Ramus pointed his blaster. “Try anything, Abaru, and I’ll blow your damn head off.”
The stranger slowly removed the hood. His head, still attached for the moment, was horribly disfigured and a bright blue.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Abaru said.
“Are you sure about this?” Jessica asked Maycare, who nodded grimly.
“If it gets my nephew home safe,” he replied, “I’d make a deal with the devil.”
The Erudite’s nearly expressionless face turned towards him.
“Devils don’t normally come in blue,” he remarked.
“In my experience,” Maycare said, “they come in all kinds of colors...”
Abaru sat at the table while the others were huddled around, Ramus standing directly behind the Erudite’s back.
“I need you to find my nephew, Lord Commander Robert Maycare,” Devlin said.
Abaru studied the device before him on the table. “What does it do?”
“You can use it to hear people sing,” Henry said, cringing as the words left his mouth. “But you can use it for other stuff...”
“It’s a psionic device,” Jessica explained. “It should allow you to communicate over great distances, provided your powers are strong enough.”
“Let’s find out, shall we?” the Erudite replied.
Focusing his attention, Abaru stared at the beacon which began radiating with increasing brilliance. Shining like a golden sun, the artifact became hard for Henry to watch without shielding his eyes. A sensation swept through Henry’s mind like a ghost passing through him.
“Remember what I said,” Ramus warned, pressing the barrel of his blaster between the Erudite’s shoulder blades.
“Sorry,” Abaru said, smirking. “I couldn’t resist reading a few of you to gauge the device...”
“Concentrate on Commander Maycare,” Ramus said.
“If you insist,” Abaru replied and spent several minutes without saying another word.
Henry felt his heart beating harder. He started rubbing his hands together, the skin cold to the touch.
Jessica touched him at the elbow.
“It’ll be okay,” she said.
“I hope so,” he whispered.
After an agonizingly long time passed, the Erudite lifted his head.
“I found him,” he said quietly, “and a good deal more...”
Much like when he used his regular powers, Abaru was only aware of the people in the room at first, all except Captain Ramus who remained stubbornly shielded from the Erudite’s mind. As he grew more accustomed to the Dahlvish device, Abaru’s psi powers washed over him like a wave, each atom of water an individual thought in the universe.
He drank it in, unafraid of drowning.
Slowly, Abaru began sifting through the thoughts, searching for the mind of Commander Maycare. Whatever technology the Dahl had used to create the artifact made the process easier, although Abaru had no idea how it worked exactly. The fact that it worked at all was astounding, and he could not help but feel a tinge of jealousy at the level of Dahlvish ingenuity literally thousands of years old.
Oh, what my people could do with such tech! he thought ruefully, remembering that they were no longer his people. They had discarded him due to his disfigurement.
Refocusing, Abaru continued his search and eventually, like a far-off voice, heard the mind of the navy commander.
He was in trouble.
Through Maycare’s eyes, Abaru saw the commander and Lord Tagus running through a maze of tunnels, the walls like moist fungi. Fear and anger were on Maycare’s mind, and Tagus’ voice was in his ear.
“I’ll never forgive you!” Tagus said. “He’s dead because of you!”
“Burke sacrificed himself for both of us,” Maycare growled into the helmet mic.
“We never should have been in this position in the first place!”
“Shut up and keep running!”
Abaru reached into the commander’s mind and said, Can you hear me?
“Of course I can hear you!” Maycare replied aloud.
“What?” Tagus replied.
No, Commander Maycare, Abaru continued telepathically, I’m speaking to you through your mind.
Who the devil are you? Maycare thought.
My name is Abaru. I’m reaching you psionically on behalf of your uncle, Lord Devlin Maycare.
I’m going crazy, Commander Maycare thought.
You are quite sane, I assure you, Abaru replied. Your uncle is trying to rescue you.
Relief rushed across Maycare’s mind. Thank god! Does he have a ship in orbit?
I’m afraid not. In fact, we have no idea where you are.
I’m on Lone Haven, Maycare thought, but these bugs are on our heels. If my uncle isn’t in orbit, it’s too late. We’re dead for sure.
Through the commander’s eyes, Abaru watched as Maycare and Tagus took refuge inside a room, rolling a circular door made of fungus across the threshold. The sounds of insectoids clawing came loudly from the other side.
“That’s not going to hold them for long,” Maycare said out loud.
“I can’t believe the last thing I’ll see is your idiotic face,” Tagus replied.
If there’s anything you can do, Maycare’s thoughts shouted across the light years of space, do it!
Are you sure? Abaru replied.
Whatever it takes!
Very well...
Abaru invaded the minds of the insectoids outside the door. They called themselves Klixians, but these were little more than drones taking their directions from someone else. The Erudite stretched further, in ever increasing circles, searching for the source of who led them. Distance made no difference and in time Abaru sensed someone powerful in a ship resembling a cocoon. The Queen of the Klixians lay in her royal chamber, surrounded by servants as she produced her young. She was godlike in her control of her children. They would do anything she ordered.
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.
Imperium Chronicles Box Set Page 82
