Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [168]
The robot ships moved along their previous course, letting the Roamer think he had slipped past their sensors. Sirix launched a tiny probe to streak off in the wake of the cargo escort and transmit a directional beacon back. The Roamer continued to fly away, clearly believing he had nothing to fear. The cargo escort's enhanced engines could apply higher-than-expected thrust, so he probably thought he could build extra distance for himself, but the black robots were not fragile humans and could endure even higher acceleration.
After waiting as long as he felt necessary, Sirix began cautiously stalking his quarry. The robot-controlled ships strung out in a long line, careful to maintain enough distance that the Roamer pilot would not detect them. The trailing probe sent a clear signal, and they easily followed.
Sirix summoned PD and QT to the bridge to watch. He predicted this would be interesting.
Eventually, the Roamer cargo escort approached a dim star system lit by a brown dwarf. ‘Sensors indicate no planets in this system habitable for biological life,' Ilkot said. ‘The star's thermal output is insufficient.'
‘Scan closer. Look for industrial activity. Artificial bases, { satellites, any other ship traffic' Sirix could calculate few reasons why humans would come to a place so unwelcoming to biological life-forms, unless they intended to hide their facility. He felt confident that his earlier conjecture was correct: The cargo escort would lead them to greater stores of fuel. He signalled for his battleships to close up ranks, waiting outside the brown dwarf system as the Roamer slowed, drifted in, and pinpointed its safe haven.
Ilkot reported, ‘We have found a small facility, mostly artificial, made of processed metal. It carries a high thermal signature. The parent asteroid is less than half a kilometre wide.'
‘It is a fuel-transfer depot of some sort,' Sirix concluded. ‘Roamers would not want others to know the location of this facility. Approach with caution, maintain communications silence, and minimize engine output.'
The cargo escort docked at the small asteroid depot and shut down its hot in-system thrusters, but Sirix ordered his robots to wait a full hour to allow the people at the depot enough time to grow complacent. The gathered robot ships cruised silently closer, poised to strike.
Sirix announced, ‘Roamers generally have few defensive weapons. Their mode of protection is to hide rather than fight. We must encircle and trap them, complete containment, not only to maintain our secrecy, but to avoid the loss of valuable spacecraft or materials. Fire your weapons with precision. We do not wish to destroy, and therefore waste, the stardrive fuel.'
‘Or waste our weapons,' PD said.
Engines fired again, pushing the stolen EDF ships like projectiles in a last high-speed race toward their target. Before the startled Roamers could do any more than transmit an indignant inquiry, the black robots had overwhelmed them. The humans didn't even try to run.
Sirix studied the outpost, which was not much more than a tumbling rock with domes and subsidiary tanks welded on. He saw docking cradles for six cargo escorts. The depot's large ekti reservoirs were nearly full, ready for widespread distribution among Roamer facilities and human colonies, perhaps even to the Ildiran Empire. Four small ships were also parked there.
‘Eleven life-forms aboard,' Ilkot said. ‘No significant defences.'
PD and QT diligently offered to help, but Sirix took control of the Juggernaut's weapons systems himself. Without making any unnecessary announcement or threat, he destroyed the depot's life-support generators. It took him only one medium-power jazer shot.
The explosion made a beautiful pattern of fire and light, hot debris sprayed upward and kept drifting out into space, slipping away from the asteroid's low gravity. Sirix considered blowing up the four small parked ships