Hidden Empire - Kevin J. Anderson [251]
A lesser man might have felt a pang of guilt and sadness for what Basil had done to bright-eyed young Raymond Aguerra. But some people could not choose their responsibilities—neither he, nor the young orphan. However, he did not envy King Peter the difficulties he would face in his new reign.
At least Sarein had been appointed the new ambassador from Theroc, a kindred spirit, someone who would listen to rational debate about the uses of green priests in the growing war effort. That might be an advantage—though a minimal one. She had used him to gain her position. He wondered if Sarein would choose to be his lover again, now that she had Otema's coveted position, now that she'd found her prestigious place on Earth.
With the ready supply of ekti cut off for the foreseeable future, all space travel must henceforth be severely restricted. The Terran Hanseatic League and the ancient Ildiran Empire were effectively shut down.
The nightmare was only beginning.
5 LOUIS COLICOS
Margaret grabbed his wrist. With DD hurrying to follow, they ran down the stone corridors, deeper into the abandoned cliff city. From outside, they heard the hum of mechanical wings, like a swarm of giant locusts, as the Klikiss robots rose into the air and flew toward them. Louis could think of no way to block off the black machines.
Louis recalled the configuration of the empty city, trying to figure out the best place to hide, a chamber in which they could seal themselves. His mind raced over the layout of tunnels and passages, remembered where they narrowed.
Louis's face lit with forced hope. He pretended to be optimistic for Margaret's sake. "Back to the stone-window chamber! The corridor outside is fairly small. Maybe we can find enough material to make a barricade." He doubted the Klikiss robots would be deterred by any barrier they could construct.
Following the lights that DD had strung, they ran through twists and turns, finally arriving at the large stone room where Louis had spent so much time.
The hall held some rubble, as well as the resinous plaster debris DD had scraped from the last hastily written hieroglyphics. Louis worked with his bare hands, piling iron bars and rubble across the threshold, trying to build up a barrier. The hulking black robots would smash through it in seconds.
Outside, they heard the thump and skitter as Sirix, Ilkot, and Dekyk landed inside the overhang. The robots began to make their way through the corridors of the abandoned city, moving with a ponderous heaviness, their machine bodies cumbersome but relentless.
"Damn, I wish the Klikiss used doors." Margaret looked in dismay at the open hall, the passage leading toward the stone-window chamber. The power source still hummed in the portal-wall machinery, though neither Louis nor his wife understood yet how the device functioned.
DD dutifully added to the meager blockade using boxes of supplies, small pieces of equipment. Louis shook his head in disbelief at their pathetic effort. The Friendly compy looked back at them. "Is there anything else I can do, Louis? I would be glad to assist in any way you deem appropriate."
Louis frowned. "Well, I don't suppose you have any defensive programming? Can we change you into a combat robot?"
"Perhaps if there were a programming module on hand," DD said. "However, I am not certain how effective I could be, since I have no built-in weapons or armor."
"Not to mention the fact that you're about a third the size of a Klikiss robot."
Margaret looked over her shoulder. "You can't harm humans, is that correct, DD?"
"I cannot harm humans, Margaret."
"And I presume a necessary corollary is that you cannot allow humans to come to harm?"
"I will do everything in my power to prevent that, Margaret."
Louis looked sadly at the silvery compy, knowing he was about to give DD a suicide order. "Then you've got to stand against the