by S. H. Jucha
“And Julien?” Tacnock prompted.
“Omnia Bank directors are aboard the Rêveur and the Freedom,” Mickey said, pointing toward the sky. “There are no individuals better at pricing than them.”
“The SADEs are the bank’s directors?” Tacnock inquired.
“Precisely,” Mickey replied. “Would you like a tour of our manufacturing line?”
“Lead on,” Jess said. He remembered the last time his delayed visit to Mickey’s work areas revealed serious issues with the original shadow prototype. He didn’t want to make that mistake again.
“Veterans,” roared Bortoth and Daktora, as the group entered the long low building.
To the veterans, it was obvious the Crocians wanted their greeting to contain a moment of intimacy, but their enormous size and formidable strength precluded handshakes and hugs. Instead, Jess and Aputi crowded around the Crocians and did their best to deliver hearty slaps on the scaled shoulders of their friends.
Tacnock had to be content to smack the Crocians’ upper arms. That was as high as he could reach.
Bortoth’s and Daktora’s open maws and rumbling chests suggested the veterans’ efforts were appreciated.
“What were you two doing when we arrived?” Aputi asked the Crocians. “It looked like you were applying adhesive to join two shadow parts.”
“Adhesive? No!” Daktora declared.
“Nanites,” Bortoth corrected.
“Okay, nanites,” Aputi repeated dubiously.
“We use nanotechnology to fuse parts,” Mickey explained. “Come here,” he directed.
At a worktable, Mickey took two pieces of thick flat metal and a tube of nanites paste. He applied a line to a side of one piece and pressed it against the other piece. “Watch closely,” he said.
Three heads leaned over the metal joint. The veterans saw the small amount of extra paste on the top of the seam disperse into the metal.
“Where did the stuff go?” Aputi asked.
“Not where did it go, my friend,” Bortoth said proudly. “What did it become?”
“It became the metal,” Tacnock suggested gleefully.
“Correct,” Daktora replied.
“Could you fuse anything together with that paste?” Aputi said pointing.
“Nanites are substance specific,” Miriam said. Luther and she, as Mickey’s SADE assistants, wanted to join any conversation in which the veterans participated. “Think of the nanites as the liquid form of the material that’s to be joined.”
“Amazing,” Aputi marveled.
Jess stared at the joined metal parts. “Two questions,” he said. “Can you reverse the process?”
“Explain reverse?” Luther requested.
“Can you make nanites that can dissociate something?” Jess asked.
“Yes,” Mickey said guardedly. “But we only do that in extreme circumstances.”
“Like when an enemy invades every dome and planet it can reach?” Tacnock queried rhetorically.
“To what materials are your nanites limited?” Jess asked.
“We’ve always worked with metal alloys,” Mickey replied.
“Any metal alloys?” Jess pursued.
“What are you getting at, Captain?” Mickey asked.
“Bear with me, Mickey,” Jess requested. “What if I brought you a piece of Colony shuttle hull? Could you make nanites that would dissociate the metal alloy?”
“We could,” Mickey said. “How would you employ the nanites?”
“One more question,” Jess said, holding up his hands. “Afterward, could these nanites be dangerous to us?”
“With careful application, no,” Mickey replied. “We’d give them a short lifespan.”
The maws of Bortoth and Daktora dropped open. They’d just learned fascinating things about nanites because the attack commander had showed an interest in their work.
“Mickey,” Jess explained, “the armed transports tell us the Colony is changing tactics. If the members did that to the transports, they’ll be changing other tactics. I think the fight is going to get much more dangerous. I’m wondering about the possibility of dissociating the shuttles, those in place in the launch tubes and on the planets. That goes for the transports too.”
“Jess, it wouldn’t affect the explosive material, which would be how the Colony would arm the ships,” Aputi objected.
“But the nanites would destroy the triggering mechanisms if they were made of the same material,” Miriam offered.
“We need to collect samples from the Colony’s shuttles and transports,” Mickey said.
“Before or after the transport blows up, Mickey?” Tacnock asked, with a flash of teeth.
“Is it feasible to make enough nanites to dissociate as many ships as the Colony’s constructed?” Aputi asked.
“It’s time, not quantity,” Luther replied.
“Explain,” Jess returned.
“A drop of nanites might be designed that would turn a shuttle’s hull into powder,” Luther replied. “However, it would take many cycles to complete the task.”
“Then the dissociative nanites remain active until their lifespan is completed?” Bortoth questioned.
“Precisely,” Miriam replied. “They move from one bond to the next.”
“Could the nanites be collected after they were used?” Jess asked.
“An economical suggestion, Captain,” Luther replied, “but an inefficient one.”
“We can build a line and manufacture the types of nanites you need, Captain,” Mickey said. “It would take some time to deliver sufficient quantities. Also, we’ll need to craft delivery mechanisms for the nanites. The processes start with targeting, which means samples.”
“When would be an appropriate time to survey a Colony shuttle, Captain?” Miriam asked.
“Give me a day or two to clear a shuttle site and ensure it’s safe,” Jess replied. “I’ll let you know.”
“We’ve heard of your successes from Miriam and Luther,” Bortoth said. “These are exciting times for the alliance.”
“The newly arrived Crocian engineers are hard at work, as you can see,” Daktora added, sweeping a heavily muscled arm down the manufacturing lines. “They’re hoping to receive implants too. These devices are incredible.”
“Couldn’t agree more,” Jess replied. “I just heard the same request from President Oforum, but those decisions are in the Omnian hands. Until then, we’ve work to do on Pimbor. Where’s Salsinona?”
Jess was directed toward the old compound, except the structure didn’t exist anymore.
Gone was the temporary shelter that Jess had enjoyed. The protective fencing had been removed, and there was no evidence of the Pims’ tiny abodes. The transformation was nothing short of amazing.
Inside a new building, Jess saw Salsinona in a planning session with the Sylian commanders and Lieutenant Sam Fleetfoot. He smothered a grin because he’d nearly sent her a thought. As it was, he stood quietly out of sight until she finished.
When the meeting broke up, Sam indicated, with a toss of his head toward Salsinona, that Jess was standing at the entrance.
“Jess,” Salsinona cried out, and she hurried across the room to fiercely hug him.
It was a non-Sylian gesture, and Jess figured that Omnian ways were rubbing off on the Sylians. That thought was quickly tempered by the commanders who passed him. They tipped heads and tapped fists to chests.
“Are Aputi and Tacnock with you?” Salsinona asked with concern.
“They are,” Jess replied.
“Good,” Salsinona said, with relief.
“How are your numbers?” Jess asked.
“We lost fifty more troops in the first twenty cycles after you left. Then we lost another ten since then. We’ve a few more than nine hundred now,” Salsinona explained. “But only about eight hundred are active.”
“Injured?” Jess que
ried.
“The insectoids are hiding in the roughest terrains. Their multiple legs make it difficult for those with only two to follow,” Salsinona replied. “Most of the injuries are to arms, legs, hands, or feet. There are a few with head trauma.”
When Jess’s eyes narrowed, Salsinona added, “In time, many of the injured will be repaired. They’re anxious to return to the fight. What are your intentions, Captain?”
“The Freedom is loaded with shadows. Aputi, Tacnock, and I will join the hunt,” Jess said. “I need to be assigned an area around a shuttle site that’s not been searched. Do you need more shadows?”
“Only if they’re the Pim rider versions,” Salsinona replied.
“They’re not,” Jess acknowledged. “They’re prepared to operate independently or in a networked group.”
“They’re the new hunting versions, which require implants,” Salsinona said, understanding dawning.
“I could use some of those,” Sam said. “The Pims have made requests to build freestanding houses in place of their compounds. Unfortunately, I can’t approve them until I’ve the shadows to guard them.”
“How many do you need, Sam?” Jess asked.
Sam hesitated before he said, “I could use fifty.”
Jess linked Sam with a call to Cordelia.
Jess and Sam heard silver bells. Then Cordelia sent,
When Jess dropped the link, Sam clapped a meaty hand on Jess’s shoulder. It stung, and it didn’t, as Jess grinned at his friend.
“You’ve used your implants,” Salsinona said enviously. “We’re aware that Alex and Renée visited Sylia. Are you here to offer us implants?”
“No,” Jess replied. “I don’t know what Talsoma decided, but even if I knew, I wouldn’t be able to make the offer. I’m just the chief hunter.”
“And a modest one at that,” Salsinona teased.
“Assign the three of us territories for tomorrow,” Jess said. “We’ll be ready at first starlight.”
The next day, Jess, Aputi, and Tacnock descended in three travelers loaded with ten shadows each. It was dark when they landed, but the gray light of day was creeping over the horizon’s edge.
The three veterans sat on the upraised ramp of Jess’s travelers. Lane and the other pilots occupied another ramp. Everyone, except Tacnock, was sucking on tube containers of hot thé. Tacnock still lamented the absence of Pyrean fruit drinks.
“I don’t want what I’m about to say to make a difference in the way you do things out there,” Jess warned, “but we’ve got something to prove.”
“Our implant and shadow connections,” Aputi said.
“In case Talsoma has granted permission to the Omnians,” Tacnock added.
“If we’re more successful than the Pim rider teams, then the Sylian troops will see the advantage,” Aputi continued.
“And they’ll want the implants,” Tacnock finished.
Jess smiled, nodded his head slowly, and said, “I see you two don’t have a clue about what I’m trying to say.”
Aputi laughed, and Tacnock chittered.
Salsinona and Juliette arrived, and the SADE powered a holo-vid to indicate the area for each pilot.
“How large are these zones?” Tacnock asked, as the veterans and pilots gathered around.
“Each grid is a half kilometer on a side,” Juliette replied.
Tacnock and Aputi regarded Jess, who said, “Too small. Assign each of us four contiguous grids, and I need one surrounding a shuttle site that hasn’t been searched.”
“Apologies, Juliette, you were right,” Salsinona said.
“The advantages of communications with Cordelia, who witnessed their actions on Zista,” Juliette replied.
The pilots’ shuttle controllers received Juliette’s upgraded data, and soon afterward, the veterans’ ships launched. They were on the ground as the system’s star lit the landscape.
Jess guided his shadows toward the truncated Colony shuttle. When they reached the shuttle, he sent them radiating outward in pairs. Through his network link, he monitored their progress.
A pair of shadows picked up a trail, and Jess was signaled. Following their programming, the other shadows abandoned their searches. They raced past Jess, who was running to catch the tracking pair.
The shadow group tracked the insectoids to a small dry swale. A group of adults and juveniles were feasting on a clutch of heavy flightless birds. Immediately, the insectoids were dispatched by the shadows.
Then Jess had the shadows backtrack to the shuttle and search in another direction. His implant connection to the traveler, which floated high overhead, provided the mapped area and guided him to ensure it was cleared of insectoids.
By late afternoon, Jess completed his sweep. His shadows had totaled kills of eleven adults and thirty-four juveniles of various sizes.
At the end of starlight, Jess, Aputi, and Tacnock rendezvoused with Salsinona. The Sylian commanders were present and anxious to hear the veterans’ reports.
The Sylians were surprised, if not shocked, to learn that the three implant-led shadow teams had eliminated forty-two adults and over one hundred and fifty juveniles. The numbers were equal to the day’s tally of fifty Sylian-Pim rider teams.
10: Darius’s Command
Many stars earlier, Darius dispersed his command’s Tridents to their search assignments. Before separating, the command had received Lucia’s warning of the Colony’s new treachery.
For Darius’s Trident, the notice hadn’t been applicable for many systems after the separation. Then, suddenly, it was relevant.
“Approach the planet for survey, Captain,” Darius ordered. “Need I remind you to steer clear of the transports?”
“No, Admiral, that’s been made abundantly clear,” Captain Forest Hayward, a New Terran replied.
Darius retired. In his cabin, he sensed the short transit from outside the system to the planet. He considered his recent communications with Captain Hayward. They were harsher than he intended. His excuse was that he hated this ugly fight with the Colony. Like Tatia, he preferred ship-to-ship encounters.
But what would Alex say about your behavior? Darius asked himself.
The answer was obvious, and he vowed to treat his captain with greater deference.
Over the course of the next two days, the warship reached and circled the planet. The Trident’s SADE, Nightingale, reviewed the telemetry. He reported to Darius and Forest that there was no evidence of shuttle landings.
“Six transports and no shuttles,” Forest repeated to Darius. “Just like Admiral Bellardo’s encounter.”
“Circle back to the moon with the dome, Captain,” Darius directed. “Keep our ship clear of the ring, dome, and the shuttles. Then launch the fighters. I want the dome and its environment put under observation.”
“Understood, Admiral,” Forest replied. The admiral’s tone had undergone a remarkable shift. Forest didn’t know what had suddenly made him decide to be amenable, but he certainly appreciated it.
The SADE was another individual who’d changed his name after being liberated. Rather, he adopted the name by which he was known by the Omnians. He enjoyed creating music and singing it. Requests poured to him, and he often simultaneously sent multiple compositions to the humans’ implants.
The Trident’s traveler pilots chose a variety of positions from which to observe the dome, the ring, and th
e shuttle tubes.
After several cycles of careful monitoring of the dome and its auxiliary components, telemetry presented several oddities.
“Conclusions?” Darius asked Forest and Nightingale.
“The obvious abnormality,” Forest volunteered, “is the presence of a ring without the arrival of transports. Under normal circumstances, we should have witnessed at least one appear. Also, it seems no coincidence that the same number of transports sits in orbit as the admiral found.”
“That’s easily explained, Captain,” Nightingale said. “Starships are unknown in this area of space, where domes have been the accepted method of transport. The Colony would not have any suspicions about our ships’ comm technology.”
“I see your point, Nightingale,” Forest replied. “The Colony wouldn’t think to vary the number, because the members would presume that we wouldn’t have interstellar communication. Well, after we remove the transports with the same technique as Admiral Bellardo, the insectoids will know of our comm capability then.”
“I calculate that the absence of shuttles on the planet explains the Colony’s entire strategy here,” Nightingale said. “The insectoids intended to deliver six armed transports. They did that. Now, their job in this system is done.”
“The pilots report the shuttles in the moon’s launch tubes are cold,” Forest said. “That underscores Nightingale’s synopsis.”
“We know the transports are traps,” Darius said. “We have to ask ourselves what else the Colony has planned.”
“Alex would probably ask us to imagine the worst,” Forest commented.
“Captain Cinders has often remarked that the Colony mysteriously communicates the veterans’ escalatory steps,” Nightingale said. “We must presume that what Admiral Bellardo accomplished with the transports gave the Colony a reason to make alternate preparations for this welcome. Having lost six of their transports and only destroyed one of our ships would have motivated the insectoids to improve their ambush technique.”
“If we apply your reasoning, Nightingale,” Forest replied, “then we should suspect the shuttles and the ring.”
