Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [211]
Margaret knew they had to escape before the end of the battle. Whichever Klikiss survived would turn their attentions to recapturing or killing all of the humans. She found it hard to believe they actually had a chance of getting away, but she helped guide them. 'I didn't think I would ever leave the Klikiss, DD.'
'Did you wish to stay here, Margaret Colicos?'
'Definitely not--but I'm not sure I belong in the outside world either. It's been years since I last saw Anton, and I don't know very much about the Spiral Arm anymore.'
'I can give you news summaries.' The Friendly compy was happy to help. 'However, my own information is somewhat out of date. Sirix did not grant me access to unfiltered information when I was his captive.'
Davlin urged them through the tunnels, moving from one connecting passage to another. Wincing from his injury, Robb called back over his shoulder, The Klikiss wrestling match here is the only current event that matters.'
Margaret pushed aside any lingering reticence by remembering who she had once been. 'DD, when you served us on Rheindic Co, I was an organized manager of an archaeological site, a determined leader, and a talented scientist.'
'I can replay many of our old conversations verbatim if you like. It may help remind you. Those were some of the most satisfying times in my entire existence.'
Orli ran ahead, her face flushed. At her insistence, they paused at a small pile of discarded items thrown into a noisome alcove. DD had located the girl's pack there in his brief explorations of the insect city, and Orli retrieved her synthesizer strips, teary-eyed. 'My father gave these to me.'
With frequent guidance from Margaret and DD, Davlin led the group up through one of the darkened structures until a wide opening of daylight showed their escape route. They all put on an extra burst of speed.
Outside, hundreds of next-generation Klikiss warriors ripped apart the rival insects emerging through the giant outside transportal. Bugs tore into bugs, smashing each other's carapaces, ripping segmented limbs out of sockets. Scouts and attackers flew about in makeshift aircraft, dive-bombing with resinous weapons to gum up and then kill rival Klikiss. The bedlam was incredible.
A crowd of pale humanoid Klikiss warriors faced off against one of the rival breedex's domates. Margaret watched the hybrid Klikiss strike down the enemy domate and pummel it into sticky shards of smashed armour.
The long drop-off beneath the window opening at which the prisoners stood was nearly twenty metres. 'We don't have enough rope,' Nikko said.
'Then we'll have to get to the surface in another way.' Davlin turned around.
Margaret anxiously assessed what was happening outside. The invading Klikiss would soon be defeated. 'We don't have much time.'
One hundred and thirty
Admiral Sheila Willis
While the Admiral kept the raft-base under a communications blackout, neither her Mantas nor the Jupiter knew what was happening. Willis turned her efforts to damage control.
Lanyan's fifteen hardliners shouted at her uneasy troops, calling them mutineers. 'We're your fellow soldiers! Your Admiral just shot the commander of the Earth Defence Forces. You'll be court-martialled and executed for--' The guard's words cut off as Willis zapped the loudest complainer with the twitcher as well.
She waved the weapon. 'If that's the only way to keep the rest of you cooperative, I'll use it again.' Sullen but infuriated, the guards shut up.
Willis raised her voice, so that the rest of her soldiers could listen as she paced in front of the captives. 'I prefer to think that any EDF soldier has a brain as well as a heart, and General Lanyan hasn't used either. He's broken so many laws and protocols that I don't have enough time left before retirement to list them all. Look at you, bragging about your massacre on Usk. And now