Miracle Workers (SCE Books 5-8) - Keith R. A. DeCandido_. [et al.] [93]
Commander Gomez:
By the time you receive this letter, we will be gone. We have faith in Starfleet’s ability to rescue you. Nomis and Repooc were able to bypass the DNA encoding on the Bolian’s ship, and we are taking it. We are willing to face the consequences of our actions. A choice between not working and dying is no choice at all.
We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors, Commander. We apologize for placing the burden of being sañuul on you. That was our mistake, and we hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us, assuming humans have hearts like ours. We should have known that the curse of Sarindar would destroy us all.
Razka has said that he will remain behind, and he will deliver this missive to you. Razka is a good man, and we are sure he will be helpful to you.
We are sorry that we were unable to finish the subspace accelerator, but the curse has shown us that it was not meant to be.
Regretfully,
Your former staff
Transcript of tricorder recording by Commander Sonya Gomez, outside SA project camp perimeter, planet Sarindar, Stardate 53290.1
GOMEZ: Please, wait! Don’t attack! I’m not your enemy, and I’m not food.
SHII: Speak . . . you.
GOMEZ: Yes, I speak. I am sentient. I’m not an animal for you to kill for food.
SHII: Do . . . not . . . comprehend . . . “ sentient.” You . . . not . . . owner.
GOMEZ: No, I’m not one of the owners, but I’m very much like them.
SHII: You . . . not . . . owner. Await . . . owners.
GOMEZ: Your owners are gone.
SHII: Do . . . not . . . comprehend . . . “gone.”
GOMEZ: They—they ceased to function. They died. You don’t need to keep gathering food for them.
SHII: Function . . . to . . . gather . . . food . . . and . . . protect.
GOMEZ: I know that. But without the owners, that function no longer exists. You need a new function.
SHII: Do . . . not . . . comprehend . . . “new.”
GOMEZ: It means that things have changed. You have to adapt to the situation.
SHII: Do . . . not . . . comprehend . . . “changed.”
GOMEZ: Oh, great.
SHII: Do . . . not . . . comprehend . . . “adapt.”
GOMEZ: You’ve been committing murder for no reason. We can’t defend ourselves against you, and you have no need to attack us.
SHII: Do . . . not . . . comprehend . . . “murder.” Am . . . fulfilling . . . function. Must . . . gather . . . food . . . await . . . return . . . owners.
GOMEZ: The owners are gone! They’re dead! They’ve ceased to function!
SHII: Must . . . gather . . . food.
GOMEZ: Please, you must listen to me.
SHII: Do . . . not . . . comprehend . . . “dead.” You . . . not . . . owner. Your . . . instructions . . . relevant . . . not. Must . . . gather . . . food.
GOMEZ: There’s no need to gather food! There’s—dammit! [sonic rifle fire]
Personal log, Commander Sonya Gomez, planet Sarindar, Stardate 53290.3
The bastards took the Culloden.
I saw it taking off after I managed to get away from the shii. It attacked me after I tried to reason with it, but the rifle on full blast managed to at least force it to run away, though I didn’t do any appreciable damage to it. For that matter, there’s no sign of any other injury it’s taken. Not surprising, given its chameleon circuitry—it can heal any “wound” by simply shape-changing over it.
Right after it ran off, I heard the screaming sound of impulse engines. My heart soared for a brief instant, as I thought it might be either the Archimedes or the Franklin, but I quickly realized that it wasn’t a Starfleet impulse signature—and it was the sound of a ship taking off, not landing.
Then I looked up to see the Culloden taking off.
I ran back to the camp, only to find Razka alone. He showed me the note the workers had left for me. I asked Razka what the hell was going on.
“I should think the letter explains it all, Commander. They have left.”
“So why are you still here?” I asked him.
He smiled. “My job is to assist you. You