Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [136]
The metal army caused great mayhem as they drove toward the well-defended hall of the breedex. Four of the robots clustered around the towering domate. They shot and smashed and attacked, and finally the silver-and-black-striped creature fell, tumbling forward--a great victory.
PD and QT marched along beside Sirix, shooting their own firearms and taking an impressive toll. QT turned his optical sensors back toward the stockade wall where the helpless humans were watching the great clash. His words startled Sirix. 'Look, the colonists have compies here, as well.'
The black robot swivelled his flat head to see two compies standing together among the horrified humans. One was a drab Governess model, the other a Friendly. A familiar-looking Friendly compy. Sirix paused in his forward march.
'That is DD.'
Eighty-five
Orli Covitz
That is Sirix,' DD said, his artificial voice slipping up an octave in alarm. I From the wall, Orli watched the swarms of black robots emerge from their dropships and began massacring the Klikiss. Terrified of what the breedex would do to them, the colonists had prepared their meagre defences while getting one last group ready for a timely escape. But no one had anticipated this invasion.
Earlier that day, Maria Chan and Crim Tylar - who'd come to think of themselves as Orli's surrogate parents - had packed clothes and some food they really couldn't spare, and made ready to send the girl off, if the chance should present itself. Orli had rolled up her lightweight synthesizer strips and stuffed them into her pack.
Then the robots had landed.
Orli didn't know whether to cheer or scream. These black robots were killing more of the Klikiss than the human defenders could have hoped to. Yet, these robots had slaughtered everyone on the Corribus colony, including Orli's father. She hated them.
That is Sirix,' DD repeated. 'We must escape from here.'
'Those robots look a little busy right now,' said Mr Steinman. 'They don't have time to bother with us.'
As if to contradict the old man's assurances, Sirix pointed an articulated metal arm toward the stockade and sent out a chittering signal. A group of the invading robots detached from the forward assault and turned toward the settlement. With their EDF weapons, they blasted the wall, chewing large craters in the resin cement.
'Get to cover!' Davlin said. 'They're not shooting at us directly, but they obviously want to get inside.'
'They want to get to us,' Orli said as they scrambled down behind the uncertain safety of the barricade.
'And me.' DD sounded very afraid.
The black machines swarmed toward the stockade, while others charged into the masses of spiny Klikiss.
Maria and Crim had their groups of trainees ready to defend against the enemy with their scavenged firearms. But they were clearly reluctant to open fire on the black robots. 'I hate to waste our ammunition,' Maria said.
'I do want to waste some of those robots,' her husband answered.
UR said, 'I must protect the children. If this is an opportunity to escape, I suggest we take it.'
'It's more than an opportunity,' Davlin said. 'With this diversion we can move twice as many people out of here as I'd hoped. Get a group and make a break for it while the Klikiss and the robots distract each other.'
'Distract each other?' Mr Steinman said. They're beating the crap out of each other!'
'All the better,' Crim said. 'Which side should we root for?'
When Margaret joined them, she looked both dismayed and hopeful because of the unexpected attack. 'No matter which group emerges victorious today, they will still want to destroy us.'
'Where will we go?' DD said. 'Will you be coming with us?'
'It isn't yet clear what I have to do.'
Maria nudged her husband. 'If there's a group getting out of here, Crim, then you've got to go with them.'
'I will not! I'm staying with