Read Online A Separate War and Other Stories by Joe Haldeman - Free Book Online

a century. We used a refined version of it to keep you from shooting us a minute ago.”
    â€œYou say the outcome varies,” Morales said to the female, “so sometimes we win?”
    â€œEven if you killed me, you wouldn’t ‘win’; there’s nothing to win anymore. But no, the only thing that varies is how many of you survive.”
    â€œYour cruiser Bolivar may have to be destroyed,” a Tauran said. “I assume they are monitoring this conversation. Of course they are still several light-minutes away. But if they do not respond in a spirit of cooperation, we will have no choice.”
    Garcia did respond in less than a minute, her image materializing behind the Taurans. “Why don’t we invite you to act in a spirit of cooperation,” she said. “If none of our people are hurt, none of yours will be.”
    â€œThat’s beyond my control,” the male said. “Your programmed weapons are attacking; mine are defending. I think that neither is programmed for mercy.”
    The female continued. “That they still survive is evidence of our good intentions. We could deactivate their stasis field from outside.” There was a huge thump and Man’s table jumped up an inch. “Most of them would be destroyed in seconds if we did that.”
    Garcia paused. “Then explain why you haven’t.”
    â€œOne of my directives,” the male said, “is to minimize casualties among you. There is a genetic diversity program, which will be explained to you at Stargate.”
    â€œAll right,” Garcia said. “Since I can’t communicate with them otherwise, I’ll let you deactivate the stasis field—but at the same time, of course, you have to turn off your automatic defenses. Otherwise they’d be slaughtered.”
    â€œSo you invite us to be slaughtered instead,” he said. “Me and your two representatives here.”
    â€œI’ll tell them to cease fire immediately.”
    All this conversation was going on with a twenty-second time lag. So “immediately” would be a while in coming.
    Without comment, the two Taurans disappeared, and the forty duplicate humans filed back through the dome.
    â€œAll right,” Eagle said, “perhaps there is a way around this time lag. Which of you is the ranking officer here?”
    â€œI am,” I said.
    â€œMost of my individuals have returned to an underground shelter. I will turn off your stasis field and our defenses simultaneously.
    â€œTell them they must stop firing immediately. If we die, our defenses resume, and they won’t have the protection of the stasis field.”
    I chinned the command frequency, which would put me in contact with Cat and Sergeant Hencken as soon as the field disappeared.
    â€œI don’t like this,” Morales said. “You can turn your weapons on and off with a thought?”
    â€œThat’s correct.”
    â€œWe can’t. When Captain Potter gives them the order, they have to understand and react.”
    â€œBut it’s just turning off a switch, is it not?” There was another huge bang, and a web of cracks appeared in the wall to my left. Man looked at it without emotion.
    â€œFirst a half dozen people have to understand the order and decide to obey it!”
    The male and female smiled and nodded in unison. “Now.”
    Thumbnail pictures of Karl and Cat appeared next to Morales. “Cat! Karl! Have the weapons units cease fire immediately!”
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Karl said. “Where’s the stasis field?”
    â€œThey turned it off. Battle’s over.”
    â€œThat’s right,” Morales said. “Cease fire.”
    Cat started talking to the squads. Karl stared for a second and started to do the same.
    Not fast enough. The left wall exploded in a hurricane of masonry and chunks of metal. The two Men were suddenly bloody rags of shredded flesh.