The T5 Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship · bridge.
"At present we have made out three hive jump points. But unlike that bug which appeared in the Starlight Empire's civil war, which could carry a hive fleet through a jump, this is a particular Hive Mothership able to establish and hold for a stretch of time a thing with a star gate's function," Lilith reported the latest intelligence at Zhao Chen's side.
"So before this we had no word of it whatever? Not even a spatial fluctuation?" Zhao Chen's brows drew together.
"None," Lilith answered gravely.
This was an exceedingly bad case at present.
This technology of the interstellar hive-race was far too well hidden.
The universe is so vast; with no spatial fluctuation and no energy reaction, the detecting equipment simply cannot find them.
And so the interstellar hive-race could attack the rear of Zhao Chen's line without god or ghost knowing of it.
This time too it was only the call for help sent out after a fleet of 300 interstellar transports was attacked that brought the news to Zhao Chen and the rest.
It was only a pity that though a combat fleet was sent in support at the first moment.
It was not in time to save those 300 transports.
And after that, Zhao Chen ordered certain fleets in the rear to patrol upon a large scale, and so found two more hive jump points.
And that was only what had been made out so far.
How many were there that had not been?
"This is the image data sent back from a hive jump point we broke through and destroyed." Lilith called up a set of materials.
Zhao Chen looked at the pictures taken.
Within them were many Hive Mothership carcasses, and in the very middle a very large mass of flesh, like the ruin of some giant building.
Other images had pictures of this giant structure before it was destroyed.
That was a flesh-worm with a bloody maw agape; and within that maw was a stretch of pitch blackness, as though it joined upon another space.
"What bug is this?" Zhao Chen's brows drew together.
Lilith shook her head. "We do not know. We have been in contact with the Angel Race; they do not know of such a bug either. Not even that bug from our Starlight Empire's civil war, which could carry hive fleets through a spatial jump, has ever appeared in that stretch of the universe of theirs."
There was gravity in Zhao Chen's brow; he looked at once toward Little Dragon Girl. "Little Dragon Girl, use your system to work out simulated data upon this bug."
"Very good." Little Dragon Girl nodded and began at once to calculate.
Because the relevant data to hand at present was far too little, there was nothing for it but to rest upon Little Dragon Girl's computing power to simulate it.
"Lilith, tell those reserve fleets in the rear to patrol our whole rear — every route and every important position — in high intensity, 300 interstellar warships to a group. Should any interstellar hive-race be found, they are not to linger in the fight; they are to tell us at once and we shall send elite fleets to destroy them. Then gather elite fleets, and within set districts arrange emergency mobile fleets charged expressly with clearing away these bugs that show themselves in the rear. Interstellar hive-race found are to be destroyed at once; and any such hive jump point found must be rooted out in the shortest time!" Zhao Chen knew very well how terrible this threat was.
Like a spark thrown upon a grassland, it must be trodden out as fast as may be, or the aftertrouble is without end.
Only that this must affect the fighting at the front.
He could only hope that the effect might be kept to the least it could be.
Very soon Little Dragon Girl had her result.
"Commander, by our calculation. This hive jump point should be some functional Hive Mothership unit of the interstellar hive-race, much like our T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ship. But its working is exceedingly well concealed. Even the starship radar of our T5 Dragon Emperor, and that of the T4 Banshee-class Light Interstellar Stealth Scouts, can hardly detect the fluctuation of its working.
"But its capacity of delivery has its limits. To the present, within the field intelligence we have, the number of hive fleets appearing in our rear is estimated at no above 100,000 hulls in all. And reckoning further from the last records of our own starships sailing past these hive jump points before.
"One such hive jump point can, in about an hour, deliver some thousand Hive Motherships — though in high likelihood it cannot deliver T5-grade Hive Motherships."
Having heard Little Dragon Girl's analysis out, Zhao Chen let out a breath.
There was good news in it and bad, but on the whole it might be reckoned not too bad.
And just as Zhao Chen was thinking how to arrange the next step.
Little Dragon Girl's face changed, and she said urgently, "Reporting to the Commander — the starship network system has been entered by an unidentified signal, but I have held it off. The final source of the network intrusion traces… to the compass of the Machine Race's territory."
A network intrusion by the Machine Race?
Before Zhao Chen could speak.
Little Dragon Girl said further, "The other side has ceased the intrusion, and at the same time sent a request of access. Does the Commander wish it connected?"
"Scan the communication channel; if it is safe, put it through," said Zhao Chen.
"Yes." Before long Little Dragon Girl raised a hand and tapped lightly upon the empty air.
And a video window floated up before Zhao Chen.
At the same time Little Dragon Girl made the Commander the sign for all clear, to say that all was safe.
"Hey — long time no see." The little girl sat upon her high-legged chair, swinging both feet happily, and waved at Zhao Chen.
"You have business?" Zhao Chen inquired without expression.
The little girl pouted and said in an injured tone, "You say it as though there were no feeling between us at all — can I not seek you out without business? When you sought me out before, you were not so cold as this. Can it be that you are one of those cads in human society who use a girl and throw her away?"
And as she said it, tears came over the little girl's cheeks in an instant.
The corner of Zhao Chen's mouth twitched slightly; this was a born play-actor indeed.
"I do not go breaking into a friend's starship network," Zhao Chen said levelly.
The weeping face vanished at a stroke; the little girl stuck her tongue out at him, without the least shame for what she had done.
She said with a grin, "I only heard that you had made a very fine T5 interstellar warship, and wanted to try it. I never thought it would be so good indeed. That you should truly be able to make so top-order an artificial intelligence. Only that set beside me she is still nothing so much."
At the little girl's saying this, Little Dragon Girl flew straight up before the video window and pointed at her with a fierce air. "You are the one who is nothing so much. Your whole family is nothing so much!"
Watching these two small girls trade defiance across the empty air.
Zhao Chen cast an eye from one to the other and muttered within.
In fact both of them were nothing so much.
Though such a thing could of course never be said to their faces; else, with Little Dragon Girl's gift for chatter, Zhao Chen would have bitterness enough to eat thereafter.