Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [101]
Fifty-nine
Orli Covitz
Sitting atop the wide resin-concrete wall, lonely without Mr Steinman, Orli watched the insects continue their incomprehensible, but manic, work. She wondered if she should have joined the few dozen colonists who had slipped away to join Davlin Lotze. She had seen the breedex, and the experience had disturbed her greatly. She sat with her elbows on her knees, her chin in her hands.
The Governess compy UR had brought along the seven children she guarded. Orli was much too old to be watched over by the Governess compy, but too young to be considered one of the adults. UR continued to gather information to instruct her wards and safeguard them, or at least prepare for what was to happen. The children, meanwhile, amused themselves trying to make sense out of the bugs' activities.
Workers scuttled up a large ramp that ran along the outside of the wall, dumping more of the questionable food into the stockade. Roberto Clarin and Mayor Ruis rationed their hoarded supplies so that the settlers weren't entirely dependent upon what
the Klikiss gave them. Even so, Orli's stomach constantly growled. Right now she would even eat Dremen mushroom soup.
The wide wall was an excellent place for the anxious, and paradoxically bored, colonists to gather. DD and Margaret Colicos approached the group, and DD seemed to perk up when he saw Orli and the Governess compy. He and UR had formed their own bond of friendship.
'It is a fine day,' DD said. 'The weather is well within pleasant norms for humans. Are you enjoying the view, Orli Covitz?'
'The view would be better if there weren't so many Klikiss in the way.'
'Oh, dear, have I upset you?'
'Yes, DD, you probably have,' Margaret said.
'I did not mean to.'
'It's okay, DD,' Orli said. 'I'm just worried. Always worried.'
'And that's before seeing what you're about to see.' Margaret gazed toward the alien city. She seemed to have come up here on purpose.'Watch.'
A commotion occurred inside the ancient structures that held the old transportal. Warriors rearranged themselves, and workers scuttled out of the way as the transportal hummed. Over the past week, Orli had watched the breedex's raiding parties disappear through the stone portal to one unknown destination or other. Diggers, engineers, constructors, and other sub-breeds had all followed. Now some of the Klikiss were marching back home.
Many of the returning warriors looked smashed, battered, and scuffed, several had cracked shell casings, as if from a great battle, while others showed conspicuous stumps where segmented limbs had been snapped off or yanked from their sockets.
'The breedex discovered a black robot infestation on Scholld, one of their old planets. It sent warriors through and captured the old city, built new industries and ships, and expanded the subhive. And took prisoners.'
Orli spotted other ominous black insectile forms among the returning Klikiss. One of the children by UR cried, 'Look - those are robots!'
Margaret wore an unreadable expression. 'These three are intact captives, a gift for the breedex.'
'What will the breedex do with them?' asked UR.
'It will torment them, and enjoy every moment of it.'
'Those robots are evil,' Orli said bitterly. 'They deserve whatever's going to happen to them.'
'The robots were designed and built to react exactly the way the breedex wished them to. The Klikiss are far more cruel than the robots. You'll see that in a minute.'
The three captive black robots seemed extraordinarily agitated. In front of the old alien buildings, they flailed their metal limbs and swivelled their geometric heads as if gibbering in absolute terror. Orli could see the tiny red flashes of their eye sensors. 'Why are they so scared?'
'Because they know what is about to happen.'
UR rounded up the seven boys and girls and said in a stern voice, 'Perhaps the children shouldn't see this.'