The Ashes of Worlds - Kevin J. Anderson [243]
Patrick gave her an indignant look. “Adequate? I was raised to be leader material — the head of the military, a captain of industry, a well-respected diplomat.”
“Yes, but can you do any work, by damn? One of these days I’d like to retire, you know.”
Zhett gave her father a scornful laugh. “You, retire? It’ll never happen.”
“Oh? Something wrong with settling down? Brewing my orange liqueur — maybe even taking it commercial? Getting a few new tanks of angelfish . . . hell, how about a whole aquarium center of my own? I could run it as a tourist operation. Most Roamers haven’t seen a real live fish, you know.”
Two more cargo escorts streaked off. Billowing exhaust gases continued to spew out of the funnels in the skymine’s superstructure. Scout ships skated along the cloud tops, dangling long antenna probes deep into the misty layers to measure concentrations of valuable gases.
Across the gas giant’s skies, numerous other facilities hung suspended against gravity, filling tank after tank of ekti. Fortunately, Patrick thought, the open vastness had room for everyone.
* * *
171
Margaret Colicos
Over the course of weeks, the Davlin-breedex shared with Margaret and Anton all the story songs he deemed necessary, everything memorable about the entire Klikiss race. After hearing of the incredible conflicts, the rise and fall of numerous subhives, the cyclical Swarmings and subsequent consolidations and exterminations, Margaret felt breathless from the sheer volume of information.
Then one day, the breedex was finished.
In the hive city, all of the Klikiss marched briskly about, forming themselves into ranks, millions lined up in perfect order, all categorized by sub-breed.
“What’s going on out there?” Anton asked.
She shook her head. “Something I’ve never seen before.”
Through two of its warrior breeds, the hive mind summoned her and Anton into the yawning hall. The smells were thicker and the background buzz so loud that her teeth rattled.
Even before the myriad organism finished forming the crude human face, Margaret asked, “Davlin, tell us what’s happening.”
“In the distant past, the Ildiran Empire coexisted with the Klikiss. They avoided our colony worlds, and our hive wars remained irrelevant to them.” The alien voice paused for a long moment. “That will change now. Humans will not ignore us. The time will come when vengeful people will refuse to leave us alone. Thus, we can wait here and be exterminated . . . or we can go into hibernation and allow time to pass, perhaps another ten thousand years.”
Margaret couldn’t argue with the assessment. She doubted humans would ever leave the Klikiss in peace.
Anton said, “Those are your only two choices?”
“For a long time I thought so, but now I choose a different way to survive.” The simulated face seemed sad and preoccupied. “I am all that is left of the Klikiss. Therefore, as breedex, I shall leave. I will take what remains of my hive and go elsewhere — far, far from human and Ildiran civilization. I do not expect to meet any of my old race for thousands of years. Goodbye, Anton Colicos. Goodbye, Margaret Colicos. Thank you for gathering our songs.”
Davlin’s enormous face collapsed into a shapeless mass. With scraping sounds, the eight looming domates marched into the hall of the breedex and waded directly into the writhing, squirming mass of the hive mind. For a moment Margaret thought this was the beginning of another fissioning, that all the grubs would devour the domates. Instead the squirming creatures crawled over the eight towering figures, climbing up their hard exoskeletons until they covered each domate with a living, twitching blanket. Then the laden creatures lumbered out of the hall, carrying the dispersed breedex with them.
Margaret and Anton followed them out into Llaro’s bright sunlight and climbed to a tower opening from which they could observe the main city. Below them, Klikiss scientist breeds huddled around the transportal at the center of the metropolis. The tall trapezoidal frame shimmered, and the flat stone barrier melted away to