The Orphaned Worlds (52 page)

‘Pinnace now eighty-nine per cent partitioned. Purliss Two has seventy-eight minor Achorga nests, fifteen lesser hives, and three dominant hives that vie for supremacy. The target lies beneath the dominant hive, which controls the eastern regions of the northern-temperate landmass.’

Before they left, Robert also selected a plain-hilted sabre as his secondary weapon; its edge might not be quite as irresistible as the
kezeq
shard yet it was still well suited to close-quarters work. It came with a silver-inlaid scabbard harnessed for over-the-shoulder use, which suited him perfectly.

‘We are now assuming para-stationary orbit over Purliss Two’s northern hemisphere and the target hive. Pinnace is now operational – please proceed to the Forward Utility chamber for boarding.’

The pinnace was a rounded, flattened pod with stubby wings and an array of suspensors for propulsion. The cockpit had a transparent canopy that curved flush with the upper hull. As they fell away from the
Evidence of Absence
, Robert felt a queasy lurch but it passed in a moment, leaving only a calm readiness, even a certain anticipation.
I must be getting used to this
Umhang und Dolch
business – a week ago I’d have been fighting my own terrors
.

Robert surveyed the view above the planet’s rim, the foggy haze of the Omet deepzone, vast swirls of interstellar dust that covered a volume of space almost three thousand light years across at its widest. It bordered on the Indroma Solidarity, Ginima-Fa, and Urdisha, all of whom suffered regular migratory swarm attacks, although on a somewhat smaller scale than the invasion of the Solar System a century and a half ago.

And a quarter global turn away, a cluster of bright points hung motionless above the planet, a fleet of fleets, a gathering of nest-ships and transports, waiting for the next swarm.

He felt a slight vibration as they entered the atmosphere under suspensor-controlled descent. Hull camo was active and stealth countermeasures ensured that the little craft gave off an objective profile no bigger than a leaf. Cloud cover was widespread and it was several minutes before they broke through to get their first view of the Achorga-modified landscape.

At one time, a civilisation had spread across this world. The patterns of habitation, vehicle highways, cultivation lattices, and the darker, more concentrated layouts of city centres were all clearly visible from high altitude, as were the scars of war. Massive craters spread across grids of built-up conurbation, their edges blurred by weathering and plant growth, while dark, barren swaths bore testament to an ingrained toxicity.

And it was on the ruins of one smashed city that an Achorga hive had been built. Tapering, asymmetrical spires climbed from the centre, a cluster of towers in purple, ochre and crimson, the highest reaching nearly a kilometre. The Swarm Hive on Mars during the Achorga invasion had topped a kilom and a half in the lower Martian gravity, and had relied on environment differentials to power its internal microclimates. Here, huge wind-gathering sails curved out from the secondary towers in long, trailing triangles of some pale yellow substance, a few showing holes or tears. Along the top edge of each ran a thick cable; anchored at regular intervals all the way down were the moor-pipes of rain-funnellers held aloft by a knot of gasbags.

The phantasmagoric scene was repeated out towards the horizon and beyond, conglomerations of towers and sails resembling a fleet of grotesque, garishly coloured vessels ploughing across a broken landscape, interspersed with stretches of overgrown ruin.

None of the spires was their destination. From his earlier research, Robert knew that most of an Achorga hive lay beneath the surface and it seemed likely that the Zyradin, the lifeform they had come to retrieve, also lay underground. According to the Construct the Zyradin emitted a very specific and exotic particle that caused several secondary particles – a signature that could be detected and tracked. Just such detectors were provided for them both, and as the pinnace swept lower they began to register. Robert and Rosa compared readouts.

‘Definitely in the vicinity of that greater hive,’ she said, pointing. ‘And very likely underground.’

‘So, do we take our handy little boat in through one of the big openings, guns blazing?’ he said, gazing at the console display where the sensor system was continually updating a layout of the hive’s various entrances. ‘Or do we go creeping in like cautious mice?’

A ghost of a smile touched her lips. ‘Caution is good. Remaining undiscovered for as long as possible.’

‘The mice strategy it is then,’ he said. ‘You never know – it might actually survive contact with the enemy.’

Landing half a mile from the greater hive, they hid the pinnace in an ancient, disused hillside tunnel then proceeded on foot in the dull light of an overcast afternoon. Wearing a small filter mask, Robert followed Rosa, using what cover was available. The vicinity and approaches of any hive were watched over by several tevorga, an Achorga variant bred for acute eyesight and obsessive attention to detail. To that end there was around the hive a wide zone cleared of anything that would provide concealment or cover to fire from. As they paused behind the crumbling remains of a wall made from odd triangular bricks, Rosa produced a pair of small, silverglassy hemispherical objects and gave them to Robert. She took out a second pair and pressed them onto small square platelets on the shoulders of her body suit. Robert did the same.

‘Holofield projectors,’ she said. ‘Set for contour cloaking, but the camo effect is time-limited to fifteen seconds after which the cells need to recharge.’

‘How do I turn them on?’ Robert said, studying one of them.

‘Yours are slaved to mine,’ said Rosa. ‘So remember, Father, once they’re on we have fifteen seconds to reach that cluster of small openings.’ She pointed.

Robert nodded, fingering one of the little silvery domes. ‘Okay, I’m ready.’

‘Short-range comm functioning?’

He tapped the neck pickup and the earbead. ‘I hear you loud and clear.’

‘Good. We go on my mark – three … two … one … go!’

Rosa activated the holocloaks on two, and Robert had just a moment to smile at her disappearing act before the
go!
spurred him into a mad dash.

They made it with seconds to spare and, visible again, they climbed into one of several low tunnels that sloped in and down. Inside, the sides were ridged and unpleasantly tacky, gleaming in the light of the redlamps clipped to their chests. The moist air was laced with an acrid odour and as he moved along at a crouch he thought he could hear a scuttling sound behind them. Frowning, he glanced back towards the pale radiance from outside.

‘Did you hear that?’ he said.

‘These hives contain tens of thousands of Achorga,’ said Rosa as she peered down at the handheld detector. ‘And the acoustic qualities of these tunnels probably transmit sound and vibration quite a distance. Perhaps we should keep the conversation to a minimum …’

They continued on down the gently sloping tunnel for several minutes until Rosa stopped, gesturing for quiet. The silence revealed nothing for a moment, then Robert heard a ticking sound which grew and multiplied. A second later, up from below came a carpet of small, finger-sized insectoids. He recognised them as a species of secondary symbiotes, just as Rosa tripped and trod on several of them, staggered back and trod on several more. She had a pained look as she regarded the splatter of bug innards underfoot, which then drove the still-oncoming insects into a feeding frenzy.

‘The smell’s going to spread quickly,’ he told her. ‘Come back up here …’

Too late, a section of wall came apart as a crowd of larger insectoids smashed their way in and pounced on the writhing heap of cannibalistic small bugs. Then the tunnel floor near Rosa heaved up and split, throwing her off her feet as snakelike creatures with snapping jaws lunged out, straight towards the ongoing slaughterous feast. Rosa had edged away from the gap, flechette pistol out, when the floor behind her tore open and a gleaming yellow tentacle coiled about her and dragged her out of sight.

‘Rosa …!’ he snarled as he snatched out his beam pistol and cut a swath through the ghastly mêlée to the ragged hole. Beneath was another tunnel so he jumped down and was immediately startled by a group of tentacles suddenly battering themselves against the transparent membrane that formed one side of this passage. Against an odd, pale green luminescence, the membrane was translucent with patches of opacity, and also bore a large, flapping tear next to which Robert found one of Rosa’s little holoprojectors.

‘Rosa,’ he said. ‘Can you hear me? Are you okay?’

‘Yes, Father, I am … unwounded. Are you in the tunnel below?’

‘At the moment, yes. Was it one of these ferocious tentacles that grabbed you?’

‘It’s a feeder arm, I think. It grabs food and drops it into an enclosure full of Achorga larvae.’

‘My God, is that where you are now?’

‘I managed to get out, and I’m looking for a way down to the egg chambers which are usually arranged concentrically around the Hive queen throne room. If you follow that passage it will take you to a split-level intersection near one of the main aisles into the throne room. I’ll meet you there.’

‘Rose, I found one of your holoprojectors.’

‘I knew I was missing one, Father. If you press the little stud on either of yours, you will find that you now have independent control. Now, you had better get moving.’

‘Right. See you soon.’

He spent the next ten minutes negotiating the downward, undulating tubeway, thankfully without hazardous interruption, apart from sidestepping another stream of minor symbiotes. Reaching an opening, he paused to peer down. Bioluminescence streaked rough walls as if daubed there, while a similar glow came from knobbly, milky ropes that snaked all around the intersection. Rounded ramps and walkways linked most of the openings to each other and the floor, and a couple of flimsy-looking gantries spanned the gap. Here was where Rosa said she would be, so it was just a question of whether to stay here or use the holocloak and sidle round to another minor opening with a better view …

Suddenly he realised that the pickup on his neck and the bead in his ear were getting warm. No, not warm but hot – hastily he backed away from the opening while tearing off the pickup and yanking the red-hot bead from his ear. Letting them fall to the ground, he leaned against the wall, wincing as he gingerly touched neck and ear. Next thing he knew, a diminutive figure rushed out of the shadows, scooped up his comm devices then dived back into the gloom.

‘Hey!’ he cried, stumbling after the thief.

By the feeble glow of his redlamp Robert almost tripped over the short fellow just as he raised a stone and smashed the devices into tiny glittering fragments.

‘What are you doing?’

The creature scuttled off to the side, muttering to itself.

‘Human … Human-Human … Human-Anglic … yes, Human-Anglic is … is!’

Then it lunged towards him and grabbed his arm. ‘Come! – we go. We go now. Vilorga are awake, vilorga can smell transmittings, vilorga are hunting you and the other one! I know of place of safety – come, now …’

The strange creature tugged on his arm, half-crouching in the glow of his redlamp, its neat, small-featured face, short, all-over fur and slender lithe frame presenting a form too familiar for coincidence.

‘Are you a Uvovo?’ he said. ‘How did you get here?’

‘Am I … ?’ The small face was startled, wide eyes darting side to side. ‘Ah, remember, recall. My people, the Rivovo, not Uvovo. I am called Taklos. Now, we go.’

Half in curiosity, half in fear of being lost and cut off, Robert let the Rivovo Taklos lead him round the intersection’s upper slope to another tunnel which wound and twisted downwards. It wore a plain, grubby shiftlike garment and although Robert was uncertain of its gender, he decided to think of the Rivovo as a he. Taklos muttered and mumbled continuously, sometimes in Anglic, other times in a profusion of languages, of which Robert recognised a few. Thus he learned the names of some of the insectoid symbiotes and heard Taklos talk of several dangerous Achorga variants like the Lysorga which could wrap its quarry in narcotising webs, or the Jikorga which could disable or kill with acid spit, or the Marorga which could deliver a lethal shock through long spines.

Robert recognised a couple of these from historical accounts of the Swarm War, and from vee and Glow dramas. He just hoped and prayed never to encounter any of them.

Sure enough, they had just reached a low-roofed, poorly lit chamber when Robert heard a rapid thudding coming from a wider tunnel leading off. A moment later a full-grown, bull-sized Achorga rushed into the chamber, slowed and approached them. At once the Rivovo bent over and began to make a strange wavering moaning sound, cupping his hands around his mouth to focus it on the restless, oddly indecisive creature. Robert felt weirdly calm, despite being possibly the first Human to get this close to one of these things in a century and a half.

I wonder where Rosa is
, he thought
. She would have some good advice for this situation, I’m sure
.

Then the Achorga seemed to lose interest as it turned away and hurried off up another exit. Robert almost sagged with relief.

‘Safety is this way,’ said Taklos, indicating an oval passage that sloped up, a yellowish glow some way along. ‘Getting close to halls of Empress – keep feet and mouth quiet.’

The yellow glow brightened as they drew near. Surreptitiously Robert checked his beam pistol, not sure if he should be trusting the Rivovo so completely. Then they came out in a sweet-smelling grove of small trees with shiny dark green leaves and low-hanging reddish-orange pods. This was a medium-sized chamber with a high ceiling, a kind of grass underfoot and the sound of water trickling in the undergrowth somewhere.

‘This is a surprising place to find underground, Taklos,’ he said, reaching for the detector to see how near he was to the Zyradin. ‘I wonder if you can help me find …’