Its a pretty old story, said Lit-ta looking at the screen. About 120 years ago, some 30 years before we started to develop Iota Persei, a rather nontrivial astronomical event took place here, I would even call it extremely nontrivial.
What happened here? I asked with genuine interest.
Our observers near Lambda Aurigae have recorded the appearance of a new star system consisting of three low-mass sub-brown dwarfs, one light month from Iota Persei.
Im sorry, Lit-ta, did I hear you correctly? Did you say «appearance»? Maybe you meant that previously unknown stars were discovered?
Thats the thing. They did appear, theres no doubt about it. They werent there before. Even 150 years ago, we couldnt overlook a triple star system, even though it was made up of these little brown stars, right in front of us, in less than two dozen light years away. Naturally, this phenomenon aroused great interest among our ancestors, but at that time, flying this distance was still a difficult business, and while the expedition was being prepared, its purpose disappeared instantly and without a trace. However, it did not disappear completely here is the trace. This asteroid is the only material evidence of the events of those years. It came from the direction of the vanished sub-brown dwarfs and was captured by the gravity of Iota Persei, becoming part of the outer belt of the system.
I take it this is only part of the story? said I with a slight smile, Im sure you found there something worthy of attention.
Yes, we did, confirmed Lit-ta, but its better if you see it with your own eyes.
* * *
Once upon a time, something of value was clearly mined here, but what was it? The asteroid was pitted with tunnels that diverged in the most unexpected places and also ended suddenly in dead ends. Sometimes the rock had strange cavities, as if part of it had suddenly disappeared into nowhere, leaving behind a cavity of unpredictable shape and size.
Weve been through all the drifts, but we havent found any valuable minerals, Lit-tas voice sounded in my helmet headphones. Perhaps by the time of the catastrophe, the deposit of what was mined here had probably been exhausted and the asteroid was being used for other purposes. Come on, you havent seen the best part yet.
Some of the tunnels in the surviving part of the asteroid were filled with equipment of unclear purpose, often embedded in walls. Only one thing was beyond doubt: the civilization that used these devices was developing along the path of technological progress.
We didnt touch anything here, Litta continued her story, It was obvious to us that we wouldnt figure out the purpose of all this iron stuff anyway it was too alien to us.
Why didnt you tell us this before, Lit-ta? Our scientists could do a lot to understand what happened here 120 years ago.
I wanted to do it, but there were so many more pressing matters. Do you remember when I invited you during my first visit to the Federation? I wanted to show you this place, but then you didnt find the time, which was natural in that situation. Come on, the most interesting find still awaits us.
The tunnel we were walking through made another turn and suddenly led us into a rather spacious room cut down in the rock. I changed the pace at which Ive been going, there were machines in front of me whose purpose was beyond doubt.
I stood there silently and looked at dozens of combat robots, which remained stationary in neat rows along the walls of the cave. They looked sort of like insects. This impression was caused by joint limbs, which for every combat machine were between six and ten, and scaly segmented armor. The largest of them were equipped with cannons, the barrels of which jutted out of the front of their bodies in such a way that they started an involuntary association with mandibles of arthropods. Smaller machines were grouped around each big robot, apparently, they were supposed to act on the battlefield with it, doing reconnaissance and destroying minor targets, although I wouldnt say that with full confidence.
In my long service to the planetary commandos, I have encountered various robots, or as they were called in my first world, walking tanks. This was the first time I saw such a design, but I was paying attention to all the little things and details that were saying a lot to the man who had often seen such creatures in battle. Latticed emitters of protective fields were only visible on the bodies of large machines. Missile launchers were mostly hidden inside the hulls, but the launchers of small robots partially protruded outward, forming a characteristic hump on its «back». In general, I suspected that in combat these machines would be stronger than our Bisons and Goannas, but they could hardly compete with the walking tanks I controlled in my last battle in the body of General Dean.
And what is your impression of this? Lit-ta interrupted a prolonged silence.
Its a very dangerous adversary. I think youre lucky those sub-brown dwarfs disappeared as quickly as they came. If they would have stayed here, and something like this would have got out of them, I made a gesture around the cave, you and I wouldnt be talking right now.
Our scientists came to the same conclusion, Lit-ta agreed with me, but despite their best efforts, there is still no explanation for what happened.
Have these specimens been standing here since they were discovered without any activity?
When we found this place, it was hopelessly dead. No energy, no living things, not even the corpses of the owners of these machines nothing. There is a far-fetched hypothesis that our world was somehow not suited to those who had come here in such an unusual way, but thats just a vague assumption, which, by the way, doesnt explain the origin of that split-in-half asteroid.
What do you think those who built these robots looked like, Lit-ta?
Weve been wondering the same thing. As you know, were pretty good at everything with natural and artificial evolution of living things, but the conclusions of our bioengineers have been mixed. They were definitely not lizards, toads, humans, or quargs. So we have the paradoxical view that these machines had evolved on their own for some time, without the help of their creators, as unbelievable as this may sound. By the way, we gave them a name, and Im curious if our perception matches yours. What would you call the civilization that created these robots?
I thought for a few seconds, but I finally decided that the first association that came to my head was the best thing to designate what I saw.
This is Swarm, a swarm of insects who built war machines in their own image. I have no basis for this opinion its just a first impression that Im used to trust.
Perhaps Igor, humans and lizards are not as different as they seem at first glance, Lit-ta spoke thoughtfully, We gave them the name «Hive».
Chapter 3
Yoon Gao and Mbia arrived seven hours later. Earlier their journey would have taken several days, but mass production of transport rings revolutionized the Federations logistics. General of the Army Barrington jokingly complained that I had robbed him of his job with my invention, but it was clear that in fact the permanent head of the rear services was pleased with the changes that had taken place.
André, have you forgotten your last landing on Groombridge-2? I asked the Colonel with a grin.
We had tea in my office on board Dragons Tail and I was telling the scouts why I pulled them out of the Solar System.