by B. V. Larson
She laughed bitterly. “They are related to us, but in a perverse way. They’re bred from our bodies. They’re twisted and unnatural, like plants that grow in neat rows under the earth, nourished by lamps rather than sunlight.”
I was beginning to catch on. “You told me about this before, right? You said they were littermates. Are there nine in every litter?”
She nodded, staring across the lake. “For this variety, yes. The armored ones always come in nines, and they always march with their brothers. There is some humanity still left in them, I think. If you kill one of the brothers, the rest go mad.”
“That sounds encouraging. I thank you for the warning. I’ll pass the information on to my superiors. Do you think they’ll attack us?”
“No,” she said. “They never harm anyone unless you harm them first. But they will come, and they will take your weapons from you and destroy them. Then they will place rings around your arms and touch them together like this.”
She crossed her wrists to demonstrate. “Then you will never be able to separate your hands from one another again until they will it. Once bound, you will be herded into the ship and carried away.
At first, it’s said that many of my people didn’t fight. They thought it was better that way. They didn’t believe in violence. But all those people are gone from this world by now.”
“Only the fighters are left, huh?”
“That’s right. For each individual, the choice is clear. Fight and die, or hide and live—maybe. Or submit and know you will live on in a different place.”
I chuckled. “Don’t worry. We’ll all fight. Every last one of us.”
Della looked at me suddenly. Her eyes flashed with a fire I’d seen there before. She was a killer, I could see that. A killer, through and through.
“Good,” she said. “Perhaps there is room for talk between us. You killed my people on this ship, did you not?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Sorry about that. They didn’t give us any choice.”
She laughed. That surprised me, as I didn’t think anything about the situation was funny.
“You had a choice,” she said. “A man always has a choice. You chose to fight, rather than to die.”
“Well, yeah. I guess so.”
“Never apologize for struggling with an enemy who attacks you,” she said, almost as if she was quoting a proverb. “That is the path to slavery.”
“Okay…” I said. “How about we make a deal? You don’t attack us, and we won’t attack you. Not as long as this ship is here. We’ll all fight these invaders instead.”
“Why should I choose one intruder over another? They only want to enslave us. You are trying to kill us.”
She had me there. I thought hard for a second.
“Would they offer you a deal to kick us off the planet?” I asked her.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “They never offer deals. You obey them, or you die. There’s no room for anything else in their minds.”
“Okay then,” I said. “Call a truce with us to improve your situation. It’s easier to fight one enemy at a time than two at once. Accept my deal so that we both have a better chance of winning in the end. We’ll kill them first then decide what to do about each other afterward. The odds of victory will improve for both of us.”
“I will not stand at your side. I do not trust you. Your bombs—to us, you’re worse than the littermates! You have destroyed homes carved in stone that have stood safe and cool for decades.”
I lifted a hand, and she retreated back a step as if I was threatening her. I dropped it again quickly. These were very suspicious people.
“No alliance,” I said. “We’re not expecting any direct cooperation. All I’m saying is that both of us will fight only these intruders, not one another. When they leave or are destroyed, then everything goes back to the way it was.”
Della nodded and then flashed me a tiny, tight smile. I think it was the first smile I’d ever seen on her face. “I can get the others to agree to that,” she said. “But don’t ask for more.”
“I wouldn’t think of it,” I said. I was proud of that lie. From her expression, I could tell she believed me. It had been smoothly told, and it was for a good cause. That’s the best kind of lie a man can tell.
Naturally, I wanted more than a truce. But outright peace wasn’t going to come easily, especially not after the Primus had bombed-out their homes so relentlessly. We had to earn their trust and this sounded like a good first step.
“Watch the skies for the little things that waver in the air,” she said, pointing over the ship toward the cliffs. “They have aircraft that will drop canisters. The vapors will render the strongest man unconscious.”
I turned toward the ship and stared above it where she’d pointed. I thought I saw something up there—something like a black leaf with a triangular shape to it.
I turned back to ask Della if that was what she’d meant—but she was gone.
* * *
Explaining the deal I’d arranged to my superiors wasn’t an easy task. I was only a Specialist, a non-com, and a junior one at that. I was told by Leeson in no uncertain terms that I lacked the authority to do what I’d done. He kicked the connection up to Graves, who rumbled something about me having larger genitals than was normal on a human being. I took this as a compliment, but I wasn’t sure if he’d meant it that way. He kicked me up to the Primus, connected the two of us and then quickly exited the channel.
When I made my report to the Primus, I was met with outright fury, rather than mere disapproval.
“You did what?” she demanded. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“I’m Specialist James McGill, sir,” I said evenly. “And I was following orders.”
“Whose orders?” she said quickly, guardedly.
I’d been referring to her orders. She’d instructed me to talk to the colonists and make contact. Sure, she hadn’t indicated I should arrange any deals, but I’d seized the opportunity that had presented itself.
By her tone, I knew right off she wasn’t thinking about her orders. She was wondering who else might have given me leave to operate independently. In the past, I’d been given private orders by the Tribune himself. I’d executed those orders, and the Primus had gotten herself into a lot of trouble by interfering in the matter. I decided to bluff my way through.
“I think it would be best, sir, if you pass me up to the Tribune himself,” I said, knowing that she’d been reprimanded for not doing so in the past.
“You’re a red-assed bastard, McGill,” she commented, then connected me to the Tribune.
“McGill?” Drusus said. “Why do I know that name so well, Specialist?”
“I’m not sure, sir. But I’ve made contact with the enemy.”
“Which enemy?”
“Uh…the ones hiding in the cliffs, sir. The wild colonists.”
“Good,” he said, sounding amused. “Now, what was the nature of your contact? Is the legion being sued for paternity, or—?”
I knew he was joking, of course, but I was alarmed. Did I have that kind of reputation all the way up to the top? The thought was disturbing. How could a man hope to succeed with the ladies if he was infamous?
“Nothing like that, sir,” I said. “I talked to a leader who called herself a scout. I understand she’s a military officer of sorts. Anyway, we agreed to halt all fighting until this new threat is dealt with.”
“We’re not connecting clearly, McGill, you and I,” Drusus said dangerously. “Are you saying you negotiated a ceasefire with an enemy combatant without orders?”
“No, sir!” I shouted. “I’d never do that. Primus Turov ordered me to make contact with them yesterday. I was to see if I could get them to talk peace. Well, I managed it.”
“Hmm,” he said. “A day late and a dollar short, as they used to say. But, I think we’ll honor your unsanctioned ceasefire. You do realize that you were operating without authority on this?”<
br />
I swallowed and hesitated. I could bullshit most people—ask anyone, especially my parents—but I had known right from the start that Drusus wasn’t just anyone. He always seemed to know what I was thinking almost before I did.
When caught red-handed, there are only two moves a man can make. You can deny everything in the face of the facts or confess utterly and try to look dumb or at least harmless. Drusus wasn’t going to fall for a lie so I chose the latter strategy this time.
“Yes, sir,” I said, and left it at that.
“Good. I want no misunderstandings on that point. If there is future diplomacy to be done, let me do it. But I’m willing to take the opportunity to improve our tactical situation. We’re in a bad spot, McGill. I’d like to fly the other lifters to your valley to repel the enemy, but I don’t dare now. The lifters are unarmed, and they are our only ships. They’ll be destroyed if I try to come to your position. Your cohort is cut off—we all are.”
I didn’t like to hear that. I’d had in the back of my mind the assurance that the rest of Legion Varus could always back us up if things went badly here.
“We’ll stop shooting at the colonists as long as they stop shooting at us,” Drusus went on. “At least until these new arrivals demonstrate their intentions.”
I explained to him then what Della had told me about the invaders and what I’d seen with my own eyes.
“Very strange,” he said. “And alarming. If true, this isn’t a Galactic visitation. It’s either an off-shoot of the same colonists, a separatist group among separatists—or these giants are in league with the cephalopods.”
“After talking to Della, I think it’s the cephalopods, sir,” I said.
“That’s worrisome news. If they’re behind this, we can claim innocence when order is restored to this system—but it might not matter. The Galactics might well blame us for something our own species has done, even if it was done by specially-bred human slave troops. I’m liking this entire situation less and less.”
“What are your orders, sir?” I asked.
“Obey your officers. Man your cannon. And above all, McGill, try not to get us into a fresh war of some kind.”
“I’ll do my best, Tribune.”
A quiet, tense stand-off began after that, which lasted for several hours. The invaders from above didn’t seem to be in any kind of a hurry. They’d first unloaded about a hundred littermates, then began unloading a great pile of other stuff. Natasha and I watched them from the ramp of the lifter, excited about whatever it was they were doing.
“Just imagine the tech they must have,” she said. “An entirely alien species unspoiled by Galactic influence. It’s moments like this that make first-contact situations unpredictable and memorable. I hope I’m allowed to collect some scraps of it. We’ll have to steal a few pieces before the Galactics blast it all to fragments. Are you with me, James?”
“Yeah, sure,” I said, bored and tired. I was, in fact, trying to take a nap. Natasha was cute and all, but she liked to talk too much and was overly interested in what I considered to be a pile of alien junk. My only interest in it was whether it could kill me or not.
“We’ll have to do it after they march into the catacombs and try to fish out the colonists,” she said.
I looked at her and frowned. “Do what?”
“Go up there and steal a few pieces of their equipment. I’m flying buzzers toward it right now—they don’t even seem to care. I’m getting such good vids. Should I share them with your helmet?”
“If it makes you happy,” I said, shutting my eyes. I could see things flash and flicker on the other side of my eyelids. Damn, I was tired.
I passed out for a time after that. When I woke up, Natasha was standing next to me. Her foot withdrew, and I realized she’d kicked me awake. That wasn’t as bad as it sounded. Wearing heavy steel armor protected us from things like a friendly kick. The thumping had probably awakened me rather than any sensation, as I could barely feel her boot slamming against my hip.
“What’s up?” I asked, coming awake with a groan.
“I can’t believe you can sleep at a time like this. They’ve reached the catacombs. Our units are falling back from them, letting them march forward. Check it out.”
I stood up wearily and dialed up my scope. Things had indeed shifted on the battlefield—if that’s what it really was. The ship had unloaded a great deal of equipment. Most of it I couldn’t even recognize. There were big crates, small ones, a few in between. They had devices that were conical, spheroid and even flat black planes that were left lying on the ground.
Around me there was more activity as well. Most of my unit had been revived and was now guarding the lifter in an expanding circle.
Anne Grant had set up the revival machine in a secluded spot away from the lifter. In retrospect, it seemed like that precaution was unnecessary now that the colonists weren’t attacking but, on the other hand, keeping the revival unit safe was even more important now that our cohort had been cut off from the rest of the legion.
“Look!” Natasha said, pointing across the lake. “They’ve reached the fallen rocks. Our people aren’t fighting yet—I wonder what they’re waiting for?”
I frowned in concern. I looked back and forth from the ship to our line of retreating troops. I could tell what was happening.
“The primus is pulling back,” I said. “She’s going to let the aliens march right into the caves the colonists set up.”
“Yeah, so?”
I made an exasperated sound. “She’s screwing them!” I complained. “They made a deal with us, and she’s double-crossing them.”
“No she’s not,” Natasha said in concern. “We agreed to stop shooting at them. That’s all. If the invaders want to attack them that’s their problem.”
Technically she was right, but I wasn’t happy. I’d hoped this arrangement would lead to open fighting with the invaders on one side and us standing with the colonists on the other.
“First off,” I said, “the primus bombs holes in the colonists’ cliffs exposing them to fire. Then she backs up so the enemy can roll right in. She’s screwed them. They’ll die like rats in there.”
Natasha looked at me. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
“No,” I said.
“Why not?”
“Because the colonists are our people. We shouldn’t be killing one another. We should team up and chase these freaks off the planet.”
Natasha stared at me critically for a while. “You know what I think?” she said. “I think you’re in lust with that half-naked wild girl you’ve been talking to. I think she’s warped your thinking.”
I felt a pang. Was it guilt? Outrage? A little of both, I guessed. I went with the outrage as it was a better cover.
“Jealousy?” I demanded. “Now? There are hundreds, maybe thousands of lives at stake here, Natasha. These people are just defending their home, where they’ve lived all their lives. What if these three meter tall pricks landed in your hometown tomorrow? Wouldn’t you want a little help?”
She lowered her eyes. “Sorry,” she said. “Too bad we can’t do anything about it.”
I didn’t answer. I was scanning the scene. The enemy, marching in their perfect squares of nine, were climbing up the fallen boulders now, where I knew there were mantraps and ambushes every meter. Now I knew why the colonists had built such an elaborate defense.
Then I panned upward, higher and higher, searching for the wobbling little craft that Della had pointed out to me earlier. I finally found it in a new location. It was hovering over the lifter.
“Well, I’ll be a son of a bitch,” I said, looking almost straight up.
“What?” Natasha asked, craning back her neck and staggering to look above us.
“There they are, watching us. They’re probably wondering what the hell this lifter is doing here and whether or not it’s a threat to them. I can see three figures riding up there. What a strange little ship. Seems unstable
in the air. It flutters, falling and rising again.”
“Maybe it was built with underwater travel in mind,” Natasha said. “After all, they come from a planet covered in oceans.”
“You know, I think you’re right,” I said, sighting on the craft carefully. “Natasha, would you like to get a good look at that aircraft?”
“Oh yes,” she said, sighing. “I’ve never seen true alien tech. I mean, the Galactic stuff we can buy seems so well-known and generic.”
I reached up and cranked the aperture on my weapon to its narrowest setting. The lenses inside shifted with a tiny whirring sound.
“Could you turn on that little scrambling unit you used earlier?” I asked her.
“What for?”
“Just to make me happy.”
Frowning, she activated her jammer. I knew it didn’t have much range, so I stepped a pace closer to her. It was supposed to scramble the vid output from our suit cameras as well as making us untraceable on the net.
“What are you doing, James?” she asked.
Such innocence. She was the kind of girl I’d always dreamed of back in school. Smart—but not in the wrong way.
“I’m going to give you a closer look at some alien tech,” I told her.
I fired my weapon without further delay. The beam punched a hole into the bottom of the odd, wobbling aircraft above our heads.
-20-
My beam lanced up from the ground to stab right through the aircraft overhead. I could tell right away that the crewmen aboard her were surprised. Two of them fell off, spinning and twisting all the way down until they splashed into the lake.
Twin white fountains of water shot up, such was the impact of their fall. One of the figures vanished in a churning spot of bubbles that quickly subsided. The other, however, seemed to be alive.
I was impressed by the hardiness of the enemy. If they could live through a fall like that—it had to be a five hundred meter drop.
“James? What did you do?” Natasha asked. Her voice sounded like she was out of breath.
“What did I do? I fired on an enemy combatant that was threatening our lifter.”