Alien Enigma (22 page)

"Holy shit," said Jergens. "That's shouldn't be possible!"

The words were no more out of his mouth than banging, crashing noises began coming from behind them where the other robots were strapped to dollies. He turned and his mouth fell open, gaping like a fresh hooked tuna.

"They're trying to break loose!" Harriette screamed. She rushed to close the hatch. Jergens broke from his startled amazement and ran to help. They barely made it. By the time he and Harriette got it shut and he was dogging the lock, the two unhurt robots had broken free of their straps and were beating at the hatch, trying to break it down.

"Whew!" Jergens blew out a breath. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Harriette said, "but we've got to go tell the Captain about this!"

"We'd better get engineering down here first with some explosives and weapons in case they manage to break out."

"I don't see how they could, but it damn sure wouldn't hurt, Fred!"

***

"You said this was urgent, Lieutenant, but make it quick. We've got a battle to fight."

"Yes, sir. Captain, we just discovered some odd readings regarding the smaller class of robots found on Sleepy," Jergens said.

"Really? What?"

"Well, first off when we were imaging what we believe to be the CPU, we found that its design is different than our computers. It uses three states for its logic code rather than the two binary states we use for our computers. It's called ternary computing, and it's in its early stages on Earth-but it's very powerful. The robot CPU somehow manages this with molecular circuitry which is much finer and more compact than ours, enabling it to perform far more elaborate and intricate tasking. That's not too important but during the imaging it also appeared to be trying to connect to a central command module. There was some kind of hierarchy code as if it and other robots of its type were subservient to a controlling entity of some sort. At the same time it appeared to be seeking any secondary source of data. We think."

"You're a little beyond my knowledge base here. Tell me what it means in practical terms.

"For one thing, I'd be hesitant about using
Eve
to explore its CPU," Harriette said.

"Why?"

"Because while we were doing the MRI and discovered those signals, the other robots in the next room began going berserk." Seeing the alarmed expression on the Captain's face, he hurried to calm him. "Don't worry, sir. We've got them well-secured and we also called Engineering and told the officer what had happened. He sent some marines with explosives and weapons to watch the closed room, just in case."

"That was smart thinking. Listen, I-"

"Captain!"

"What now? Who-" And then he recognized the man who had burst into the control room as one of the biologists. "Doctor Bergins? What's wrong?"

"The Worms we were holding for questioning suddenly went berserk while we were examining them! They killed one of my assistants and hurt two others. We had to destroy them."

Keane frowned. He didn't notice Jergens and Harriette doing the same. "What time did it happen?"

The doctor looked at his thumb. "About twenty minutes ago."

Jergens spoke up before the Captain could ask. "That's when the robots began sending those odd signals, sir. But the events couldn't be connected. We were in a shielded room!"

"Fred." Harriette said in a very low, contrite voice.

"Huh?"

"We left the door open to the room where the other robots were secured.
It
wasn't completely shielded."

"Oh. Sorry Captain. It was my damned error." Jergens countenance was even more subdued than Harriette's.

"Everything is safe now?"

"Absolutely, Captain!" Jergens said. "But before we go any further we need to compartmentalize the robot that signaled, just to be damned certain it can't interface with
Eve
. I don't think I have to tell you what that could mean."

"No, you don't. Maintain all necessary safety precautions. If you get to the point you have to use an interface, isolate one of
Eve's
backups and use it. Just make damn certain it's cut off from all other connections!"

"Understood, Captain," both said at once.

"Fine. We'll talk later. Dismissed."

***

On hanger deck, a full company of marines were being loaded into two of the assault shuttles. Technicians busied themselves around the shuttles as they loaded, and also around the other two backup shuttles, making sure they were ready if needed.

"And here we go again," Bullet said, hiding his nervousness from everyone except Barbara. She winked at him, knowing he was feeling the same butterflies that were tickling her insides. A few minutes before, their Platoon Sergeant had relayed the news that they might face the armed might of a fully completed city.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"Nope. Just wondering if we have enough ammo."

"Don't worry. Good ol'
Doc Travis
will make up for any short fall."

"And a good dose of heavy metal from the rail guns will make any Worm say 'calf rope'."

"Say what?"

"Calf Rope. You never heard of that?"

"No," Barbara admitted, wondering if Dan was playing with her to work off a case of nerves.

"Old western saying. It means 'do you give up'?"

"Okay. Just so long as
they
know what it means."

"Less chatter there. Keep moving," Sgt. Martinez broke in.

Both turned to stare at the back of the neck of the marine in front of them as they moved into the bowels of the shuttle.

***

"Major Cantrell reporting," Cindy announced.

"Sign in," Keane said. "Commander Mundahan is waiting on you." He followed the words with a smile to tell her she wasn't late.

She logged in and hurried over to the weapons alcove. Mundahan already had a screen activated and ready for her. It was zeroed in on the alien city, still thousands of kilometers away. The planet's rotation was slowly, to appearances, moving the city toward one edge of the view. It didn't bother her. She knew that Keane would have the ship following the city, not the planet, even if it meant using extra power.

Keane gazed intently at a visual of the Beta system alien metropolis. The image was much crisper than the earlier renditions. "Tell me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this city look different than the old images of Xanadu?" He raised an inquiring brow at his officers.

"Yes it does Captain. The city, although basically the same overall size, has fewer spires and domes, but more of the cube-shaped buildings. None of the images of Xanadu were taken from close enough to show the inhabitants so we can't make that kind of comparison, and we're not close enough anyway," Commander Mundahan said.

"Is it finished, and do you see any of those pulsar weapons?" asked Keane.

"This city appears to be finished, or near enough that I can't tell the difference from here. I don't see any weapons though, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. We can't pick up much detail."

"Anything going on yet?" Cindy asked.

"Nothing yet. We've detected mining operations, same as last time but more extensive. There are about the same number of mining transport ships but they're all grounded so far as we can tell. We've still got a contact protocol going out in a repeating pattern. It doesn't seem as if the Worms are listening, though."

Keane ordered the ship to get in closer and maintain an orbit that kept the city in view, altering speed to maintain their position. As time progressed and they closed in, Keane felt tension beginning to mount, slowly at first, but as no reply came to the contact protocol, or any indication that the Worms were even paying attention, it rose more quickly. As the
Doc Travis
used its gravity drive to maintain position over the city, he made sure that it was offset by forty-five degrees from the city's center, slightly touching the planet's outer atmosphere, about eight hundred kilometers up. He remembered how the energy beam had come from the heart of the unfinished city near the agricultural area and wanted no part of that experience again. However, he couldn't hold the ship in that position forever. A decision would have to be made soon. He decided on a reconnaissance in force, using the two marine shuttles already loaded and having one of them enter the city's edge while the other kept position farther back in order to give support if the first was fired on.

"Just maintain a good escape route, Steel," he told the Marine commander over the com. "If you have to break off, try for a good separation so we can help you."

"Will do, sir," Rambling replied in a voice that sounded somewhat testy. Keane guessed it was from him giving a ground officer instruction on how to deploy his troops. It didn't bother him. He wanted to be absolutely certain they were on the same page and that took priority over any possible hurt feelings.

A few minutes later the ship shook twice from the launch of the assault shuttles. As soon as they were free, Keane ordered the ship down to a lower altitude, lowering it cautiously and staying well clear of the estimated range of the Worm energy beam as calculated from the previous encounter. It seemed to work because the ship was left alone, at least for the present.

***

"Alright, you've got your assignments," Sgt. Martinez said to his 1st platoon. "We're going in immediately behind the 2nd Platoon. Third and Headquarters and weapons will be right behind us in the covering shuttle. Third is in reserve and will remain on the shuttle until needed."

Martinez put a stimstick into his mouth and chewed, savoring the slight adrenaline rush. "We're landing right on the edge of the city wall, which isn't much of a barrier-unless you're a midget." He paused for the inevitable chuckles. "It's only a meter and a half high everywhere. No need for explosives to make a hole. We'll just go right over it. Once deployed we follow the second, which will be headed toward the center of the city, half on the main drag and the other half flanking. We'll follow the same pattern. This is a reconnaissance in force, designed to find out what the hell gives with the fucking Worms.

"Now for all you trigger happy boys and girls, there will be no shooting unless and until you're fired on. We're still hoping we can get in, find the human captives and rescue them then get out. Anything beyond that is up to the CO and the Ship Captain.

"Tighten up your harnesses. We'll be down in three minutes." Martinez knew he didn't have to give instructions all over again but it never hurt. Personally, after seeing and talking to the poor bastards who had been used as slaves for so long, he sort of hoped the Worms resisted, no matter how fucking many of them there were.

***

"Marines are landed and near the city's perimeter, three clicks out, sir. There was a scattering of defensive fire as the shuttles were landing but no casualties," Cindy reported. She had a com directly to the marine commander on the ground and to each of the platoons of both companies. She was relaying information from the marines to Keane. "Every Worm sighted outside the city has run. No word yet on whether they're congregating to fight or just scared.

"Some of them appear to be going underground. Echolocation indicates tunnels extending all the way out to edge of the city. Closer to the center they're so deep we can't properly range them." Her countenance took on the blank look of someone listening to an ear bug for a moment then she continued. "Major Rambling has halted for the time being in order to send recon teams in and situate snipers to protect them. He thinks there's more Worms here than the last place."

***

Zembra found herself a perfect sniper's spot, halfway up a many-trunked tree in a position where they broke into even more branches. There she found a little alcove with a great place to rest her heavy rifle, yet pretty well concealed and with a good view into the city. Hell, she thought she might even be outside the range of the Worm hand weapons, although the ones used by the robots were a bit heavier and presumably were effective farther out. At any rate, she couldn't beat the spot. Easy way down, too, if the situation turned to shit and she had to run.

She adjusted her position slightly for comfort and waited, patiently, as all snipers did. She followed the two recon teams with wide scan binoculars while frequently flipping back to center her rifle's scope on the area in front of each. It took practice but she'd trained in simulated urban combat, on the range, and had many hours of simulated fights behind her, as well as the combat on the last planet inhabited by Worms and robots. She felt no tenseness, only a slight bit of excitement. Presently she saw, well ahead of the teams, a steady stream of Worms emerging from the bowels of one of the dome buildings. Robots were mixed with them. Her finger curled around the trigger of her rifle but she waited. No order to fire on them had been given yet although she knew the recon teams must know they were there.

***

"Get ready, June," Cindy said quietly to the weapons officer. "I think you're going to be needed soon. Coordinates E-7 and E-8."

"Got it. What will you need?"

"One shot with the plasma cannon to begin with. But wait. Major Rambling is trying to get his recon teams back, first."

***

"Jones and Callahan, hold the point. Recon teams, back up, quick," Martinez ordered. Having the ship spotting for the marines was working out well so far. They might have been caught in the ambush the Worms were planning if it hadn't been for them. He keyed in another circuit. "Snipers. I want both of you to concentrate on the small robots. Aim for their com dome on top first and if they continue fighting, go for what would be passenger seats as if they were minicars. Two minutes and open fire. Mark." It was a simple hunch telling them to go for the small robots. During the last combat, reports had it that they were the ones which appeared to be organizing the attacks. The CPU location and com domes had been a last minute bit of intelligence, forwarded right before debarkation. He hoped it was right.

Zembra automatically clicked in the time on the stock of her rifle and zeroed in on the leading robot on the right. PFC Zambi would take the left, by arrangement. She knew what Martinez was thinking. Sniper fire might disorient the Worms when they couldn't see where it was coming from. Two minutes later she gently squeezed the trigger.