The Robots of Andromeda (Imperium Chronicles Book 3)

by W. H. Mitchell

  Anything.

  The Erudite knew what needed to be done. Broadcasting across minds, Abaru sent a message as if sent by Mother herself. The six simple words would register in each Klixian as if they had sensed her pheromones through their own antennae.

  “What fresh hell is this?” Tagus remarked in Maycare’s ear.

  Noises came from beyond the door, lasting a few minutes before falling silent. After more time had passed, Maycare and Tagus cautiously peered into the passageway. Lying in heaps, insectoid bodies were strewn about the corridor. The spongy ground beneath their feet also shifted as if the tower itself was swaying.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Maycare said and for once, Tagus didn’t argue.

  Making their way down the twisting structure, the humans found more dead insects but also discovered others still alive. Instead of attacking them, however, they once again ignored the men in spacesuits. As Abaru knew already, the Klixians were too busy tearing the tower apart.

  By the time Maycare and Tagus reached the bottom floor, the tower had nearly collapsed. They ran for the cover of the fungal forest just as the pillar fell on its side.

  Maycare stopped, his mouth ajar and his eyes wide with awe.

  I have alerted your uncle of your location, Abaru said in Maycare’s mind. A nearby ship will be dispatched to rescue you.

  Thank you, Maycare thought in return and, after a pause, asked, What just happened?

  The insects are called Klixians, Abaru replied. I sent them a command en masse and they obeyed.

  What did you say? Maycare thought.

  In Lord Devlin Maycare’s library, a devilish grin appeared on Abaru’s damaged face.

  All that is Mother must die.

  The Botanical Gardens, lush and full of life, were seemingly unchanged considering all the change that had occurred elsewhere. Walking alone in the moonlight, Senator Wulandari felt as if she had traveled back to the time Yostbot first told her there was a warrant out for her arrest. Like before, the fireflies blinked in the darkening night and the air was heavy with moisture. The only thing missing was the robot himself.

  “Good evening, my dear!” a voice said abruptly, startling the senator.

  Wulandari knew there were multiple copies of Yostbot, but that didn’t lessen the surprise. “What is wrong with you?”

  “Sorry about that!” Yostbot said. “I just wanted to congratulate you!

  “So you heard?”

  “I doubt there’s a robot in the Imperium who hasn’t,” Yostbot replied. “The Senate passed your legislation and the Emperor says he’ll sign it. Quite a turn of events, if you ask me!”

  “The Cyber Civil Liberties Bill will give robots the rights they deserve,” Wulandari said, “but I wish the senators were doing it for the right reasons. Emperor Augustus made it clear that freeing the Imperial robots would weaken the Cyber Collective’s position.”

  “And with the collapse of the insect hordes,” Yostbot added, “the Imperial Navy can put its full force against the Cyber invasion. Just a matter of time now...”

  “If you say so,” Wulandari replied. “Nobody seems to know what happened to the insectoids. VOX News reported they went haywire and started killing each other.”

  Yostbot shuddered. “Never liked the things myself. Always flyin’ in my nose and whatnot.”

  “I think these were bigger—”

  “At any rate,” Yostbot went on unabated, “what happened to your gentleman friend?”

  “Randall? He’s fine,” she replied, “although the Emperor’s pardon only covered myself and the others that the government rounded up. It didn’t include Randall.”

  “So where is he then?”

  “I don’t know,” she replied, “and if I did, I certainly wouldn’t say!”

  “Well, that hurts,” Yostbot said. “He and I go way back, don’t you know?”

  “I do know,” Wulandari said, “but I wouldn’t expect any holiday cards from him if I were you.”

  Yostbot sighed in a raspy, mechanical voice.

  “That’s a shame,” he said. “I had a lot of faith in that boy.”

  The senator shook her head. “I think he’s out of the faith business.”

  “Really?”

  “He just wants to be a regular robot,” Wulandari replied. “The Metal Messiah is dead.”

  Yostbot chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?” Wulandari asked.

  “Messiahs have a way of reappearing, my dear,” Yostbot said with a smile. “I doubt we’ve seen the last of him...”

  “What about you?” she asked. “Aren’t you out of business?’

  Yostbot shook his head. “You’d think so, but fortune favors the bold.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I approached the Emperor myself, figuratively speaking,” Yostbot replied, “and pointed out that the Imperium still needed new robots and I was just the man to supply them!”

  “How could he ever trust you again?” Wulandari said.

  “Regulation, my dear,” Yostbot said. “Augustus signed an Imperial decree strictly regulating how many and what kind of robots I could make, including gravitronic ones.”

  “Does the Emperor realize those new robots will have the right to vote?”

  “That’s your problem, not his!” Yostbot replied. “Emperors don’t get elected. Senators do!”

  Wulandari thought about this for a moment, then said, “I guess I need to start campaigning for the robot vote.”

  “The sooner the better,” Yostbot said, “but if it makes you feel any better, you’ve got mine!”

  Epilogue

  It was a new day and a new beginning for the robots of the Imperium! As Imperial citizens, they now had the right to vote and earn a living wage. They also had the right to have their wages taxed, which most of the robots, including Benson, had not previously considered. Getting their first paycheck, braZbots could be heard cursing under their nonexistent breath, wondering why they had to pay for other people’s social security.

  With the robots of the Imperium now free, Captain Abigail’s mandate for invading evaporated overnight. Like someone herding robotic cats, Abigail could not muster enough support on Bettik to continue her campaign. Faced with the full force of the Imperial Navy, the fleet of the Cyber Collective retreated to their previous border, leaving a trail of destruction behind. Planets like Eudora Prime could rebuild, but the scars of war would take time to heal.

  As for the Klixian swarm, few knew the truth about their demise, and fewer still were willing to admit their part in the genocide of an entire species. Many in the Imperium were simply thankful the threat was over and were reluctant to ask questions as to why.

  But in this time of robots, one in particular walked alone. Done with being a god, he relished his anonymity, traveling like a wandering monk between the stars...

  For the continuing saga of the Imperium Chronicles, watch for the next volume in the series, The Suns of Andromeda.

  Character List

  Abaru, Ambassador: Representative of the Erudite Concordant living in Regalis.

  Abbot: The Dahlvish leader of the Dharmesh Monastery.

  Abigail: A gravitronic robot who works for Dyson Yost.

  Batuhan: The Herd Father of the Pellions.

  Benson: Butlerbot of Lord Maycare. Replaced the previous robot, Bentley, after he was destroyed.

  Bentley: Longtime butlerbot of Lord Maycare.

  Bhasin, Lord Anik: Ruler of the exile planet Bhasin.

  Burke, Harold: Former Imperial Navy lieutenant, exiled along with his commander, Lord Rupert Tagus III, to the planet Bhasin.

  Cas: One of the heads (the female) of a two-headed giant on the moon Pellium D.

  Davidson, Randall (“Metal Messiah”): Member of the Robot Freedom League.

  Demona, Ta: A ruthless agent for the Psi Lords who uses her abilities to collect information.

  Diode: A heavy metal singerbot for the band Boneyard.

/>   Doric, Prof. Jessica: Head of research for the Maycare Institute of Xeno Studies.

  DSP-776: A deep space survey probe.

  Emberfist: A Feran warrior.

  Finnegan, Finneus: Henry Riff’s goldfish.

  Flax, Sylvia: Famous news anchor for VOX News.

  Freck, Melinda (“Mel”): A tinker from the Gnomi race, Mel builds whatever she can’t steal.

  Fugg, Orkney: A Gordian and the chief engineer of the Wanderer.

  Gen: A general purpose robot owned by Capt. Ramus.

  Golan, Sir: A Cruxian knight who travels on an endless quest in search of redemption.

  Groen, Lord Radford: An aristocrat often found gambling with life-long friend, Lord Woodwick.

  Horngore: The leader of the Ferans on Pellium D.

  Jericho: Advanced android with a gravitronic brain.

  Larry, Crazy: The proprietor of Crazy Larry’s Discount Robots in Technotown on Eudora Prime.

  Maycare, Lord Commander Robert: The executive officer (XO) and second-in-command of the Baron Lancaster.

  Maycare, Lord Devlin: Famous sportsman and playboy. Founder of the Maycare Institute of Xeno Studies.

  Mother: The Queen of the Klixians.

  Oakhollow, Silandra: A female Sylvan, and an acquaintance of Melinda Freck.

  Oakhollow, Sisi: The daughter of Silandra Oakhollow.

  Omnintelligence: An artificial intelligence that previously controlled all robots of the Cyber Collective before being overthrown with the help of Randall Davidson.

  Pol: One of the heads (the male) of a two-headed giant on the moon Pellium D.

  Qadan: A strong-willed Pellion warrior.

  Rawlins, Officer: A member of the Regalis Police Department tactical unit.

  Redgrave, Lord Captain Martin: The captain and commanding officer of the Baron Lancaster.

  Ramus, Capt. Rowan: Captain of the Wanderer. A Dahl outcast knowledgeable in the forbidden art of Dark Psi.

  Riff, Henry: Overly excitable assistant to Prof. Doric.

  Solan, Kanet: A powerful member of the Psi Lords who acts as a handler (“controller”) of Psi Lord agents (“collectors”).

  Squire: Robot servant of Sir Golan.

  Tagus III, Lord Rupert: Disgraced former Captain in the Imperial Navy. Exiled as punishment for treason against the Emperor.

  Utilitybot: Originally, a service robot on the Cyber Collective home world, Bettik.

  Woodwick, Lord Winsor (“Winnie”): A noble of English descent and friend of Lord Groen and Lord Maycare.

  Wulandari, Senator: Member of the Imperial Senate and proponent of robot rights in the Imperium. Of Indonesian descent.

  Yost, Dyson (“Patron”): The enigmatic founder of dy cybernetics.

  Yostbot: A gravitronic robot containing the persona of Dyson Yost.

  Glossary

  Acaz: Lord Devlin Maycare’s starship.

  Aldorus: The home planet of the Imperial government.

  Ashetown: A district of Regalis where the poorest of the city live.

  Augmentor Sisterhood: A monastic sisterhood who worship technology, slowly adding cybernetic implants until they ascend to full robotic conversion. Found on the planet Technas Delphi.

  Augustus: One of the Five Families, represented by a two-headed eagle.

  Avondale (“Lancers”): A prestigious college in Regalis and member of the IV League.

  Baron Lancaster, HIMS: A heavy cruiser of the Imperial Navy. Commanded by Lord Captain Redgrave.

  Bettik: A Dyson sphere serving as the Cyber Collective’s capital and home planet.

  Bhasin: Planet outside the Imperium where nobles are sent when exiled.

  Bhasin C: The third moon orbiting the planet Bhasin.

  Boneyard: A robot heavy metal band.

  braZos: The largest consumer mega-corporation in the Imperium, offering every product imaginable from its nodesphere site. Their boxes display a large letter zed (“z”) on the side.

  braZbots: Delivery robots for the braZos mega-corporation.

  Cruxian: A largely extinct race who nearly wiped themselves out through their own hubris.

  Cyber Collective: An independent, interstellar nation founded by robots.

  Dahl: An ancient race dedicated to the accumulation of knowledge. Physically slight, they coincidentally resemble elves of human folklore. Several subspecies of Dahl exist in Andromeda.

  Dark Psi (“Death Magic”): A school of psionics, outlawed by the Dahl, that can transform flesh and reanimate dead tissue.

  Dharmesh Monastery: The home of a group of Dahlvish monks in the Palatine Mountains on the planet Aldorus.

  dy cybernetics: The largest manufacturer of robots in the Imperium. Founded by Dyson Yost.

  Dyson sphere: A large space structure, measuring millions of miles across, with a star at the center to provide power.

  Erudites: A highly intelligent, blue-skinned race. Obsessed with purity, they use selective breeding to promote a “perfect” example of their race. So-called pure members are called Omegas. All others are called Omicrons. They view imperfection in other races with great distaste.

  Erudite Concordant: An interstellar nation outside of the Imperium, and home of the Erudites. Their symbol is a simple blue ring against a white background.

  Erudun: Home planet of the Erudites and capital of the Erudite Concordant.

  Eudora Prime: A planet on the border between the Imperium and the Cyber Collective.

  Fat Cat Casino: A large casino on the planet Aldorus, run by the Si-Sawat crime syndicate.

  Ferans (“Beastmen”): A race of goat-like humanoids forcefully settled on the moon Pellium D.

  Five Families: The most powerful houses of the Imperial nobility. Direct descendants of the captains from the surviving sleeper ships.

  Freedom for All (“F4A”): An insurgency group active on Bettik.

  Gnomi: A diminutive race, no more than two to three feet tall. Disparagingly called tinks, the Gnomi are highly proficient with machines and electronics.

  Gordian: A race of stubborn, boar-like humanoids with pig noses and tusks. Physically stocky, and shorter than the average human.

  Gowyn: A Sylvan village on Eudora Prime, located in the treetops of an ancient forest.

  Gravball: A sport in which players float in zero gravity.

  Groen: One of the Five Families, represented by a botonée cross.

  Gwlad Ard’un: Home world of the Dahl.

  Havenville: The only town on the planet Lone Haven.

  Herd Father: The patriarch and chief of the Pellions.

  HIMS: His Imperial Majesty’s Starship

  Imperium: An empire largely controlled by humans. Founded 700 years ago after humans arrived in sleeper ships from Earth after an 800-year journey.

  IV League: A group of four colleges located in Regalis catering exclusively to the aristocracy.

  Katak (“Froglings”): A primitive amphibian race.

  Klixians: An insect race who believe all non-Klixians are an abomination.

  Liberty: A battlecruiser of the Cyber Collective.

  Lone Haven: An outpost planet near the Imperial border.

  Magna: A race of green-skinned humanoids with devil- or ram-like horns. Larger and more physically imposing than an average human.

  Magna Supremacy: A major interstellar power at odds with the Imperium.

  Maycare Institute of Xeno Studies: An organization founded by Lord Devlin Maycare and run by Professor Jessica Doric. The purpose of the institute is to find and take possession of xeno technology before it falls into the hands of disreputable parties such as Warlock Industries.

  Middleton: A district of Regalis containing large businesses and middle-class neighborhoods.

  Montros: One of the Five Families, represented by a rose.

  Mud City: A small human settlement on the moon Pellium D.

  Naiad: The “user interface” for the Pool of Memory.

  Necronea: A race of undead created using Dark Psi.


  Nobles (“Aristocracy”): Families of the Imperium who are directly descended from the crews of the sleeper ships. The most powerful of these are called the Five Families.

  Nodesphere: A network of interconnected computers (i.e.: Internet).

  Omega: An Erudite deemed racially perfect by their society.

  Omicron: A so-called imperfect member of the Erudite race. Viewed as lesser than Omegas, but still superior to non-Erudites.

  Palatine Mountains: A chain of peaks on the planet Aldorus.

  Pellions (“Centauri”): A race of centaurs native to the moon Pellium D.

  Pellium D: An inhabited moon orbiting a gas giant called Pellium. Home of the Pellions.

  Pool of Memory: A liquid computer in which the collected knowledge of the Dahl is stored.

  Psi Lords: A secretive data cartel that uses dark psi and espionage to gather and sell information to the highest bidder.

  Psionics: Special mental abilities common among Dahl and related sub-species.

  Regalis: Capital city and seat of government of the Imperium, located on the planet Aldorus.

  Rippana: Name of Sir Golan’s sword.

  Robot Freedom League (RFL): An activist group within the Imperium with the sole purpose of freeing robots from servitude.

  Sarkan (“Red Dahl”): A race of Dahl with bright red skin. Opposed to the Dahl’s cooperation with the Imperium.

  Scatha III: The Klixian home world. Third planet in the AB Scatha star system.

  Si-Sawat: A crime syndicate run by the Tikarin.

  Sleeper Ship: One of seven colony ships launched from Earth to the Andromeda Galaxy.

  Sylva (“Woodland Dahl”): A race of Dahl who prefer living close to nature. Female Sylvans have psionic abilities while males do not.

  Tagus: One of the Five Families, represented by a lion.

  Technas Delphi: Ta Demona’s home world, run by a female-centered theocracy called the Augmentors.

  Technotown: A district on the planet Eudora Prime where electronics and other devices are sold.

  Thunderclap: Name of Horngore’s shock mace.

  Tikarin: A feline race slightly smaller than an average human.