The Ashes of Worlds - Kevin J. Anderson [70]
In years past, her visits to prior incarnations of the breedex had been fraught with anxiety and danger, but now Margaret walked boldly alongside the domate. While her guide remained behind at the entrance, she presented herself before the squirming mass. “What is it you want to tell me, Davlin? Two more subhives conquered? Both breedexes destroyed?”
With a buzzing, staticky sound, the numerous components piled together, each tiny unit knowing its place, assembling into the crude sculpture of a man’s face. It took the simulated head a few moments to remember how to speak, then the buzzing background noise became words. “They defeated themselves. Two rival subhives clashed.” After a pregnant pause, the Davlin-breedex continued. “The rest were destroyed by black robots . . . nuclear explosives . . . EDF ships.”
“So the black robots are still out there.” Margaret wasn’t sure if the hive mind could hear the hatred in her own voice. “You want to destroy them, don’t you?” This was an anger she could allow Davlin to keep. Sirix had killed Louis long ago, back on Rheindic Co. . . .
“All of them.”
She had seen more domates march through the new transportal, carrying the remains of Klikiss victims. “How close are you to finishing your work with the other subhives? How many breedexes remain?”
“All pieces are coalescing. I will be the One Breedex soon. A single rival subhive remains. A powerful subhive . . . on Pym.”
“And once you defeat that subhive, you will control the whole race? And you promise to keep humanity safe?” She waited a long moment. “Davlin?” She had to continue focusing the human presence that remained. Recently, she had seen troubling instances when the man had lost ground to the insects.
“Then we will control all the Klikiss.”
“And you will keep humanity safe?”
“First I must fission. I must consume many more Klikiss, make them part of me, rather than just obedient to me.”
Margaret was alarmed. “No, that will dilute your human fraction. You told me.” Until now, the Davlin-breedex had maintained control by refusing to let his domates devour the fallen subhives. His hold was already tenuous. And she could not suggest the obvious and unpleasant solution of allowing the breedex to consume and incorporate more human DNA.
“Must increase numbers and strength. Otherwise, I will fail.”
“You will also fail if you lose your grip, Davlin. Don’t loosen your control.”
“It is the only way. Incorporate the strength and superior traits of all the other hives we have crushed. Our domates will gather their songs.” The distinctive features sloughed away as the breedex began to refer to itself in the plural. She listened as it seemed to wrestle with itself; then Davlin’s face appeared again. “I will not let . . . myself be diluted, Margaret. I am still here.”
She wasn’t certain how much she could trust this bizarre hybrid. Was it human enough, or would the Klikiss genes become dominant with another fissioning? She had to keep reminding him. “Do what you must, Davlin, but keep your control — and I’ll do everything I can to help.”
* * *
50
Anton Colicos
On the fast EDF shuttle that took them away from the Moon, Anton sat next to Rememberer Vao’sh. One escort guard remained rigidly alert on the nearby passenger bench, his sidearm prominent. Never in his life had Anton considered himself a threatening person, and now he had a vigilant guard at all times.
He had no idea what Chairman Wenceslas could possibly want with the two of them.
Anton tried to look on the bright side. At least he and Vao’sh were on their way to Earth, where the Mage-Imperator was now being held. The Ildiran prisoners in the lunar base had been frantic when Jora’h had been taken away and isolated. Given his own similar ordeal, Vao’sh understood more than any other Ildiran Jora’h’s sheer nightmare of solitude, his risk of slipping