Star Fortress

Its metal optical implants twitched. There was red pin-dot light in them. How could metal and flesh coexist? Then Ricardo berated himself. Men had been putting batteries in their hearts and screws in their joints for a long time. Cyborgs merely heightened the process and enslaved the brain, marrying it to computer functions.

“You possess a warship,” the cyborg said in an inflectionless voice.

Ricardo’s lips moved, but no sounds issued.

“Our indicators show you will attempt flight in the warship,” the cyborg said. “This is unacceptable.”

“What do you mean?” Ricardo managed to whisper.

“We desire the warship intact. You will remain in place while we secure the vessel.”

Ricardo gave a low-throated laugh. “Why would we do that?”

The cyborg blinked several times as if processing the question. “You cannot escape, but you can damage the warship. This is unacceptable.”

“Then don’t attack us,” Ricardo said.

The cyborg’s head twitched. It happened very fast, making him think of a humanoid insect. “The warship cannot leave Mars. We desire it for our use.”

Ricardo’s mouth was dry. “A moment please,” he said. He switched back to the SAM operator. “Are the planes still closing in?”

“They’re almost in range, sir. Do you have further commands?”

“Not yet,” Ricardo said. “Just make sure you destroy the transports first.”

“I will try, sir.”

Ricardo nodded, and switched the cyborg back onto his screen. “You must call off your attack while I meet with my commanders.”

“Leave the warship and file into an assembly area,” the cyborg said. “We will thereby process you more smoothly.”

“We don’t want to be processed. We want to keep ourselves just as we are.”

“Your wants and desires are meaningless.”

“Not to us,” Ricardo said.

The cyborg now spoke slowly. “We will…bargain for the warship,”

“Yes, we can bargain. First, call off the planes heading to Salvador Dome.”

“The Web-Mind has agreed to process you last. You will therefore maintain your identities longer than other converted Martians.”

“I’m afraid that’s not good enough.”

“Explain.”

“You have to move your planes away—”

“They’re firing,” someone said in the command center.

“Excuse me,” Ricardo said. He switched off the cyborg and turned on outer scanners. Veracruz missiles sped at the enemy. All of them were launching. The cyborg response was immediate. The fighters roared into the lead, and they let their anti-missiles fly. In seconds, there were explosions all over the sky.

Ricardo groaned. So did others.

Cyborg troopers ejected from the transports. Their jetpacks burned brightly as they floated toward the ground.

Now cyborg-controlled fighters exploded as SAMs made it through the barrage. In seconds, several transports became orange fireballs.

“Too many cyborgs are touching down onto the surface,” an officer said.

“We need liftoff!” Ricardo shouted, switching to engineering.

A harried man looked up at him. “There’s a glitch, sir. The ship might explode if we ignite now.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Ricardo roared. “If the cyborgs reach us, we’ll be dragged to the converters. Fire the engines. If we explode, at least it will be a clean death.”

The chief engineer stared at Ricardo, finally nodding. “Yes, sir. Ignition systems engaged!” he shouted.

Ricardo’s chest hurt. This was too close. He remembered the cyborg then and switched back to the thing.

“You must vacate the warship,” the cyborg said.

“Yes, yes, I agree,” said Ricardo. “We’re afraid, however, that you are lying to us. To show us good faith, you must call off your troopers.”

“Humans tell lies. This is known data.”

“Cyborgs tell lies, too,” Ricardo said.

“The concept is meaningless. You must vacate your warship immediately or face termination.”

“You will lose the warship then.”

“No. We desire the warship. We have a bargain.”

“It’s not good enough. My people need assurances.”

“You are dissembling,” the cyborg said. “I have been monitoring your eye movement and your facial changes. You are Captain Ricardo Sandoval of the Martian Commandoes and acting Captain of the Pancho Villa. I am instructed to tell you that dissembling will result in extreme pain once you are in our custody.”

Ricardo’s features hardened, and he cursed at the thing. Then he switched it off. He felt as if he understood Sub-Strategist Circe now. Ricardo would give just about anything to be in the Neptune System as he launched nuclear weapons at the Prime Web-Mind.

“Liftoff in ten seconds!” the com-officer shouted.

Ricardo turned on the facility’s outer cameras. Cyborgs bounded toward the launching point. There must be over one hundred of them. A last transport with smoke billowing from two of its engines still headed for them. The transport must have been well back from the others. Ricardo didn’t know if a SAM had hit it or if the plane had taken off with engine trouble.

“Five…four…three…two…one…zero.”

An intense sound punctuated the end of the countdown. A small vibration occurred and immediately increased until Ricardo clenched his teeth as his head vibrated wildly. The shaking intensified and then upward lift began.

“We’re taking off!” a woman shrieked.

On his screen, Ricardo watched as the underground bay door overhead dilated open. The Martian sky greeted them.

“Come on,” Ricardo whispered. “Get us out of here.”

The roar became thunder and the warship Pancho Villa moved toward the opening, toward freedom and life.

“I’m routing laser controls to me!” Ricardo shouted. Likely, no one heard him. It didn’t matter. He took over, and he switched on the warship’s outer cameras. They shook too hard for him to use. Thinking fast, Ricardo switched on the SAM site’s cameras.

The Pancho Villa slowly slid out of the ground. Three hundred meters away, cyborgs sped for them. The enemy wasn’t going to make it.

With the shaking, it was getting harder to keep his hands on the controls. Ricardo switched camera settings. The last enemy air transport with trailing smoke was almost over them.

They want to crash into us.

Ricardo activated the laser, and he tapped the auto-tracking and fire pad. To his vast relief, he saw the ship’s red beam stab the transport.

“We’ll beat you yet!” Ricardo shouted, as he shook his fist at the craft. Then, in horror, he saw cyborgs leap out of the bay doors. The transport was almost upon them, but breaking apart. Now jetpacks spewed thrust, and individual cyborgs dropped and thrust at the Pancho Villa.

Ricardo shook his head. As the warship slid toward the sky, visibly gaining speed, several of the creatures attached themselves to the ship’s skin. With fantastic strength, five cyborgs tore their way into the accelerating vessel.

An alarm sounded, barely audible over the roar and thunder of the engines pushing them toward space.

This can’t be happening.

Ricardo stared at his screen. No one could un-strap and face the cyborgs now. They were under too much G-