“That’s obscene!” exclaimed Krissen.
“It may be that,” agreed Sesum, “but that’s how life is.
“Now it’s time we came to an understanding.” A true-hand adjusted a flap on his coat that had come loose. “My orders from Swarm Master Zelof are to establish a second, secret hive: A hive that will provide a redundancy in the effort to save our people from extinction.”
“But…”
“To establish a viable hive there needs to be a Queen,” interrupted Sesum again. His voice was firm and he glared at the Queen. “That’s why I got saddled with you and you’ve been a problem from the outset.” Krissen recoiled with surprise at his rudeness and anger started to replace her indignation.
Ignoring her response the Swarm Master continued. “With the arrival of Queen Tiras the circumstances have changed. I don’t need you since she can be the Queen required for the Hive. In fact I’d prefer her over you since she seems more willing than you to take direction.” He shrugged. “It would be nice to have at least two females in the hive. That’d give me a safety margin. But I can make do with one. We may even find more as we travel to the coast.
“So, here’s the choice in front of you. If you wish to leave the convoy I’ll provide you with a vehicle having a full tank of fuel, supplies for several days and maps of the area. You won’t have a retinue because I need everyone I have to establish a new hive. You may go where you will although I suspect any security you find in a city will be short lived.”
“And the other alternative?” asked the Queen in icy tones. The fact that he hadn’t addressed her properly wasn’t lost to her.
“If you choose to remain with the convoy and participate in establishing the new hive you’ll be the Senior Queen. But the role of a Queen will be to produce and nurture the young. There’ll be times I’ll confer with you and Queen Tiras but I’ll be the one making the decisions.
“In summary the options you have are to leave the convoy and go where you will or stay with us to establish a new hive. There is no guarantee that the second option will be completely secure since there’s no guarantee with the Kthpok here. But Swarm Master Zelof and I think staying with us has better odds for survival.”
“How long do I have to consider?” asked Krissen.
“You have until we resume our journey,” announced Sesum. “That’s less than two hours from now. I’ll visit with you prior to leaving and you can inform me of your decision. If you decide to leave I’ll have a vehicle readied and you can depart when we do.”
Queen Krissen gave an angry shake of her antennae at the ultimatum, whirled around and stomped away. Sesum watched the Queen for a moment then gave an amused wave of his own antennae. He’d never known a female who liked being told she could be replaced. Shaking his head the Swarm Master turned to make sure everything would be ready when he wanted to leave.
Swarm Master Zelof sat at his command position and fidgeted. The brush of air from the ventilation system was comforting and the electronic beeps and chirps interspersed with clicks from entries being made on keyboards indicated his people were at work. He started to rise from his saddle then stopped with an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Electronics couldn’t be hurried and his people knew their jobs. Pacing around the Command Deck to work off nervous energy wouldn’t get the mountain activated any sooner. It wouldn’t help morale either.
Moments later his Swarm Second walked over and saluted. “The diagnostics have been completed, Swarm Master,” Rayel reported in stiff, formal tones. “We’re ready to start for normal operations.”
Zelof was barely able to suppress an amused wave from his antennae. The Second could have given him the information over the head sets everyone on the Command Deck wore. Apparently Rayel was just as anxious as he was and used this announcement as an opportunity to burn off some of that anxiety.
The Swarm Master went to approve the complete activation but stopped. He cocked his head as he considered.
“I want a phased activation,” Zelof said after a moment. The boom microphone on his headset picked up the order and sent it to the Command Staff around the room. “We’ll start with communications. I want to know what’s happening in the rest of the world.” He glanced over at the communications station to see the Lieutenant was looking back. “We listen only. Record everything for later evaluation but tag any transmissions you think I should see.” Lieutenant Chattan acknowledged and turned back to his console.
“What about the other stations?” asked Rayel.
“Before we activate the rest of our functions I want passive sensors placed at strategic locations on the surface of the mountain,” Zelof replied.
The slight twitch from Rayel’s antennae was almost suppressed but it was there. “But Swarm Master,” he began. “That’ll take hours! We’re ready to start now.”
“I understand that, Rayel.” Zelof replied. He held up a true-hand to forestall another objection. “And I know this wasn’t discussed during our prep meetings. But it’s just occurred to me that Refuge took a huge shaking when the Kthpok destroyed Wartten. There may be damage to our electronic shielding that we haven’t found yet. With the Kthpok watching from orbit any emissions could be fatal so I want sensors put in place. As we bring the mountain back to full operation we have to watch to see if there’s any emissions leakage.”
He looked straight at his Second. “The Kthpok cannot have any indication this location is different from the surrounding area. If they detect something unusual they may come for a closer examination. I can’t stress enough that we have to be like every other mountain in the area.”
The Swarm Second bobbed his head. “I understand, sir. I’ll get the sensors prepared and placed. If there are any emissions coming from the mountain we’ll know about it and have the base shut down before the Kthpok can pick it up.”
“Good,” was all the Swarm Master said then sent his Second off to get the sensors ready.
Knowing it would take some time for the sensors to be put in place and tied into the scanning net the Swarm Master announced, “I’m going for a walk. If I’m not back when the sensors are in place and’ve been calibrated let me know and I’ll return. We’ll start the sequenced activation process when I get back.” After he received acknowledgements Zelof set his station to stand-by, removed his head set and stood off his saddle.
Zelof began moving towards the door. When he came within two feet of the exit the panel slid aside to allow him to leave but Zelof paused to look back at the busy room. People were at their stations taking reports and entering data. Aides were going from one station to another checking readings and making notes on electronic pads. He went to speak but stopped. His people were good. They didn’t need any one to remind them of the obvious. If anything out of the ordinary came up they’d let him know.
The Swarm Master left the Command Deck and made his way through Refuge. He walked down corridors and up ramps greeting those he met. Everywhere he saw people hurrying about their various duties. Some were carrying boxes and bags while others had electronic pads. He came across swarms of Iidx smoothing patches of ceramecrete in corridors which had been damaged when Wartten had been bombed. Their patches left a mottled appearance. But Zelof knew that after the ceramicrete dried other work swarms would come to smooth and paint the affected area. By this time tomorrow he wouldn’t be able to see where the damaged areas had been.
His meandering took him from the basement into the upper levels of the base and then to a particular hatch on the highest level. Zelof keyed open the hatch and made his way down the winding passage constructed to look like a natural cave. He reached a small room that’d been hollowed out under a rock overhang overlooking the surrounding area. The two Iidx assigned to the observation post turned away from watching for any sign of danger, came to attention and saluted as the Swarm Master left the tunnel.
“No formalities,” Zelof ordered waving a true-hand in dismissal. “It’s more important you keep watch for the Kthpok
than observing protocol.”
The two nodded and turned back to the open front of the observation post and resumed watching. Zelof walked up next to them where he could see the surrounding country side. Using a set of magnifiers he found hanging on a hook by the tunnel entrance, he looked down the mountainside. This was the side facing their home base of Wartten and the effects of the nuclear blast were apparent. Shrubbery, trees and grass on the steep slope had all been incinerated by the heat of the explosion leaving a layer of ash behind.
A small cloud of dust or ash several hundred feet down the mountainside caught his attention. He focused his magnifiers on it and saw several Iidx on a small ridge leveling an area roughly five feet in diameter. That was what was stirring up the dust and ash. His curiosity was piqued and he continued to watch the Iidx work.
After the ground had been readied several Iidx disappeared into a nearby ravine then returned with a device. They positioned the machine in the center of the area they’d cleared. A cable was dragged out of the same ravine and hooked up.
Then Zelof realized he was seeing his orders being carried out. That device had to be one of the sensors he‘d wanted put in place to watch for emissions. One of the Iidx opened a panel and began probing inside with some kind of tool. It was too far away for the Swarm Master to see exactly what the Iidx was doing.
Turning his attention away from those installing the equipment Zelof scanned outward, towards Wartten. Or what had been Wartten. Instead of well-ordered buildings and busy streets with a landing strip for aircraft he saw a large, roughly circular area of sand that’d been fused into black glass. Further out, on the edges of the blast zone, here and there, were piles of rubble.
He shook his head. This was the first chance he had to see the devastation first hand. The Kthpok must’ve really wanted to make sure the base was destroyed. From the size of the crater they had to’ve used a thirty-kiloton device - at least. The worst part of it was that the weapon the Kthpok used had probably been made for the Kthpok by the Iidx.
As he examined the remains of the exterior base his thoughts turned to the survival of his people of Refuge. They’d prepared well and had everything they needed. There were gardens and machine shops, barracks and recreational areas. The reactors would be able to provide power indefinitely if the fuel was available. And there were mines nearby they could reach to obtain the necessary ores. They even had a Queen to produce young.
Zelof gave a start. With a Queen they’d have younglings. They’d have younglings! What was he going to do with them? They’d have to be fed, cared for, trained and taught. And they didn’t even have a nursery. A lot of thought would have to go into what happened before eggs were laid and hatched.
Turning from the scene of devastation and redirecting his thoughts he looked for the people who’d been working on the mountainside. But the Iidx had disappeared from the lower ridge. He assumed they’d gone back into the mountain through another access point.
The Swarm Master replaced the magnifiers on its hook, thanked the guards then started for the tunnel. Since the work swarm was gone he guessed it was getting close to the time the base could be activated. Then the alert tone from his communicator caught his attention. Zelof paused to pull the device from a pouch in his harness and activated it. “Yes?” he asked.
“Swarm Master, this is Swarm Second Rayel. The sensors are in place and calibrated. We’re ready to activate Refuge.”
“Very good, Rayel. It’ll take a few minutes for me to get there since I’m in the upper observation platform but I’m on my way there. Zelof clear!” He replaced his communicator and hurried down the tunnel for the interior of the base.
Ten minutes later Zelof was back on the Command Deck. He climbed onto the saddle of his Command Position, settled his headset in place, and activated his console. As he checked the readings he nodded in approval then turned to Rayel.
“We’ll begin with power,” the Swarm Master announced. As before, his voice was carried through the communications link to his staff. “Let’s bring the reactors to full power.”
He looked over at Ensign Comunit in scanning. “As we activate our systems I want to know immediately if there are any stray emissions!” The Ensign nodded his understanding and Zelof continued his instructions to the Command Staff. “After we have full power each sector will be activated in the original sequence. Let’s wait a full minute after a section’s up before starting the next one. I don’t anticipate any problems but be prepared to stop if any emissions are detected.” Murmurs of understanding came over the ear pieces of Zelof’s headset then he added. “We’ll continue monitoring for emissions for a week after we’ve confirmed activation.”
Rayel acknowledged the instructions then turned be to begin the process.
A few minutes into the reactors being brought to full power the Swarm Master switched his head set frequency to a private line with his Second. An instant later the Second answered. “I have a feeling this is going to be our home for quite some time,” Zelof told Rayel in low tones no one else could hear. “We built Refuge to be self-sufficient. Or so we thought. There are gardens, a water supply, plenty of air, machine shops… “He shrugged. “My planning involved Refuge being the center to coordinate a fight since the Kthpok would attempt to decapitate our leadership.” He gave a slight shake of his head. “I was right. They did take out most of our top leaders. But what I didn’t foresee was a war of extinction.
“To help our people survive to continue the fight we need redundant hives to produce young. That’s why I sent Sesum and Krissen off. As I was walking through Refuge before we started the activation I realized our precautions didn’t go far enough to cover the current emergency.” He gave a shrug of his antennae that Rayel couldn’t see. “It’s clear that Queen Dahoni can produce young but we’re going to need a nursery for the eggs and a school for the younglings. Arrange a meeting with the Swarm leadership and Queen Dahoni for tomorrow morning - say about ten. We need to make plans to resolve those problems.”
With his order given Zelof settled back to watch the progress of the base reactivation. When each section was activated and during the minutes before the next section started it’s activation he’d look over at scanning. Each time Ensign Comunit would check his equipment and report that no emissions had been detected.
Halfway through the process the Swarm Master was checking the status of the reactors when a tone sounded in the earphones of his headset followed by the voice of Lieutenant Chattan. “I’ve been monitoring the broadcasts as ordered, sir,” the Lieutenant reported.
“And?” asked the Swarm Master still studying the reactor statistics.
“A Queen…a Queen Geddon, I think is her name, claiming to be the senior surviving member of the Council of Queens has just announced in a series of broadcasts that she’s made a treaty with the Kthpok. She’s gathering all Iidx into eleven sanctuary cities. The Kthpok get the rest of the planet.”
Zelof took in a sudden breath of air. All concern about the reactors was gone. “This Queen Geddon has ceded the entire planet to the Kthpok?” repeated the Swarm Master. He couldn’t believe what he’d just been told. Was this the transmission he’d missed when the Kthpok had destroyed Wartten? Or was this something new? “Why would she trust a race that has proven they were untrustworthy?” He paused for a moment his thoughts racing. Chattan kept his silence, waiting for orders from the Swarm Master.
“Perhaps that’s not the right question,” Zelof said at last, still talking to himself. “Maybe we should be asking ourselves why the Kthpok would agree to let the Iidx live? They control the orbitals above the planet after all. All they have to do is drop rocks on our cities and bases and we’re done. They’d have the planet all to themselves.”
The Swarm Master swiveled around on his saddle to look at the Lieutenant. “Have you prepared a file of the broadcasts made by Queen Geddon?” he asked.
Chattan nodded. “Yes, Swarm Master,” he replied. “I’ve been recording eve
rything and’ve assembled the broadcasts I think you’ll be interested in. I can have the data transferred to your console.”
“No,” Zelof said, “don’t send the file here. Transfer the transmissions from Geddon to the console in Conference Two. I’ll study what you’ve got there where it’s quieter.”
After Chattan acknowledged the order the Swarm Master took off his head-set, left his saddle and walked over to Rayel. “Keep the activation proceeding,” he ordered. “Monitor the sensors for any emissions leakage. I’ll be in Conference Two reviewing some transmissions if you need me.”
After giving his instructions Zelof walked the length of the Command Deck and went through the door to Conference Two. He moved around the conference table until he reached his position at its head. He placed an electronic pad next to the console then climbed onto a saddle and logged into the station. It took only seconds to find the message file Chattan had prepared. Whistling in satisfaction he keyed for the file and settled in to watch the first message.
There weren’t that many messages so it took less than twenty minutes to go through the entire list. While he watched the broadcasts he keyed in his thoughts and impressions on the electronic pad he’d brought with him. As the last message finished playing a nasty suspicion began to form between his antennae. He restarted the messages.
The Swarm Masters concentration on the recordings and his thoughts was broken when the conference room door slid open to admit Queen Dahoni and the Swarm Second. He began to rise from his saddle but paused as the Queen spoke.
“I have just learned the repairs to this facility are completed,” said the Queen the moment she entered the room. “Refuge is fully functional, Swarm Master. When will we contact Queen Geddon to inform her that she is junior?”
Betrayal Page 50
