The Bug Wars

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Zur assisted Kor to a position behind our defensive line and eased her to the ground near the base of the fortification.

"Permission to leave formation, Commander?" called Zome softly.

"Reason?"

"To bring medical supplies and administer-"

"No!" Kor's voice interrupted, firm, and surprisingly calm.

"Kor!" Zur admonished.

"I must report first...important."

"Commander, she'll die if I don't-"

"They are going to attack...the Ants...They'll try to stop the information from reaching the Empire..."

"Commander!" Zome was insistent.

I made my decision.

"We'll hear her report. Zur, I want you to rearrange the defenses. I want you, Zome, and the ranking Technician...Ihr, stationed near enough to hear this report, but I want you all facing outward to watch for attack."

"Yes, Commander," and he was moving, acting instantly to carry out the order.

"Thank you, Commander," whispered Kor weakly.

I ignored her.

"Mahz!" I beamed.

"Yes, Commander!"

"Put on a booster band and contact the transport immediately. Tell them we need the shuttlecraft down here as soon as they can manage it."

"Yes, Commander."

"Ready, Commander." Zur was back.

"Very well, Kor, proceed with your report."

"They have machines...They...they're studying us...using data to plan tactics-"

"What kind of machines?" interrupted Ihr.

"How are they studying us?" asked Zome.

"Ihr, Zome, I will say this once. We will not tolerate interruptions to this report. Kor! You are of the Warrior caste. You therefore know how to report in a concise orderly fashion. Cease this undisciplined babbling and report properly!"

The rebuff seemed to calm her.

"Yes, Commander. We were captured...all three of us..." She paused as if trying to organize her thoughts. I waited patiently, wondering about the fate of the other two captives.

"Some sort of stun ray...carry it slung under their bodies... Maximum range unknown...trigger mechanism unknown. We were hit at about fifty meters...They struck Vahr and me first, possibly because of our weapons, then took Tzu...Only saw two weapons. So they can be fired at least twice without recharge or reloading...Effect is immediate...full loss of motor nerve control and partial loss of mental faculties..."

She was weakening. I noticed the wound from her missing arm was still bleeding. Using my hand, I tried to pinch off the arteries. I was not wholly successful, but at least now she was losing blood at a slower rate.

"The Ants were both swift and organized in their movements...We were stripped completely, weapons, harness, even booster bands before we could think clearly enough to try to send a message."

"We were then carried back to the anthill and inside...We could see and think, but couldn't move...dim lighting...dumped on floor..."

She stopped and stretched her head back. I realized she was suffering from the pain of her wounds. I waited.

"Dumped on floor in room with dim lighting... We were examined...probed by their antennae...checked for sex...Knew what they were looking for...then piled together...Examining Ants withdrew...replaced by six guards...larger, heavier mandibles..."

"Finally gained control of motor nerves...Effects of stun beam wear off eventually...Examined chamber...Tzu said it was specifically a chamber for captives...one entrance, water supply...Particularly noted lighting...came from luminous rocks...not a natural formation...brought in...changed occasionally by guards... Light not necessary for Ants; must be for prisoners..."

"Examining Ants returned once we were conscious... Crowded first Tzu, then me toward Vahr...Tzu deduced they wanted us to breed...Vahr and I complied, Tzu would not... Warm-bloods brought and given to Vahr and me... Tzu prevented from eating...Pattern continued... Laid eggs, but would not let Ants near them... They did not insist... Suggested Tzu also comply...refused...Would not help Enemy learn about Tzen... "

"Began planning escape... Could approach entrance, but guards would not let us leave chamber...From entrance we could see another chamber across the tunnel...machines..."

"Commander!" came Mahz's voice into my mind.

"Rahm here."

"I have a report on the shuttlecraft "

"Delay report."

I focused my attention on Kor as she continued.

"Could not see entire chamber... There was a kind of View Screen...not full image like ours...stick figures on glowing screen... Display showed our fortification and the anthill...stick figures of Tzen around fortification... Number of Tzen changed from time to time...assumed showing defenses and patrols... Could not see controls or operators.

"Planned escape... Had noted speed of Ants while being carried on surface...used estimated speed and memorized turns taken carried in dark...Thought we could find our way out...Decided not to carry glow rocks...would pinpoint position... Vahr and I would provide fighting cover for Tzu's escape...get Scientist out..."

"Commander," came Mahz's voice again.

"Rahm here. "

"Intruders in the Network, Southeast."

"Identify. "

"Leapers. Twenty of them."

"Movement?"

"Holding position at seventy-five meters."

"Attack Alert," I called to the team. "Leapers massing. Seventy-five meters, Southeast."

I turned back to Kor.

"Continue your report."

"We made our escape attempt...Vahr began to act erratically...running back and forth...falling on floor...Finally ran to eggs and began smashing them with his feet."

"Three guards moved to subdue him... He fought... They seemed unwilling to hurt him... Killed one...Tzu and I made no move to escape...two of the remaining guards moved to assist...only one guard left on entrance..."

"There were several rocks in chamber...same size as my steel balls... Used one to kill entrance guard... We ran... Vahr broke loose and took position at entrance to slow pursuit..."

"Running blind in dark...Hit walls...Tunnels not patrolled...Ran into an Ant from behind...killed it... Ran into one head-on...caught me by arm... Tzu continued alone...Killed the Ant but lost the arm...kept running."

"Message beamed from Tzu...Encountered large number of Ants...blocking tunnel to surface... She ran down another tunnel...led them off..."

"I got to the surface without encountering another Ant...headed for fortification... Several Ants emerged and started after me, then turned back..."

"Commander!" came Mahz's voice, "More Leapers north, accompanied by several Ants!"

"Confirmed," I beamed.

"That concludes my report." Kor's voice was suddenly coherent again. "Special commendation recommended for Tzu. She died like a-"

Her body spasmed, and was still.

"Mahz," I beamed, "status report"

"No visual contact, but instruments still show the two groups. No activity since the last report. They seem to be waiting for something."

"Estimated arrival of shuttlecraft?"

"The transport is in a bad orbital position. If they send it out it won't have enough power to lift off again. Earliest possible arrival is just after sunset"

"Update status as conditions change, but report directly to Zur."

"Confirmed, Commander."

"Zome!" I called softly.

"Here, Commander."

"Examine Kor and stand by to report."

"Confirmed."

He moved to Kor's body.

"Ihr! Analysis of Kor's report."

There was no response.

"Ihr!"

"Yes, Commander. I...in a moment."

I started to press her, then realized she was taking Kor's death badly.

"Ignore it," I beamed to her. "Make your report. You are acting head of the Technicians.

"But Commander," she beamed back, "the last thing I said to Kor...before she was captured...I said I thought the Warriors-"

"Warrior or Technician, she was a Tzen. So are you. Now report."

"But-"

"She's dead...and the rest of us could be the same unless we learn from her report. Now give your analysis!"

"The Ant's technology is apparently inferior to our own. The View Screen described indicates two things. First, they have not yet mastered direct input methods. Stick figures as opposed to full visuals indicate a display of manually input statistics. It is possible that there are several input stations, and also the possibility of several viewing screens displaying common data. It seems unlikely, however, that they would content themselves with representative figures if full visuals were possible.

"Secondly, they are apparently unable to modify equipment." Her voice was strengthening as she continued. "The fact that our teammates could observe the screen from a distance would imply it was a light display. This feature is probably unnecessary to the dark-dwelling Ants. The fact they have not modified this to their own use, despite the fact they have had access to the First Ones' technology longer than we have, indicates a low technical ability."

"Could it be," I interrupted, "that they did not anticipate another species penetrating that far into their nests? That would make a modification for an unlighted display an unnecessary expenditure of time."

"Being familiar with the design of View Screens, I can definitely state that visual light displays are more difficult to build and operate. To a being with technical knowledge, an unlit display would be a simple modification, and one which would ease both construction and operation. As they have not made that modification, I feel it indicates they do not fully understand the principle of the machinery they are operating, and are simply imitating what has been done before."

"Understood. Proceed."

"The stun rays are another example of faulty technology. There are far more effective methods for an Insect to employ a weapon than slinging it under its body. Used in the current manner, it would be extremely difficult to aim on uneven terrain. What is more, to use it when firing from cover would mean the Ant would have to expose itself completely to the Enemy before its weapon could be brought into play."

"How would you explain the fact that they have a weapon not currently in our arsenal?"

"You would have to ask the Scientists, Commander. To the best of my knowledge, however, the Technicians have never been asked to construct one."

"Zome! Your comments and analyses?"

"Kor is dead, Commander."

"Yes, I assumed as much. Now your analysis."

"None of her injuries seem to be caused by any mechanical weapon. From this we can assume that unless specifically prepared for combat, the Ants rely upon their natural weapons."

"As to the stun ray, while the Scientists are not currently aware of such a weapon, it is logically a device such as would have been employed by the First Ones. It could have been passed over in their notes as being unsuitable to our purposes. Tzen will usually either kill an organism or leave it alone."

"It would be useful on missions such as this, when we are assigned to capture live specimens," I commented.

"That is true, Commander, but investigative expeditions such as this are a relatively new venture. Stun rays could have been discarded and forgotten before the need for these missions was known."

"Possibly. Proceed with your report."

"The examination described by Kor indicates prior knowledge of Tzen anatomy. This means the Ants have either obtained data from our earlier campaigns here, or that we have finally discovered what happened to Sirk. In either case, it shows the Ants are also capable of investigative study. They are both aware of the Tzen, and eager for additional data. This last is demonstrated by the fact they were willing to risk attempting to capture live and armed Tzen to obtain subjects for study. We will have to assume if they are intelligent enough to do that, they are intelligent enough to use what they learn."

I waited for a moment to be sure he had completed. his report.

"Mahz!" I beamed.

"Here, Commander."

"Resume reporting updates directly to me."

"Confirmed, Commander."

"Zur, report and analyze."

"There are currently three groups of Insects in the immediate vicinity. From their position and actions, they are all aware of our presence, and preparing for attack. There are two groups of Leapers, apparently under the command of Ants, located southeast and north of the fortification. There is another group, composed entirely of Ants, directly west of us. All groups are currently stationary, apparently waiting for some signal or occurrence before they begin their attack.

"The shuttlecraft will not arrive until after sundown. It would be optimistic to assume they will not attack until then, so we must plan our defense.

"We will assume all three groups will attack simultaneously, though possibly the group of Ants to the west will delay their attack, hoping the other two groups will cause us to shift our positions. If there are weapons used in this attack, they will probably be with that group.

"There are several points in our favor in the upcoming battle. First, the Enemy is apparently still unaware of our Defense Net, which is currently pinpointing their positions and movements. Second, as we killed the spider with hand weapons only, they are not aware of our hot-beams or their effect."

"It is doubtful the stun beams described by Kor are effective beyond fifty meters. If nothing else, it would be next to impossible to use them accurately at a greater range. The range of our hand blasters and particularly the turret gun greatly exceed that.

"Unfortunately, the turret gun can only fire in one direction at a time."

"Our strategy will be to deal with the Enemy at maximum distance. The turret gun will concentrate its fire on the group of Ants to the west, as that is the most potentially dangerous. The rest of us must deal with the groups to the North and Southeast."

"Zur!" I interrupted. "Is it not true that the swivel guns on the skimmers have a greater range than our hand blasters?"

"That is correct, Commander."

"Then if we array the skimmers..."

"Commander!" Mahz's voice came to me.

"Rahm here."

"Instruments indicate digging. There is a tunnel in progress to the Southwest."