The Ashes of Worlds

Jess and Cesca, the Ildiran Solar Navy, and flocks of Roamer volunteers had all rushed off to Ildira. Tasia hoped that Robb, Admiral Willis, and the volunteer Confederation ships were accomplishing what they needed to do at Earth, without the Big Goose getting in their way.

That left the group of them — and Kotto’s gadget — to take care of the entire Klikiss race. Fair enough. She was up for it.

But Kotto had insisted that his research compies come with them in case he needed to modify the device on the fly. With those two going on the expedition, DD had asked to join them. And with DD came Orli Covitz and Hud Steinman. Tasia didn’t mind; they had all helped to develop the Siren.

As the hours passed, Kotto spent a great deal of time in the back with the three compies, tinkering with his Siren and running diagnostics. The device was an acoustic transmitter, about a meter across, assembled from dozens of mismatched components, circuit boards cannibalized from other equipment, and dangling power leads. Tasia had no doubt it would work. Kotto’s gadgets usually did.

Kotto tapped the curved dish as he explained. “A complex burst from this siren should incapacitate a Klikiss subhive, at least temporarily. If a group of insects is controlled by the thoughts of a single breedex, and we succeed in stunning that breedex by overloading its input, then they should all freeze.”

“I like the way you think,” Tasia said.

“I don’t know exactly how interconnected the various subhives are. We may have to do this quite a few times.”

“Trial and error, Kotto. We’ll figure it out.”

Despite his genius, Kotto hadn’t given much thought as to how they should conduct the actual test run. He had assumed they would simply fly down to the Klikiss-infested planet, land in the middle of a bustling hive, and switch on his Siren.

“Too much of a risk, if we don’t even know the Siren will work,” Tasia said. “Let me think about this — it isn’t your job to make military plans anyway.”

During the day-long journey, Tasia linked the gadget to the ship’s transmitting systems so that they could send out a blast as they flew overhead — using both electromagnetic transmissions and actual acoustic waves from external loudspeakers. They wouldn’t have to land and could keep their maneuverability. The bugs were going to hear the blast, one way or another.

The test would provide a real, tangible answer soon enough. or Tasia would find herself fighting her way out and running like hell.

At last, the ship arrived at Llaro, a planet that held only bad memories for Tasia. She flew closer, all her senses alert, ready to dodge the Klikiss swarmships she was sure would be there. She couldn’t shake her recollection of her last experience at Pym.

To her surprise, though, they found not a single alien vessel in planetary orbit — no sign of them at all.

Orli and Steinman came into the cockpit, both of them obviously uneasy. “Nobody’s home?” the old man asked.

“Could it be a trick?” Orli said. “Are they hiding?”

“Why would they go out of their way to hide from us?” Tasia said. “Something else is going on here.”

With high-res sensors she could see the extent of the enormous hive below, at least ten times the size of the original human settlement, far more spectacular than the one she had seen on Pym. “Looks like the breedex has been busy.”

Despite the size, though, she detected no transmissions, thermal emissions, or any other signs of activity whatsoever.

“It’s a ghost town down there,” Kotto said. “Did the Klikiss all leave?”

“Where would they go?” Tasia continued to study the empty city. “I don’t like this at all.”

DD also entered the crowded cockpit. “Have you found any sign of Margaret Colicos? I am sure she would welcome us.”

“No sign of anyone or anything, DD.” Tasia continued on course, alert for danger. “Oh, what the hell — it’s time for a test run. We’ll find out if anything’s down there. Everybody strap in, just in case I have to do some fancy flying.” She flew so swiftly through Llaro’s pastel skies that she left a bright ionized trail behind her. “This should flush them out if they’ve got their bug eyes open. Hello, anybody home?”

The cargo hauler roared over the immense hive city, skimming barely above the twisted towers, the lumpy monoliths, the pockmarked black openings.

Nothing responded. Nothing came out to see them.

She circled around and made a second run. Kotto’s fingers were ready on the Siren’s transmit button, but no Klikiss showed themselves. None.

Finally, gathering her courage, Tasia landed in a swirl of powdery dust where the human colony had been, where she had fought the bugs and rescued the few remaining settlers. Once the cargo hauler was on the ground, she waited a few more tense moments, alert for any movement. Still nothing.

Finally, she opened the hatch and let the dry air and yellowish sunlight flood in. Llaro was completely silent. Completely empty.

“Shizz, where the hell have they all gone?”

134

Sarein

When Sarein was safely aboard theBlind Faith, Captain Roberts took off from the Palace District without bothering to request clearance. He flew swiftly away, ignoring outraged protests from the ground control system. With the threat of rubble bombardment and the chaos of so many scout ships trying to protect Earth, nobody had time to track a single unmarked craft anyway.

Sitting in a comfortable passenger seat, Sarein breathed in the aroma of the new ship: the upholstery, the polish on the decks and bulkheads, the air from the freshly tuned atmosphere recyclers. For her, it was the smell of freedom. “We have to time this carefully,” she said. “We want to be sure Basil has left the flagship before we announce ourselves and ask for sanctuary.”

“We’ll keep an eye on it,” Captain Roberts said.

Sarein swallowed hard. Now that she was on her way, she feared more for Deputy Cain than for herself.He was staying behind.He would have to face Basil. “No, Captain Kett, our worries are far from over.” She closed her eyes in the comfortable passenger seat, felt the ship vibrate as Roberts accelerated away from Earth. “Just get me to my sister and King Peter. They’re the ones I need to talk to.”

Pelted by the tiny rocks that continued to drift toward the planet, theBlind Faith headed out into orbit. They waited at a safe distance from General Brindle’s EDF Juggernaut, watching until Basil’s diplomatic shuttle left theJupiter and returned to the other Juggernaut.

When they were safely clear, Captain Roberts flew toward the Confederation ships combing space, tightening the net so that no significant fragments passed through. When they approached, Rlinda tapped a transponder, waited for an acknowledgment. “This is Trade Minister Rlinda Kett. I’ve got news, and a guest, for King Peter and Queen Estarra.”