Grailem by Gary L Beer (top 100 novels txt) 📖

time they had met properly armed resistance; and his robots were ill equipped for most of the projectile atomics that were fired on them. Being only machines, fear did not exist in their way of thinking and they forced their way deep into the moon by sheer force of numbers. Stepping over or on their fallen 'comrades' the robot legion single mindedly carried out its purpose and killed every Arct that lived on the moon.

Visiting the destroyed home world Grailem's concern was for the captured and imprisoned humanoid's. Many were kept on farms deep in the countryside; with their Arct rulers now dead they embraced their new freedom. Fear of Grailem and his legions of military robots was plain to see on their faces. Though he had freed them from a life of bondage the fear they felt of him made him feel uncomfortable as well as unclean.
Leaving them to sort out their new lives Grailem searches the nearest city. Humanoid's held in hibernation in factory complexes as a fresh food source were revived with the help of Grailem's legions. Most of the humanoids had been in deep sleep for two or three years as this softened their flesh giving a good texture when eaten raw.
Their weakened condition prevented them from being able to feed and look after themselves. The time taken in transporting them to the 'farms' in the country and convincing the healthy humanoid's to look after them took time and all of Grailem's diplomatic skills.
Convincing them that their new world would be governed by themselves made them adjust quickly to the new situation. Grailem explained the control the Arct had inflicted on them and the real reason for their existence. Deeply shocked as to their fate they reacted with the appropriate anger and started to take control of 'their' planet.
They were eternally grateful for Grailem's help but could not get over their fear of him. His legion terrified them and Grailem knew that he could not stay here.

Hoping the people on this planet did not all think the same Grailem moved from city to city. Finding and freeing the humanoid's at first brought a feeling of well-being and Grailem started to think and feel that he was doing the right thing. The novelty soon wore off as most of the humanoid's he set free appeared more scared of him than of the Arct. Happy to gain their freedom, but happier to see him leave made his loneliness feel more acute.


Chapter Fifteen

Grailem met a large group of humanoid's in one of the cities that had been sparsely populated with Arct. Much of the buildings and superstructure remained and the humanoid's looked forward to setting up their new home.
They appeared friendlier than the other people he had set free and Grailem felt like a conquering hero. A wrinkled old man asked him if the Arct were likely to return to reclaim their planet once he and his legions had gone. Grailem could only reply by outlaying his plan for destroying the entire Arct race. Continuing with the nearby planets and star systems he could see no reason why their planet would be singled out.
Leaving the humanoid's to defend for themselves Grailem regretfully leaves the planet. He had hoped that he would be accepted here and be able to lead a happy, peaceful life. The act of destroying all the Arct set him apart from everyone else and along with his mechanical body he knew he would never be accepted as an equal. Joining his fleet beyond the second moon he plots a course for the next Arct system.
Using Octanol Neves as the central planet, Grailem spiralled outwards destroying every Arct they came across. The Arct, even though they were warned of his coming were still unprepared for any invasion. Secure in their sector for so long, weapons had become obsolete; along with the knowledge and desire to make them. The only military Arct he ever saw in the entire campaign had been the ones in control of the new robots on their home world.
Attacking when in sight of their quarry his battle hardened robot legions killed without mercy. Most of the Arct they came across offered no resistance, even when their family were falling dead beside them killed by a phaser blast. The desire to fight and protect themselves, along with the ones they loved did not enter their heads. Passively accepting death Grailem's legions could eradicate a planet of every living Arct in a maximum of twenty-eight hours.
Freeing the humanoid's was what took up Grailem's precious time. Even with the help of all his legions it still took on average seven days to free enough humanoid's so that they could release and care for the other captives.
Grailem had learnt from his past mistakes on trying to be friendly with the freed inhabitants. All reacted to him in the same way as all were scared of his legions and of him. He appeared more of a threat to them than the Arct and no amount of persuading, even with the use of his empathy and telepathic abilities would convince them otherwise. Briefly advising the humanoid's the situation and leaving them to survive on their own, Grailem would waste no time in heading for the next Arct controlled planet.
Grailem carried on his own private war (though history considered it as nothing more than slaughter) for the next three hundred and twenty two years, with his fleet of forty nine armed Starship‘s and over two hundred and thirty thousand military robots remaining, he was unbeatable.
At the end of his campaign not a single Arct lived within fifteen hundred light years of the central planet, Octonal Neves. Billions of humanoid's now lived free and able to govern their own lives thanks to Grailem. The fear and uncertainty they felt towards him was the same on every planet he set free. His hatred for the Arct blinded him of the deep hatred that some of the humanoid's also felt towards him.
Admittedly he and his legions had slaughtered billions, but in his eyes he did not see himself as a mass murderer. He was ridding the galaxy of a terrible plague and the expected thanks and gratitude never materialised. The humanoid's regarded him as a vicious killer, even though his hatred was directed only at one species - the humanoid's feared for their own lives in his presence.
Grailem was at the very outer edge of the Arct controlled sector of space when his war was finally over. The position in space he found himself in he felt was not accidental. Looking at the star charts Grailem is aware that he is now very close to the humanoid planet that was to be the original invasion by the Arct all those years ago. The original planned invasion to this far planet was considerably close to his own home world and Grailem’s memories re-awaken.
Never having the opportunity to be a father to his own children, or even to feel love and compassion, his emotions were not human. Having different priorities and incapable of some feelings his hope of being able to live on a humanoid planet and be accepted appeared remote.
Grailem suddenly feels homesick, even after the abuse he had suffered the call to go home was strong within him. The flagship he had commandeered for nearly three hundred and twenty five years ago, he now considered as his own. The fleet of Starship‘s he also considered the same way; they and their cargo of military robots were his to command. With this amount of power he could control all of the known universe.
Setting course for his home world and accompanied by his fleet they enter hyperspace and are soon lost to normal space. The short journey to Grailem's home world gives him time to prepare himself. Emotionally he feels a mess; the fear that if the humans on his own home world reject him would prove too much plagued his mind. Not sure of his reception and with a feeling of defiance building within him he loads his armaments; extra grenades in his cheeks and phasers fully powered.

Dropping out of hyperspace Grailem is surrounded by a universe he knows so well, From an early age he had studied the moons and planets, fascinated by their sizes and colours, his mind smiles in happy memories of his stargazing youth.
His home world looks dirty and dusty, not the blue and white that he remembered. Ordering the fleet to dock near the planet's moon Grailem continues on towards the planet.
Orbiting the planet the science instruments test the atmosphere while the surface is scanned by the geology sensors. The planets surface is a thick covering of bare rock and sand. The atmosphere contains little oxygen being mainly composed of nitrogen and carbon dioxide with high concentrations of radioactive isotopes; especially uranium that were decaying at a steady rate, their poisonwoods fumes destroying the planet.
Grailem is shocked at the results as it means none of his race has survived. The only hope of finding any humans is the nearby planet that was the first target of the Arct. Maybe the disaster on his home world was predicted or due to a long war, survivors from the planet below may have taken the long voyage to the nearest inhabitable world.

Leaving orbit Grailem instructs all the navigators of the fleet to set a course for the Arct's destination; a planet they called Dangilhooley.
Eager to reach this new world, the desire to be with his own people burns like a fire within him. Memories of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his carers and the hatred of the billions of humanoid's he has freed is forgotten and he imagines a happy world filled with people like himself.
The engineering and repair workshop on the flagship is almost futuristic in its design. The latest most modern equipment including microchip manufacturing machines and microchip programmers shine under the bright overhead lights. Unsure what is to greet him at Dangilhooley, Grailem updates and improves his systems. Though he has been made in Man's image his appearance is one of a smart business man. Hair cut short on his head and having a hairless body made him the perfect image of an ambitious modern man,
Desperate to be accepted as humanoid Grailem alters his skin structure to resemble the skin of a fifty year old man. Adding hair to his face, follicle by follicle, hair by hair, he constructs a slightly unshaven appearance. Treating the backs of his hands in the same manner he contemplates the rest of his body.
Now with a tough weatherworn face Grailem felt confident that he would be accepted everywhere; except for the upper classes due to his unshaven appearance.

Slowly their destination system starts to fill the screen, the sun, a bright yellow in the darkness illuminates four planets. The two outer planets, giants of rock and ice appear to have no life upon them. The extreme gravitational force and cold, so far from the sun would make mammalian life impossible.
The two inner planets are both in the habitable zone where water is present and capable of forming naturally into a liquid form. The planet Dangilhooley, coming