Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [181]
The people stared in utter disbelief. Pillars of smoke rose into the sky. Their farmhouses were in ruins, the orchards and gardens destroyed, their sheep and cattle massacred. The green priest huddled next to her tree, almost catatonic.
The Archfather continued, ‘Even now, Klikiss are attacking our isolated colonies elsewhere in the Spiral Arm. First they unleashed their evil black robots, and now they themselves have come. And what is next? Do they intend to exterminate all of humanity?'
Lanyan squelched his shudder at the reminder of the voracious Klikiss. Though he didn't believe for a moment that the alien race was some sort of demonic manifestation, the terrified settlers of Usk were willing to accept anything amidst the fire and blood and smoke.
A soldier ran up to Lanyan. ‘General, we just completed our inspection of the local government offices. We discovered this recording, which you may find of interest.'
He inserted the datapak into a player and watched the town's five elders sit at a table to make a statement, happily declaring their independence from the Terran Hanseatic League, scolding Earth for abandoning them during a time of crisis. Then they announced their intention to become part of the Confederation. As Lanyan watched, grinding his teeth together, the men each lifted a paper copy of the Hansa Charter and made a point of tearing it to shreds in front of the imagers. Then the elders applauded each other for their brave actions, shook hands, and offered a toast ‘to the future of Usk'.
When the Archfather finished his vitriolic speech, Lanyan came forward. The soldiers rigged a large projection screen, and he played the defiant charade for everyone. ‘Find these five men and bring them forward.'
Soldiers marched roughly through the people, grabbing anyone who looked remotely like one of the council members and throwing them together until the ringleaders were separated out. They stood together, shouting, ‘You can't do this. We are a sovereign world - an independent colony!'
Lanyan scowled at them. ‘You are rebels and criminals. And you will be treated as such.' He turned to the green priest. ‘Make sure everyone else in the Confederation knows that, as well. King Peter can't protect you. None of you.'
‘You are damned!' the Archfather yelled, his cheeks turning red. ‘And you must suffer for your sins. By your suffering, by purging this colony, you may help others to find their way back to righteousness.'
The five council members, who were not heroes but farmers or tradesmen, were dragged away from their friends. Nearby, soldiers built five simple but ominous crossbar structures. The Archfather commanded a punishment that came from Chairman Wenceslas himself.
While the village and farmsteads continued burning, Lanyan's men crucified the elders and left them hanging there, bloody and dying. The survivors of Usk were only just beginning to grasp the horrors of what had happened to them. The green priest could barely convey what she saw.
When the EDF soldiers forced the rest of the numb villagers to line up and re-sign the Hansa Charter, no one protested. No one seemed to have a voice left. Their every move was recorded by the watchful eyes of cameras and imagers.
‘Our work here is done,' Lanyan said, struggling not to feel anything. Last, he ordered the small worldtree burned, cutting off the green priest from all contact.
The people of Usk were totally broken, all naive defiance crushed. They would present no further problems, which was good, since he didn't want to waste the personnel to leave behind a watchdog force.
With the Archfather in the lead, Lanyan and his triumphant soldiers departed.
One hundred and eleven
Orli Covitz
Sheltered, though not exactly safe, among the other refugees in the sandstone caves, Orli played her music, finding melodies. The synthesizer strips were among the few personal