Begiddion’s orders went out and the two columns began to merge. She poked her head into the bubble once more to confirm her orders were being obeyed then looked ahead again. Closer now, Begiddion could see bits of flame mingled in the smoke. “What set the fire?” she wondered.
“What was that your Highness?” called Tacom from below.
Begiddion ducked back inside and closed the hatch shutting out the noise from the bubble. “The fire,” replied the Queen as she settled back onto her saddle, “how did it get started? There haven’t been any lightning storms in the area to set the fires. And it’s on both sides of the road.”
The aide cocked his head as he considered. “There were no lightning storms,” he repeated, “and it’s on both sides of the road. That means the fire was set! Why?”
The Queen didn’t answer but her antennae went stiff with understanding. She jumped to her feet, hurried to the riser, slid the ceiling hatch open again and looked out. Instead of looking at the fire bracketing the road ahead or the convoy behind she scanned around the skies and soon found what she feared. Several black dots were banking to line up on her convoy. Dropping back into the interior of the vehicle Begiddion yelled. “Tell the drivers to go faster! We’ve got to get into the smoke.”
“We can’t your Highness,” protested Tacom. “The smoke is too thick. The driver’s won’t be able to see. Your Majesty, it’s too dangerous!”
Begiddion glared at the aide. “It’ll be more dangerous in seconds if we don’t. Kthpok aircraft are lining up for a strafing run right now. We have to use the smoke as a screen. The road is straight until we reach the forest so the danger is minimal. Get the convoy moving faster!”
Without waiting for an acknowledgement Begiddion poked her head through the open roof hatch again. It took just a moment to see the attacking craft had completed their maneuver and were coming up the road from behind the convoy. The Kthpok had already started more grass fires some distance behind the last vehicle in the convoy. It was clear they intended to box in the Iidx and take their time shooting up the convoy. A sudden jolt marked an increase in speed for her vehicle. For just a moment a gap opened between the lead vehicle and the next in line. Then the driver in the second vehicle compensated to catch up and the chain reaction continued down the convoy.
The command vehicle and two other vehicles immediately behind it reached the relative safety of the smoke and fire as the first Kthpok raider neared the end of the convoy and fired its pulsers. Laser pulses streaked from the aircraft to strike the ground. Explosions appeared in the grasses setting off new fires. But the Kthpok pilot corrected his aim and explosions marched out of the grasses, up the dirt shoulder of the road and down the pavement. Iidx drivers tried their best to avoid the pulses but there wasn’t much they could do. A third vehicle entered the smoke tunnel.
The last vehicle in the convoy, a supply freighter, was struck first by the pulsers. Holes were blown through the cargo area then its fuel tank was pierced. The freighter disappeared in a brilliant ball of blue flame that threw debris in all directions. The shock wave from the explosion caused several nearby vehicles to swerve. A passenger vehicle just in front of the freighter fishtailed onto the dirt shoulder. Its right rear wheel sank in the soft soil and the vehicle flew off the road, flipping end over end sending pieces of metal, glass, plastic, and Iidx into the air. The disintegrating hulk settled into the tall yellow brown grass. Its fuel tank breached and the flammable liquid began pouring out. A sparking wire set the fuel and grass ablaze. An instant later an explosion extinguished the grass fire that had just started.
Pulses continued to strike pavement and vehicles as the first aircraft flew along the column. Explosions blew holes in the road and blasted vehicles apart. Fire and smoke rose from the burning vehicles. Untouched transports slowed just long enough to swerve around the burning vehicles then would speed up again as they drove for the safety of the smoke from the grass fire. No one stopped to see if any Iidx in the hit vehicles survived. The maneuvering of the convoy and increasing smoke made targeting difficult for the next aircraft in line.
Five minutes later, the Kthpok raiders gained altitude, circled a few times then flew off. Smoke from grass fires and burning vehicles darkened the sky. Only twenty-seven vehicles had been able to reach the cover of the smoke. Queen Begiddion reformed her convoy and sped for the safety of the forest and her new hive.
Swarm Master Zelof stood in the uppermost post of Refuge overlooking the blackened mountainside. Looking out through the observation slot he could see the radioactive ruin of his base. Enough time had passed for the fused sand to start to lose its dark sheen. In the months since the attack (had it really been less than two?) wind storms had blown dust and sand onto and across the glassy surface, etching and scouring. Using magnifiers he could see where the sand had collected into drifts, in depressions or behind the remnants of buildings beyond the blast zone. Lowering the magnifiers he continued to stare at the ruins. His memory conjured images of the neat, ordered lines of buildings and the disciplined activity of personnel.
Perhaps the contrast between his memory and reality was symbolic for the future of the Iidx people. Once there was a peaceful, well-ordered civilization. Now that society was disappearing in nuclear fireballs. Zelof shook his head as he continued to stare at the remains of his base. The treachery of the Kthpok had been too unexpected, too fast, too reckless. He wondered if his people would ever be able to come back, to survive long enough to fight The Betrayal.
Something closer to the observation post on the blackened, scarred mountain caught his attention. Moving up next to the open slot for a better view Zelof peered down the steep mountainside trying to see what had caught his attention. Then he found it! A thin cloud of dust was being blown over the ridges and boulders of the tortured terrain by a light breeze.
Using his magnifiers he scanned the area to find what had kicked up the dust. After a few minutes search he located one of the work parties ordered out in the ongoing check for any electronic emissions. Their normally green shells had been tinted dark like the mountainside and they blended in with the landscape. Zelof had been drawn to the Swarm by their movements. He gave a curt nod of approval. They were so well camouflaged that it wasn’t likely that a satellite in orbit or an aircraft flying overhead would be able to spot them.
He watched for a few moments as the swarm moved in a slow meticulous search pattern, sweeping their instruments back and forth. As far as he could tell from this distance their attention alternated between checking their devices and watching where they were going. Zelof nodded in approval as he checked the time. The current duty shift was almost over and this swarm would soon return into the mountain. But they appeared as sharp and alert as when they began. That was commendable.
The Swarm Master lowered his magnifiers and took an electronic pad from his harness to make a note. He paused his entry for a moment to key his comm link. “This is the Swarm Master,” he announced when the officer on duty in the Command Deck replied. “Check the Duty Log, Lieutenant. I want to know the name of the Master for the swarm currently engaged in scanning exterior sector G-14.” A moment later the response came and Zelof tapped the name of the Iidx into his pad. After thanking the Lieutenant he cut the link and resumed entering his thoughts on the pad.
It was very impressive. Even in a task as mundane as a scan this swarm was still doing their duty.
The Swarm Master stopped entering again to ponder. Duty. He looked back down the mountainside. Even when the situation seemed the most hopeless there was always duty. Zelof bounced the pad in his true-hands a few times. Duty.
Once again the communications link was activated. This time he called Rayel, his Swarm Second. “Notify the Command Staff,” said Zelof, “There’ll be an accounting in three hours. It will be in Conference Two and they’ll be expected to report on the ability of their departments to be in operation for the long term.”
“Is there a more definite length of time, sir
?” Rayel asked.
Knowing his Second couldn’t see his image, the Swarm Master gave an amused, approving dip of his antennae. If his staff was to provide him with the information he needed to make good decisions they required some parameters. “Long term could be as long as a century, possibly more,” Zelof replied.
After repeating the orders Rayel went to cut the link but Zelof stopped him. “One last item, Swarm Second,” he said, “notify Dahoni Queen that she’s to be in attendance.” He paused for a moment then spoke again. “This is not a discretionary matter. Her attendance is mandatory.” When that link was ended Zelof called another Iidx.
“Captain Marclif, logistics,” Was the instant reply.
“Captain,” said Zelof, “in a few minutes you’re going to be notified about a meeting. When you come I want some information ready.”
At the appointed time Swarm Master Zelof entered Conference Room Two. As he moved through the room to reach his saddle at the head of the table he took note of who’d already arrived. All the saddles had someone standing next to them except one. It was very obvious that Queen Dahoni hadn’t arrived yet.
Being careful not to let his chagrin show at the Queen’s absence Zelof eased onto his saddle. The other officers followed suit. Then before he could activate his link to order guards to escort the Queen to the conference room the door slid open again. Everyone in the room jumped to their feet when Dahoni swept into the room. They remained standing while she moved to her place next to the Swarm Master. As soon as she had taken her saddle Zelof waved everyone else to take theirs.
“Now that everyone’s here we can begin,” announced Zelof. “Each of you has been assigned to report on the possibility of their stewardship being operated for the long term. We’ll have…” He paused as a motion next to him caught his attention. “Yes, your Highness? You have a question?”
“Swarm Master,” said the Queen and gave a brief dip her head in respect. “You said long term. Just how long term are you talking about?”
“Years,” replied the Swarm Master, “decades, surely, perhaps hundreds.”
“Centuries!” exclaimed Dahoni, her luxurious antennae going stiff. “Why? The Kthpok will be gone long before then. All we have to do is wait them out until they’re finished with their fleet.”
“The Kthpok are not leaving,” replied Zelof. The tone of his voice reflected his certainty. “They already control our planet and’ve killed millions of our people.” He shook his antennae. “They’re not stopping there. While they’re eradicating our species they’re going to spread worldwide.”
“Eradicate our people?” questioned Dahoni. “The Kthpok don’t want the extinction of our species, Swarm Master. They want slaves. They’ve even established areas where the Iidx can live while the Kthpok complete their tasks. So why do you think they want us dead?”
Without seeming to respond to the Queen’s question the Swarm Master gestured to an Iidx sitting near the middle of the table. “So everyone has the correct understanding of our circumstances I asked for an analysis to be made of the situation in the ‘safe’ zones declared by the Kthpok. Captain, if you would?”
Captain Marclif nodded as he rose from his saddle. Reading from a pad he began his report. He recited the population figures of the planet prior to the Kthpok attack. Most of that population had been concentrated in cities. Next came a list of the cities destroyed in the attacks with an estimated casualty list. Using those figures and factoring in the migration he announced the expected population for the Kthpok designated safe zones.
In what seemed to be a shift of topic Marclif began discussing food production and storage capacity. He recited figures which showed that the current silo inventories in the protected cities would feed the projected population for only two weeks.
The Captain glanced up from the pad that contained his notes. “None of the locations designated by the Kthpok as sanctuaries are major food producers, Swarm Master,” he said. “They do grow a limited amount of crops but the output wasn’t enough to feed the pre-war populations let alone what’s expected.” With his report complete the officer settled back onto his saddle.
Queen Dahoni looked away from Marclif and glared at Zelof. “Swarm Master, I don’t see the point in having a review of the census or of estimated deaths,” she said. “Or of agriculture for that matter. I was expecting to hear evidence that the Kthpok are seeking the extinction of the Iidx.”
“And so you did,” replied Zelof and glanced around the table. “From the analysis Captain Marclif just provided we learned that the Kthpok have selected the cities they did as sanctuaries because they were manufacturing centers rather than agricultural. The inhabitants of those cities couldn’t feed themselves before the attack. Now, there are refugees flooding in expecting safety and the population is swelling. In effect, the Kthpok are driving our people to those cities to let them starve.”
The Queen went to reply but hesitated. Then she turned to Captain Marclif. “Your analysis supports the Swarm Master’s assertion?” she asked.
The Captain gave a shrug from his antennae. “It isn’t an assertion, your Highness,” he replied. “The facts speak for themselves. There isn’t enough food production in the eleven sanctuary cities to sustain the anticipated population. And I don’t expect the Kthpok to send relief.”
The Queen’s feathery antennae began to quiver with agitation. “The Kthpok have to know our people won’t remain in those cities if they're starving.”
Zelof nodded. “That’s true your Highness. If I were the Kthpok Swarm Leader I’d have anticipated that problem and made contingency plans. That’s why I think S’Cinf has something else planned; something much faster and more deadly than starvation.”
The Queen’s antennae stopped quivering and began waving in agitated jerks. “But the Kthpok!” she protested. “The manufacturing!”
“The Kthpok want and need the manufacturing facilities found in those cities,” stated Zelof. “All our analysts agree on that. So, given the Kthpok are engaged in a war of genocide against the Iidx people and that they need the manufacturing facilities it suggests some very sobering thoughts.”
The Swarm Master paused and looked around the room at the assembled Iidx once again. “The Kthpok picked those cities because they needed the manufacturing facilities,” he repeated. “I’m sure their plans anticipate the Queens knowing that need and with that knowledge come to the conclusion it’d be safe there. As I see it the Kthpok plan was designed to get all our Queens in a few cities using the manufacturing as bait. When the Queens are in place the Kthpok will pull their last surprise. I suspect they’ve found a way to eliminate most, if not all, the Iidx in those cities without damaging the facilities they want.”
Zelof took a deep breath then continued. “Now that we have the intent of the Kthpok established our task is twofold: First we need to preserve as many of our people as possible. We started that when we established this facility. But we can’t keep all our people in one hive. If the Kthpok discover and destroy us the future of the Iidx is gone. It’s my hope to establish at least two viable hives that are unknown to the Kthpok. That’s why we sent Sesum off with Queen Krissen. The second part of our task is to prepare our people to retake Main Hive from the enemy. And that’s what could take centuries.”
Sesum walked forward from the stern of the ship speeding across the strait. The only light came from stars blinking in the sky which was good. He’d ordered a complete blackout to prevent any Kthpok air patrols from spotting them. Even the smallest light on a dark night like this could be their doom. A few clouds blown by a light wind moved overhead blocking out patches of the tiny dots of light. He looked up at the myriad stars that comprised the band of light going from horizon to horizon and marveled at the beauty of the universe.
The stars were so brilliant because there were no moons up yet. It was very rare on Main Hive to have all three moons absent for more than an hour. And the darkness made tonight the perfect opportunity to
cross the strait.
As he walked the length of the ship continuing to watch for light leaking from the ships interior he paused long enough to make sure the lookouts were in place. He verified their night vision equipment was operating properly and they knew their assigned areas. Those Iidx were there to spot anything that was trying to sneak in under the radar to attack them.
When he finally made it to the prow he placed his true-hands on the railing and stared into the darkness ahead. The cool salty breeze blew his antennae over his back. After a moment he keyed his link.
The response was immediate. “CIC, Lieutenant Medowan, Commander on Deck.”
This is the Swarm Master, Lieutenant,” Sesum announced. “How’re the skies?”
“Passives show a clean screen, sir,” was the report.
“If anything shows I want to know,” Sesum ordered. When he got an acknowledgement he cut the link.
Shielding his watch with a true-hand so no light could emerge he reached out with a false-hand and pushed a button on his watch. There was a brief instant as the digits glowed. Sesum marked the time and the light went out. They’d been at sea for almost a half hour now.
The crossing was scheduled to last just over three hours. Three hours to reach the island, find a cove and the safety of the island jungle without detection. He shook his head. Unfortunately, an hour before they reached the island two of Main Hives three moons would rise.
It’d taken two days for his convoy to reach his destination port city after leaving the mountains where they’d found Queen Tiras and her people. Once in the city they’d come across two more Queens with their people. While the rest of the Queens had left for the sanctuary cities these two had decided to ignore Queen Geddon’s orders. Form what they told him he understood their Regional Queen wasn’t very happy about their decision. After learning about their expedition one of those Queens, Hammon, had agreed to join their merry band bringing the total number of Queens for the new Hive to three.
Betrayal Page 52
