Q-Gates
Page 33
Homsaff’s mistake was to overweight the defenses on one side of the long basin, expecting the adults and juveniles to respond as they had the first time.
Instead, with the shadows only beginning to make progress, the insectoids flooded out of the green in all directions.
The squad leaders faced significant numbers, which left their troops pinned in place and reversing to escape the young.
Homsaff was inundated. Adults came in her direction by the tens and juveniles by the hundreds. She snarled at the attacking horde even as her Loopah weapon spit a torrent of darts. As she leapt backward, she signaled the pilot, who dropped the traveler to the top of the ledge.
Turning her back to the enemy, which the Dischnya queen abhorred, her muscled legs drove her body up the ledges. Then she leapt to the waiting ramp.
A series of directives to the pilot created a synchronized fighting team. Where Homsaff scanned, the pilot swung the rear of the ship, and the queen hunted from her perch.
Homsaff called for reinforcements, and two pilots responded. She directed the shuttle carrying shadows to drop them in front of the insectoids fleeing in one of the defile’s passages. Then she sent the Norsitchians toward the other end.
Opposite Homsaff, the squads retreated, while the shadows worked to eliminate the adults and the young, who evaded them in favor of prey scents.
The smaller weapons of the Usaanans ran dry of darts sooner than the drums of the Dischnya, and the serpents hissed stridently for replacements.
The shadows’ programs were forced to make priority decisions. They were assigned to protect the squads. Analyses revealed to them that insectoids would overrun their positions. That they were endangered didn’t enter the decision processes. The primary question for shadows was which of the enemy to focus their beams on.
The greatest challenge for Loopah weapons was to hit the young, whose venom could be as deadly as the adults. Therefore, the shadows concentrated their fire on the young, who squirmed past them and were intent on reaching the delectable smells near the ledges.
Several shadows fell to the massive pincers of reds. The insectoids drove the pincer tips into the small sensor heads, inactivating the shadows.
The Dischnya snarled and the Usaanans hissed, as a mass of insectoids broke through the shadow line and raced toward them.
The two security Usaanans, who were with Usslert on the Lemgart home world, were on separate squads. As was their duty, they stayed close to the two principals, Uggert and Usslert.
Uggert’s drum ran dry, and he hissed for a new one. His security had just received a fresh drum and had yet to attach it. His short arm extended the dart-filled container to the leader.
Before the security individual guarding Uggert could call for another drum, a gray reared up in front him to strike. Ancient habits overrode his training, and the serpent launched his body at the gray. Unfortunately, the insectoid’s hard carapace snapped the serpent fangs, making the attack useless.
The gray cut the security serpent in two, and Uggert dispatched the insectoid.
Next to Usslert, the one-fanged serpent fought to keep the insectoids from both of them. The leader he guarded was one of the poorest shots of the Usaanans.
Worse, Usslert refused to take his time aiming. His Loopah weapon dispersed darts in wild directions, rarely hitting anything. This meant Usslert’s drums ran dry faster than any of the other Usaanans fighting.
It was inevitable that Usslert would be faced with the predicament of two adults reaching him. He hissed in panic and ducked the strike of the red, whose pincers smacked into a ledge, chipping rock.
The one-fanged serpent shot and killed the red, but it left him defenseless from the gray’s pincers that cut his body in half.
A warrior quickly dispatched the gray who killed the Usaanan.
The second set of shadows, which were dropped to intercept the fleeing insectoids, successfully eliminated those Colony members, and they sped to join the beleaguered Dischnya-Usaanan squads. The additional shadows managed to turn the tide for the defenders.
Afterward, there were two hours of clean up, as shadows, serpents, Dischnya, Sylians, and Norsitchians hunted down the fleeing insectoids and worked through the large swath of green.
When no more Colony members could be found, Homsaff approached Uggert. “What are your race’s customary procedures for the dead?” she asked.
“Regardless of how Usaanans fall, they are returned to the home world,” Uggert replied.
Homsaff eyed the four parts that had constituted the two security serpents.
Standing behind the queen’s shoulder, Hessan sent,
Nearing the end of starlight, the travelers that had supported Homsaff’s troops collected the Norsitchians and the shadows and were en route to the Drake. She sent a message to the carrier’s medical team to return with a ship and collect the remains of the two Usaanans. The team was directed to preserve the bodies for return to the outpost.
While Homsaff and Uggert spoke, four serpents, who had concentrated on learning the tactics taught them on the holo-vid deck, approached Simlan, whom they recognized as the senior squad leader.
“While we don’t deserve special considerations, we would request a favor,” a serpent hissed.
“Speak,” Simlan directed.
“At this time, we’re divided between the squads, and a leader is paired with each of us,” the serpent explained. “We would ask to be included in one squad without a leader present.”
Simlan told the serpents to wait, and he joined Homsaff and Hessan. When Simlan glanced at Uggert, who stood beside a fallen Usaanan, Homsaff dismissed the serpent from their presence.
“Divisions in the ranks,” Simlan said, chortling. “The four serpents who were full participants in training don’t want to be near a leader. I’ve no problem with the request.”
Homsaff regarded Hessan, who said, “I don’t either.”
“I don’t want the two leaders in one squad,” Homsaff said definitively.
“I’m willing to take the four serpents in my squad,” Hessan volunteered.
“If I could make a suggestion,” Simlan said to Homsaff. “We could divide the leaders between you and me.”
“I’m amenable to that,” Homsaff replied. “Which do you consider the more dangerous of the two?”
“Both present difficulties,” Simlan replied. “Uggert is the more devious. It’s possible that we wouldn’t detect his machinations unfolding. Usslert is the more volatile. Under the right conditions, his response would be intense and immediate.”
“Choose the one you think you can handle more easily,” Homsaff directed.
“I’ll take Uggert,” Simlan said.
“A good choice,” Homsaff replied. “I’ll speak to the leaders. The two of you tell the four serpents that their request is granted.”
When the Usaanan leaders heard that the four other serpents would be grouped under Hessan, they hid gleams in their eyes. Then they learned that they would remain separated.
Homsaff’s concerns about the leaders wanting to collude had been validated. She delegated a shadow to remain by her side. It had one task, which was to protect her from Usslert.
34: New Carriers
Ude’s rehabilitation was severely shortened, and his newly acquired ability to walk without support was a testament to his use of mind and implant coupling. In fact, it gave him advantages few Omnians could match.
Soon after Ude perfected the techniq
ues that Alex had taught him, he demonstrated his newfound capabilities to an audience of one — Petra, who sat on the couch.
“Watch,” Ude said to her. He stood straight in the room’s open area. Then he raised his right leg forward, paused, and then swung it swiftly to the rear. In one smooth motion, Ude executed a standing flip.
Petra clapped her hands. “I didn’t know you were an acrobat. You’ve regained those skills so quickly,” she enthused.
“I was never capable of doing something like that,” Ude said, returning to the couch. “That flip was only possible because of my implant programming, which controlled and coordinated my muscles.”
“Have you experimented with other techniques?” Petra asked.
Ude ducked his head, which didn’t hide the grin on his face.
“Tell me,” Petra urged, reaching out to grasp his hand.
“I’ve created more than a hundred implant programs,” Ude admitted. “If I can think of something I’d like to try, I work to coordinate the implant code and the physical motions. I never get it right the first time. In fact, it usually takes me a few times just to prevent hurting myself.”
“Is that’s what’s causing the bruising?” Petra asked. She’d been worried that the ugly discolorations might have been a result of the Jatouche repairs. To her relief the bruises had appeared and disappeared in short periods, as the nanites repaired the tissues.
“Just bumps,” Ude said, admitting to the reason for the skin discolorations.
“Could you teach these skills to others?” Petra asked. She was envisaging a new career for Ude.
Ude released Petra’s hand and leaned into the couch. He took a breath and chose to tell a story he’d never related. “When I woke after my accident on Toral, I was already in my avatar. It was emotionally crushing. I was lying flat, and a full-length monitor hung above me.”
“I’m sorry,” Petra said sympathetically. She wanted to reach for Ude’s hand, but he’d crossed his arms tightly around his chest, as he recalled the depression and anger.
“Hermione was there,” Ude continued. “She was always there. For a long time, I was so angry at her. I hated that she’d found me, that she’d rescued me, and that she wouldn’t let me die.”
Petra sat quietly, waiting for Ude to continue, but it appeared he was deep in his memories. Finally, he took a deep ragged breath and continued.
“Hermione had installed a set of basic programs in my implant that could be used to control the avatar,” Ude said. “The programs were similar to how SADEs control locomotion.”
“Did they work?” Petra asked.
“No,” Ude replied sourly. “The SADEs use feedback mechanisms to fine-tune their programs, which they can do in ticks of time. It took me months to get the avatar to respond to my implant’s requests. For much of that time, I lurched around, banged into walls, and fell over.”
Ude laughed. It was strained and shaky.
“There was one good thing,” Ude said. “The avatar was so well built that I damaged everything else but not me. After a lot of hard work, I got control of the beast.”
“The beast?” Petra queried.
“That’s what I’ve always called that huge hunk of chassis,” Ude replied.
Petra suddenly realized the frustration that Ude had experienced, while he’d inhabited the avatar. Despite his horrendous condition, and according to Nata, his personality had mellowed considerably.
“Go on,” Petra encouraged, when Ude fell silent.
“Well, after I learned to control the avatar, it was a simple thing to extend the implant’s functions to cover the construction equipment,” Ude said. “Remember, most heavy machinery is used in repetitive processes. It was easy to let the implant apps handle the machinery, while my mind dwelt on other things.”
“So, what did Alex teach you?” Petra requested. She still wasn’t sure that she understood how Ude achieved his acrobatic maneuver.
“I could spend an hour trying to explain it,” Ude replied, “and I’m not sure that I would make sense. The easiest way to answer you is to say that I’m treating this new body as if it was my old avatar.”
Petra’s mouth fell open, and Ude laughed.
“Strange, I know,” Ude said. “The thing I hated for so long is now the template for how I’m operating my repaired self.”
“How does that make you feel?” Petra asked, with concern.
“That’s the part that I’m working to handle,” Ude replied. “I wanted a clean break from before, but it looks like my accident and time in my avatar was just training for now.”
“Eventually, you could control your body with your mind instead of using your implant as the interface,” Petra said hopefully.
Ude started laughing again. It had that same strained quality. “That’s the weirdest part,” he said. “The implant has helped me gain control of my limbs and my balance. Since then, my brain has learned to do the basics well. Now, I’m choosing when I want to employ my implant capabilities.”
“I don’t get it,” Petra said. “If you can operate without the implant control, what’s the problem?”
“The problem, as you put it, is that I like the implant control,” Ude said. “The programs allow me to do things that I never could.”
“Oh,” Petra said, sitting back. “Shades of the avatar’s ghost.” Her shoulder touched Ude’s, which felt comforting.
“Precisely,” Ude replied, and he reached for Petra’s hand.
* * * * *
The completion of Ude’s rehabilitation coincided with the arrival of the two new carriers from Sol. They were accompanied by an enormous freighter, which contained the tri-engine configuration for the Transit Tripper in a special cargo module.
The class four freighter’s ancient four-engine build had been cut away. Then a Trident had tethered the assembly and hauled it to Pyre’s smelting orbital station for recycling.
Miriam, Bortoth, and Daktora were overseeing the engineering teams’ transfer of the tri-engine assembly from the newly arrived freighter to the Tripper. The trio chatted, while they waited for the Trident to haul the assembly between ships.
“You didn’t meet with the Norloth while they were here,” Miriam said to the Crocians.
Roars of laughter greeted her observation.
“Crocian citizens don’t meet with the Norloth,” Bortoth explained. “They’re either summoned or they’re not.”
“And we weren’t,” Daktora added.
“Has anyone investigated the drone maintenance connection?” Bortoth asked.
“Not to date,” Miriam replied.
“Why not?” Daktora asked.
“It would seem appropriate to move the Tripper to a safe distance before we attempted to link our equipment with the alien drone,” Miriam replied. “Recall that recently we investigated an advanced alien construction, and the result was the destruction of a moon and the entire installation.”
“True,” Daktora admitted. “Still, it would seem a passive exercise.”
“I agree,” Miriam replied. “But that’s considering the operation from our viewpoint. The drone’s alien programming might not agree with us. While we have a sufficient supply of Messinant domes, Alex managed to secure only one Elvian drone. It would be wise of us to take precautions to preserve it.”
The Crocians rumbled their assent.
As the engine assembly hove into view, the trio closed their environment suits and walked the freighter’s galley way to the new airlock at the end of the cargo modules.
Beyond the Trident, a traveler swept into view.
When the Crocians agreed, Miriam made her way to the landing bay module.
&
nbsp; Alex’s pilot waited, while a traveler exited the freighter to make room.
When the passengers exited the shuttle, Alex linked to Miriam and sent,
In the galley way, Miriam greeted the humans and led the way to the next module aft. Her immediate thought was that it was unlike Mickey not to forewarn her of a visit from Pyre’s pro tempore president. Then logic asserted itself. Most likely, Mickey was unaware of Ophelia’s investigation of the drone.
When no response was forthcoming, Miriam ensured that everyone had kept their environment suits closed. Then she opened the hatch to the drone module.
Ophelia would have stepped through the old style hatch to enter the module, but Miriam blocked Ophelia with a hand on her chest.
From the expression on Ophelia’s face, Miriam surmised that the woman was angered by the action.
Ophelia sent, eyeing Alex and Jess. The question was more an accusation than a query.
Now Miriam comprehended the problem. Ophelia had discovered the presence of the drone by accident.