Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [225]
The same moon seemed a good place to recover and make plans. Was the wisest course of action simply to hide for another thousand years? He and the other black robots would decide. With the EDF ships circling low over the dark moon, Sirix and his fellow robots descended to the lumpy ice surface.
As always, PD and QT accompanied him. 'We are interested to see this historically relevant site,' PD said.
'The Hyrillka moon is now our sanctuary. Our projected plan has significantly altered.'
Scuttling across the icy terrain on fingerlike legs, Sirix easily found the remnants of their old hibernation hive. Some of the tunnels excavated by Ildiran miners had collapsed over the past five centuries. Ilkot and two other black robots tore away the blockage. Some brought EDF thermal cutters and melted new access passages into their base within the ice.
Once he was deep inside with his companions, where the light was dim and the temperature incredibly cold, Sirix finally felt somewhat safe.
'Attrition is our prime vulnerability,' he said to the gathered black robots. We have slain hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of the Klikiss, and yet the breedexes produce more and more warriors, builders, every sub-breed they have.'
Ilkot swivelled his head, his red optical sensors shining a faint bloody light on the icy walls. 'When any one of our robots falls, it is an incalculable loss. Unrecoverable.' By Ilkot's accounting, seven thousand, eight hundred ninety-four of their number had already perished.
Sirix doubted the robots could ever rebound from such a devastating blow. Since they had failed to conquer Earth, and since the humans had ordered the destruction of the major compy-manufacturing facility, Sirix didn't even have the option of replenishing his Soldier compies.
'We will be happy to offer any advice we may have,' QT said.
The accumulated knowledge of thousands of black robots had been unable to offer a viable solution, nor had the tactical programming of huge groups of Soldier compies. Sirix doubted the two Friendly compies could say anything significant.
'The solution to our crisis is clear,' PD piped up. 'We need more Klikiss robots.'
That much was painfully obvious, but Sirix had known the compies would suggest nothing useful. 'There are no more Klikiss robots. We have restored all that were placed in hibernation.'
'That is not what PD suggests.' QT seemed to have come to the same conclusion. 'You must build more Klikiss robots. New robots. Find someone who will manufacture them for you.'
Sirix paused. He heard the other robots thrumming. Such a preposterous idea had never occurred to them. The black robots had been created millennia ago by the Klikiss, programmed by them. Each robot was an individual with a long-scarred history and a hatred for the insect creators. Klikiss robots had never before built copies of themselves, as if they were mere machines.
But there was no fundamental reason why not…
'An excellent suggestion, PD and QT. Thank you for your insight.' He surveyed the other black robots. 'We must acquire a manufacturing and industrial facility and force the inhabitants to do what we need.'
One hundred and thirty-nine
Admiral Sheila Willis
Willis was damned glad to be at the helm of a Juggernaut again, where a real Grid Admiral belonged. She had left two guardian Mantas at Rhejak, and for the first time, Hakim Allahu considered their presence reassuring rather than threatening.
The Jupiter was headed for Earth. Of all the crewmen aboard the Juggernaut and the ten Mantas, only one hundred sixty-three refused to cast their lot with her. Rather than pressuring them, Admiral Willis had told them each to follow their own conscience. They knew the Chairman's orders, had seen the images of Usk (some of them had been there themselves), and had listened to King Peter's condemnation.
Very few who had served under her at Rhejak failed to support her choice. During their time on the ocean world, the soldiers had seen how the 'heinous rebels' were just trying to make a life for