Chapter Twenty (Leebaw) (2/2)
The four legged robots had their legs folded and were using water-jets to move. They were pulling two or three of the big bipeds on fishing line. There were the smaller ones, the size of a child Leebawian, were darting around like fish. One moved in front of him, stared with a blank faceplant for a long moment, then wiggled away.
From the four legged ones poured the smell of freshly caught fish blood.
He paddled in place, watching in confusion as the chrome figures moved through the darkness of the silty water. The clicks and pops were between them, not meant for Leebawians but one another.
The curious swimmer, a part of a cell that had planned on assaulting the space port before the machines had arrived, realized he was hearing battle-code, not much difference from the coded cant his own cell used.
As he watched one of the bipeds turned its blank for toward him. One its forward hands opened and closed, then the biped turned its head back toward the four legged one towing him.
Curious, the Leebawian, one Ukk-uk-huk, followed. Adding his own movements to the pack moving through his territory. There was only twelve of them, moving correctly in a spindle, and they made room for Ukk to swim with them.
Ukk realized that they were swimming to the pool in the machine's base. That cruel body of water so close to freedom but so far that young Leebawians were allowed to swim in but were kept from escaping into the waters of the delta by a flickering shield.
He saw, as he followed, that the shield was still up but did nothing. He swam through, expecting oblivion, but instead just felt a tingle.
They had left it up? Why?
Ukk expected the bipeds to spring from the water and start shooting everything in sight. Instead, the small little ones slid out of the water and wormed their way across the floor on their bellies like they were made of liquid. Ukk started to reach for the edge of the lip but one of the bipeds grabbed his wrist. When he looked the rune for ”wait” flashed across the faceplate of the biped in the darkest color that Ukk could see.
The bipeds slipped out of the water, climbing out with water running off them, to Ukk they looked like primordial nightmares. All black, bulky, dripping water, covered in delta reeds and muck.
Ukk stayed in the pool, watching.
The four legged ones started returning, moving carefully, sliding into the water without a ripple. The smaller ones came out, leading two or three podlings each, the podlings giggling to themselves at this new game.
Ukk stared as they kept going by.
It has to be a terrible trick...
It couldn't last, the unearthly silence where even simple water droplets were like thunder.
THERE IS ONLY...
The familiar scream started. Ukk closed his ears but still felt the bellowed replies.
GET FUCKED SKYNET!
shattered the screeching onslaught, roared from a dozen throats.
The night caught fire. Stealth abandoned for speed, the four legged ones and the smallest ones urged the podlings into the pond even as Ukk heard the weapon fire start.
One of the smaller ones came in, moving fast, making a curious noise that sounded like ”mew mew mew mew” as the podlings imitated it and chased it. A machine burst in, smoking, tattered, its armor blown away or twisted and cratered, and leveled what Ukk had long ago learned was a plasma gun at the running podlings.
Flares shot out of the little metal one's back and the podlings laughed with glee as metallic dust puffed from the little robot to fill the room.
Ukk spit the pistol out into his hand and pulled the trigger wildly. He had never fired the plasma pistol before and didn't expect it to kick back against his hand. It hit the machine twice, rocking it back, the return plasma shot missing the little ones and hitting the wall.
Croaking in anxiety and despair, Ukk reoriented the pistol on the machine, which was turning toward him.
--help kittykitty simba help--
Water exploded behind him as one of the four legged ones burst from the surface of the pond, flying through the air, a massive cannon with shells as thick as Ukk's forearm attached by a belt connecting the cannon to the four legged robot. Lasers flashed out, slicing away the plasma run from the machine, cutting furrows in the machine's armor, cutting free two legs.
Then the four legged robot crashed to the floor as the podlings croaked and clicked in fear.
It made a roaring noise, a primal sound that made Ukk shudder, paused, and the cannon on its back opened up.
BRRRRRRRT!
To Ukk it sounded like the world ending. The shells chewed the machine apart, but the four legged robot didn't stop there, it raked the walls, peeling apart the metal walls, the shells not stopping and slamming into targets beyond.
One of the podlings jumped in fear and Ukk felt his stomach clench as he knew the beam of light traversing the room would catch the podling.
Instead there was a minute gap, too small to be purposeful but too perfectly positioned to be accidental, and the podling landed safely.
The little one clicked and croaked and Ukk understood it.
--follow mew mew follow kittykitty little littles--
Another machine entered and Ukk fired the plasma pistol again, all three shots missing. More entered, swarming in through doorways, crashing through the metal, dropping from the vents. Ukk fired again but the pistol's plasma cartridge magazine ran dry on the fourth trigger pull.
The four legged one scrambled to Ukk, stopping over him, crouching down over the small Leebawian, and that cannon kept firing, flashing lasers and screaming plasma getting added to the mix. Machines shattered, spun, and collapsed. Ukk saw smaller laser beams flicker out, intercepting pieces of metal shed from exploding machines, zapping them from existence before the tiny metal pieces could hit the podlings.
It seemed to go on forever to Ukk. The scream of weaponry, the sound of metal ripped asunder, and the clicking --follow mew mew little littles--. Females began streaming by, some heavy with eggs, others with the deflated look of ones that had recently laid their eggs. Males streamed by, many injured or with cruel implements thrust into their bodies.
They all jumped into the pool as Ukk huddled beneath the big four legged
Finally it was over. Silence descended for a moment, broken only by the patter of podlings and rescued brood mothers streaming by.
Still Ukk huddled under the four legged one.
One of the big bipeds came into the room. One arm was blown off, its black surface was marred, and it leaked fluid down its flank from a hole that Ukk could see circuitry and mechanical parts through. It saw Ukk when the four legged robot moved aside.
Ukk froze, sure his time had come.
More returned and one moved over to Ukk, who huddled down.
The visor went clear and Ukk realized he was looking at a hairless primate, like one of the lemurs of the southern jungles stripped of hair and made large.
”Is this your planet?” It asked in Unified Galactic Common.
Ukk croaked his assent.
The figure pointed at a robot that still twitched and one of the bipeds kicked it over. Ukk noticed that the weapons on the four legged one tracked it. The biped stopped it with one big foot, pressing it to the floor as if the machine's mechanical strength didn't matter.
”It's jawnconnor time, Froggy,” The primate said. He squatted behind Ukk, reaching around him carefully, and replaced the plasma pistol with another pistol. Ukk shivered, terrified, as the primate embraced him, holding onto his hand, forcing his finger on the trigger.
He was about to be devoured, he was sure of it.
”You're this close to going out, Froggy,” The biped said softly from behind him, moving Ukk's hand to aim the pistol at the armored flank of the machine. He forced Ukk to press the firing stud and the weapon cracked, spitting a slug that cratered the armor but didn't penetrate.
Ukk klicked in resignation. Of course it wouldn't penetrate.
”You'll learn to fight back,” The primate said. He forced Ukk to fire again, although Ukk didn't understand why as the slug only hit the crater, widening and deepening it.
”To charge the wire,” The primate forced him to pull the trigger a third time, expanding the crater. Ukk still felt despair. The pistol stung his hand even with the primate's help, what hope did...
”And smash...
the next shot exposed the innards and Ukk felt a sudden surge of shock.
”These metal...
the next shot slammed through the crater and turned wiring and mechanical parts into slag. The machine shrieked in pain. Ukk felt a sudden flare of anger
”mother...
the next shot slammed deeper and two of the machine's legs blew off. Ukk felt the anger build. Why weren't his people armed like this?
”fuckers...
The next caused a thin plume of plasma to vent out the ruptured side. Ukk clicked rapidly in anger.
”Into...”
The next caused the head of the machine to blow off in a shower of sparks and the entire side to split open. Ukk gave a loud croak in anger and tried to hop forward.
The primate let go.
”Junk,” it said as Ukk rushed forward, emptying the magazine of the pistol into the machine as he croaked and clicked in rage.
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CONFEDNAVINT REPORT
Lintennal 515, called Leebaw by native species, being cleared. Casualties below estimation. Orbitals under CONFED control. System 90% pacified.
Native species capable of self defense. Are arming and equipping to act as resistance force to assist. Native species was space faring before Unified Civilization interference.
------NOTHING FOLLOWS---------
UNIFIED MANUFACTURING COUNCIL INTERNAL MEMO
The Terrans spent significant military resources to free a labor world under the control of Ukewa's Packguru Manufacturing by ground force means but glassed the entire planet of Kalukaluku, a major industrial manufacturing center only a few light years away just because they couldn't detect any life forms left on the planet. Kalukaluku's industrial and manufacturing capability could have provided assistance to the war effort if it had been liberated rather than underwent orbital bombardment.
Had the vaunted ”Terran Confederate Navy” properly allocated their forces instead of rushing to engage in ground combat on a remote planet of no strategic or tactical value, the industrial center might have been saved by the same forces.
Nu'ukluk Entertainment Conglomerate has filed a most strenous objection to one of its valuable industrial centers being so casually wiped away just because these ”Terrans” can't properly allocate military resources.
Please discover who to contact within the Confederacy government in order to allow Nu'ukluk Entertainment Conglomerate to bring forth a lawsuit for this grievous misapplication of military resources.