Dorno'ot had been woken up early by exciting news. Well, one part exciting, many parts worrying. A Terran probe had been discovered and captured by the Executor Military. As one of the Most High Executor Scientist Caste he had, of course, been notified immediately.

On the shuttle ride to the primary research facility on the planet he had looked over what had happened.

Apparently the Terran stealth technology wasn't quite as good as they thought and the probe had been leaking gravitic imprints. Three warships had slowly moved up on it in full stealth, visually examining it before getting close.

It had been five massive torpedoes, the kind that would be fired by a dreadnaught. Ten feet wide, a hundred and twenty feet long, cylindrical with a rounded front. They were configured in an odd way, one in the center that was slightly larger at fifteen feet wide and a hundred and fifty feet long, then using tractor beams (where the gravitic energy leak was coming from) to keep the other four a perfect distance from one another. The angle they were traversing showed that they'd passed nowhere near anywhere important, instead passing close to the residential planet where the science caste's families lived.

When the Executor ships moved in to capture the torpedoes they had all seperated and attempted to flee to jumpspace, but the larger one's jump core had malfunctioned, causing a resonance failure in the other four's drives. They had all been reduced to tumbling end over end in an ever-expanding cloud of energetic particles, dead objects who, with the failure of the jumpcores, no longer had power sources. It was obvious that the four missiles would arc away from the larger one, all with copies of the data the largest one had obviously gathered, normally making it so that no less than five ships would have to chase it down or destroy it to prevent the Terrans from getting data on the system. The Executor ships had captured all of them, and on orders from the System Most High, had taken them to the primary research facility.

The chance to examine Terran technology was too big of a lure to resist.

So far there was no power readings except for some residual charges left over from the failed jump drives. Dorno'ot agreed that they had lacked the proper standoff distance from one another when they fired their jumpdrives off that the larger jumpcore had destroyed the other one's jumpdrives. That showed that the Terrans did not quite have the mastery of jumpspace that so many reports had insisted upon.

When he landed Dorno'ot hurried to the main lab where the torpedoes had been taken. The capture of Terran technology was a momentous event, so the System Most Highs and the Council Most Highs within the system had all gathered to watch as the Lanaktallan scientists, the best and brightest military researchers in the system, would pry the secrets of Terran technology from the probes.

After all, to gentle a species the specie's technology had to be understood.

Dorno'ot put on his suit, full of diagnostic equipment, tools, and environmentally sealed to protect from gasses, radiation, bioweapons, or even lasers and light kinetic weapons. Almost trembling with excitement he entered the main laboratory.

There were over fifty other Lanaktallan gathered up. Four to each of the torpedoes examining the damaged and torn jumpdrives at the rear of each probe. All four of them were black metal, an alloy that was well known for its durability, strength, conduction, and other properties. The Lanaktallan had discovered the alloy nearly seventy-five million years ago, but it was determined that discovering how to work the alloy, which hardened almost immediately if the heat lowered or it was exposed to gas or vacuum, would require too much resources when other materials existed that were easier to work and required less resources to create.

Each of the probes had something different written on them.

FREE CANDY INSIDE was on what had been labelled "Object One"

DON'T WARBORGS OPEN INSIDE was written on the largest, which was labeled "Object Prime"

I AM NOT A TROJAN HORSE! was on "Object Two"

EVERY CLICK A WINNER! was on "Object Three"

MYSTERY BOX OF WONDER! was on "Object Four"

"The jumpdrives are fairly primitive," one of the scientists said as Dorno'ot moved up and looked down at the probe. "The reports of Terrans using other forms of faster than light travel may be accurate as their jumpdrive technology is barely sufficient to get above five times the speed of light on the lower jumpspace bands."

"Hmm," he pointed at Object One. "Are you sure the Terran lexicon is correct? Why would the probe contain candy for no charge?"

"We are unsure."

He pointed at Object Two. "Are you sure that translation is correct?"

One of the scientists examining the probe looked up and made a gesture of assent. "Yes, Most High, we checked it repeatedly."

"These stencils make no sense," Dorno'ot said, shaking his head.

"Perhaps they are of cultural significance?" another scientist suggested. He went back to examining the side of the probe where there was a gash in the side, the edges twisted outward, from where the jumpcore had detonated.

"We've discovered crude latches inside that can be opened with electromagnets," one of the scientists said. "They are not using that alloy over the latches, but instead have plasteel covers."

Dorno'ot nodded, trotting around all five work stations, staring at each of them. Without the black alloy the entire system of probes were slightly innovative but did not contain any technology to be alarmed about.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"The locks are encoded but a simple electromagnetic can override the encoding and open the latch," another scientist said. He checked again. "It looks like undoing the latched allow the entire forward section to be removed."

"Remove it," Dorno'ot ordered.

He watched as the technicians attached electromagnets to the latch points and then applied power. All of the covers clicked and popped off, making the researchers and technicians clatter back making noises of distress.

Inside the largest one were the massive Terran black cyborgs, all laying on their stomachs, their heads lifted up so they could stare at dead display screens, their hands holding onto control sticks, and their feet on pedals attached to a gear toothed wheel that had a chain that went down into the probe.

The others contained black cubes that were connected to nothing. After a moment the extra probes shivered into black dust that slowly dissolved into mist leaving behind the cubes. The mist tattered and vanished, sucked into the environmental control systems.

For a long moment no Lanaktallan moved.

Dorno'ot moved forward and tapped one of the warborgs with a suited finger, making a dull thumping noise. After a moment the others moved forward. They all began examining the warborgs.

"No signs of power supplies. No life signs," one technician said.

"Because they appear to be a solid mass," one scientist scoffed.

"Be careful. These have, without exception, come back to life when power was applied to the chassis. These 'full conversion cybernetic organisms' are known to be well armed, heavily armored, and extremely capable combatants with many redundant systems," one scientist said.

"Yes, sire," one of the technicians said. He attempted to lift one arm, grunted for a bit, and gave up. He made a disgusted noise and stepped back, shaking his hands. "It's heavy."

"Why were they in the probe's internal systems?" one technician asked.

"Are they supposed to be pedaling it? That's now how you power something as technical as these probes," another technician said.

"Does anyone have any idea why there would be Terran combat cyborgs inside a survey probe?" a scientist asked.

"Perhaps they pilot it? Perhaps they do not trust their virtual intelligences to scout a system?" a technician suggested.

The lights flickered for a second and Dorno'ot made a mental note to lecture the technicians about ensuring the laboratories received proper power at all times.

"There is very little shielding within the probe. Perhaps they can't trust their computer systems?" another scientist asked.

The lights suddenly flashed, strobing, and loud sounds came from the speakers and over everyone's headset inside their suit.

"OOOOH! ARE YOU READY, KIDS?" blared from the speakers.

Dorno'ot gasped as the warborgs suddenly moved, their eyes flashing to dark red.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" blared over the speakers.

The warborgs smoothly jumped out of the large probe, their massive feet thudding against the floor of the laboratory.

"I SAID: ARE YOU READY, KIDS!" roared out.

The warborgs reached into the probes, ripping the bottom away, and revealing heavy weapons.

Half of the blocks suddenly dissolved into black dust which began to turn into black mist. The blocks turned out to have small four legged robots that immediately ran for the doors. Other blocks suddenly dissolved, revealing small mantis figures in armor, complete with helmets, carrying small rifles with tiny missile launchers on their backs. The rest of the blocks dissolved to show massive four legged robots that stood up, deploying weapons from their backs.

"OH, WHO LIVES ON A PLANET AND IS TOTALLY FUCKED?" roared the voice.

The massive warborgs lifted up the weapons, the barrels suddenly starting to spin. The little mantids jumped off the tables. One of them crouched down and fired his missile launcher at the armaglass that protected the System Most Highs, the glass exploding inward to show the panicking Most Highs. The small four legged robots touched the door and oozed through the doors. The big four legged ones engaged laser sights, panning the green dots all over the technicians and scientists in the room. One jumped, with a warborg, through the shattered window, a backhand from one of the warborgs sending a Secbeing clattering to the ground.

" LA-NAK-TAL-LAN SCIEN-TISTS!" the speakers roared.

Every Lanaktallan in the room screamed as their urinary catheters and rectal waste plugs suddenly and violently withdrew and then slammed back into place.

Every scientist and technician went down on their knees.

"IN TROUBLE OUTGUNNED AND TOTALLY SCREWED ARE THEY!" roared the voice.

There was gabbling over the coms. Reports of kinetic energy weapons being fired from stealthed platforms streaking down out of the sky to blot military bases off the planet. Shoals of missiles suddenly going live and making their final attack runs on the anchored warships outside of the stations. The entire computer network failing. Lanaktallans screaming as their armor systems suddenly went haywire.

All six of Dorno'ot's eyes were crossed as the catheter and waste plug repeated the action twice more, making him lean forward as he screamed in pain.

The communications net went down as one of the warborgs slowly walked over in front of Dorno'ot, using the barrel of the heavy cannon it was effortlessly holding to lift his chin.

"Wow. That really worked?" the warborg's voice was heavily synthesized but this one had a definite female 'feel' to Dorno'ot. The warborg looked down, her eyes dull red, and shook her head. "I mean, really?"

"You cannot win," Dorno'ot managed to groan. "The military forces here..."

"Are gone," the warborg said. "We moved in satellites under stealth a week ago. We launched those missiles from outside the resonance zone before we even launched the probe array. Already heavy metal is moving into the system and taking possession of the orbitals," the warborg lifted and lowered its shoulders. "It's over."

Dorno'ot could only stare with hate at the warborg towering over him.

Their deceit knew no bounds.

But Dorno'ot knew that the Terrans would eventually fall before the might of the Lanaktallan people. They had ruled for tens of millions of years and nothing had ever so much as slightly challenged them since the hated Mantids had been destroyed.

Which made the tiny Mantid, clad in armor, that moved over to the warborg, flashing icons and emojis over its head, all that rage inducing.

"I wouldn't. 653 would blow your head clean off with that little rifle," the warborg sneered, tapping the front of Dorno'ot's visor with the barrel of the heavy cannon. "You know what?"

"What?" Dorno'ot managed to grate out.

"You should be glad. We decided to take possession of this system, rip its secrets out with our bare hands, and let all of you live that survive the invasion," the warborg said, still staring down.

The little mantid flashed an emoji of a face with its tongue sticking out and Dorno'ot wished he was in less pain so he could reach out and smash it. The Mantid flashed a smiley-face emoji and lifted the rifle, pointing it at Dorno'ot's face. A little wisp of vapor wafted from the barrel.

"Yeah, he'd blow your head open," the warborg said.

"Man, are these guys dumb," the voice said through the speakers, the volume turned down to a reasonable level. "There's nothing past single entry logins, they don't even ask for a password half the time. No security beyond basic firewalls. Hell, the skriptkitty team is already at their mainframe and pretty much own it."

"Good. Any problems in the cities?" the warborg asked.

"Naw. We just triggered the emergency broadcast system, told them there was a radiation leak and to go home. They just filed right home," the speakers said. "Right now I just sent them all emails telling them that it's mandated by the System Most High, who's passcode just happened to be 'passcode', that they take an IQ test. I figure that oughta keep them busy for a day or two."

The warborg looked back down at Dorno'ot. "We've got the main operations center under control. Go ahead and signal the fleet to move in."

There was a pause for a moment.

"Activate Agent Smith. I want to know what they know."