Myriad Universes 02_ Echoes and Refractions - Keith R. A. DeCandido [181]
“Do you intend to attempt violence, android?” Taris said to Lore, faintly amused.
“So long as you conduct your inspection in an orthodox fashion,” Data said quickly, before Lore was able to respond, “you will have nothing to worry about from our people.”
The subcommander gave Data a dismissive look, but instead of answering turned to the shock troops behind her. “Spread out and initiate search pattern delta.”
Data glanced at Isaac and Lore, as if gauging their reactions. It occurred to Isaac that he might be better served gauging the reactions of the onlookers, many of whom seemed less than pleased by this turn of events. While the majority of the Turing populace might have agreed with Data to pursue diplomatic solutions to the present crisis, it was clear that the minority opinion for extremism was much in evidence.
A half-dozen meters from where Isaac and the others stood, the Lorist position came into direct conflict with the Romulan advance. One of the shock troopers, carrying a firearm of an unknown design, found his way blocked by a Turing android of a roughly baseline humanoid design.
“Step aside,” the shock trooper said in a voice that was cold, mechanical, and affectless.
“I have no intention of moving,” the android said, with an undercurrent of bitter emotion, “seeing no compelling reason to do so.” He was clearly of the Lorist persuasion, and glanced at Lore, as though seeking his approval.
Isaac might have expected the shock trooper to defer to the Romulan subcommander as well, looking to her for guidance just as the Lorist looked to his leader for approval, but he had failed to account for the rigid programming with which the Romulan androids were equipped. Instead of turning to address his superior, the shock trooper paused for a moment, head cocked slightly to one side. Isaac realized that he was consulting his heuristic algorithms, determining a course of action that satisfied his programming imperatives. In the space of time it would have taken a human heart to beat twice, the shock trooper’s decision tree appeared to have reached a preferred conclusion, and he put the event outcome into effect.
Without warning, the shock trooper raised his strange weapon, its barrel aimed at the Lorist, and fired.
Coruscating blue energy wreathed the Lorist for the briefest of instants, and then the Turing android dropped to the ground, convulsing.
Subcommander Taris made little attempt to conceal her amusement as she took in the confused expressions displayed on the faces of the Turing androids around her. Her smile poorly hid, she explained. “Romulan research into positronic technology might have thus far failed to recapture the heights of Noonien Soong’s creations, but in the process of devising our own android variants our scientists did discover the detrimental effects of certain radiations on a positronic matrix.” Her smile broadened, now completely unhidden. “It was a matter of relative ease to weaponize such emissions.”
The subcommander turned to the organic Romulan officer who stood at her side, and snapped her fingers. The subordinate, head bowed, held his own weapon out to her.
“These disruptors,” Taris went on, almost apologetically, “will not permanently damage your positronic brains, I’m afraid. But they will disrupt them for a suitable span, and with repeated application can keep an android rendered inoperative for as long as is deemed necessary.” Her smile took on an unsettling quality. “I am told, incidentally, that the sensations generated within the positronic matrix are the closest approximations to real pain that most androids will ever experience.”
“This is an outrage!” Lore began, but Data took hold of his arm.
“I believe