Beyond Mars Crimson Fleet by RG Risch

Quinton's stomach
became very queasy. He struggled with himself, feeling the
queasiness turn to nausea. The man quickly left the room behind.
After some distance away, Armon stopped and took a few deep
breaths. The nausea began to fade as suddenly as it
came.
    Turning a
corner, Armon came upon a platoon of androids, and rows of closed
cylinders set upright and held in place by braces of metal. Mounted
near the top and bottom of each cylinder were hose lines that ran
into a single huge metal orb that was centered in the room. The
globe was the reservoir of a green slime that was used to fill each
cylinder during the “nutrient” processing. However, it now sat idle
as empty cylinders were being replaced by the tending androids.
With great care, new cylinders  each containing a human
being  was
installed as a replacement. Quinton's head dropped a little lower
as he pretended not to see what was unfolding around
him.
    Unexpectedly, there was a banging to his right that brought
the Chairman out of
his stupor and into reality. The banging was accompanied by a
frenzied of pleas for help in muffled and desperate female tones.
Armon's head snapped in surprise to the cries that called his name.
The man was taken back as he looked at a conscious nude woman whom
he immediately recognized.
    Carly
Nogales was one of the most popular and beautiful singers that the
Earth counted among its top celebrities. Her talent well exceeded
her 24 years of age and to the admiration of billions. More so,
Quinton knew her personally as a frequent guest at his house. She
was a woman he had admired and shared several intimate liaisons
with. Yet, seeing her like this  frightened, and encased in one of
Ektos' processing capsules  bore Quinton with a great
shame.
    Though
secured to a backboard, she banged away with hands and feet as she
begged for help, but to her surprise none came. Casting a long sad
face that was guilt ridden, Armon merely dropped his head in
disgrace. He then quickly turned away and dashed off, trying to run
from both the girl  and what remained of his conscience. Somewhere in his head, he
cursed himself for not getting there sooner—or much
later.
    Finally
after a distance away, the Chairman slowed and caught himself. He paused for a second
and looked back.
    "I'm sorry!" he confessed
with real aggrieved emotion to the girl who could no longer hear
him. Armon stood silently for a moment, despairing to Carly's fate.
He then stumbled on.
    Armon now approached the
end of the great hall. However, a formation of uniformed figures in
black cloaks and hoods stood as statues, blocking any further
passage. Although they appeared monk-like, each was armed with a
metal staff-like weapon that was tipped in huge multiple cutting
blades that surrounded a single output rod of a laser weapon. They
were fearsome carriages of an honor guard that protected Ektos from
any unwanted intrusion.
    Armon slowed his gait even
further, but still continued his advance. As he neared the figures,
a sentinel bigger than the rest stepped out from the
shadows.
    "You will proceed no
further," the sentinel commanded.
    Armon halted promptly to
the challenge of the mysterious warrior, his fear quite apparent.
"Logos, I need to see him! It's urgent!" Quinton tried to
reason.
    "You will proceed no
further," Logos repeated.
    "I AM THE COUNCIL CHAIRMAN!
I ORDER YOU TO ALLOW ME ENTRANCE!" Armon demanded.
    Suddenly, Logos removed his
hood, revealing a shiny black, translucent sphere of metal. His
facial features appeared in flashes that changed and vanished like
an image within a mirror. Yet, he was lacking in any form of eyes,
which seemed nothing more than a dark pool of a soulless void.
Logos was as intimidating as death himself.
    "It is Ektos I serve, not
you!" the android replied in a deep growling tongue.
    Quinton became more
passive. "I need to see him! Things are getting out of hand! I may
not be able to shield him much longer!"
    Logos paused seemingly