“Holy Warriors? Is that the name of the machines?”
“No...there are humans, too. Soldiers.”
Her reaction wasn’t what he expected. She blinked. “Soldiers. Unmodified human soldiers?”
“Yes.”
“Are they all wearing envirosuits?”
What an odd question. “No...the air here is breathable.”
She suddenly flipped over and swam out of range of his light, then back again. “What have they done to the settlement?” she said. “If the machines attack on sight—what have these Earthlings done?”
Richard said nothing.
“Answer me!” she demanded, and then, faster than he would have thought possible, she darted forward and seized the suit’s air hose. “I can rip this out and you will drown. What have these Earthlings done?”
Richard swallowed. “They have Purified the village,” he said.
“Purified?” Her face w
