MotherShip by Tony Chandler Page B

cities are all destroyed, I mean, the cities are only destroyed because the inhabitants themselves are the...”
    “Okay, Jaric. It's okay. We understand.” Becky glared at Kyle, who had caused this unnecessary outburst.
    Jaric sighed with relief. “Well, anyway. What Mother's sensors have discovered is an active power grid. There seems to have been a rather large underground complex just outside the remnant of this city on the southern continent.” Jaric pointed to the viewscreen as Mother focused and brought up a more detailed view. “See, right,” he paused as the details of the individual buildings came into focus. “Right there.”
    The three leaned closer, each of them holding their breath without realizing it.
    “It's a human complex, alright,” Kyle said. He tweaked the sensors for more detail. “I'm getting power signatures—from human technology. Something was left running.” He paused, a sudden gleam in his eyes. “Or somebody's kept it running.”
    “Why would the T'kaan keep a human complex operating?” Jaric wrinkled his face questioningly.
    “They'd build their own complex,” Kyle added. “After they destroyed everything else!”
    “Yes. So, perhaps in this surface building, or probably in an underground complex...” Jaric began.
    “Are humans!” Becky shouted.
    Mother found herself hard pressed to suppress the children's actions. After a more thorough scan to ensure no T'kaan ships were in the immediate vicinity or that there were no signs of T'kaan life forms or their maggot young on the planet's surface near that point, Mother landed herself just outside the north entrance of the surface building from which the power readings emanated.
    “Guardian, you will position yourself inside the building at this major juncture of the main corridors. From this position you can maintain contact with myself as well as with the children as they make their initial sweep of the uppermost underground level.” Mother paused, recreating over a million possible scenarios and their ultimate outcomes. “I must have more data before I can allow you to search further underground, out of my sensor contact.”
    “Come on,” Kyle said. He grabbed Jaric and Becky each by an arm and pushed them toward Mother's open door.
    “Guardian, please proceed,” Mother ordered. “I will provide direct communication to enhance your programming. But if you perceive a loss of communication, please backtrack until an active signal from me is obtained.”
    Guardian nodded wordlessly as he passed through the door. The robot's huge gait enabled it to catch up to the three humans just as they entered the reinforced door of the building.
    Jaric held the hand-held sensor before him, pointing it inside. He completed his sensor sweep of every part of the building inside within range.
    “Anything?” Kyle asked tersely.
    “No signs of life. Nor any recent traces,” Jaric sighed.
    “Let's go inside.” Kyle began walking inside.
    “Wait,” Becky said. “Let Guardian go first.”
    “Why?” Kyle asked.
    “Because.” Becky shrugged. “It could be dangerous.”
    Kyle ignored her and walked inside, drawing the blaster from the holster at his hip as he disappeared into the darkness.
    “Idiot,” Becky whispered.
    Becky and Jaric heard Kyle's footsteps echo eerily from out of the black interior as he continued onward. Suddenly, they stopped. From the midst of darkness, a bright beam of light ignited.
    “Come on. There's nothing here. I want to get down another level.” Kyle began walking deeper into the bowels of the building. As he walked, his beam of light pierced and probed up to the high ceiling and back down, then side to side as he entered a side corridor. Just before he entered, he turned to the others.
    “Hurry up.”
    Jaric started forward but stopped short as Becky grabbed his arm.
    “What?” Jaric asked.
    “Something's weird,” Becky whispered. “I don't like it.”
    Jaric repeated his sensor sweep as Becky