Mech Zero: The Dominant Read Free

a primitive level, that colony would still thrive and rebuild. Mendelia law made it illegal to create a female that could not bear young, or to produce an overabundance of males, as was all too common a tendency. To get a license for a third and fourth child, the first two had to be female. This simple expedient had balanced the sexes for three generations.
    Davenport began quoting doctrine from rote memory: “When in the presence of hostiles, known or unknown, vessels shall—”
    “I know what it says , man,” Goddard hissed, leaning forward suddenly. Davenport flinched away, but only minutely. Goddard’s oversized hands squeezed the command chair arms with such tensile force the foam padding creaked and began to tear apart under his fingers. “If we adjust our course to avoid these imaginary mines, what will be the total length of the delay?”
    “There will have to be several random adjustments—not just the one.”
    Goddard glared at him, waiting for his question to be answered.
    “I estimate we’ll achieve orbit and commence bombardment sixteen hours later than we would following a direct course.”
    Goddard produced a rude expulsion with his lips. He stared in annoyance. “I approve of the action,” he said at last, his voice bitter. “After all, what are sixteen more hours after a year-long journey through deep space? However, Captain Davenport, we will spend our newfound additional time as I see fit.”
    “Of course, sir,” Davenport said.
    Goddard wondered: was that a smirk? Did Davenport dare to look pleased with himself? The captain needed a good thrashing.
    “You and I will spend many of these extra hours preparing personally,” Goddard said. “You will meet me in the combat chamber one minute after you go off-duty.”
    Davenport paled slightly. Goddard was known as an inhuman fighter. He was a tiger in the practice sphere, and relished beating subordinates into submission.
    “Wouldn’t these final hours be better spent preparing for battle with the enemy fleet?” Davenport asked.
    “There is no need!” Goddard shouted. “The enemy abhors its own military and will pay the natural price for their weak spines. Namely, we will snap them without compunction. You are hereby ordered to meet me in the sphere.”
    “As you wish, sir,” Davenport said. He threw his head high and stalked off the bridge. His dark locks flowed behind him.
    It was Goddard’s turn to smirk, which he did openly at the other’s retreating back.

 
    Three
     
    The crew dozed and mumbled, wrapped in bizarre, narcotic dreams. It was a tradition among the people of Tranquility to prepare for a stressful task with psychoactive chemicals. A brief state of euphoria, when experienced directly before unpleasantness, had been proven by the planet’s medicinal sages to take the sting out of the whole affair. How could one be fraught with worry while comfortably sedated?
    Ensign Theller was alert, although he did not appear so. His academy training as a mummer had proven useful for once. His face was slack. His mouth hung open, and a tiny thread of drool ran down to his tapered chin.
    Theller knew Captain Beezel was not among the dozing crewmembers. She was too disciplined to allow herself indulgences. Besides, as a mech, her metabolism was different. She could not imbibe the same quantities of a substance such as the sacrificial wine and expect to experience the same results a normal human would. Her primary flesh component was her brain, which comprised only a fraction of her total mass. As was the case for most mechs, the rest of her body was artificial. For her kind, it was difficult to get the chemical dosage of a narcotic measured correctly.
    In order to achieve his goals, Theller knew he had to get past the captain and her big blue eyes. He listened for her, and soon sensed her moving around the prime deck. The aisle between the two rows of seats was so narrow that passage down it wasn’t possible without contacting