The Ashes of Worlds - Kevin J. Anderson [69]
Lacking a better alternative, the stolen fleet flew to what had once been the capital of the Roamer clans. Rendezvous. Now only wreckage remained, rocks and metal debris in wildly disturbed orbits, since the Earth Defense Forces had destroyed it. At times Sirix thought that those chaotic, violent, and capricious people might well exterminate one another more efficiently than any of his grand schemes could.
Cruising in silent mode in case some Roamers had come back to their former home, Sirix’s ships drifted through the rubble searching for any still-functional complexes. They found none. Another wasted effort. Sirix and the two compies studied the records yet again.
Finally, QT spoke up. “PD and I would like to suggest an unorthodox candidate. We believe it has the sophisticated operations and technological facilities we require.”
PD agreed. “The place has demonstrated skill in manufacturing compies, and already possesses a working knowledge of Klikiss robots.”
Sirix’s optical sensors flashed as he realized what the two compies were suggesting. “You propose that we return to Earth, conquer the Terran Hanseatic League with our few remaining ships, and take over their factory complexes for ourselves? We could never succeed.”
“No, we suggest you negotiate an agreement directly with the Chairman.”
“Go to the Hansa and simply request the use of their facilities,” PD added. “QT and I can assist you as ambassadors.”
It was a naïve and absurd suggestion. Completely impossible.
PD continued. “Human history is filled with examples of former enemies becoming allies, given sufficient motivation as circumstances change.”
Sirix considered further. Could it possibly work? He did not comprehend humans. Their contradictory moods and decisions were unfathomable. “You both understand humans better than I do. How would you convince them to do as we demand?”
QT lifted his polymer face. “Issue a sincere apology. Show the Hansa Chairman that we share an enemy in the Klikiss.”
Sirix considered the strange suggestion. With his handful of remaining ships and weapons, his robot force posed no credible military threat to Earth, but the Hansa didn’t know that. He could use the fact that he had just wiped out a significant concentration of Klikiss at Relleker to demonstrate his good intentions, even though the Hansa had not factored into his attack at all.
“The Terran Hanseatic League should see the black robots as a valuable ally,” Sirix said, “provided we can work out an acceptable agreement.”
This would take careful maneuvering, indeed.
“Change our course. Head directly toward the Earth system.”
Sirix began his calculations.
* * *
49
Margaret Colicos
Margaret felt unafraid when the ferocious tiger-striped domate approached her and lifted its serrated praying-mantis forelimbs. She put her hands on her hips. “What do you want?”
As part of her work with the Davlin-breedex, she was trying to force the individual Klikiss to actually communicate with her using Davlin’s memories, Davlin’s abilities. Each time she did that, she hoped to bring positive human traits to the fore and keep the natural violence of the insect race at bay.
The hard plates of the tiger-striped creature’s exoskeleton slid smoothly against each other as the domate fidgeted. Its face was a mosaic of interlocked plates that shifted into an eerie, humanlike visage for just a moment, but the thick pieces fitted more comfortably into its monstrous form.
“Breedex,” it said in a voice that sounded like a knife edge being dragged across a washboard. “Two . . . more . . . subhives . . . defeated.”
“Where? Name the planet.”
A long pause, as if the complex mind were trying to summon a name that would be comprehensible to her. “Relleker.”
“Good.” In their last conversation, Davlin had mentioned the Klikiss subhives battling there. “Take me to the breedex. He can tell me more himself.