Empire: Book 2, The Chronicles of the Invaders (The Chronicles of the Invaders Trilogy) Read Online Free Page A
Author: John Connolly, Jennifer Ridyard
relieved at the prospect of finally landing. He swallowed his nausea for long enough to issue an order.
“Standard scan,” he said. “Quick as you can.”
A standard scan was the minimum required for landing in possibly unsecured territory, as it searched for signs of movement, heat signatures, and carbon-based life. Peris seemed about to say something, but instead remained silent. Ahead of them loomed the exploration platform, designed to probe for mineral deposits. Torma was believed to be rich in iron ore, gold, and uranium, although, as with everything else, the Illyri had their own names for them. Exploration platforms were typically staffed by scientists, engineers, and seismologists, who would assess the viability of mining the resources. The platform on Torma had been dropped ten weeks earlier, and was not due for retrieval until the end of its six-month assessment mission.
Unfortunately, all communication with the platform had ceased shortly after its first month, and the Envion had been dispatched to investigate and, if necessary, perform a rescue and retrieval mission.
“Scan negative,” said Steven. “All clear to land.”
“Circle,” said Faron.
Steven did as he was ordered. The shuttle soared over and around the exploration platform. It resembled a small fortress, with high steel walls surrounding a central courtyard of desert sand. At its northernend stood a cluster of buildings: laboratories and living quarters for the small survey team. To the south was what appeared to be a long pipe, one end buried deep in the sand. This was the hull of the primary search device, and protected a complicated mass of drilling, coring, and cutting equipment. A raised walkway linked it to the laboratory complex, allowing samples to be easily transported for analysis. Lights blinked on the platform’s various masts and towers. A small civilian shuttle stood on its sole landing pad, but there were no signs of life.
“Were they armed?” asked Faron. His knowledge of drilling platforms and their operation wouldn’t have occupied much time in a conversation.
“Just basic pulse weapons,” said Peris. “The shuttle has a single seventy-millimeter cannon mounted on its underside, but that’s all.”
Faron detected a note of disapproval in Peris’s voice.
“The planet was cleared as I-2,” he told Peris. “No further protection was deemed necessary.”
The Illyri classified planets according to two primary designations—I for Inhabited and U for Uninhabited. The first designation allowed for a series of numerical progressions: 1 was basically microbial life; 2, lesser unintelligent and generally unthreatening life-forms—insects, lizards, small mammals; 3 was significant life, with lower-level species of some intelligence, the equivalent of Earth’s apes; and 4 was an advanced civilization. So far, only Earth had qualified as a 5: an advanced civilization with the potential capacity for interplanetary travel, if only within its own system.
The initial life-form survey of Torma had revealed little indication of life beyond bugs and the peculiar lizardlike creatures that fed upon them, which the Illyri had nicknamed “tormals.” They seemed to combine the scaled bodies and cold-blooded metabolisms of reptiles with a thick, retractable exoskeleton. This shield could be folded away like wings until the creature felt under threat, whereupon the exoskeleton was activated, sealing the lizard inside a hard black shell. Some of the scientists and engineers on Torma had begun keeping tormals as pets—despite standing orders against such practices—for the little lizards were content to spend their time eating, sleeping, and playingwith colored balls, which they fetched and returned in the manner of tiny dogs. They rarely activated their protective shells in the company of the Illyri, and it remained a mystery as to why the mechanism existed at all. It was suggested that it might be a kind of evolutionary
“Standard scan,” he said. “Quick as you can.”
A standard scan was the minimum required for landing in possibly unsecured territory, as it searched for signs of movement, heat signatures, and carbon-based life. Peris seemed about to say something, but instead remained silent. Ahead of them loomed the exploration platform, designed to probe for mineral deposits. Torma was believed to be rich in iron ore, gold, and uranium, although, as with everything else, the Illyri had their own names for them. Exploration platforms were typically staffed by scientists, engineers, and seismologists, who would assess the viability of mining the resources. The platform on Torma had been dropped ten weeks earlier, and was not due for retrieval until the end of its six-month assessment mission.
Unfortunately, all communication with the platform had ceased shortly after its first month, and the Envion had been dispatched to investigate and, if necessary, perform a rescue and retrieval mission.
“Scan negative,” said Steven. “All clear to land.”
“Circle,” said Faron.
Steven did as he was ordered. The shuttle soared over and around the exploration platform. It resembled a small fortress, with high steel walls surrounding a central courtyard of desert sand. At its northernend stood a cluster of buildings: laboratories and living quarters for the small survey team. To the south was what appeared to be a long pipe, one end buried deep in the sand. This was the hull of the primary search device, and protected a complicated mass of drilling, coring, and cutting equipment. A raised walkway linked it to the laboratory complex, allowing samples to be easily transported for analysis. Lights blinked on the platform’s various masts and towers. A small civilian shuttle stood on its sole landing pad, but there were no signs of life.
“Were they armed?” asked Faron. His knowledge of drilling platforms and their operation wouldn’t have occupied much time in a conversation.
“Just basic pulse weapons,” said Peris. “The shuttle has a single seventy-millimeter cannon mounted on its underside, but that’s all.”
Faron detected a note of disapproval in Peris’s voice.
“The planet was cleared as I-2,” he told Peris. “No further protection was deemed necessary.”
The Illyri classified planets according to two primary designations—I for Inhabited and U for Uninhabited. The first designation allowed for a series of numerical progressions: 1 was basically microbial life; 2, lesser unintelligent and generally unthreatening life-forms—insects, lizards, small mammals; 3 was significant life, with lower-level species of some intelligence, the equivalent of Earth’s apes; and 4 was an advanced civilization. So far, only Earth had qualified as a 5: an advanced civilization with the potential capacity for interplanetary travel, if only within its own system.
The initial life-form survey of Torma had revealed little indication of life beyond bugs and the peculiar lizardlike creatures that fed upon them, which the Illyri had nicknamed “tormals.” They seemed to combine the scaled bodies and cold-blooded metabolisms of reptiles with a thick, retractable exoskeleton. This shield could be folded away like wings until the creature felt under threat, whereupon the exoskeleton was activated, sealing the lizard inside a hard black shell. Some of the scientists and engineers on Torma had begun keeping tormals as pets—despite standing orders against such practices—for the little lizards were content to spend their time eating, sleeping, and playingwith colored balls, which they fetched and returned in the manner of tiny dogs. They rarely activated their protective shells in the company of the Illyri, and it remained a mystery as to why the mechanism existed at all. It was suggested that it might be a kind of evolutionary
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