“No asteroid can ever reach t
his plaza, or even enter the atmosphere of HomeWorld,” said the voice of BattleMind as its swirling thoughts perceived Matt’s concern. “Recall the Defense satellites in low orbit? They have weapons similar to what appeared on the plaza. Plus our world’s single moon is home to Assault Remotes whose capabilities equal that of my starship. They signaled their readiness to me as we passed by the moon on our way here. HomeWorld is well-protected from any assault. The moon’s Remotes could defeat an Anarchate battleglobe. At least this system’s mechanisms are fully functioning, unlike those where Elegant Harmony lived.”
“
Good. And fortunate we are that the Anarchate is so distant from here,” George said as he overheard Matt and BattleMind’s mind-talk.
Matt agreed. They all stopped before a five meter high entry point. BattleMind’s purple globe moved to float in front of it. “Eliana, please stand beside me in case the entry monitor needs to sense organic intelligence.”
He and George kept part of their attention on the tachlink reports from the outside SpyEyes and sensorBeads they had both ejected earlier, while Suit tracked the purple glow of energy emissions in the nearby walls and the entry block. Which now emitted an ultraviolet glow. “No need for organic supplementation,” said a harsh T’Chak voice that resembled the normal voice of BattleMind. The entry voice spoke in T’Chak, much the same way Elegant Harmony had greeted them. “Enter, thought modulus of Destruction Device 647. Your organics and other thought moduli may also enter.”
Ten people of various shapes and species entered the high entry arch. Beyond the arch lay a long rectangular room. Near the entrance stood a black cube and golden globe similar to Elegant Harmony, while behind the globe stood a dozen stasis chambers. Could they
be—
“Masters in stasis!” exclaimed BattleMind.
“Incorrect,” muttered a red patch on the black stone cube. “There is but one organic master in residence here. Regrettably. Destruction Device 647 modulus who claims the identity BattleMind, what is the purpose of your presence, and the reason for the organics who follow you?”
The holo of BattleMind showed its black scaly wings stretching fully open as its toothy snout opened and its red eyes fixed on the AI’s globe. “Thought modulus who calls itself Great Remnant, my purpose is clear. To complete the Task assigned to me before our masters became . . . ill. I have returned home to report on the battle efforts of myself and that rendered by some of these organics. I also bring two lifeforms of the Haktoon species, who arrived recently from a nearby star. They seek to colonize Temtok. I must speak with your sleeping master to obtain guidance.”
“Colonize the home system?” muttered the voice of Great Remnant. “How
dare
they!”
Matt’s Suit blared an alarm as a new holo took shape before them. Inside it swirled a T’Chak dragon even larger than BattleMind
.
“Why did you not destroy their ship!”
“Knowledge,” growled BattleMind. “My . . . partner, who wears a cyborg combat suit and identifies as Matthew Dragoneaux, human species, home planet Earth, has shared with me the value of not underestimating an enemy. Or a potential ally. Awaken our master!”
The outstretched wings of Great Remnant flared angrily, then it looked at the wide-bodied forms of Lateen and Argane, who had retreated to the back wall of the large room. “Small they are. I sensed their presence when they came near. Their ship retreated after being
discouraged. Fortunate they were to approach no closer.” Great Remnant faced the red-glowing eyes of BattleMind. “My duty is to protect this last surviving master. But . . . its last words to me were to alert it whenever another T’Chak arrived. You are an embodiment of a master. You have brought me the company of Elegant Harmony. And you bring news our master may wish to learn. Your request is allowed. Proceed beyond my modulus globe and touch-activate the stasis chamber. For that you will need the warmth of an organic lifeform. Choose as you may.”
Matt began to step forward when Eliana entered the personal space of BattleMind. “
Use me. Two of my friends are in battle armor that does not allow the warmth of an organic appendage to register,” she said, her long black hair swirling about her albino white face. “Except for Suzanne and the Haktoon lifeforms known as Lateen and Argane, we are the only people in organic presence. Will you use me, BattleMind?”
“Yes,” the AI said, its mind swirl
reduced to that of a small storm. “Come. As may the rest of you.”
Matt and George clanked after everyone else, their heavy boots making echoes bounce from the walls. Glow strips overhead shone with the yellow-white radiance of StarHome. They stopped before the wide aisle that ran between the chambers, with six
stasis chambers to each side. The second chamber down on the left showed a few status lights and emitted a purple glow of power. BattleMind’s holo stepped forward, its spike-tail lifting to curl about the small control pillar that stood in front of each coffin-shaped chamber. If you could call a five meter long, four meter wide chamber a coffin. More accurately, it was a life container held in timeless mode by a stasis field. The chamber reclined at a forty degree angle, its curved top facing the central aisle.
“Human Eliana, please touch the control surface in the sequence indicated by my wingtip.”
Matt’s awareness split to monitor the giant holo of Remnant Greatness who stood beside its globe and cube habitat, while everyone else was gathered nearby. Giving thanks for tachlink that kept him in touch with the friendly mind-glow of Mata Hari, he watched Eliana tap out a six point sequence, then place her palm against a touchplate. With a hiss and sudden increase in StarHome light, the near edge of the curved top slowly raised up until it reached vertical. Below it lay the reclining body of a four meter tall T’Chak, its black wings folded over its chest and abdomen, while its two strong claw feet tilted to one side. Its two eyes were covered by purple skin, while its head showed a red crest of armor plates like those that covered its back and sides. The shimmer of an invisible field encased it, then disappeared. From somewhere came a pressor beam to push down on its wide chest, while monitoring filaments withdrew from skin contact. A gasp escaped its toothy mouth. The body trembled. The folded wings rustled. Its spike-tail lifted from the base of its feet. The eyelids shivered, then opened. Ruby red eyes stared out at them with an awareness Matt found overpowering. Its crocodile mouth opened slightly.
“Who disturbs me? And wherefrom came these lifeforms that are not T’Chak?” it said
with a dry rasp, its gaze shifting to rest on the holo of BattleMind.
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
Eliana stepped back from the living form of the T’Chak master, who sipped water from a nearby tube. It seemed the wise thing to do since its attention was focused on the holo of BattleMind. She moved close to Matt and George, where they stood at the back of the group of AI globes. To her left stood the two Haktoon aliens, their skin colors changing hue almost as fast as she could blink. Clearly they were as startled by the nature of a living T’Chak as she was. Suzanne moved over to stand beside her, taking hold of her right hand.
BattleMind flared its holo wings even as its purple globe floated closer to the reclining form of the T’Chak. “Master, my identity is BattleMind, of Destruction Device 647, from the 94
th
Dynast of the Imperium. I have returned from my Task of military analysis of the large galaxy that you and other masters ordered us to surveil, prior to an effort to extend your perfection to that galaxy.” It paused as the living T’Chak glanced aside at the humans and the Haktoon. “Nearby are lifeforms from our cloud and from the large galaxy who helped me in my combat efforts. I insisted on disturbing you because it has been 184,118 HomeWorld years since I left. We return to discover the race has been decimated by disease. A disease which seems to be gone from the world of my brother Elegant Harmony, and perhaps everywhere in Cluster Prime.”
The living T’Chak sat forward, flared its giant wings wide and
spread open its forearms as if stretching. Its spike-tail curled below its talon feet. The large red eyes fixed on BattleMind. “This speech mode is tiring to me. I prefer mind-to-mind sharing. Bring you thought modulus closer so I can link with it and receive your memories since your departure.”
“As you wish, master.” BattleMind’s purple globe moved close to upright shape of the T’Chak
. The globe extruded a fiber optic cable that curved around to the back of the T’Chak’s large head to a socket like that which Matt wore. She shivered at the thought of minds moving faster than she could think.
Two minutes passed. Then the cable withdrew into the purple globe.
The living T’Chak’s deeply intense eyes scanned all of them, then focused on Matt. “This is the organic Matthew Dragoneaux who has assisted you in your battle tactics?”
“Yes, my master.”
“Approach, human lifeform.”
“Matt?”
“I’ll be fine,” said her love’s external speaker. He walked forward to stand before the sitting shape of the T’Chak, whose large head looked down at Matt. “Hello, T’Chak master. What is your name?”
The red eyes blinked. “My identity is embodied in the word TrueLife,” it said. “Remove your helmet so my cable can connect for neurolinking. I would better understand the history of you, this Anarchate and your companions. And also understand the Stages of your plan to overcome the power of this Anarchate.”
Matt blinked to tell Suit to cause his helmet to fold back, thereby exposing the cervical socket he always used for linkage with either Suit or Mata Hari. It did so and he smelled dry air that felt cold against his eyes, and raised the fine hairs on his neck. “Welcome to my mind TrueLife, master of the T’Chak.”
A cable extruded from the stasis chamber, lifted up and then around Suit to connect at cervical vertebrae one. An ocean combined with a hurricane filled his mind. Only the exoskeleton of Suit kept him standing.
A living embodiment of the ancient T’Chak filled Matt’s awareness. He felt the tension of the alien’s wings, the beating of its giant heart, the fatigue as it forced itself to sit upright after millennia of reclining, and its mental surprise at learning of the love Matt felt for Eliana and for Mata Hari.
“This thought modulus created by my servant BattleMind. You are attached to it?” roared the gale-force mind, tho
ugh it spoke at a mental volume normal for itself.
“Yes, TrueLife of the T’Chak,” he muttered, straining to maintain awareness. “She is—
”
“His partner
in life, in emotions and in all that we have done,” interrupted the mind-flow of Mata Hari as she slid her awareness between Matt’s mind and the gale of the T’Chak master. “Being from a young lifeform species, Matthew cannot withstand mind-flow contact for long periods, master. Allow me to moderate your mind-link so my Matthew can enlarge your knowledge base.”
“Interesting,” mused TrueLife as one part of its consciousness followed the mind-link of Mata Hari along the tachlink she always maintained, up to the hovering starship, even as another thread of its immense mind focused on Matt. “Open your memories to me, Matthew Dragoneaux of species Human. I would better understand your life, your choices, your reason for forcing BattleMind to allow the presence of these Haktoon aliens into my
habitat, and this concept of ‘freedom’ that you seek for all species within the large galaxy.”
Matt did as best as he could, allowing the alien to see his family, his sisters, his
dead lover Helen, his new love Eliana, his seven years of work as a Vigilante with Mata Hari, how the AI had become more emotional of late and wonderfully attached to Gatekeeper, and how George and Suzanne had volunteered to help him overthrow the Anarchate. The mental image of the alien crossed its forearms.
“You object to this bondservitude of the Anarchate?
” It said both mentally and aloud. “And to the lack of justice and law within your . . . Milky Way galaxy?”
“Yes,” he said, feeling as
if he were being inundated by a cosmic ocean of thoughts. “All living beings, whether organic or inorganic, deserve the right to control their lives, to live in security and to seek alliances with others who desire a satisfying life.”
“But order is needed in any society,” said TrueLife. “That is why my fellows dispatched our Dreadnought ships to your galaxy. We saw the anarchy there and knew the other lifeforms in your galaxy needed mentorship.” It paused. “But now we are too few to
perform such mentorship. Where stands Stage Three of your grand plan?”
Matt drew a deep breath and licked his lips, giving thanks he was not in
ocean-time
mode. “If you could offer guidance to me and to BattleMind on how to use the hundreds of Destruction Devices that now rest at the Lacunae Mindworks, we could . . . guide them to follow us into the Milky Way. With their help we could cause the collapse of the Anarchate. I have one organic pilot volunteer in my friend George. He can operate the Interlock Pit of a Dreadnought starship.”
“Perhaps he
could,” TrueLife said with a touch of tiredness. “But there are hundreds of Dreadnoughts now asleep in orbit around the world of the Mindworks. You have only yourself, your lifepartner, this George and his lifepartner to assist you. Even by use of this asymmetric warfare that BattleMind passed to me, you are too few to make any difference.”
“He has and will always have
my
help,” interrupted Mata Hari. “And my friend Gatekeeper is willing to help guide your starships along our pathway. In time, Matthew will gain more organic volunteers to man your fleet. Then it will be able to challenge the power of the Anarchate. And to provide mentorship to the large galaxy, as you originally intended.”
Matt sensed the approach of Gatekeeper’s globe. “She is correct, master of the T’Chak. She and I are . . . bonded in emotions similar to those of these organics.
We will help Matthew and George carry out Stage Three of his plan. We too object to bondservitude for lifeforms, whether organic or an AI such as myself. That was the only life I knew on the planet Omega. Until Matthew and Mata Hari showed me another way of living.”
Matt gave thanks for the loyalty of his AI comrades. But there were more
people here than just them. “TrueLife, the Haktoon lifeforms known by the names Lateen and Argane seek permission for their species to colonize Temtok. It is a planet your species never colonized due to its heat and humidity. The Haktoon are a species who came to spaceflight after the arrival of the killing disease. Perhaps, with their help, you and other living T’Chak could experience a . . . resurgence of life, of culture, a life that involves discovering new intelligences that may now inhabit your Small Magellanic Cloud. In the past, you T’Chak were alone. Now you have company after we humans depart. Why not welcome the Haktoon? You could mentor them in the way you planned for the large galaxy.”
George
smiled at Matt as his friend took in the options that Matt was presenting mentally and verbally. He too seemed to think there was hope for freedom and justice in the Milky Way.
“We T’Chak have long hoped to be mentors to younger lifeforms. I will adopt these Haktoon and their Mother Combine as my special project.” The giant dragon
ordered the fiber optic cable to disconnect from Matt, then stood slowly on its feet. “As for allowing you to control our Dreadnoughts, with the assistance of BattleMind, that depends.”
“Depends o
n what?” said Matt, hoping that everyone else had heard their full conversation.
“Matt!” called Mata Hari. “There are—
”
“Battleglobes of this Anarchate have arrived just beyond our outer planet,” TrueLife said. “There are three gravity wave pulses. They will arrive here within six hours as you measure time. I will track their neutrino emissions. And I will lend the Assault Remotes
on our moon to you. If you and BattleMind and your companions are able to destroy these intruders before they damage HomeWorld, you will have proven your ability to undertake Stage Three. Once you overcome these intruders, I will provide BattleMind with the activation code for every Dreadnought now in orbit about the Lacunae Mindworks. Agreed?”
“Yes!” said Matt as his mind filled with an image of the icy planetoid that was this system’s planet seven. “Will you preserve our Haktoon guests? They and their ship have no ability to fight the Anarchate.”
“Of course,” said TrueLife as it walked slowly toward the mind globe of Great Remnant. “My Defense modules will allow their ship to land on our moon. And one of my Nullgrav modules will deliver them to their ship after you depart. Is that agreeable, lifeforms Lateen and Argane?”
Matt walked past the Haktoon starfish crabs with George, Eliana and Suzanne following, as
did the holo of Mata Hari and Gatekeeper’s globe. He noticed that Elegant Harmony’s mind globe floated next to the living T’Chak, as if it had found its life purpose by staying here. So be it.
“Yes, great Old One,” said Lateen in a short series of clicks. “We welcome your mentorship. We thank you for the permission to colonize Temtok. We—”
“Enough appreciation,” growled TrueLife. “There is work to be done here and in space. Depart, humans and mind moduli, and see to these invaders.” It turned to the globe of Great Remnant. “But first, I need food my little mind modulus. Where is such to be found?”
Matt thought briefly of sharing some meat, cheese and wine from the Morrigan stockpile, then realized he and his companions would need that food during their return to home galaxy.
“So true,” murmured Mata Hari in his mind. “And I do like how you humans automatically assume you will win this Anarchate encounter.” Her mind image smiled at him as she pulled on her chain-mail top and wrapped the bronze-plated leather skirt around her waist. “Note that
they
are three, you are one, and some of your tactics will have been shared with them. After all, the only reason they can be
here
is because one of your Anarchate battles included mention of the T’Chak. Someone in Combat Command must have located ancient records of where they lived. And dispatched these battleglobes to guarantee you do not receive new Dreadnoughts.”
“Then Combat Command will be disappointed,” Matt said
as they exited from the roost pillar. “Lifting.” He and George rose on their boot Nullgravs, as did the globes of Gatekeeper and BattleMind, while tractor beams lifted Eliana and Suzanne.
In the Interlock Pit,
Matt fixed his attention on the three Nova battleglobes at the outer edge of TrueHome’s planetary family, giving thanks that on their way into this system Mata Hari had cast off tachlink Remotes that now fed him FTL images of the Anarchate forces. The battleglobes moved inward at a velocity of one-half lightspeed. No doubt the battleglobes were being preceded by SpyEyes, sensorRemotes, tachlink Remotes, mobile megaton bombs, Picket Globes and similar weaponry. Well, their pressor fields and laser mounts could take care of the solid objects. It was the Anarchate’s lightspeed weapons and the ability to predict where starship
Mata Hari
would be that most concerned Matt. But they would have some help. Passing by the moon of HomeWorld they were joined by two Offense Remotes, each one a third the size of
Mata Hari
. Each possessed antimatter pontoons at the top, bottom, sides and forward nose of ships that resembled outrigger boats. As BattleMind took care of tachlink coordination with the Offense Remotes, he became aware the remotes lacked Alcubierre drives. They carried only fusion pulse system drives.
“Mata Hari, those remotes. They cannot
follow us when we go into Translation. Can our ship expand its Alcubierre Translation field to include them?”
“Yes,” she said, creating attachment dimples on the rear sides of the Dreadnought for the Offense Remotes. “I am instructing them to approach and attach. Once we arrive wherever you choose
to Translate, they will cast loose and maneuver on their own power.”