Starweb by Warren James Palmer

Author:Warren James Palmer [Palmer, Warren James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ripping Publishing
Published: 2021-08-11T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The defended border between Human occupied space and Starweb territory.

20.32hrs Universal Standard time. August 15th 2057.

For weeks now they had been massing on the borders between humanoid space and the countless light-years of territory which was occupied by the Starweb. Vast battle-cruisers made of dark composite material and of improbably complex compound curves, were escorted by only slightly smaller dreadnoughts. In turn, destroyers and numerous support vessels escorted the dreadnoughts. Flashing between the huge vessels were myriads of small Webfighters, intent on protecting the fleet like aggressive wasps protecting a hive.

Each craft, no matter how large or small, was operated by an artificial mind; part electronic, part biological, and each mind was linked via the sub-ether to co-ordinating AI computers. Their superiors were the sentient council of the Starweb and they were intent upon the eradication of the human species from the universe once and for all.

The Guardians of God had learned their collective mistake during their previous encounter with these last surviving vermin. A mistake that would not be repeated. There would be no severing of the link between the fleet and sentient machines. They were prepared for a small concert of human minds attempting to disrupt the sterilizing operation, and had taken steps accordingly. Their careful calculations had proven that the chances of the human races gathering their minds in sufficient numbers or strength, to affect the overwhelming numbers of the fleet, were now infinitely small.

Nor would they risk their fleet being outnumbered by the human fleet. Which was why the Starweb fleet was so vast, it could literally fill an entire star system. The number of ships involved could be counted not in the hundreds, but in the thousands. The council had agreed not to break the rules of engagement by using superior technology against the humans, but nothing had been said about numerical superiority.

As soon as the order to deploy was sent out by the council, the prepared fleet engaged the artificial singularities of thousands of power plants, and as one, crossed into human space.

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