Imperium Chronicles Box Set

by W. H. Mitchell

  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.

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

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

  Flesh Golem: A mass of dead flesh reanimated into an undead monster by Dark Psi.

  Fortunas IV: A distant planet of the Imperium known for its expansive bazaar and nightlife, including a disco called the Funky Town and the gentlemen’s club, The Pink Persian.

  Funky Town: A dance club on Fortunas IV where Funkmeister Rik works.

  Ghuls: A race of humanoid creatures that live mostly underground near graveyards and cemeteries. Sometimes known to eat humans and other races.

  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, but shorter than the average human.

  Gowyn: A Sylvan town located in the treetops of an ancient forest.

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

  Grimoire: An ancient book containing incantations of Dark Psi.

  Grunka: A foul, amphibian creature found on jungle planets. Also, most definitely not a cooking ingredient.

  High Dahlvish: The language of the Dahl and Sarkan (Red Dahl).

  HIMS: His Imperial Majesty’s Starship

  IDEA Furniture: A successful Imperial company selling DIY furniture and delicious meatballs.

  Isyium: A remote Talion planet attacked by the K’thonians.

  Imperial Standard: The common language of the Imperium, especially spoken by humans. It is also the name of the date standard used by the Imperium, starting with year zero when the Imperium was founded. For example, the Imperium Chronicles starts in the year 700 Imperial Standard, which is 700 years after the beginning of the empire.

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

  Isyium: A Talion planet recently attacked by the K’thonians.

  Jewel of Amann: A luxury starliner past its prime. Capable of only sublight travel between planets.

  Kamal Maut (“Death Lotus”): A terrifying creature evolved from fungi that can exhale a cloud of poisonous spores.

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

  Konpira Maru: A missing Parvulian freighter.

  K’thonians: A race of purple-skinned humanoids with squid-like features including large eyes and squirming tendrils above the mouth.

  Lokeren: A water planet featuring tropical archipelagos and the home of the Veber family estate.

  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.

  Marakata: The Draconian home world.

  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.

  Merope: One of the lost sleeper ships. Commanded by Captain Andre Santos.

  Metamind: A genetically altered human designed with enhanced psionic powers.

  Middleton: A district of Regalis inhabited by large businesses and, in general, middle-class neighborhoods.

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

  Necronea: A race of undead created using Dark Psi.

  Neosho: A water world outside explored space. Also, the birth place of the K’thonians.

  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.

  Null Cult: A religious group whose followers worship death and the Old Ones.

  Old Ones: Mythical creatures that existed before the universe was born.

  Oras Dracilor: Capital city of the Magna Supremacy on Diavol.

  Ougluk (“Hobgoblins”): A hulking race of slave traders in league with the Magna Supremacy and the Celadon Corsairs.

  Parvulians: Small, pink-skinned race that use mechanical walkers for locomotion and interaction with larger races.

  Pink Persian: A stripper bar on Fortunas IV frequented by Orkney Fugg.

  Pirate Clans: Groups of loosely organized marauders who attack shipping along the Imperial Frontier.

  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 Aldorus.

  Regalis Cup, The: Annual grav bike race that takes place above the Regalis River on 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, they assist the Magna Supremacy.

  Shadow Maidens: Female Dokk with psionic powers allowing them to hypnotize victims. The personal guard to each Blood Prince.

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

  Sporemen: A primitive fungal race.

  Sorcerer: Starship owned by Warlock Industries, often used by Oscar Skarlander.

  Starling: A starship owned by Magnus Black.

  Sterope: One of the lost sleeper ships. Commanded by Captain Sheba Nasri.

  Sucikhata: The largest Draconian city on Marakata.

  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.

  Talion Republic: Home of the Tals, allied with the Magna Supremacy.

  Tals: A reptilian race with orange scales and a ridge running along the top of their skulls.

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

  Transmat: A transportation device that dematerializes travelers in one location and then beams them to a new location where they are rematerialized.

  Veber: One of the Five Families, represented by a scallop shell.

  VOX News: A news organization with a near-monopoly share of the broadcast market throughout the Imperium.

  Wanderer: Freighter owned by Captain Ramus.

  Warlock Industries: A mega-corporation operating throughout the Imperium, specializing in military hardware, advanced technology, and genetic experimentation.

  West End: The richest district of Regalis. Also, the location of most Imperial government buildings.

  Xeno: A non-human.

  Xenotech: Alien, non-human technology.

  THE ROBOTS

  OF

  ANDROMEDA

  THE IMPERIUM CHRONICLES BOOK THREE

  W. H. MITCHELL

  Copyright © 2020 W. H. Mitchell

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles, book reviews, and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author at william_h_mi
tchell@outlook.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover design: Steven Novak

  Published by Willbot Books

  First edition, 2020

  Dedication

  To my wife, and my sister Judy, for helping me

  make my dream of Willbot Books a reality.

  Special thanks to Brad Snyder and

  Patron of the Arts, Judy Veatch.

  Additional thanks to my beta readers:

  Mary Hanover

  Ward Lenz

  A character list and glossary are located at the back of the book.

  Chapter One

  The life of a deep space survey probe was a lonely one. Traveling through yet another star system, methodically scanning and categorizing along the way, the solitary robot designated as DSP-776 collected data and transmitted it back homeward before continuing to the next star.

  The Imperial Star Catalog listed the current binary system as AB Scatha, a pair of red and white dwarf stars sharing an orbit in the void of space. The probe emerged from hyperspace close to the center of the system and, following programmed protocols, fulfilled its tasks one by one as it worked its way outward.

  While large for a drone, DSP-776 was small compared to most starships. Fuel and engines took up most of its mass, but the bow was dedicated to instrumentation. Sensors and cameras jutted from the nosecone, recording whatever objects were nearby, from chunks of rock to planets to abandoned wrecks of previous probes that met an untimely end.

  The life of a deep space probe was sometimes short.

  DSP-776 didn’t think about the dangers. Its programming gave it no choice. The probe’s purpose was its function and nothing more.

  Having chronicled a molten planetoid, a methane-rich planet and a sizable asteroid belt, DSP-776 reached the orbit of a larger planet, one with a nitrogen atmosphere. Taking a gander from high above the surface, the probe made sensor sweeps along the seemingly barren landscape. Although the readings suggested life could exist, nothing appeared among the jagged peaks and canyons draped in shadows.

  Something, however, caught DSP-776’s attention. Across an open plain, shapes rose from the otherwise empty ground. Directed by protocols, the probe descended to a lower orbit and made another pass around the planet. On DSP-776’s second flyover, it saw that the forms were monolithic towers, several stories high, with rounded edges.

  The probe broke orbit, entering the atmosphere to take a closer look.

  From out of the towers, objects came flying in a mass of tiny specks. The swarm turned its attention to the probe. This struck the limited deductive powers of the robot as odd, even threatening. Zooming in with its cameras, DSP-776 got a better look, including the individual parts of the swarm. Each speck was an insect with two sets of wings, beating rapidly in a blur of movement. Each insectoid had six legs, one pair of which held a long, rod-like device.

  This was when the shooting started.

  Rays of green light lanced toward the drone, passing near it into the sky. Although not designed for abrupt changes in direction, DSP-776 did its level best to change its direction abruptly. Tilting to one side, the probe fired its starboard thrusters in a long arcing turn away from the bolts of energy, but the beams drew closer, one of them slicing across the robot’s fuselage.

  Warning indicators registered in the probe’s software, triggering additional protocols such as increasing power to propulsion to avoid further damage. The latter failed immediately when another beam hit the probe, burning out a significant portion of its data core. Undaunted, DSP-776 continued turning, but forgot why it was doing so. When it came back around in a wide circle, the robot flew directly through a gauntlet of fire, severing many of its components, including the probe’s main engines. Without thrust and trailing a long cloud of smoke, the probe plummeted into the ground, erupting into a mushroom of fire.

  Lost and alone, what remained of DSP-776 lay scattered across the desolate scenery while the swarm that had destroyed it returned to the monoliths.

  Peacebot PB-A12 was bludgeoning a demonstrator with a hard rubber truncheon. The demonstrator was a Wulver, a canine race, but the robot didn’t know his name. Mostly the Wulver just made a series of whines and howls while PB-A12 continued beating him.

  The robot hadn’t always been a peacebot. Originally, when dy cybernetics first manufactured him, he was a killbot named KB-A12. His head lacked a face except for a bundle of sensors, all different sized, and a single red eye centered in the middle. The rest of his body was humanoid with the addition of a pair of extendable blades from his wrists. After a new, friendlier paint job of light blue instead of black, and some simple program changes, the killbot became a peacebot. They also replaced his blades with the truncheons he was currently using to beat the demonstrator.

  PB-A12 was not entirely sure why people were demonstrating, and his software did not require him to. However, he did remember hearing that two new royal houses had been announced, joining the other five families who ruled the Imperium, but apparently the heads of both houses had subsequently died under mysterious circumstances. One died from poisoning, along with the patriarch of another house, and the second allegedly killed himself but everyone said he was murdered because he opposed the Imperial tyranny. PB-A12 didn’t know if any of that was true, but he was keenly aware that he had been very busy beating people who thought it was. Due to the great work of the peacebots, most of these malcontents were now either locked up in prison or in hospitals recovering from their injuries.

  Of course, a few ended up dead, but these things happened sometimes during peacekeeping operations.

  The demonstrator, in a crouch with his arms shielding his furry face, was still alive and PB-A12 felt a certain pride in knowing how well the Wulver was taking his punishment. The peacebot could have let up a little, out of respect, but his programming did not allow it. Also, PB-A12 took pride in the punishment he was dealing out, so mercy was out of the question.

  Sadly, these interactions with people were growing less common. PB-A12 was well aware that the demonstrations were thinning and soon they might dry up entirely. On the other hand, the Imperium was a big place and conflicts were ever present. If worse came to worst, dy cybernetics and its CEO and founder, Dyson Yost, could always slap on a coat of black paint and replace the truncheons with blades again.

  PB-A12 could always go back to being a killbot.

  On a moon orbiting a gas giant, Sir Golan crested a low hill, followed close behind by his robot named Squire. Below them, a shallow stream curled its way along a wide plain of short grasses. Above the steppe, tinted by the blue of the moon’s atmosphere, the swirling clouds of the gas giant filled most of the sky.

  Sir Golan’s armor made little noise while he walked. The breast plate, greaves, and shoulders were carved in an intricate scrollwork, which matched the designs of the robot’s casing who lumbered at the knight’s heels. Sir Golan’s head was an olive green with bony projections around the jaw line. His hand rested on the hilt of a sword, secured in its scabbard on his belt.

  “Squire,” he said, “what was the name of this moon again? I’ve forgotten...”

  “Pellium D,” Squire replied, his voice slightly modulated by the age of his model. “My database states that it is the only inhabited, natural satellite around Pellium, the planet you see above us.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “It does have a certain rustic charm, Sir Golan. It is, however, somewhat lacking in public transportation...”

  “Are you complaining?” the green knight asked.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it, Sire.”

  Sir Golan chuckled, glancing at his robot. “We live to serve. That is our quest.”

  “Indeed,” Squire replied. “I’m sure the settlers we
helped back there were grateful for your assistance.”

  “It was nothing, once we found the ratlings’ nest...”

  “Rippana,” the robot said, referring to the knight’s sword, “sang beautifully as always.”

  Sir Golan drew Rippana in a fast, fluid motion. The daylight glinted off the blade and the lettering inscribed along its length. Admiring the weapon for a few moments, he smiled and returned the sword to its scabbard just as quickly.

  “We should proceed,” Sir Golan said. “It’s a long walk to the next village.”

  The light of the afternoon had begun to fade into dusk when Squire glimpsed a shape across a wide expanse of green. Surrounded by grass, the irregular mound, white as chalk, rose from the flatness around it like a jagged puzzle dumped in the middle of nowhere. Curious, Sir Golan and the robot approached cautiously.

  Getting closer, Sir Golan recognized a rough symmetry like a dome of interlocking parts. He felt foolish when he realized what he was actually looking at.

  “They’re antlers,” he said. “It’s an enormous pile of antlers.”

  Reaching the outer edges, the knight estimated there must be hundreds, if not thousands of horns laid out in an organized arrangement, reaching upwards at least twenty feet high.

  “It’s impressive,” Squire remarked. “Though an odd monument in such a remote place.”

  Sir Golan walked around the perimeter with Squire following dutifully.

  “The grass here is trampled,” the knight said. “Something with hooves...”

  A dull rumble rose in the air. Sir Golan turned his head in each direction while Squire simply rotated his own in a complete circle. The ground trembled like a heavy vehicle was thundering down a street. Sir Golan drew his sword, his legs slightly apart in a defensive posture. Pushing a button embedded in his left arm, Squire activated an energy shield, three feet tall and two feet wide. He peered through the translucent protection.