"Yes, it was a kind offer," North replied, "but human beings prefer to do things their way. Your people's track record of taking from Earth for centuries without asking permission first doesn't lend itself to trust, I'm afraid."
The details of the mass became more distinct as it came closer. Olivia gasped. She knew what they were now. They weren't actual insects, or Krax had termed locusts, but biomechanical ones.
"Are these your nanobots?" she asked Moreau.
He nodded. "Yes. They should obey our commands."
Moreau turned to his father, and they discussed the situation before his father pulled a palm-sized device from his travel bag and pointed it toward the swarm. Nothing happened. He stretched out his arm and tried again, shaking his head in disbelief. The swarm continued its march. The small mechanical creatures surrounded what appeared to be a driverless vehicle the size of small school bus featuring a large glass-domed top.
"It appears Colonel North wants us to take a ride in his shiny new transport." Hernando pointed at the oncoming vehicle with his baton. "Do we take him up on his kind offer?"
Olivia gripped the baton in her hand and gave it a nervous twist. "We're at his mercy. I've read my share of science fiction. He's probably got those metal locusts set to strip the skin off our bones."
"Please enter the vehicle when it comes to a complete stop," Colonel North's disembodied voice instructed. "It will take you to my location. Don't worry. It's safe."
The clear bubble top rolled back for them to enter the self-driving vehicle. No one moved.
"It's not the mode of transportation which worries us, but the owner," Caveman shouted over the growing din of the approaching nanobots. "How do we know we'll be safe when we reach wherever it is you are?"
"I give you my word you'll be quite safe once you're in the vehicle and once you're at my location. What I cannot guarantee is you'll be safe if you remain standing where you are."
The meaning in North's words became all too clear. Olivia screamed as a nanobot ran across her feet and then another and another...
Chapter Twelve
Within minutes, everyone stood knee deep in chattering mechanical locusts.
"Everybody into the vehicle!" Caveman cried. "Now!"
He helped the older members of the group get in and take their seats, then gestured for the security entourage to enter as well. Olivia exhaled a long sigh of relief as she hopped into the bus. The nanobots detached themselves from her legs and dispersed as the clear dome extended over the top and the driverless vehicle turned about to take them to Colonel North's headquarters.
"I can see this becoming a ride at an amusement park back on Earth someday," Hernando quipped.
Olivia grimaced. She was still shaking from the experience. "It's not funny. We were almost crushed by multiplying nanobots."
"I know, I know." Hernando put an arm about her shoulders. Olivia relaxed. "Somehow, I have to make light of this situation for it to make sense to me," he explained. "Having spent time on both worlds, I think we can see how the misunderstanding began."
Olivia looked askance at him. "Misunderstanding? I'd say it's bigger than a simple misunderstanding. We have Earthlings terrified of a threat from outer space because the Alphans let slip they needed some help fixing a large weapon to protect their world from an invasion fleet."
You can't blame humanity for being suspicious of the Pure Bloods' true motives, either. They've abducted thousands of us throughout history.
True, the terrors of the past cannot be erased overnight. Healing will take time, Hernando acknowledged. "Whether or not there is an invasion fleet on its way or not, it's the lack of trust between humans and Pure Bloods in this time period which has caused this situation—a lack of trust over a misunderstanding of the actual threat."
"Say what?"
"The Alphans trusted Earthlings enough to share their dilemma but not their fellow Pure Bloods. By misplacing their trust and not trusting their own kind, they put themselves into a vulnerable position, even more vulnerable than suffering an actual Kloog attack."
"Once again I'm right." Olivia sighed. "Humans are more dangerous than any bug-eyed monster we'll ever encounter in the universe." She leaned closer to him and whispered, "How do we get this Colonel North and his people to believe the Kloog aren't the threat they've been made out to be and return to Earth?"
"Good question." The vehicle came to a halt outside a nondescript block building which appeared to be a bunker half-buried in the sand. "We'd better come up with a quick answer, because it looks like we've reached our destination."
The dome rolled back and all exited the vehicle. Caveman took the lead, insisting on being the first into the building. He tugged on his jacket lapels, reminding Olivia of many a great leader. It brought a smile to her face.
"Now, now, there's no use getting everyone killed or injured if this place is a booby trap, so I'll go in alone. I'm more than willing to risk my life and cause an interstellar incident at the same time." Caveman winked. "Just be certain to avenge me in a manner fitting the Chief Ruling Councilor of BloodDark."
"We certainly will, Councilor." Hernando winked back. Caveman grinned and headed toward the entrance. The jovial moment faded, and the group soon grew silent.
"Maybe we should go back to the city and retrieve an ancient exoskeleton weapon?" Olivia suggested to Hernando. "I recall how Caveman enjoyed stomping about in that giant suit of armor with built-in blasters. Maybe we could use them to stomp those nanobots into dust, too?"
"We'd need thousands of those suits to crush that many locusts." Hernando shook his head. "This place appears twice as large as what we were originally told by Clan Alpha. What is it with humans and thinking 'bigger is better'? A very small Portal device
