Part 20 (1/2)
Suddenly his allies became extremely agitated.
”s.h.i.+ny, what's going on? Are we being attacked? Are you attacking someone?” Telisa transmitted.
”Negative. Scanning for target. Verified Trilisk superseded a Terran.”
”You don't hear-oh. I mean, do you sense that atmospheric disturbance?”
Kirizzo looked through his mountains of monitoring data. He did not make progress until he had the key insight: the Terran sense of hearing.
”Speculation, theory, explanation: scout drone's supersonic velocities disturbed local, nearby, proximate gaseous envelope. Please acknowledge: is theory probable, likely, satisfactory?”
”Oh, sonic booms? Yes, it sounds like that. Okay, as long as they're yours. Thanks. So you think it's in a Terran body as Arakaki said?”
”Over 90 percent probability. Otherwise, a Trilisk deception, misdirection, trick.”
”Can we capture him?”
”Routing location to you. Move in,” Kirizzo urged.
It did not appear he had to offer any incentive in trade. The Terrans gathered their equipment rapidly. They spoke of the target among themselves, including the new one. Kirizzo activated his walking machine and paralleled their course.
”This Trilisk is likely very dangerous,” Magnus said.
”Scratch the likely part. It is dangerous,” Arakaki added.
”Theorize, suppose, expect target has exhausted advanced resources. Otherwise, UED forces likely, probably, certainly, extinct,” Kirizzo said.
As the Terrans moved out toward the suspected Trilisk, Kirizzo monitored the Terrans and the target intently.
Kirizzo detected a statistically significant increase in communications from the Terran named Telisa directed to her mate Magnus. His initial impression was that Telisa reacted with hostility to his interaction with the new female of breeding age. After all, they had encountered other Terrans without eliciting this response from Telisa. Perhaps she attempted to solidify her position with Magnus in antic.i.p.ation of a possible cooperative s.h.i.+ft in Magnus toward the new female. In any case, Telisa was agitated and it appeared to have something to do with the new interloper.
Kirizzo made a note to investigate other differences between this female and the older one called Cilreth, but he a.s.sumed it had to do with the superior fertility of the UED soldier. Her suitability as a mate must be an order of magnitude higher than Cilreth; therefore she was more of a threat to Telisa's status. Perhaps Kirizzo would get to observe a s.h.i.+ft to compet.i.tion within the tightly knit Terran group at last.
Updates came in from his many machines on the planet, s.h.i.+fting his attention away from the interplay between the Terrans. Enemies ahead launched projectiles at the walker. At the same time, his Terran allies came under fire. One of Kirizzo's attendant drones serving Magnus reported a projectile intercept, then another.
”Take precautions against enemy action,” Kirizzo transmitted.
”Uhm, yes, s.h.i.+ny,” Telisa said. ”We hit the dirt. We have a sniper. I think they're far away.”
Kirizzo checked Telisa's position. She was indeed on the ground, along with her companions. Kirizzo found it odd how her phraseology had not changed even though the surface was now hard and rocky: ”hit the dirt” remained her chosen expression. If Terran terminology was this inflexible, perhaps the Terrans themselves were inherently inflexible. Could this explain their reluctance to switch to compet.i.tive mode?
”Light screen of combatants ahead. Probable goal: delay pursuit,” Kirizzo summarized for them. He sent along his sensor readings. The closest soldier in the screen was over a kilometer from their position. More rounds came in from the UED Terrans. Though they likely did not have clear targets, their projectiles knew roughly what they were shooting for. Or were they more likely configured for what they were not shooting for? At least in the case of the other Terrans it was likely they would be targets of opportunity for pa.s.sing rounds.
”It'll take awhile to advance against them,” Magnus said.
”A soluble problem,” Kirizzo said.
”What are you doing?”
”Launching countermeasures,” Kirizzo said. He allocated drones to four small positions held by pairs of Terrans ahead of them. His allies talked more among themselves. Kirizzo allocated more attendant spheres to them so that each of them would have at least two protectors.
The four sniper nests exploded in quick succession.
”Threat neutralized. May continue at current, present, existing pace.”
Once again a stir went through the Terrans working with him.
”I knew those men. You didn't have to kill them,” Arakaki said on the group channel.
”Terrans seek to delay pursuit,” Kirizzo informed them. ”Target moving away.”
”She means those soldiers are not against us,” Telisa explained to him. ”They are not in compet.i.tion with us; they don't understand their leader has been taken over by an alien.”
”What exactly are these things flying around us?” Arakaki asked.
”Don't kill any other Terrans please,” Telisa said to Kirizzo. ”They are not our enemies.”
”May further delay pursuit. Offer in exchange 5 percent more resource allocation from industrial seed. Alternative, secondary, additional offer: increased access to Vovokan military hardware.”
”What?”
”Is he offering us things in exchange for our buy-in on killing more of my fellow UED soldiers?” Arakaki asked. Her voice indicated higher than average levels of strain or emotional disturbance.
”We can't bargain with you on this, s.h.i.+ny,” Telisa said.
”Seven percent more resource allocation from-”
”We can't bargain with human lives,” Arakaki said.
Perhaps an individual's worth to society had to be fully measured before the Terrans would allow exchange of the individual's life for resources. Kirizzo changed tack.
”Offering 1.3 times Terran average life valuation on Earth in any currency or resource for license, permission, agreement to kill intervening Terrans without breaking existing alliance,” he offered.
”We refuse!” Arakaki said.
”Wait a minute,” Magnus said. He sent further private communications among the other Terrans. Kirizzo did not intercept the signals, though he might well have done so if things were less hectic. The Terrans were obviously hung up on a point perhaps practical but more likely terminology oriented. Perhaps the one called Magnus could see a way through this particular intercultural maze. Kirizzo wasn't sure what the conflict was, but he hoped Magnus could mesh their negotiation styles quickly.
”Don't kill them unless any of us are in real danger,” Cilreth suggested.
”Goal in danger, wish to prevent escape of valuable target,” Kirizzo said.
”Where is the target going to go? You're tracking it, right? We don't need to kill these people,” Telisa said.
”Target may descend into Trilisk tunnels to escape detection. May escape in UED s.p.a.ce vessel.”
”He wouldn't get past the Thumper, though?
”Unlikely, improbable, doubtful.”
Kirizzo entered a planning phase. What should he do if the Terrans remained obstructionistic to the capture of the Trilisk in a Terran sh.e.l.l? Proceed without their a.s.sistance. Take the Trilisk back to the base in his own s.h.i.+p. The Clacker would be left with the valuable Trilisk artifacts, but he would have a Trilisk. The trade would be in his favor. Should he relocate the base in that case to avoid further Terran entanglement? It would depend on what he could learn from the Trilisk. Would it be dangerous to allow the Trilisk close to the AI? It was a troubling thought he hadn't considered. A Trilisk might well be able to undo his handiwork with the prayer blocker and simply run rampant with it. Then Kirizzo would be the captured specimen. A great deal of time would be required to complete the phase. He would be better served by switching back to action now.