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

awaiting instructions.
Grailem forms a thin mechanical smile with no humour in his eyes as a wave of loneliness sweeps through his mind like a cold wind. All the robots on board, and on board the other Starship‘s, are emotionless machines.
No wonder he felt lonely.
The computer continues its search and starts to display the habitable planets, moons and asteroids that are capable of supporting humanoid life. The display updates itself as more information is added as it displays, other than size and distance from its sun, the atmospheric readings of the planets and other celestial objects.
Grailem is amazed at the quantity as the readings show two hundred and eighty three planets and four thousand nine hundred and twenty other celestial objects capable of sustaining humanoid life.
As the readings start to cover the screen Grailem instructs the computer to show the nearest five objects that are capable of supporting humanoid life. The computer responds immediately by showing a planetary system one and a half parsecs away that contains one habitable planet that is orbited by three habitable moons.
Orbiting closer to the sun the display shows a planet with a large moon that has an atmosphere of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. The moon does not look large enough to have enough gravitation to retain an atmosphere and Grailem wonders at the engineering and forces required to maintain it. The moon is obviously artificial and Grailem is intrigued by its construction.
Programming his fleet Grailem instructs them to keep a distance of a half a parsec from his flagship. Instructing the navigator to set course for the strange moon Grailem watches the robot as it programmes the computer and engages the engines.
The transition into hyperspace is hardly noticeable and Grailem studies the available information obtained of their destination. Sensor readings show the moon to be composed mainly of iron. The concentration of iron is ninety-nine percent of the mass helping explain the atmosphere retention due to the extra magnetism.
It was an intelligence created world, the regular ordered structure of the surface was definitely not natural and Grailem prays the creators are friendly.

Approaching the artificial moon Grailem puts his flagship in a high orbit. Scans of the moon show no weapons or defensive measures. The surface of the moon under the atmosphere of white clouds, sunshine and rain shows it to be an idyllic world.
Green forests encroach on cultivated land that is full of crops in all stages of maturity. Vast plains of grass feed a multitude of herbivores that cover a continent that is surrounded by a blue ocean. No sign of the creators can be seen. The strange moon appears dedicated to the cultivation of crops and growth of the herbivores, as no buildings are in evidence.
Scanning the area of space around the moon and the planet it is orbiting show no signs of any other spacecraft. The planet appears as a dead ball of rock and dust, with no atmosphere to protect it from the harmful solar rays that make any attempt at organic life impossible.
Returning his attention back to the moon Grailem sees that it is a perfect sphere. Using deep field equipment he surveys the composition of the artificial moon. Iron is the main component with traces of gold, silver and many other precious metals.
Taking a deep X-ray of the planet Grailem sees that the iron core is honeycombed with tunnels, passages and large open areas. The surface has been constructed of an interlocking thick iron web-like pattern that covers the entire moon. A fine mesh has been fitted to the web of iron and the top soil placed on this material up to a thickness of a quarter of a kilometre in places.
Orderly manicured fields of cereal crops and cultivated forests show it is all highly maintained.
As the flagship gets closer and with the optical detectors on maximum power Grailem can see thousands of tiny robots cultivating and weeding the fields. Setting the sensors to detect humanoid life Grailem starts a methodical search of the moon.

No humanoids appear on the surface and Grailem sets the sensors to look inside the honeycombed sphere. Below one hundred metres the sensors start to detect humanoid life. Sparse at first, as if they are guards protecting a perimeter, for beyond them the sensors detect thousands of humanoids.
Intrigued, Grailem brings the flagship into a tighter orbit and surveys the whole moon. Every part of the moon has been altered in some way so that it may support vegetation. The ice he expects to see at the poles is an 'ice' of green forest that spreads across both poles.
That the moon is artificial is obvious and Grailem wonders at the lack of defences. Having several platoons of fully armed military robots Grailem decides to land the flagship in a large pasture that has a high concentration of humanoids directly below the surface.

As the ship comes into land Grailem can see on the sensors that the humanoids below the surface directly under and around him are retreating deeper into the moon. No technical equipment was visible or detectable on the surface and Grailem wonders at their sensor systems.
Exiting the flagship Grailem walks alone to a metal doorway that is set deep into the ground. Detecting no lock he pulls the heavy metal handle down and opens the door. The odour of humanoid sweat floods past him in a wave of warm air as it escapes to the cooler air outside.
Stepping inside a large tunnel, brightly lit with overhead lamps, Grailem shuts the door behind him and follows the passage deep into the centre of the artificial moon. No trace of any humanoid occupation shows, apart from the overhead lighting until he estimates he has walked a kilometre.
Walking into a large chamber about ten metres in diameter with a roughly carved roof three metres above his head, Grailem sees recent signs of occupation. Clothes lay on iron benches whilst on a large table stands six iron bowls mostly filled with a green coloured liquid that is still warm; as if the humanoids had left in a hurry.
Following a brightly lit tunnel that leads deeper into the core of the moon, Grailem suddenly feels his repelling screen activate as a blast of energy hits him. The energy power is immediately reversed and Grailem hears an explosion and a male humanoid screaming for a few seconds until death overtakes him. Hurrying forward Grailem looks down at the smouldering remains of the humanoid. Dressed in a military style uniform of dark black he looks like any other human. Black close cropped hair, now visible as his helmet has been blown off in the blast, looks well trimmed though the face is unrecognisable as it has also been blown off in the blast.
Walking past him, with his repelling screen on full power Grailem continues along the tunnel until he is forced to stop. A force field, made of a single thickness of iron, contains enough electrical power to blow every circuit in Grailem's body.
Even though he can blast through it he steps back and sits down onto the floor of the tunnel and awaits the secretive humanoid's next move.
Several hours pass before an ancient humanoid suddenly makes an appearance the other side of the force field. Such was his sudden appearance that Grailem realises they must have teleportation technology.
"What is it that you want?" asks the old man, dressed in a bright shiny metallic material and with perfectly smooth pale skin, makes it difficult for Grailem to determine how old he really is.
Feeling unsettled at the man's sudden appearance Grailem realises there must have been a lot of other things on this artificial moon that he has failed to notice. Due to the surface of the moon dedicated to agriculture he had underestimated the intelligence controlling such a system.
"I am a traveller in space and this artificial moon intrigued me as it implied there was intelligent life here."
"I do not believe you are a tourist, what is it you want?" rasps the old man.
"I come in peace and seek friendship and companionship."
"Is that why you have left your fleet of starship's deep in our solar system, where you think we will not see it?"
"No that is not the reason, I come here in peace and to be accompanied by forty-eight Starship‘s would hardly imply a friendly meeting." Grailem replies with an attempt at a reassuring smile.
The force field between them shimmers as if more power has been fed into it. Grailem shows no reaction and reminds himself he is here to try and stop the awful loneliness he feels.
"Generations ago, beings like yourselves visited our world, they designed and constructed this moon to be able to create more food for our crowded planet. The beings like yourself, disagreed over who should be in control, forcing our population into large armies they waged war for nearly fifty years before some escaped whilst the others remained to die. The result of that war you can see by the barren planet below that we now orbit."
"You are not welcome here, take your starship's and go find somewhere else to destroy." the old man says harshly as his body fades as he is teleported away.

Grailem is angry and upset, this race of humanoids have judged him without a fair trial. His evil time was over, all he wanted to do now was do good and feel wanted; something he had never experienced in his long life.
How much longer was he going to be made to suffer?
Angrily he spits a grenade from his cheek at the force field, blasting the thin structure apart easily. The burning smell of electricity fills the air as the force field short circuits and Grailem steps casually through and follows the tunnel deeper into the artificial moon.
The black of the iron reflected by the overhead lights shines and glistens as if it has been newly forged, it could have been made five years ago – or even five-hundred thousand years ago as it looks ageless. The surface is smooth as if a high power laser had been used to carve out the tunnel. Grailem estimates he has walked for nearly two kilometres before he meets the second defence.
It is another force field, this one reminding Grailem of a spiders web, every division and circular form seems precise to the exact millimetre. The structure pulsates with an irregular feed of electricity, ranging from low to high voltage as the force field searches for Grailem's circuits and own brain electrical activity; ready for him if he were to enter the field.
The pulsating electrical feed would interrupt his own brain patterns and would either turn him into a blubbering idiot or short circuit his brain and servo motors. Neither option holds any appeal so Grailem decides to sit and wait. The humanoid's may feel secure behind this force field and Grailem waits to see if they will make the next move.

Several minutes later