Death Dance

by Jack McKinney

  "We must inform the Regent of this at once."

  "And say what?"

  "That we have found Zor!"

  It had taken Jack all the inner strength he could muster to keep from tearing down into that basin orchard with guns blazing...He had heard the explosion that dropped the first Scout ship, and had scrambled up to the top of the crater rim like a mountain goat on

  amphetamines. Weapon fire, follow-up blasts...by the time he got there, Rick and the others were surrounded by Invid soldiers-more than even he wanted to go up against. Lisa was down, Rick bending over her. Kami, Rem, Karen! He had located a safe vantage point and watched as his friends were led off to the hive; then a short time later they had reappeared at the dome's tunnellike entrance, this time stripped of their transpirators. For some reason he had felt compelled to time their exposure, sitting there powerless and near crazed while the chronometer display counted off the minutes, five heart-stopping minutes! He had run for the place where they had stashed the cycs, found his way back to the trails they had cut in predawn light, reentered the village...all the while expecting Shock Troopers to emerge from the ground, Hellcats or Robo-automata to leap on him from the treetops. Pursued by nightmares...

  Jack was just now finishing his hurried and breathless recap, sitting cross-legged in the village longhouse and sucking nutrient through a tube while the chief and some of the Sentinels watched him.

  "We've gotta spring them," he said at last, his thirst slaked. "Right away, before they're moved."

  The chief spoke to a member of the tribe; the male Garudan nodded his head a few times and took off in a rush. "He has been instructed to pass the word," the chief explained. "We will be alerted if and when they are moved."

  Learna was beside herself, her neck fur on end. She had tried time and time again to Send herself to the hive, but each of her attempts had ended in failure. "Kami will die inside the hive. He must be returned to Garuda's air."

  "He wasn't brought out with the rest of them," Jack told her, then turned to Cabell. "How long is too long?"

  The old man made as if to stroke his beard under the suit. "I can't answer you, Jack. Tirol sent the Zentraedi here, the clones...I believe Rem and I are the first Tiresians to set foot on Garuda since Zor himself landed here."

  "Can't you even estimate it?" Jack pressed him.

  Cabell saw Jack's frustration and concern. "I don't imagine anything less than fifteen minutes would prove fatal." He was relieved to see Jack relax some.

  "But why would they do that-why not just kill them, Wise One?" Gnea thought to ask.

  The chief shrugged his powerful shoulders. "To torture them, perhaps to see if they could learn anything from their thoughts."

  "All right," Max broke in, "suppose we wait till dusk. Your people will be heading back to the camps by then, right?"

  Learna and the chief nodded, uncertain.

  "We stage a diversionary raid on one of the other hives. Try to draw off as many of their mecha as we can. At the same time, a rescue team goes in."

  "Agreed," Jack said, and some of the others joined him in voicing their support.

  "I don't know," Cabell objected when everyone had quieted down. "It's risky. Those hives are much more complex than they appear."

  "Well, of course it's risky," Jack argued, "but I don't see that we have any choice. What are we supposed to do-walk up and knock on the door? Uh, excuse me, but we were wondering if you might be willing to return our teammates-"

  "There is an easier way to get them back."

  Jack swung around to see who had interrupted him. When he saw it was Burak he fell silent, along with almost everyone else. The Perytonian had become something of an invisible being since the attempted mutiny, and to hear him suddenly speak, much less offer an opinion, was something of an event.

  "You are forgetting our race in the hold," Burak said to the group's collective puzzlement.

  "You mean 'ace in the hole,'" Jack corrected him.

  "Whatever-"

  "Tesla," Cabell exclaimed.

  The devil from Peryton nodded.

  "A hostage exchange?" Max asked.

  Burak grinned beneath his mask. "Something like that."

  On Optera, the Regent's servant reported only that five Sentinels had been captured on Garuda; he knew better than to steal the scientists' thunder. The Regent was relaxing in his sterile nutrient bath when the communiqu?was received, having discovered that he could essentially guarantee messages merely by setting foot in the Olympic-size tub. Anxious for some news of Tesla, or information regarding the next destination of the

  Sentinels, he had spent the better part of a week in the bath, waiting. Now he practically ran to the throne room, sashing his robe as he approached the communicator sphere.

  "Five Sentinels," he said out of breath. "Which ones?" "A Garudan, three Humans, and...a Tiresian." The Regent was pleased to learn that he had correctly anticipated the Sentinels' destination. He had passed the word to all his lieutenants that their troops be placed on alert. But it was captives he was after this time, not body counts, and no mention was to be made of his supposed assassination. With captives in hand, he hoped to learn whether or not Tesla had been acting alone, or in league with the rebels.

  "A Tiresian you say."

  "Yes, my liege. We have him here with us now." The Regent peered at the terror-stricken face centered in the sphere's image, and brought his hand to his snout in a gesture of contemplation. "This one looks...familiar somehow."

  "Well he should, Your Highness," the master scientist said as Rem's image de-rezzed. "We subjected the three Humans and the Tiresian to Garuda's atmosphere in an effort to extract the data you requested."

  "And?" the Regent replied anxiously. "Did you discover the location of the Humans' homeworld-this Earth!"

  "No. However, we may have a clue as to the whereabouts of the matrix," the scientist was quick to add. "My lord, allow us to screen for your pleasure the results of the Tiresian's exposure."

  The Regent scowled at the sphere. "Do not bore me with details," he cautioned.

  "You will find this anything but boring," the scientist told him.

  The Regent viewed the playback for a moment, then staggered backward, collapsing into his high-backed throne. He sat agape, a defeated husband watching tapes of his wife...the seduction, the transgression, the cruel aftermath, all captured in graphic detail. That face, that face...

  "How?" the Regent finally managed. "How is this possible? He is dead." Or is he? the Regent suddenly asked himself. Could he have been duped all these years into thinking Zor dead, when in fact...No, he thought. Zor was dead. But what then was the origin of these images? A simulagent, perhaps, like the very one he had created to take his place at the summit-

  "We know Zor is dead," the scientist was saying. "But somehow his memory lives on in this one-a clone, we suspect."

  The Regent came bolt upright in the chair. "The matrix!"

  "Precisely."

  "He must be sent to Optera at once!"

  The scientist inclined his head some. "Of course, my lord. But would it not be best to take advantage of Garuda's proximity to Haydon IV? May I remind Your Highness of the devices there that are far superior-"

  "Yes, yes. See that it is arranged. I will leave immediately," the Regent added, already on his feet.

  "There is one small detail, however..."

  "What?"

  "We have learned that the Regis is there."

  "On Haydon IV?!"

  "Yes, my lord. Should we wait until she leaves before transporting the clone?"

  The Regent started to agree, but bit off his words. Why not let her see the clone? he asked himself. Why not let her look once more upon Zor's face, into his very thoughts and recollections? He laughed out loud. To be there, to see her face when the clone was presented...

  "No, you are not to wait," the Regent said shortly. "In fact, you are simply to say th
at you have a gift for her-a gift from her loving husband!"

  "I need to see Tesla at once," Burak told Janice as he stepped from the shuttle's ramp into the SDF-7's docking bay. Gnea and Max had ridden up with him, but they were already rushing off to meet with Wolff and Vince Grant.

  Janice thought she heard something akin to arrogance in the Perytonian's voice, but decided to leave it unchallenged. "Of course, Burak," she said, motioning for him to follow her.

  They didn't speak for the duration of the long walk to the cargo hold that had become Tesla's quarters; but short of the closed hatch Burak stopped and said, "Alone." The Perytonian positioned himself between Janice and the hatch.

  "Something I should know?" she risked.

  "You should know that he doesn't like you very much," Burak whispered back menacingly, gesturing over one shoulder with his two-thumbed hand.

  Janice laughed. "And we make such an adorable couple. Is it my looks or my personality?"

  Burak contorted his demon face for her benefit.

  "Keep doing that and your face is going to stay that way," she said, moving off.

  Burak snorted and entered the hold, pulling smuggled Fruits from his uniform and casually tossing them to Tesla, who was seated on an enormous crate.

  "What's this all about?" the Invid asked peevishly, as one of the mutant Fruits bounced off his snout.

  "I have good news," Burak announced, assuming a proud stance and allowing Tesla to regard him a moment. "You claim to be more evolved than the Regent. That means the scientists would recognize your greatness, does it not?"

  Tesla ducked his snout, looked around the hold like a felon, and motioned for Burak to keep his voice down. "Yes, certainly," he said. "But what does this have to do with anything?"

  Burak studied one of the Fruits. "Suppose I could arrange for an audience with the scientists here?"

  Tesla shot to his feet, horrified by the prospect. "You must-"

  "Hunter and a few of the others were captured," Burak quickly explained, gazing up at the Invid. "I suggested that we exchange you for them. That way-"

  "You what?"

  "That way you'll be able to assert your right to the throne-just as you...wanted...What's wrong?"

  Wearily, Tesla had reseated himself. "You fool," he muttered, shaking his hands. "You've just sealed my fate."

  "B-but..."

  "It's too soon, Burak, too soon. The Regis will send me to the pits." He glanced up. "The next time you see Tesla he'll be a maggot."

  Burak made a distressed sound, seeing his own dreams for Peryton go up in smoke; and just then Janice, Vince Grant, Gnea, and Lron burst into the hold. The amazon Praxian had an armed blaster in her hands.

  "Everybody ready?" Janice said brightly, looking back and forth between Burak and Tesla. Cautiously, Lron and Grant had moved in to shackle the Invid's wrists and place a prisoner bib around his neck.

  "All right, Invid, let's go," Gnea said, brandishing the weapon.

  Lron gave Tesla a light shove.

  Tesla looked down and caught Janice's smile.

  "Guess this is your lucky day," she told him.

  Jonathan Wolff sat on the bridge of the cruiser with his feet up on one of the duty-station consoles. He was alone for a change, Grant and most of the crew having rushed off for the ordnance bay. Well within reach, on the floor beside the command chair, was a bottle of Southlands brandy. It was almost empty.

  "To rescues," Wolff said now, toasting Garuda through the forward viewport and lifting the bottle to his lips. He gulped down half an inch and shuddered.

  The Hunters had gone and gotten themselves captured, along with Karen, Rem, and that Garudan-Kami. And Max or somebody figured they could swap them for Tesla, only Wolff didn't put much stock in it. Of course he hadn't said that to them-oh no, mustn't burst anyone's bubble, chin up and all that ancient rot. But that was what he felt. The Invid would go back on their word, maybe the Sentinels would go back on theirs, somebody would betray somebody else...he didn't need to be there to see it all go down.

  "So here's to betrayals," he said, and took another pull. "Minmei, you...meanie."

  Doubled over in laughter, Wolff swung his legs off the control panel. Yes, she was a meanie all right, telling him to take a walk, falling in love with his enemy. "Earth's enemy," Wolff emphasized. "Have to give the man his due." He drank again, staring blankly at the bottle when he lowered it, rocking back and forth.

  Without warning, a tone sounded on the bridge and nearly sent him out of his skin. He

  reached out for the com stud and slammed his fist down, missing it, but getting it on the third try.

  "Wolff," he said.

  "A small craft," one of the new crewmen reported. "Not much bigger than an Alpha. Transport, maybe."

  "Put it up," Wolff said, swinging to a monitor screen.

  "No can do, sir. Too far for visuals."

  "Is it within range?"

  "Just barely."

  "Armed?"

  "Negative, sir. But it launched from the sector where the Hunters are being held."

  Wolff contemplated the blip on the screen.

  "Let it go," he said. "The way things stand, what difference is one small ship going to make?"

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Unlike the Zentraedi, who had in a sense taught them everything they knew about warfare, the Invid were not above the idea of taking hostages. The reason for this can be traced back to the chaotic period following the defoliation of Optera by the Masters' newly created clone warriors. The Regent was convinced that Zor had stolen the Flowers of Life merely to offer them up in exchange for the Regis herself. Emulating the Tiresian then, the Regent had sent out his new army not to kill, but to capture Zor, in the hopes of holding him hostage for the return of the Flowers!

  Bloom Nesterflg, The Social Organization of the Invid

  "I just think we should talk this over first, that's all," Tesla told the assembled Sentinels, Bioroid pilots, and assorted members of Kami's tribe.

  He could see that the Garudans weren't exactly thrilled to have an Invid in their midst-particularly the Invid who had supervised the Regent's specimen mission some time ago-and he was beginning to wonder whether he would even make it out of the village alive, let alone into one of the farm-hives. Still, he reasoned, if he could come up with a

  better plan than the hostage exchange the Sentinels seemed to be favoring at the moment, he might be able to save himself from either fate.

  "After all," Tesla continued, undaunted, "it doesn't sound to me like you have this thing entirely worked out. The whens, the wheres, the hows...And for all I know, the Regent may have given orders for me to be shot on sight."

  This much was true, and as a result the group lapsed into an uneasy silence. They couldn't simply call the farm, nor could they just waltz in waving the proverbial white flag. But this was where Tesla was supposed to supply answers; and instead he was suddenly acting as though he couldn't bear to part company with his captors. In private Janice had told everyone to expect as much, although she had been vague about the reasons.

  "Then what the heck have we been keeping you around for all this time?" Jack shouted. "You're supposed to be our ace in the hole, not some hunk of dead weight."

  "Jack, I'm hurt, I'm really hurt," Tesla returned, trying to put emotion behind the words.

  The shuttle was back on the planet's surface now. Vince Grant was still aboard the SDF-7; but almost everyone else with the exception of Teal had shuttled down. Jean's team was in the process of erecting an atmosphere-controlled geodesic medical module on the outskirts of the village to house Rick and the others once they were freed. Veidt and Sarna had affirmed that five or even fifteen minutes' exposure to Garuda's atmosphere wouldn't prove lethal; but at the same time the danger to Rick and the others was increasing with each moment they were kept from proper treatment. Just what constituted "proper" treatment had yet to be determined; and Veidt ref
used to speculate until the Humans were rescued and run through a battery of tests.

  Burak was sorry he had opened his mouth, but there was nothing he could do to change things. Besides, Tesla was giving it his best shot and might yet convince the Sentinels to adopt a different course of action.

  "Let's hear it, if you've got a better plan," Miriya Sterling was saying.