Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [144]
Ninety
Orli Covitz
Leaving the Llaro settlement behind, Orli and the group of exhausted escapees ran pell-mell across the trampled dirt and stripped fields, beyond the smoke and turmoil of the robots' clash with the Klikiss. With the breedex fighting for its hive, Orli doubted many of the creatures would be abroad. Running again, escaping again, she thought.
'I remember a place where we can shelter until nightfall,' Mr Steinman said. 'If we push ourselves, we can get to Davlin's hideout tomorrow night.'
Some of the anxious people began to groan as they hurried along - twenty of them, including seven children and two compies. 'Even if we do make it to the cave with all the others, then what?' Crim Tylar asked. 'Do we just hide?' He seemed distraught over leaving his wife behind.
Others had similar concerns. 'How long can we survive out there without food and supplies? A few days? We can't live that way.'
'We live for another day,' Mayor Ruis said with absolute conviction, 'then we take it from there.'
DD sounded cheerful. 'One step at a time. Taking too many steps too quickly could cause you to stumble.' He moved tirelessly beside the Governess compy. UR did her best to keep her wards together, nudging them along, occasionally she and DD carried the littler ones. The adults also took turns.
Each step took them farther from the settlement and out into the open, where Klikiss searchers could easily spot them. 'I hope the black robots have caused serious damage to the hive,' DD said. 'It would be a good thing if Sirix were destroyed, as well.'
'I hope they damn well destroy each other,' Crim said. 'Now that would make me happy.' He inspected the projectile rifle that Mr Steinman carried. 'You sure you know how to use that thing?'
'Just point and destroy. Right?'
'I wish you'd had more practice.'
After three hours at a fast pace, Steinman led them to a clump of talus boulders and helter-skelter outcroppings as big as houses. By the time they collapsed on the rocks, Orli was totally drained. Utterly weary and terrified, the children dropped to the ground, most were whimpering. Orli squatted next to them, unslung her pack and pulled out her synthesizer strips, thinking she could play them a lullaby while they all waited for darkness to fall. In her pack, she found a few energy bars, broke them into pieces, and shared them among the children.
The Governess compy was impressed. 'Thank you, Orli Covitz.'
DD stood like a toy soldier, guarding the whole group. The escapees made a lot of noise as they settled down to hide. Steinman leaned his weapon against a rock and cracked his knuckles behind his head. 'I could use a nap.'
'Something is not right,' DD said. 'I detect unusual noises.'
They all heard scratching and scraping from the dark cracks between the piled talus boulders. 'It's a damned bug!' cried Crim, jumping to his feet.
A Klikiss scout, smaller than an armoured warrior but still deadly, emerged from its shadowy hiding place near where the children had gathered. The boys and girls screamed and leapt backward, tripping over the rocks. DD grabbed a nine-year-old and pulled him out of the way.
The Klikiss clacked its jagged forelimbs. Mr Steinman lunged for his projectile rifle. The scout insect smashed him aside. It vibrated its wings with a menacing buzz. Mayor Ruis threw a rock at the creature, but the stone bounced off the hard exoskeleton.
Before the Klikiss could lunge toward the children, though, UR stood directly in front of the creature. 'You will not harm them.' The scout batted the Governess compy with a hard fore-limb, a blow that would have broken a human in half, but though she rocked with the impact, she did not budge. Instead, UR grabbed its clawed arm with her polymer hands and cracked down, snapping the chitin shell and twisting off the forelimb. The monstrous scout whistled, and seized UR's right arm in two of its claws, pulling, ripping, and completely severing her limb. She reeled, her stump dripping fluids and sparking. The