by Karl Morgan
“I’ll take care of this,” said a voice behind them. The robots spun around to see Odo Pak standing two feet away. “I am proud of the three of you.”
“Who are you, old man?” Balak replied. “How could you not have found the liquefiers yet?”
Odo laughed. “Boys, I am not really here, but I will help you if you sincerely want to escape The Accord.”
“Please help us,” the three said almost in unison.
All the lights suddenly came to life. Dave closed his eyes tightly to avoid the shock. “More treason is afoot!” shouted Vanda’s golden robot. He stood fifty feet away with ten massive robots aiming their blasters at Dave’s group. “I told you not to do this, and here you’ve done it just hours after we spoke! What am I to do with these traitorous Friends?” He began to march toward them and waved his robots to follow him.
“Dave did nothing, Master,” Balak said. “We came to him, not the other way around.”
“That will change nothing!” Vanda shouted. “You three will have your brains removed and smashed. The two humans are headed to the liquefiers. I will taste their bodies tonight!”
Odo turned to face Vanda and began marching ahead toward him. “You will do nothing of the sort, you piece of crap!” Vanda froze in his tracks, taken aback by a mere human speaking to him so. “I gave you too many chances already, Vanda. You want to play rough, well, so be it!” Now, Odo and Vanda were standing less than one foot apart, with Vanda towering over the old man.
“And what are you going to do about it, grandpa?” Vanda laughed. Odo’s right hand shot forward and through the chest cavity of the robot. He pulled back as strong as he could and extracted his hand, holding a small gold sphere. The robot froze in place. Odo squashed the sphere and blood and brain tissue oozed out around his fingers. All the large robots were frozen with their heads looking up and to the left. Odo wiped off his hand on his robe and returned to Dave and the three robots.
“That was amazing, Odo!” Dave gasped. “How did you do that?”
“You have to remember that I’m not really here, Dave,” Odo reminded him.
“Sir, you know that was not all of Vanda’s brain,” Balak said. “More robots will arrive soon and destroy us all.”
“Not for you three,” Odo smiled and then turned to Dave. “I have to leave you here for a few moments, but I’ll be back before Vanda can harm you, I swear.”
“Okay, Odo. I trust you,” Dave replied.
“Each of you should touch my robes and hold on,” Odo said. After they had complied, Odo winked at Dave. The four disappeared.
A second golden robot rushed into the field and grabbed Dave by the throat. “Where are the others, Admiral?”
“You should know that already, Vanda. My guess would be Lagamar Ulu, but wherever they are, they are safe from you,” Dave smiled.
“You are an insolent bastard!” Vanda seethed. “Your turn in the liquefier has arrived. And I’ll let you enjoy it with your friends too. Goodbye Dave” He pushed Dave into the arms of another robot which then left the fields with him. “You and your Source can be damned! My Friends are coming and you cannot stop us!” He turned and walked out of the fields.
§
Dave was in a transport robot with Margas and Zobu, both of whom were crying inconsolably. “Everything will be okay, guys,” Dave said.
“How can you say that?” Margas shouted. “In minutes, we will be chopped up and fed to Vanda. Our lives are over and we have no hope.”
“Thank God for that!” Zobu sighed. “I can’t take any more of this. We all knew this day would come. Our suffering will end soon. I only hope Vanda catches some horrible disease from my body.”
“My friend said he would keep any harm from happening to us. We have to have faith,” Dave said.
“And what if your friend is two seconds late?” Margas scoffed.
“Then we will be free and alive in the Source,” Dave said, trying to convince himself as much as his friends.
The transport robot entered the liquefier chamber and squatted down over a false panel in the floor. That panel and a similar one in the bottom of the transport robot popped open and the three men fell down ten feet into the liquefier chamber. Vanda’s voice boomed over a hidden speaker. “Well, Dave, look at the good you have done for your friends. Now they will be my dinner along with you. Zobu and Margas, this is what happens when you choose your friends poorly. Goodbye.”
Four panels in the side walls opened and the rapidly spinning blades moved slowly into the chamber. It would be only seconds now, Dave thought. He forgave Odo for being late and promised in his mind to visit him in Universal Power. Margas was holding onto Dave with all his might. Zobu was trying to figure where to put his head for a quick death. Then, for some reason, blades seemed to be slowing down. Dave wondered if this was Vanda’s final horrific act of terror to make Dave feel even worse. Then the blades stopped altogether. “What in the name of God is going on?” Dave said.
“Sorry for seeming to be late Dave,” Odo said from behind him. Dave spun around and hugged Odo tightly. “I knew you’d be here! Won’t Vanda be suspicious that the blades have stopped?”
“The blades have not stopped, Dave,” Odo smirked. “I have just slowed time for a second. I was able to enlist the help of the Bolofaz. They were keen to repay you for what you did for them.”
“So, you’re going to take us away from here now?” Zobu asked.
“In a moment, friend,” Odo replied. “First, I have to leave a small present for Vanda.” He opened a pocket in his robe and removed a black sphere about one foot in diameter. He gingerly set it on the floor of the chamber. “There, all done. Where should we go for dinner, guys? Anywhere is in the universe is okay with me.”
“Anywhere far away from here and the Accord,” Zobu said.
“I have sort of promised that we would dine with High Consul Zee Gongaleg.” Odo said. “The seafood near his home is perfect this time of year, plus some of Dave’s friends have promised to join us there. It will be a party with lots of food and whisky!” He winked at Dave.
“What is that thing you’re leaving here, Odo?” Dave asked.
“It’s something from the singularity weapon team. It’s some kind of concentrated plasma bomb, I think,” Odo replied. “As I told Vanda in the field, I keep giving him chances to change, but he doesn’t listen. Well, the liquefiers in this section are to feed him only. I thought I’d put him on a diet for a while. The blast shouldn’t be strong enough to affect any humans on board, but I think Vanda will get the message.”
“I thought you were a man of peace, Odo?” Dave noted.
“God is not in this chamber or with Vanda, Dave. This monster needs to know that he is not all-powerful. This may be his last chance for salvation.”
“This is a dream,” Zobu sighed. “We’re really already dead, aren’t we?”
“You’re a good man, Zobu. Tonight, while you sleep in a real bed, I will help erase some of your memories of the liquefiers. I want you to remember them, but not the horror that is now ruining your soul,” Odo said as he patted Zobu on the shoulder. “If you’re ready, just grab my robes and we’re off.”
“Thank you again, Odo,” Dave said as he and the others touched Odo’s robes and disappeared.
Time resumed and the blades smashed into the bomb, which exploded with the force of a small nuclear device. The five liquefier chambers servicing Vanda were vaporized as were hundreds of robots working nearby. Earthquakes erupted throughout the vessel and power failed. Thousands of humans were tossed from their beds and held on for dear life. A two hundred foot dent pushed into Vanda’s brain causing him to pass out for several hours, leaving his vessel without central control for the first time. Robot gangs roamed through the ship fighting for dominance, each hoping to gain power if Vanda did not recover. All of the millions of robots that were part of Vanda stared up and to the left.
§
The large crowd assembled at the High Consu
l’s residence burst into cheers and applause with Odo Pak and the three former slaves to Vanda of The Accord appeared on the beach. Tears poured down Darlene Brewster’s cheeks as she rushed to grab hold of her husband who had been missing since his ill-fated trip to Skee Lotho. “My God, Dave, I was so frightened, knowing you were on that ship.” She kissed his lips and he held her tightly.
“Darlene probably shouldn’t know where you were when we escaped, Dave,” Odo noted. “You can tell her another time, okay?”
“I couldn’t agree more, Odo,” Dave replied. The group walked over to the table where Margas and Zobu were introduced to Zee and his team, as well as President Mencius, Fa-a-Di and De-o-Nu. None of them had ever seen another sentient species other than a Nan, and were flabbergasted by the appearance of the Galliceans and tekkans.
“We need to have a talk after dinner, Dave,” Fa-a-Di said, trying to force a smile on his concerned face. Dave knew it was Fa-a-Di who had provided the plasma bomb to Odo and probably knew exactly where Dave had been.
“Of course, brother,” Dave smiled. “I have missed you too.”
Zee tapped his glass with his knife to get the attention of the large crowd. As they quieted down, he stood up and cleared his throat. “We are all honored by the presence of the Supreme Admiral of the Free Society, Dave Brewster and his two friends, Margas Ongool and Zobu Inther. We have been briefed on the activities occurring within the giant planetoids and are happy you are now safe. Dave, I know you’ll be happy to know that Dar Lini is safely on Fistnan with her friends, Eon and Mantarcus. They will be traveling back to the planet Stit in the next few hours.”
Dave expression turned to worry about his friend, but Darlene put her hand on his knee and whispered, “She’ll be okay, Dave. This is all part of Odo’s plan.”
Dave smiled at his wife and kissed her, then whispered, “That’s what I’m worried about.”
Zee tapped his glass again to get everyone’s attention and said, “Without further ado, I would like to ask Elder Odo Pak to report to our group on the mission just completed.”
Dave, Margas, and Zobu stood to applaud Odo, and the rest of the crowd quickly followed suit. The old man blushed when he stepped up to the podium and looked out at the crowd of happy faces: maklan, Gallicean, and human. “You are all too kind,” he began as the people began to take their seats. “First, I must apologize to my dear friend Dave Brewster and his two new friends. A few minutes ago, they were on the verge of a horrible death. I think Dave may have thought I had forgotten about him as the spinning blades of the liquefier began to approach him.” Darlene was squeezing Dave’s hand so hard that it ached. “In truth, Dave was never in any danger, and I regret the angst I put those three men through. However, the plan that Fa-a-Di, President Mencius, and I put together demanded perfect timing. Vanda had to know that these men would die in an instant. If he could have had time to react to the plasma bomb, the plan would have failed. Dave, Margas, and Zobu would still be here, but Vanda would not have been taught this critical lesson.” He turned to Darlene and said, “I’m sorry you had to learn about this here, my dear.” He turned back to the crowd and continued, “Now, Vanda and his Friends in The Accord know we can attack them. They know for the first time that they are not invincible.” He held his hands up as though he still held the bomb. “The device was not big. It didn’t need a fleet of giant battle cruisers to deliver it. We have bigger bombs to be sure, right Fa-a-Di?” The Gallicean smiled and nodded his head. “The Accord now knows we can infiltrate their vessels and place bombs anywhere we choose, even inside the brains of the large planetoids. It is my great hope this knowledge will make them change their plans. Only time will tell. Thank you for your kind attention.” He walked back to his seat. The crowd was stunned into silence.
§
Zee, his ministers, and the VIP guests were walking along the beach following dinner. A group of waiters followed them with a floating bar, and offered drinks to the group as they discussed the day’s events. Fa-a-Di was able to separate Dave from the rest for a private talk, by convincing his brother-in-law to watch after Darlene and the two rescued along with Dave. “I feel helpless, Dave,” he said and took a sip of his whisky.
“Why, brother?”
“The Galliceans and Kalideans have the most advanced fleets in the galaxy,” he replied proudly. “But compared to The Accord, we are just toddlers playing with toys. You were trapped inside that planetoid, under constant threat of death, and there was not one thing I could do to help.”
“The Accord is a new kind of adversary, that’s for certain,” Dave agreed while sipping his own drink. “We encountered that with the Maklakar, if you recall. It took Zeet of The Accord to turn them from enemies to friends. But I don’t know any force that could threaten The Accord, plus they have become so overly confident that they view all of us as a simple source of protein.”
“Do you think Odo’s message to them will stick? Will they stop and return to the Clouds?” Fa-a-Di asked.
“I doubt it very much. From what I know, they need a constant supply of new metal to maintain and grow their fleets of robots. They have already depleted most of the ore in the Magellanic Clouds,” Dave replied. He stopped walking and looked out at the waves lapping up on the beach. “I am beginning to understand Vanda. He knows the needs of the Friends of The Accord. He cannot continue to rule unless he gets them what they want. I believe he will sacrifice all of their lives to avoid the personal disgrace of failure.”
“But that’s crazy, Dave,” the general replied. “Taking your army into an unwinnable fight to salve your ego is pure insanity.”
“I know Odo thinks they can evolve into some kind of super-beings and save the universe. Perhaps a few of them can, but most are not men anymore. They are becoming the robots they control. Odo even told Vanda that. He told him if they continued to grow, the robots would become more independent, even to the point where they will turn on Vanda and consume him,” Dave recalled.
“So the war will occur,” Fa-a-Di said coldly. “Many millions will die, Dave, either on our worlds or inside the planetoids or both. How many planetoid vessels will come?”
“Close to one thousand, I believe.”
Fa-a-Di gasped for air, and quickly downed his drink. Almost immediately, a waiter rushed over and refilled both men’s glasses. “That many? Even with the help of Universal Power, this will be bloody. How many lives must be lost to end this disaster?”
“It is my opinion that smaller starships full of robots will arrive first. Now that The Accord knows we can plant bombs inside the planetoids, they will keep them further away. Or at least they will use massive numbers of smaller robots to soften our defenses. There are millions of Friends of The Accord, but only one thousand planetoids. Even if we destroyed the planetoids, the rest will continue to fight,” Dave suggested.
“But without the planetoids, they cannot hope to win the war,” Fa-a-Di said.
“It’s not about winning anymore, brother. The Accord needs metal. The smaller robot Friends want to get their own planetoids by progressing up the chain. There is no metal left where they are. They must come. Imagine they are all starving, but there is no food where they are. They will risk everything for a morsel to eat,” Dave sighed.
“Then Odo is right,” Fa-a-Di said as the two joined the group headed back to the residence. “Our only chance to avoid massive carnage is to convince them to evolve into Transcendent Men.”
“That’s only happened to one Friend in the history of The Accord,” Dave laughed. “I don’t think our chances are too good now, my friend.”
Chapter 21
Vanda’s mind was fighting for consciousness. He couldn’t remember what had happened. He had not lost full consciousness since his brain had been cut from his body and placed in the glass globe atop his first robot body. He remembered the first sensation of not having a physical body. It was so strange not to feel his bones and muscles or the sound of his heartbeat and breathing. T
oday was oddly reminiscent of that day. He felt as though he was alone in the universe. Perhaps he was dead? He did not feel dead, but realized he had no reference point for what being dead felt like. “You’re not dead, brother,” a voice said in his mind.
“Who is that?” he thought.
“It is me, Mantarcus, along with our mutual friend, Eon,” Mantarcus said. “You need to wake up, Vanda.”
“I want to wake, but feel totally disconnected from my machines,” Vanda replied. “What have you done to me?”
“A strong explosive was detonated in one of your liquefiers, but we were not involved in that act,” Eon said.
“It was that bastard, Dave Brewster, wasn’t it? Or his friend, Odo Pak?” Vanda replied.
“We don’t know, Vanda,” Mantarcus responded. “But you can be certain your coming invasion of their galaxy is the cause. Now you know they can attack you effectively.”
“I really don’t care,” Vanda said. “We have no more metal, and thousands of Friends who need new, larger robots to house their minds. I still believe our overall strength will defeat them.”
“You lead The Accord and can do as you wish, but the invasion cannot succeed,” Eon argued. “The only safe option is to join me.”
“That will never happen, and if you’re so sure my invasion will fail, why do you care about my future? You could just sit by and watch us die. Won’t that make you happy?” Vanda growled.
“That would not make me happy in the least,” Eon said. “You saved my life. This is my opportunity to return the favor. Mantarcus and I want you to be with us again.”
“Have you evolved to be a human again, Mantarcus?” Vanda.
“I am still in my vessel, Vanda,” he replied, “although I am convinced that Eon is much more than a man.”
“Please listen to us, Vanda! If you stay in the Clouds, The Accord will fail. If you invade the spiral, The Accord will fail. Don’t be suicidal. Choose life!” Eon begged.