"We are the Machine Race fleet; we require that your side's highest commander come across for a conference. We shall send a shuttle to receive him. Be ready, if you please, within 10 minutes."
Within the communication channel a voice sounded, mechanical to the last degree.
"Let us find means to break out!" As Secretary Nancy spoke, her voice shook somewhat — for she knew perfectly well herself.
In the present case, even a T5-grade interstellar warship could not possibly break out.
"Do not waste the strength. Among these Machine Race fleets that surround us alone there are 10 T5-grade interstellar warships at the least." Zhao Chen rose to his feet.
"Ten? How is it I never found them?" Xue Xiaoxiao looked at the star chart the radar had swept.
Zhao Chen pointed at several positions among them. "Though the signal strength is much like a T4-grade interstellar warship's, there is a slight difference all the same. I reckon they have started up masking equipment. To cheat others, they might well serve. To cheat me?"
Zhao Chen turned about and walked toward the bridge doors. "Xiaoxiao, Nancy — you two have full charge of the Hades. Should anything whatever happen, break out at the first moment. Take no thought for me."
"How can that do!" Xue Xiaoxiao stood straight out against it. "It was I who came out with you; if I do not bring you back, how am I to account for it to Charlotte, to Lilith… and… and to Su Lan, my senior? Let us think of some means again — perhaps…"
"The one means is to go and see them," Zhao Chen said quietly.
"Then I go with the Commander!" the Panther-Girl of his guard said firmly.
Zhao Chen gave the Panther-Girl one glance and said coldly, "Alone, I shall be the safer for it."
That one sentence set the Panther-Girl's body trembling; she stood there with her fists clenched and said nothing further.
Seeing that Xue Xiaoxiao and Nancy wished to say more.
Zhao Chen simply barked at them, "Carry out the order!"
So saying, Zhao Chen walked toward the hangar without turning his head.
When Zhao Chen came to the hangar, a Machine Race shuttle was already hovering outside it.
The Machine Race's shuttle did not enter the hangar.
Instead it put out a round flying disc, which flew into the hangar and came to rest before Zhao Chen.
Thereupon a voice sounded.
"Step up, if you please."
Mechanical to the last degree, likewise.
Zhao Chen stepped up.
The next second a transparent beam of light enveloped Zhao Chen within it; from outside it looked for all the world like a transparent display case.
"Commander!" The crew within the hangar, every one of them, took up laser guns in their agitation.
"What do you mean to do! Have you forgotten what I said just now?" Zhao Chen rebuked them angrily.
The crew within the hangar forced down their rage and lowered the laser guns in their hands; there were tears in the eyes of some, and some turned their eyes away in anger and struck the wall with their fists.
At this time the transparent "display case" rose into the air once more, and flew slowly into that shuttle.
The shuttle, having recovered this "display case," returned to the Machine Race fleet.
Of a sudden a shaft of light shone upon Zhao Chen's face; Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes and saw the hatch had opened.
After entering this shuttle, Zhao Chen had not met with a single intelligent mechanical life.
"We are exceedingly sorry to receive the lord Commander of the Owl Dragon in such a form as this."
Below the steps stood two female humanoid bodies wrought of steel, much like the human race, but faceless — the whole face like a basin of stainless steel.
Were one to walk close up, it might well throw back Zhao Chen's own reflection.
Zhao Chen looked these two female robots up and down… if they had a sex at all…
It must be said that the whole construction of the body was exceedingly perfect — it might be called a golden ratio.
The bodily aesthetics of the human female had been used with great skill.
Even knowing this was likely a thing of steel, one felt at the first moment of seeing it a stir at the heart.
Perhaps for the sake of being more like the human race, clothing and stockings and the like were traced out upon the body in line-work, and there were even certain feminine ornaments added, and golden hair upon the head.
At this moment these two mechanical beauties stood in a respectful posture, bowing to Zhao Chen in welcome.
Zhao Chen swept his eyes about him.
This should be the hangar of this starship.
A fair number of shuttles lay berthed there, but the place was filled with a kind of cold feeling.
Perhaps… because there was not one carbon-based life within it.
Only several robots of differing shape could be seen at their work.
Some like spiders, some like crabs, and some tracked robots…
"Who are you? How do you know who I am?" Zhao Chen inquired.
The mechanical beauty on the left gave voice. "Though we withdrew from the field against the Galactic Alliance — the former Galactic Alliance, we should say — that does not mean we know nothing of what has happened there. As for who we are, our master will give you that answer."
At this Zhao Chen noticed for the first time.
The voice this mechanical beauty gave out was wholly unlike the mechanical voice he had heard before.
Though this voice too was very cold, its line was more like the human race's, and it would even show its own feeling in certain words; and though such a form still sounded somewhat cold and awkward, it was already very like the human race.
And there was that master in their words besides.
"Where is your master?" Zhao Chen asked.
"Come with us, if you please." The two mechanical beauties led the way in front, and Zhao Chen followed behind.
The three of them soon stepped onto a mechanical hovering elevator, which sped swiftly toward some place within this starship.
In the course of it Zhao Chen could make certain that this interstellar warship he was aboard was beyond all doubt a T5 interstellar warship.
But why was it that in the Galactic Alliance's campaign against the Machine Race before, one had never heard of the Machine Race sending out T5 interstellar warships upon the field?
Zhao Chen, carrying these questions in his breast, was brought by the two mechanical beauties into a vast hall.
The lighting was dim, and about them was only the sound of certain starship modules at their work.
And just at this time a shape of light appeared in the center of the hall, as though it had come down from heaven.
A little girl in a princess dress, swinging both legs where she sat in a long-legged chair that did not fit her.
"Master."
The two mechanical beauties knelt straight down upon one knee.
"You may all withdraw. I mean to talk a while with the big brother." The little girl gave out a sweet voice.
"Yes."
The two mechanical beauties walked respectfully out of this hall, and closed the great doors.
In this moment there were within this hall only Zhao Chen and that little girl across from him within the pillar of light.
"You… are their master?" Zhao Chen looked at this little girl, who felt no more than seven or eight years old and had some baby fat about her still, with something like disbelief.
"That's right. And I'm not only their master. I'm the highest ruler of the whole Machine Race besides." The little girl blinked her eyes and showed a smile in which eight teeth could be seen, with dimples appearing in her cheeks.