The AI War Part 24

"Mr. K'Raoda, make for epsilon red four eight," ordered the commodore. "May something be there besides rock."

17.

They stood inside a hollow diamond, surrounded by infinitely regressive reflections of themselves, two in K'Ronarin uniform, two in white jumpsuits. John closed his eyes, then opened them, trying to restore the sense of perspective stolen by the endless multi-faceted images that danced at the least movement.

"Where are we?" said Zahava, squinting in the wan blue light.

"Is this it?" asked John, turning to Guan-Sharick.

"This is the Trel Cache," said Guan-Sharick, nodding. ' 'Just as an Imperial Survey party found it-a party under my command."

"You're a person of many talents, Guan-Sharick," said a dry, faintly amused voice. There was no telling from where it came.

"h.e.l.lo, Eldest," said Guan-Sharick.

"Eldest?" said Zahava.

"The guardian of the Trel Cache," said Guan-Sharick.

"But not just a guardian," said the voice. "I gather data, sift it, glean what I can, and store it."

"What sort of data?" asked John.

In answer, his reflection faded from one of the facets, replaced by the image of a gaunt, black uniformed man in his sixties, talking with John. It was nighttime, trees all about, with other, indistinct figures moving nearby. The older man held a pistol; John held a vicious-looking machine pistol.

"Are you familiar with the cla.s.sical concept of an umphalos, umphalos, Major?" asked the other, reloading his pistol and slipping it into a pocket. Major?" asked the other, reloading his pistol and slipping it into a pocket.

"Hochmeister," said John, staring at the image. "On Terra Two. But how ..."

"As I said, I gather data."

"The guardian is omniscient," said Guan-Sharick. "At least by our standards."

"And this . . . data," said Zahava. "Where do you record it? And why?"

"It's all here, in this chamber," said the voice. "Etched into the molecules of this glittering artifact. The knowledge of a great people, the Trel, what befell them-and what followed: the Revolt, the Empire, the Biofab War, Hochmeister and Terra Two.

"It's been some time, Guan-Sharick," continued the voice.

"Three thousand years, more or less, Eldest, since I last stood here," said Guan-Sharick.

"Three thousand years!" John whispered to Zahava. She shook her head.

"You're in trouble, aren't you?" said the voice.

The blonde nodded. "The Rift has opened, Eldest. Your foe and mine, the Fleet of the One, is on its way to crush us. We have little that can stand against them."

"And you have come for ... ?" prompted the voice.

"The weapon of which we spoke, so long ago."

"I must tell you," said the voice gently, "that you may not have that weapon."

Guan-Sharick stepped back as though struck. "But, Eldest . . . !"

"The weapon we used against the AIs, if used again, would cause an irreversible chain reaction, exponentially converting all matter to antimatter, obliterating this and the AIs ' universe."

"But when I was here before, you said nothing ..."

"New data came to light subsequent to our conversation," said the voice. "Impressive, longitudinal, physical data."

"Eldest," said the S'Cotar, hands spread, "plans were made and implemented based on our conversation. Dynasties, cultures, whole civilizations have been manipulated in antic.i.p.ation that I would come here and that you would give me the weapon, and that that, together with an aroused and militant people, would defeat the AIs. We cannot defeat the Fleet of the One without the weapon."

John had to admire the S'Cotar: thirty centuries of planning in shambles, yet it pressed its case logically, pa.s.sionately.

"Eldest, we must have the weapon."

"How would you get it? Violence?" said the voice. "Only a part of the outpost is in this continuum. And you have my word-the weapon was destroyed, long ago."

Guan-Sharick sighed, head bowing in defeat. "Eldest, you've just spoken our epitaph."

"Perhaps," said the voice.

The blonde raised her head. "We'll go and face them, then, ship to ship, being to being, as we did at the start."

"Wait," commanded the voice. "Do you recall when the AIs the Empire created revolted? The so-called Machine Wars?"

"Vividly," said the S'Cotar. "I died in that revolt."

"And the emperor then?"

"S'Yal," said Guan-Sharick.

"Correct. S'Yal first sent the Twelfth Fleet to crush the revolt. They were using a new jump system that had been extensively tested, but never in a single transfer involving so many ma.s.sed ships."

"The Twelfth Fleet of the House of S'Yal jumped," said Guan-Sharick, "and was never seen or heard of again."

"That fleet exists," said the voice, "suspended in time through a small error in jump field mechanics. A device has been made that will correct that error and recall the Twelfth Fleet."

"Where is this device?" said Guan-Sharick intently.

"According to communications I've monitored," said the voice, "the prototype exists in the research labs of Combine T'Lan. They've created it as a jump-navigation aid, but with a few minor modifications it should recall the Twelfth Fleet."

"You can provide those modifications, Eldest?"

"I've already done so. They're logged into Implacable' Implacable''s engineering archives."

"And if it doesn't work?" said Lan-Asal.

There was a pause. "There is one other device. But the way to that is unknown."

"Explain," said Guan-Sharick.

"After the disasters of the Machine Wars, Fleet and Guard revolted, overthrowing S'Yal. He retreated to a hidden citadel, deep beneath K'Ronar. Fleet found and bombarded that citadel. If those inside weren't killed directly, they certainly never escaped-the bombardment sealed that fortress within the earth."

"So?" said the blonde, frowning.

"S'Yal had with him a just-completed device to overcome the jump field irregularities, a device that would have recalled the Twelfth Fleet, had the emperor had time to use it. Which he didn't."

"And this citadel is where?" said Lan-Asal.

"Somewhere between Prime Base and the capital," said the voice. "I couldn't determine the precise point-Fleet bombarded seven different zones around the city and the base. I've placed the locations and a full history of the action in Implacable Implacable's archives."

Angry and vengeful, the AIs pursued the two K'Ronarin ships into the asteroid belt, their screens cutting great swaths through the rocky flotsam, absorbing the useful heavy metals, burning off the rest.

"When we were on Terra, H'Nar," said D'Trelna, watching the rear scan, "do you remember seeing the ice breakers keeping the sea lanes open?"

"Vladivostok," said the captain, also watching the rear scan. "I see what you mean-same principle, but far more efficient.''

"Battlecode burst from the admiral," said K'Lana. "She wants to know how much longer-they're gaining."

D'Trelna glanced at the readout threading across the bottom of the tacscan. "This is the place. Tell her any time now."

The s.p.a.cemines triggered just after Deliverance Deliverance pa.s.sed. There was no one of this epoch who could have appreciated the artistry of their construction. They were originally Imperial Mangier Cla.s.s Fours-top of the line, their design improved by the R'Actolians, through long centuries of molecular tinkering. The Manglers looked and scanned like rock because they were rock-of a very special element rendered highly unstable when touched by a shield matrix. The stronger the matrix field, the more unstable and dramatic the reaction. pa.s.sed. There was no one of this epoch who could have appreciated the artistry of their construction. They were originally Imperial Mangier Cla.s.s Fours-top of the line, their design improved by the R'Actolians, through long centuries of molecular tinkering. The Manglers looked and scanned like rock because they were rock-of a very special element rendered highly unstable when touched by a shield matrix. The stronger the matrix field, the more unstable and dramatic the reaction.

The explosions washed over the battleglobes, briefly obscuring them from scan. When the nuclear flames faded, the two monster craft could be seen, drifting, shields dimmed.

"Hurt, but not dead," said R'Gal to D'Trelna. "Now what?"

Alpha Prime swept in toward the battleglobes, then turned away, releasing two flights of six silver missiles. Beams snapped after her as the battleglobes slowly began moving. swept in toward the battleglobes, then turned away, releasing two flights of six silver missiles. Beams snapped after her as the battleglobes slowly began moving.

The battleglobes could easily have taken more nuclear missile hits-they'd been designed to withstand the ravening energies of the atom. What their designers hadn't conceived of-what no rational being would have conceived of-was the cyborgian aberration that was a mindslaver and its almost magical weapons systems. Alpha Prime's Alpha Prime's missiles held bits of antimatter in stasis. When the missiles reached target, those stasis fields released. missiles held bits of antimatter in stasis. When the missiles reached target, those stasis fields released.

Two spectacular overlapping explosions occurred, twin blue-red fireb.a.l.l.s, flecked with orange lightning, quickly gone.

The mindslaver returned, a great black wraith, halting off Implacable's Implacable's port. port.

"Still there, D'Trelna?" asked K'Tran over the commlink.

"Why did you save us, K'Tran?" said the commodore.

"And what are your intentions?" said L'Wrona over his shoulder.

"I'm empowered to tell you," said K'Tran, "that we're prepared to stand with you against AIs. We have another forty-eight ships of this cla.s.s and finally enough brains to crew them."

"Forty-eight mindslavers?" said D'Trelna. "Where have they been?''

"In stasis," said K'Tran, "awaiting this moment. The R'Actolians knew that forty-nine symbiotechnic dreadnoughts might take the Confederation, but could never hold it. For our help, we'll of course want some concessions."

"Of course," said the commodore. "What concessions?" It's come to this, he thought-I'm bargaining with a mindslaver.

"We want certain planets in Blue Nine for our own, under treaty. We want right of pa.s.sage through the Confederation."

"Are these planets inhabited?" said L'Wrona.

"Not by Confederation citizens, Captain," said K'Tran.

"Whom you'll harvest," said L'Wrona angrily.

"A small sacrifice for the greater good, Captain," said K'Tran.

"Anything else?" said D'Trelna as L'Wrona started to speak.

"There are other, more minor requests."

"I have no-" began D'Trelna.

"-no authority," finished K'Tran. "We know. Just relay our demands to Fleet and Council. We're returning now to mobilize the rest of our fleet."

"How do we contact you?" said D'Trelna.

"We'll contact you, on the Fleet covert operations channel. If the Council agrees with our requests, you'll see us again when the fighting starts. Luck, D'Trelna."

The mindslaver shrank in size on the screen, then was gone.

"Engineering asks permission to lower shield for repair," said K'Lana.

"Granted," said L'Wrona after a quick glance at the tacscan. Deliverance Deliverance was coming alongside. was coming alongside.

Outside, the faint shimmer protecting the cruiser winked off.

"I'm at a loss, H'Nar," said D'Trelna, walking over to the captain's station. "Even if the mindslavers stand with us and the whole b.l.o.o.d.y Confederation Fleet, the Fleet of the One is going to wipe us. Ten thousand battle units, ten thousand ships per unit-any force we field would hardly be noticed."

"Perhaps we can help," said a voice from the empty engineering station. Guan-Sharick-as-blonde, Lan-Asal, Zahava and John stood there.

"Interesting," said Admiral S'Gan, looking across the conference table at R'Gal. "And how many-friendly- AIs are there in the Confederation?"

"Just the Watchers," he said. "A few hundred of us."

"And the hostiles-the Combine T'Lan AIs?"

R'Gal shrugged. "Several thousand certainly, and not confined to Combine T'Lan. They've had centuries to infiltrate key positions. Their influence is far out of proportion to their numbers."