PD continued. “Human history is filled with examples of former enemies becoming allies, given sufficient motivation as circumstances change.”

Sirix considered further. Could it possibly work? He did not comprehend humans. Their contradictory moods and decisions were unfathomable. “You both understand humans better than I do. How would you convince them to do as we demand?”

QT lifted his polymer face. “Issue a sincere apology. Show the Hansa Chairman that we share an enemy in the Klikiss.”

Sirix considered the strange suggestion. With his handful of remaining ships and weapons, his robot force posed no credible military threat to Earth, but the Hansa didn’t know that. He could use the fact that he had just wiped out a significant concentration of Klikiss at Relleker to demonstrate his good intentions, even though the Hansa had not factored into his attack at all.

“The Terran Hanseatic League should see the black robots as a valuable ally,” Sirix said, “provided we can work out an acceptable agreement.”

This would take careful maneuvering, indeed.

“Change our course. Head directly toward the Earth system.”

Sirix began his calculations.

49

Margaret Colicos

Margaret felt unafraid when the ferocious tiger-striped domate approached her and lifted its serrated praying-mantis forelimbs. She put her hands on her hips. “What do you want?”

As part of her work with the Davlin-breedex, she was trying to force the individual Klikiss to actuallycommunicate with her using Davlin’s memories, Davlin’s abilities. Each time she did that, she hoped to bring positive human traits to the fore and keep the natural violence of the insect race at bay.

The hard plates of the tiger-striped creature’s exoskeleton slid smoothly against each other as the domate fidgeted. Its face was a mosaic of interlocked plates that shifted into an eerie, humanlike visage for just a moment, but the thick pieces fitted more comfortably into its monstrous form.

“Breedex,” it said in a voice that sounded like a knife edge being dragged across a washboard. “Two. more. subhives. defeated.”

“Where? Name the planet.”

A long pause, as if the complex mind were trying to summon a name that would be comprehensible to her. “Relleker.”

“Good.” In their last conversation, Davlin had mentioned the Klikiss subhives battling there. “Take me to the breedex. He can tell me more himself.” She knew that Davlin could not carry on extended communication through the mouths of domates or warriors. She followed the gigantic creature past bustling workers, diggers, excreters, harvesters, and other sub-breeds.

In years past, her visits to prior incarnations of the breedex had been fraught with anxiety and danger, but now Margaret walked boldly alongside the domate. While her guide remained behind at the entrance, she presented herself before the squirming mass. “What is it you want to tell me, Davlin? Two more subhives conquered? Both breedexes destroyed?”

With a buzzing, staticky sound, the numerous components piled together, each tiny unit knowing its place, assembling into the crude sculpture of a man’s face. It took the simulated head a few moments to remember how to speak, then the buzzing background noise became words.“They defeated themselves. Two rival subhives clashed.” After a pregnant pause, the Davlin-breedex continued.“The rest were destroyed by black robots. nuclear explosives. EDF ships.”

“So the black robots are still out there.” Margaret wasn’t sure if the hive mind could hear the hatred in her own voice. “You want to destroy them, don’t you?” This was an anger she could allow Davlin to keep. Sirix had killed Louis long ago, back on Rheindic Co.

“All of them.”

She had seen more domates march through the new transportal, carrying the remains of Klikiss victims. “How close are you to finishing your work with the other subhives? How many breedexes remain?”

“All pieces are coalescing. I will be the One Breedex soon. A single rival subhive remains. A powerful subhive. on Pym.”

“And once you defeat that subhive, you will control the whole race? And you promise to keep humanity safe?” She waited a long moment. “Davlin?” She had to continue focusing the human presence that remained. Recently, she had seen troubling instances when the man had lost ground to the insects.

“Then we will control all the Klikiss.”

“And you will keep humanity safe?”

“First I must fission. I must consume many more Klikiss, make them part of me, rather than just obedient to me.”

Margaret was alarmed. “No, that will dilute your human fraction. You told me.” Until now, the Davlin-breedex had maintained control by refusing to let his domates devour the fallen subhives. His hold was already tenuous. And she could not suggest the obvious and unpleasant solution of allowing the breedex to consume and incorporate more human DNA.

“Must increase numbers and strength. Otherwise, I will fail.”

“You will also fail if you lose your grip, Davlin. Don’t loosen your control.”

“It is the only way. Incorporate the strength and superior traits of all the other hives we have crushed. Our domates will gather their songs.”The distinctive features sloughed away as the breedex began to refer to itself in the plural. She listened as it seemed to wrestle with itself; then Davlin’s face appeared again.“I will not let. myself be diluted, Margaret. I am still here.”

She wasn’t certain how much she could trust this bizarre hybrid. Was it human enough, or would the Klikiss genes become dominant with another fissioning? She had to keep reminding him. “Do what you must, Davlin, but keep your control — and I’ll do everything I can to help.”

50

Anton Colicos

On the fast EDF shuttle that took them away from the Moon, Anton sat next to Rememberer Vao’sh. One escort guard remained rigidly alert on the nearby passenger bench, his sidearm prominent. Never in his life had Anton considered himself a threatening person, and now he had a vigilant guard at all times.

He had no idea what Chairman Wenceslas could possibly want with the two of them.

Anton tried to look on the bright side. At least he and Vao’sh were on their way to Earth, where the Mage-Imperator was now being held. The Ildiran prisoners in the lunar base had been frantic when Jora’h had been taken away and isolated. Given his own similar ordeal, Vao’sh understood more than any other Ildiran Jora’h’s sheer nightmare of solitude, his risk of slipping into catatonic madness.

Now, as they rode the swift shuttle, the rememberer’s facial lobes changed to a more grayish color, indicating his anxiety. “I am very confused by your Chairman’s actions. He does not understand what he is doing.”