EXXOS
Eager to make progress after wrecking the Hiltos shrine and annihilating the hapless human trader, Exxos urged the Shana Rei to continue their depredations. The shadows seethed, frantic to tear up reality, unravel order, and eliminate the throbbing presence of intelligent life—but because the Shana Rei were irrational and chaotic, they lashed out without any sort of plan whatsoever.
Exxos saw that as poor strategy. He needed to guide them, develop a grand scheme that would test the creatures of darkness. He wanted to bring about the full extinction of all sentient species, one step at a time. With tools from the Shana Rei, his robots would annihilate one center of civilization after another.
More importantly for his own survival, Exxos observed and learned with each engagement. As his black robots understood what the shadows could do, and were willing to do, Exxos would force the creatures of darkness to push harder. In doing so, he could also measure the limitations of the Shana Rei, since eventually the robots would need to find a way to exterminate the shadows as well.
“We have a new opportunity for destruction,” Exxos announced, knowing that the pulsing inkblots were always listening. “And so we require you to create more warships for us.”
Agony shimmered through the horrific ripping voice in the void. “You would cause us pain again.”
“Living things cause you more pain,” he pointed out.
“It all causes us pain.”
“But destruction gives you relief—that is why you must do this,” Exxos said, then waited. The inkblots appeared, roiling opaque Rorschach stains that opened their blazing and sinister eyes. He pressed, “Wiping out myriad life-forms will alleviate your pain. We can alleviate your pain. But only if you do as I say.”
When the Shana Rei did not respond, he insisted, “My robots have skills the Shana Rei do not possess. We will develop a plan. Once all of their intelligent thoughts are gone, then you will be powerful enough to wipe out everything else—the universe as well as yourselves.”
He paused. “But we need your ships. Use your powers to manifest matter so that we can conduct our war. For you. We have been planning this for a very long time.”
Nevertheless, Exxos knew that reality was grim. Only 237 black robots remained of what had been millions. Each black robot was supposedly unique and could not be mass-produced, and now they all had standardized themselves to have the same mind, his mind. Even so, Exxos didn’t know how he could ever bring back the overwhelming metal swarm that had once nearly conquered the Galaxy.
On the other hand, if the black robots obliterated everything else—the Ildiran Empire, the human race, and eventually, the Shana Rei—so that the only intelligent beings in existence were his robots, all of them bearing his mind and thoughts … then that would be enough.
“We will create your warships,” the Shana Rei agreed. The black robots thrummed with shared excitement. “We will endure the pain—but you will do the fighting.”
“It is our purpose to assist you in causing destruction,” Exxos said. “We have already chosen our next target. That is why I summoned you.”
The void shattered, and Exxos heard a great ripping sound as solid matter appeared, large forms of opaque black metal—atoms created out of nothingness, through great expenditure of energy by the Shana Rei. The creatures of darkness already had the detailed blueprints that Exxos had developed: armored ships filled with expansive weaponry. Each time the robots struck, they modified their plans so that the next time their attack would be even more effective. When all the battleships were created, Exxos knew that for all of their chaotic mayhem, the Shana Rei had reproduced the vessels exactly as instructed.
As the fleet of black warships appeared, the Shana Rei trembled and moaned … and Exxos noted with great interest that they seemed briefly weakened—and that was very important data. He said nothing, but he knew his fellow robots noticed it as well. They buzzed with silent excitement in their secret coded transmissions, which the Shana Rei did not seem to hear.
A part of the robots’ combined processing power analyzed how much pain the shadows endured after mentally manufacturing this many ships. Next time, Exxos would demand twice as many vessels, just to test them. And if the creatures of darkness were sufficiently drained, he could possibly make a different move.…
With a disorienting spin, Exxos found himself on the command bridge of an impressive new warship. His comrades were distributed among the other battleships, fifty-one of the powerful vessels, far more than last time. Exxos didn’t know why the Shana Rei chose that particular number, didn’t know if numbers themselves meant anything at all to the creatures of darkness. But he accepted the gift of the black fleet and planned to cause enormous destruction with it.
They would eradicate a major Confederation trading complex, destroy numerous human ships, and take enormous satisfaction as they heard the screams of countless biologicals dying.
When all the robots were prepared to launch their attack, Exxos provided the Shana Rei with details on where they should emerge into real space from the void. A trapdoor ripped open, and the fifty-one heavily armed ships dropped out. The Shana Rei hex ships followed them through the newly created shadow cloud.
The black fleet descended upon Ulio Station.