Lens of Time: Book 06 - Star Rover-Running Out of Time

by Saxon Andrew

  The Advisor turned his head left and right, “It really doesn’t make sense. However, I’ve dispatched our ships to the planets to investigate.”

  “Were our ships able to get a reading on their jump tracks?”

  “Sire, only ten of the planets had a warship present and they destroyed the intruders quickly. The jump tracks in all the other systems faded before we could get a ship to them. The ten we destroyed jumped to open space attempting to escape. They were destroyed before they moved toward any galaxy.”

  “So we have no idea where they originated from?”

  “No Sire, we do not.”

  “Have the Senior Lords dispatch ships to their planets and hold station until I order otherwise?”

  The advisor left the Chamber and sent the orders. The Major Lords were not happy sending some of their fleets away from their major planets but they knew they would not dare disobey the Supreme Lord. After five days, nothing was detected to keep them at the ten thousand planets. They were recalled to their major planets.

  • • •

  Blacky and Ringie were in the soil in one of the huge farms on the planet’s surface. They watched the Servants and focused on their behaviors for four days. Many times they watched a Servant move at an incredible speed across the large fields to confront one of the local inhabitants who had collapsed from fatigue. The Servant would arrived at the inhabitant and inspect it. Most of the time it would raise the hand blaster it carried and burn a hole through the inhabitant’s chest. It would then use its terrible jaws to tear the dead body apart and scatter the remains into the field to fertilize the soil.

  “Have you noticed that it puts the blaster down to tear the body apart?” Blacky hooted quietly that he had noticed it. “That is when we are going to have to strike.” Blacky clicked twice and the two Madators moved through the soil quickly until they were out of the giant field.

  • • •

  That night Blacky said, “This is going to be impossible to time.”

  “Not really.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I’ve been watching the inhabitants as they enter the field and I’ve been able to pick the ones that would collapse. Some of them are in bad shape before they enter the field; it won’t be hard to move close to one of those that are weak.”

  “You may pick the wrong one.”

  “It’s only a matter of time until we’re close to one that falters.”

  Blacky thought about it and said, “We will do this together the first time.”

  “I was expecting you to say that. We have to get control of its hind legs first.”

  “You’re right. It could probably drag both of us across the field if those legs are free. However, getting the legs will still leave the stinger free.”

  Ringie thought a moment, “When the creature bends down to use its jaws on the dead body, it raises its abdomen for balance; that exposes the hind legs. One of us could wrap the legs up against the stinger and hold on as tightly as possible.”

  Blacky nodded, “The other could wrap the creature’s neck up and lift it off the ground. We could then pull it onto our beaks and kill it.”

  Ringie stared at Blacky, “This will have to happen in less than a second.”

  “I know.”

  “Are we capable of doing that?”

  “If we can get it off the ground where it can’t find leverage to resist us, it’s possible.”

  Ringie nodded, “We need to come at it from the side. We’ll be next to each other and we can both pull it into our beaks.”

  “I’ll take the legs and stinger.”

  Ringie shook her arm at him, “We are going to have to lift this creature instantly. Whoever has the neck and upper body is going to have to do the bulk of the lifting.” Ringie’s head rolled up her body, “Who is the stronger?”

  Blacky stared at Ringie and after a moment rolled his head completely around his body, “I don’t like having you near that stinger.”

  “I feel the same…but if this is going to work, you’re going to have provide the bulk of the strength needed to lift it.”

  “I’ll use four of my arms and use another to shove the blaster out of its reach.”

  “Use six to lift it. We’ll stay on the ground and use the rest of our arms to dig in the soil and anchor us. We’ll lift it and slam it into the ground where we’ll be waiting.”

  “We still have three days before we start our attacks. Tomorrow, you and I will observe the inhabitants and pick three that we think will collapse. We’ll prioritize them; which one is most likely to fall followed by the other choices. Let’s see if we can make a good selection.”

  • • •

  Two days later, Blacky waited on Ringie to arrive in the tree line next to the giant field the next day after sunset and was thinking about the inhabitants the Servants had killed that day. Ringie arrived and as she emerged from the soil, Blacky saw her expression. “I had no idea we could be this accurate.”

  “It is somewhat disconcerting, isn’t it?”

  “They all died in the order we predicted. This violates all the rules of predictability. The odds of being right every time are astronomical.”

  Blacky rolled his head around his body, “That means something else is operating here.”

  Ringie’s head rolled down her chest, “Such as?”

  “Ringie, we’re predators. Our species is a culmination of millions of years of development. I believe that we are genetically able to see the weakest in any group we encounter. The main function of a predator, in nature, is to remove the sick and weak from the herd so that the herd is strengthened. We possess a natural ability to see the weakest and it’s as natural as stretching our arms.”

  Ringie thought about Blacky’s comment and her head went to the top of her body showing her agreement. “Tomorrow’s the day.”

  Blacky sighed, “Yes, it is. We’ll pick the inhabitant that is going to die and move in close to it.”

  “When do we strike?”

  “We’ll move the moment the Servant bends down to tear it apart. Wait for it to put the blaster on the ground; that’s the moment we’ll move.”

  “No, it isn’t.”

  “What?”

  “We’ll not move until the blaster is dropped and the Servant has sunk its jaws into its victim.” Blacky thought about Ringie’s suggestion, “You’re right; its eyes are covered with a membrane to protect them when it bites. I’m really lucky to have our greatest hunter as my partner. I missed that little detail. Get some rest; we’re going to need all our strength.”

  Ringie came over and snuggled next to Blacky as the two of them melted into the soil.

  • • •

  A large Servant lifted one of the arms on the dead black body of a Madator and looked at the ten other Servants who had run up to him, “What is this?”

  “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “What did it do?”

  “It tried to sneak up and attack me.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. It was moving through the soil and was difficult to see. Fortunately, the sun was still above the horizon and I saw the shadows changing on the surface of the field. It was really quite strong.”

  “Why haven’t we ever seen a creature like this before?”

  “I have no idea. We need to get it over to the main building and have them do an examination.”

  “I’ll help you drag it.”

  “You just want to get out of the field; I can handle it alone.”

  “Come on!”

  “Oh, alright, you can drag it in with me.”

  The two moved out of the field toward a building located in the center of the giant farm. The nine other Servants were still standing around, staring at them dragging the body away; one of them said, “Get back to your positions.”

  • • •

  Mumbles remained a hundred yards from the creatures and was undergoing a mixed bag of emotions. He was furious at Hardhea
d’s stupidity. He refused to work with Mumbles on the first attack and his stubbornness had cost him his life. Mumbles also felt a huge sense of loss at the death of his friend. He had at least learned that the creature’s eyesight was incredible in day light. If Hardhead had just been patient and waited until the sun was below the horizon he might have succeeded. Mumbles looked at the building where Hardhead’s body had been taken and he moved through the soil toward it. He made sure he gave every Servant in his path a wide berth. He arrived at the edge of the field just as the sun moved below the horizon and the Servants ordered the inhabitants to go to their quarters. Mumbles watched them walk away and made a decision.

  • • •

  Blacky and Ringie were in the soil next to one of the inhabitants that was struggling. The creature had three, two foot long trunks that were used to manipulate tools. It was pulling a sharp, hooked tool through the tough vines that were growing in the long rows of crops in the field. It rocked its shoulders back, pulling the tough vines loose but it was struggling to hold the tool.

  Blacky and Ringie were under the soil in the row directly behind the inhabitant and moved with it as it moved down the row. The crops being tended were waist high to the inhabitant and the Madators knew they would have to keep the Servant below the level of the plants when they attacked. If any part of it emerged above the level of the crops, the other Servants in the field would be on them instantly. The Servant would disappear below the crops when it bent down to tear the inhabitant apart. The two Madators saw it wasn’t going to be much longer. The inhabitant had stopped pulling the tool and was now swaying. In a few more moments, it struggled mightily, but collapsed to the ground and fought to stand up.

  • • •

  The Servant in the center of the field saw one of the inhabitants was starting to suffer. It saw every detail of its struggle and determined that it would not make it through the day. The large Servant shook its head slightly and thought about going ahead and putting it out of its misery; but his orders prohibited it. The slaves had to know they were safe as long as they worked. Killing one early would send a mixed message that could lead to problems. So it waited; keeping one eye on the suffering inhabitant and the other on the other side of the field. There were other inhabitants suffering, but none of them were in as much trouble as the one to his left. Nothing escaped its notice. It noticed that the plants directly behind the suffering inhabitant were minutely higher than the others around it; but that was probably due to the inhabitant using its four legs to try and gain leverage in its weakened state. The inhabitant disappeared and the Servant knew it had collapsed. If the inhabitant had continued further along the row the Servant would have seen the minute bulge move with it. The Madators were lucky it had fallen when it did.

  The Servant arrived in an instant at the fallen creature and saw it struggling to stand. He swiveled his head and raised his blaster. The Servants always blasted the sick when they could have just bitten them and killed them. They took no joy in the suffering of their slaves and knew blasting them was a quick painless mercy. The Servant moved around the now dead creature’s body and leaned down to cut it apart with its massive jaws. It laid the blaster on the ground and gripped the soil and the inhabitant’s dead body with its legs for support. It bit into the creature’s neck and suddenly felt like it was being crushed. Twelve black cables had wrapped up its body from its neck to its stinger. It felt the cable pull and it held on to the soil instinctively. The second pull snatched it out of the soil and off the inhabitant’s body. It went a foot in the air and was slammed down to the earth onto the two Madator’s beaks that slashed through its body shell. Its central nervous system was cut and devoured instantly and its heart was bitten in half. The attack had happened in less than a second and the Servant didn’t even have time to scream. The two Madators devoured the dead Servant along with the thirty larvae in its stinger. They went back into the soil and began moving quickly away from the site of the attack. As they put distance between themselves and the dead Servant, they felt their speed start to increase. By the time they left the field they were moving at four times their normal rate.

  • • •

  Mumbles knew the Servants had to be stopped from studying Hardhead’s body. The idiot had not even activated the dot he carried to prevent what happened. The Servant had killed him so fast he didn’t have time to say anything. Those creatures were incredibly powerful. Mumbles stayed at the edge of the field and screamed the activation word for Hardhead’s dot at high frequency but nothing happened. The sound was being blocked by the building’s walls. Mumbles screamed two more times and saw it was hopeless. He started to leave but then saw the main door on the front of the building open as the two Servants, who had dragged Hardhead’s body into it, exited the building. He screamed the activation word in his highest frequency and volume and the building went up in a blast that blew the roof two hundred yards into the air. Flaming debris rained down on the field and the surrounding buildings.

  Mumbles moved out into the field and extended one of his eyes on a stalk slightly above the level of the crops. He knew the Servants would be focused on the blast and he watched as the Servants who were out in the fields came rushing in. He watched most of them pass and then saw the last one running down the row next to him. He extended two of his arms under the soil across the row and waited. The Servant running down the row was frightened. The building’s destruction could cause the Lord to have all of those responsible for its safety executed.

  It was moving at high speed, when suddenly, its two rear legs it used to run were suddenly wrapped up, before it slammed into the ground stunning it. Before it could gather its senses, something slammed down on its back and it felt something penetrate its back. The Madator’s beak punctured the stunned Servant’s brain and it died instantly. Mumbles took his time dining on the Servant and didn’t leave much that was recognizable. He saw several Servants at the building looking around and he decided it was time to leave. He entered the soil and moved away at a speed that shocked him.

  He arrived in the forest surrounding the field, emerged from the soil and ran through the thick trees and brush at an incredible speed. He felt the changes taking place in his body and knew his strength was growing by the minute and he reveled in the feeling. He knew the Servants were going to conduct a search that would be hard to avoid. He arrived at the edge of the forest next to a deep gorge that had been cut into the rock of the mountains next to the forest. Mumbles saw the river far below and he jumped off the cliff and disappeared. He fell two hundred feet and then he changed his shape to the foil and flapped his wings. He shot up so fast it caught him by surprise. His strength was incredible and he flapped his way out of the gorge and saw huge carnivorous birds circling at the snow line high above him. He accelerated and flew toward their location. He saw the face of the mountain was covered with their nesting sites and he noticed that one of them was empty. He turned and flew into the small opening in the rock and changed his shape to mimic the birds. There were several that protested his presence but they backed off when they were slapped hard by Mumble’s arms. Mumbles stayed in the small opening and the next morning looked down on the distant fields where the building had exploded. He was shocked that he could see even small details from his lofty location. He gave thanks for the gifts taken from the Ultimate Prey and then he shouted his victory scream at his highest frequency. The surviving Madators within fifty miles of Mumble’s location felt pride at his victory and some added their call to his.

  • • •

  Blacky and Ringie had also flown away from the field where they had killed the Servant. They heard Mumble’s victory scream and Ringie shook her head. Blacky looked at her, “What?”

  “I don’t hear Hardhead. That must mean he didn’t make it.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Two reasons; first, Mumbles would allow him to scream first because he’s like that.”

  “And?”

  “You heard
the explosion. It had to be Hardhead’s dot.”

  Blacky shrugged. He liked that human expression. It said so much with so little.

  Ringie looked up at the sun, “We need to wait until the Servants start to relax.”

  The two landed next to the river in the deep gorge and Blacky moved into the soil on the side of the riverbank; Ringie joined him a moment later. Blacky kept an ear just below the soil’s surface, listening for anything that approached their location. The two closed their eyes and rested.

  • • •

  “Where’s your teammate?”

  The Servant looked around, “He was coming in right behind me.” The four Servants looked around and they called out the missing Servant’s name without receiving a response. The Group Leader looked at the missing Servant’s partner, “Where was he the last time you saw him?”

  The Servant pointed toward the rows close to the field’s edge and the four moved out into the rows. Ten minutes later they found the missing Servant and the alarm went out. There was a creature that could kill them loose on the planet. The death of another Servant at another field caused the alarm to be sent to the Ruling Lord. The Ruling Lord dismissed the initial report but soon the reports came flooding in. It immediately noticed that the deaths were only happening on the planets that had their control satellites destroyed in prior attacks. All over the Servant Domain, the reports went out and reached the Supreme Lord’s attention is less than ten hours. The fleets were dispatched a day later.

  The Supreme Lord read the report on the number of ships sent to the invaded planets and looked up at his Advisor, “They destroyed the control satellites at those planets. We need to replace them.” The Advisor looked extremely uncomfortable and the Supreme Lord leaned forward, “Is that going to be a problem?”

  “Lord, we’ve conquered the vast majority of civilized planets in our galaxy. The facilities used to construct the control satellites were moved to the galaxy we’ve invaded and are at full production trying to keep up with the conquests happening there. Do you wish for me to move the construction facilities back here to rebuild the satellites that were destroyed? You know the most critical time they’re needed is when a planet is first conquered to show the new slaves there is no possibility of revolt.” The Lord stared at his advisor who quickly said, “I don’t see how they can help finding these creatures. None of the scanners on our best ships have been able to locate them. The ships in orbit have better scanners and decidedly more firepower than the satellites.”