He told her he knew all about her communication updates. The queen would have no information that would be of tactical use, the bugs weren’t stupid. She was in captivity after all. But she was getting some general updates. He had gathered as much from the broken queen.
How to get her to talk when Mr. T could not outright lie within a delve? Mr. T smacked her in the middle of her forehead to get her attention. It was he that had turned off her comms. He concentrated on the memory of what Para had done to that first queen and shared the information. Yes, that is the very same girl holding you now, in a grip so powerful you are not able to move without her allowance. Some answers had better start flowing. If not, there is always the re-processor. The captive queen had a shocked look on her face. Her mind registered fear.
She admitted the High Queen had fled to the base on the Moon. A different word seeped through. The High Queen had not used the word flee. No, she had retired to the base on the Moon. Soon, the remaining ships would move into a defensive position, a blockade between Earth and the Moon. The High Queen would likely be on one of those ships directly overseeing the operation.
The invasion forces would remain on high alert until the Empire fleet came through the portal gate. This queen now admitted Invasion High Command was amazed at the resilience of humanity. There was a grudging concern that humanity might prevail. This queen then suggested she would be happy to serve humanity rather than the Empire. There would need to be a guarantee that her status as queen be reestablished. She suggested a level of High Queen would more suit her lineage.
Mr. T sensed his hosts were getting antsy... it was time to finalize the interview. He delved deeply to be sure he got to the truth.
This queen did not actually believe humanity would prevail against the entrenched bugs on the Moon. They had better spacecraft and weapons technology. Humans did not have the means to reach out in strength, not even across the miniscule distance to the Moon. Pitiful beings. Effective on their own planet, that was true. But not when it involved crossing any distance in space. She must not have received an update on the Mars base situation.
The teleportation gate would soon be operational. After that, the unstoppable forces of the Empire would subjugate humanity with no effort at all. Even though this queen assumed the Empire would prevail, the royal court was surprised at the sheer will of humanity. Instead of collapsing in fear, the soft Earthlings had taken advantage of the drug-enraged soldiers of the invasion. Over and again the humans kept their calm and systematically fought back. They didn’t break and run. Mr. T also confirmed there was a battle rage compound used on bug soldiers by the queens.
Yet, this queen emoted a feeling of disgust with all the errors and placed the blame squarely at the feet of the drug addicted High Queen. The invasion forces should have lifted off and blasted the soft human creatures to a pulp. Destroyed more cities. If they had maintained even a rudimentary tactical strategy humanity would have been subjugated in days. Even at that, she was certain there would be no further tactical errors. The High Queen would protect her own shell.
Mr. T took on a friendlier tone and pushed the subject of the High Queen and her tactical errors. This queen was willing to share. The High Queen’s mistakes were apparently a product of her own battle rage. She was a known abuser of the battle rage inoculant. The High Queen’s own drug induced fury and stupor had destroyed most of this expeditionary force. But she could not hide the thought. This queen was certain the High Queen had finally wakened to the threat. Humanity would be subjugated. No matter, the High Queen would still be unseated by the Empire.
That was of particular interest to this queen. The High Queen would soon be undone. She had made too many errors and proved herself unworthy of her position. The Empire overlords would soon come through the portal gate. Even now, this queen had weaved an intricate plan with all sorts of plots and accusations designed to depose the High Queen and assume her position.
By her way of thinking, the human-wrought carnage was an embarrassment, but also an opportunity. The pool of eligible queens available to fill the soon to be vacant spot of High Queen of the Invasion had been greatly reduced. As the new High Queen, she could stay on as an ambassador of sorts. It would be a means to escape the tedium and dreamless hibernation of yet another interstellar expedition.
She was telling the truth. The current High Queen had retreated to the Moon. She would take no more chances with humanity. She would defend the base on the Moon with her remaining forces until the portal gate was completed and opened. That was good to know. At least Shockwave would be spared further commando raids or implosion bombing from space.
As he continued pushing into the dark recesses of her mind the queen finally started to resist. The officer in charge was clearing his throat, obviously implying the interview should be wrapped up.
One of the agency guys in attendance, special agent something or other, held out his hand. “We’ll take the pad sir. We will be sure to supply you with a copy.”
Mr. T had expected that. A friend had given him a
