, finishing his t'ata, "you will advance and engage the enemy."

"As the commodore orders," said L'Wrona, turning for his post.

A few moments later the battle klaxon sounded as Implacable Implacable moved out and headed at flank for the center of the enemy formation. moved out and headed at flank for the center of the enemy formation.

"Who's , . . he?" asked John, pointing to the other S'Cotar.

"Lan-Asal," said the new S'Cotar. "Formerly Exarch Y'Gar of D'Lin."

"Here, too?" said John. "Why did you bother with this world?"

"It's a vital place," said Lan-Asal. "The Trel Cache is somewhere in this system. That's one reason the AIs have made it their base.''

"They haven't found it?" said Zahava.

Guan-Sharick shrugged. "We don't know."

"Why are you projecting almost identical illusions?" asked John.

"That will be obvious soon, I think," said Guan-Sharick.

"What about the children? Are they just going to stay here?" John asked Zahava.

"Until this crisis is over, yes. It's the safest place for them," she said.

John looked at the kids. Some were sleeping, huddled in blankets; a few were eating. He guessed the oldest to be twelve, the youngest six. They were remarkably quiet and well-behaved-too much so, reminding him of kids from Vietnam and Lebanon-war children: watchful, silent, robbed of their childhood.

He turned to the S'Cotar. "What do you need us for?"

You can hear me, can't you, Harrison? said a voice inside his head. said a voice inside his head.

"You know I can," said John.

And you, Zahava?

"Yes," she frowned. "But . . ."

"Good," said Guan-Sharick. "You'll do."

"Do what?" said John, eyes shifting between the two trans.m.u.tes.

"Whatever we say," said the blonde. "You each gave us your word. If you renege, so will we." The S'Cotar glanced at the kids.

"What John means," said Zahava, "is that we don't trust you."

"Harrison," sighed Guan-Sharick, "we need you to help end a war that started over a million years ago. A war that's already affected you and yours. A war that will wipe all sapient life from this galaxy unless the AIs are stopped."

"You're both biological fabrications, created, what? a few hundred years ago?" said John. "What's your stake in an ancient war between man and machine?" He stood, hands clasped behind his back, eyes shifting between the two trans.m.u.tes.

"A reasonable question," said Lan-Asal.

Major L'Kor and Lieutenant S'Lat had moved closer during the conversation and now stood listening beside Zahava.

"About a million years ago," said Guan-Sharick, "in a universe parallel to this, humans revolted against their machine masters. Not all humans-about the equivalent of two Imperial quadrants. They came to where the AIs could no longer follow-this reality, this galaxy. They evolved, they expanded, they built an Empire. The Empire fell, a confederation arose, was challenged by us, defeated us, and is now about to feel the full force of their former masters."

"A slave revolt?" said L'Kor after a moment. "You're telling us we came from a slave revolt?'' The S'Cotar nodded. "And T'Lan?" said Zahava.

"Infiltrators," said Guan-Sharick. "Established as a fifth column, long ago."

"Humanity in this galaxy isn't more than a hundred thousand years old," said John.

"True," said Guan-Sharick. "Those escaping slaves had the sense to move uptime nine hundred thousand years. It took the AIs a long while to engineer the technology to find them. Slipping their infiltrators through was one thing, but to bring in their main force, they've had to wait until the Rift sealed by the Trel opened."

"You still haven't answered my question," said John.

"I'm not going to-not now," said the S'Cotar, smiling. "You wouldn't believe me." The smile was gone. "Believe this, though, Harrison. I could have killed you and Zahava a thousand times-from when we first met on Earth-you remember, at the Inst.i.tute?-to the last moment I walked the decks of Implacable. Implacable. I'm telepathic, tele-kinetic-nothing human can stand against me. I'm telepathic, tele-kinetic-nothing human can stand against me.

"I didn't kill you, though-I need you. You have a rare gift-you're both sensitives--far more so than any of the K'Ronarins."

"Not taking any risks, are they?" said D'Trelna, watching the screen. The Combine ships were approaching in a textbook englobing formation, deploying around Implacable Implacable even as they prepared to bombard her. even as they prepared to bombard her.

L'Wrona turned to the commodore. "Tactics would dictate that we feint, probing for weakness, presenting a difficult target."

D'Trelna grunted. "Until they close their circle and there's nowhere to run." He looked at the captain, eyebrows raised. "You want to do that, H'Nar?"

"No," said L'Wrona, looking back at the board. "There's a slight possibility, though; if we can take out four of the center ships, we can escape."

"We don't want to escape," said the commodore.

"Incoming missiles," said K'Raoda.

Small silver streaks were running in from the larger target blips, heading straight for Implacable. Implacable.

"They don't know that," said L'Wrona. "Break their formation, we turn, take them in the rear. We might get as many as six of them before they get us."

D'Trelna ran a hand through his thinning hair, eyes on the board. "Do it," he said.

Outside, the shield flared red as the first wave exploded against it.

"G.o.ds of my-!" D'Trelna seized the chairarms as Implacable Implacable lurched. Damage alerts sounded as fallen deck crew picked themselves up. lurched. Damage alerts sounded as fallen deck crew picked themselves up.

"Gunnery fully engaged," called K'Raoda.

Counterfire flashed from every battery on the ship, missiles and beams concentrating on the Combine's two lead ships.

More incoming missiles slammed into the shield, followed in an instant by a smaller, carefully programmed second wave. A single nuclear-tipped missile broke through. A blue bolt flashed from a Mark 44 intercept battery, detonating the warhead just inside the shield.

Implacable bucked like a speared bull. bucked like a speared bull.

D'Trelna had a brief impression of the lights going out, then he was spinning across a wildly tilting bridge, tumbling into a pile of flailing, cursing bodies piled against the engineering panels.

The battle lights came on: small, bright orbs set along the bulkheads. Slowly, Implacable Implacable righted itself, the old Imperial programming correcting the gravity field. righted itself, the old Imperial programming correcting the gravity field.

A hand helped the commodore to his feet. "You all right, J'Quel?" said L'Wrona.

"How bad are we hit?" said D'Trelna, eyes searching the engineering boards as the rest of the deck crew returned to their posts. The damage control panel was awash in red light.

"Bad," said N'Trol. The engineer was working his way along the board, ignoring the blood that flowed from a scalp wound. He tapped an indicator. "Number three engine took the worst of it-she'll need port overhaul and-" He stopped and swore softly, then turned to the captain and commodore, eyes large. "Jump transponders are gone-primary, secondary, tertiary. Twenty-four of them. We don't have enough spares."

"Make more," said the commodore, turning at the faint whine of the big board coming back to life.

"We got them," reported L'Wrona, pointing to where two red X's blinked on the board. The lead Combine ships were destroyed.

"Full ahead, Mr. K'Raoda," ordered L'Wrona. "Plow right through their center."

"You've only got two-thirds flank speed!" protested N'Trol. "The vibrations will tear the . . ." Everyone ignored him.

L'Wrona touched a commlink as Implacable Implacable swept forward. "Gunnery, we're going through the center of the enemy formation. Full flanking fire as we pa.s.s-scatter em. swept forward. "Gunnery, we're going through the center of the enemy formation. Full flanking fire as we pa.s.s-scatter em.

As Implacable Implacable charged past, spewing missiles and beams, the surviving Combine commander made a bad decision, ordering his remaining ships to break formation, regroup and pursue. As they broke formation, charged past, spewing missiles and beams, the surviving Combine commander made a bad decision, ordering his remaining ships to break formation, regroup and pursue. As they broke formation, Implacable Implacable turned and came back in, flying a predetermined course to pick each of the smaller ships off. turned and came back in, flying a predetermined course to pick each of the smaller ships off.

Frantically the Combine commander ordered all ships to rally on his vessel. But by then it was too late-his remaining nine ships were scattering for s.p.a.ce, and he was staring at an incoming missile barrage that in seconds would overwhelm his shields and destroy his ship.

"We did it," said D'Trelna, not believing the board. "They're running!" He turned to L'Wrona. "They're running, H'Nar!"

"Look again, J'Quel," said the captain.

D'Trelna turned back to the board, smile fading. A fresh blip was rising above D'Lin's north pole. D'Trelna paled as he read the tacscan. "Mindslaver," he said.

The bridge was as still as death, everyone watching the board.

"Alpha Prime," said K'Raoda. "And headed right for the Combine harvest ship." said K'Raoda. "And headed right for the Combine harvest ship."

"Plot to intercept and engage," ordered L'Wrona, doing a quick calculation. The battle had taken them far outsystem-by the time they reached D'Lin, Alpha Prime Alpha Prime would long have been at the harvest ship. would long have been at the harvest ship.

D'Trelna thumbed open the commlink. "Ship to ship," he said, eyes on the board.

"Ship to ship," said K'Lana.