Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [4]
The capricious faeros, having done their part to conquer the hydrogues, continued to range from world to world. They were now unified by a new leader, the remnants of the former Hyrillka Designate Rusa'h, who had gone mad and launched an abortive civil war. Rather than let himself be captured by Jora'h, he had flown his ship into a sun - where the faeros had bonded with him. Rusa'h blamed Dobro Designate Udru'h for his failure, and now returned to Dobro where Udru'h was being held prisoner after the human revolt. Fireballs filled the sky, and a flaming avatar of Rusa'h emerged, confronted Udru'h, and incinerated him. It was only the first step, though, because now the faeros declared war on the Ildiran Empire.
And on the colony of Llaro, Orli Covitz thought she had finally found a new home. Davlin Lotze was also trying to find a peaceful retirement there as a normal colonist. A group of EDF soldiers had been stationed around the transportal to make sure the Roamer detainees didn't escape. While Orli was visiting the soldiers, the transportal suddenly activated and hordes of monstrous insect soldiers marched through from the far side of the galaxy - accompanied by long-lost Margaret Colicos and the friendly compy DD. The original Klikiss race, long thought to he extinct, simultaneously returned to Llaro and numerous Hansa colonies all across the Spiral Arm.
The Klikiss demanded that all humans leave, or be destroyed.
One
Orli Covitz
An unending swarm of giant, beetlelike Klikiss poured through the transportal on Llaro for days, marching from some unknown, distant planet. During the initial panic, Mayor Ruis and the Roamer spokesman Roberto Clarin had issued a futile appeal for calm among the people. There was nothing more they could do. With the Klikiss controlling the transportal, the colonists had no way to leave Llaro. They were trapped.
The horror and shock gradually dulled to hopelessness and confusion. At least the creatures hadn't killed anyone. Yet.
Alone on a barren hill, Orli Covitz stood looking toward the termite-mound ruins and the colony settlement. Thousands of intelligent bugs moved over the landscape, investigating everything with relentless, alien curiosity. No one understood what the Klikiss wanted - with the exception, perhaps, of the strangely haunted Margaret Colicos, the long-lost archaeologist who had spent years among them.
Presently, the fifteen-year-old girl saw Margaret trudging up the hill toward her, accompanied by DD, the Friendly compy who had taken a liking to Orli almost as soon as he arrived with Margaret through the transportal. The older woman wore the field jumpsuit of a xeno-archaeologist, its fabric and fastenings designed to last for years under tough conditions in the field, though by now it was tattered and stained.
DD walked cheerfully up to Orli. He studied her expression. 'You appear to be sad, Orli Covitz.'
'My planet's being invaded, DD. Just look at them. Thousands and thousands. We can't live here with them, and we can't get off the planet.'
'Margaret Colicos has lived among the Klikiss for a considerable time. She is still alive and healthy.'
Breathing heavily in the dry air, Margaret stopped beside the two. 'Physically healthy, maybe. But you may want to reserve judgement as to my psychological health.'
The distant, shattered gaze of the older woman discomfited Orli. She didn't want to imagine what Margaret must have endured among the giant insects.
'I am still getting used to talking with other people again, so my social skills may be somewhat lacking. I spent so long trying to think like the Klikiss. It was very draining.' She placed her hand on the compy's shoulder. 'I really thought I might go mad… until DD arrived.'
The compy didn't seem to feel any sort of threat around them. 'But we're back now, Margaret Colicos. And safe among friends.'
'Safe?' Orli didn't know if she would ever feel entirely safe again. Not long after she and her father had left dreary