“It’s regrettable that he would have acted that way, but understandable,” Andy said in a concerned voice.

Sakaki and Rostov paced around the room anxiously. Duncan was seated on a small stool in the corner, saying nothing.

“Nevertheless, I believe I have some news that will cheer you up,” the AI continued, changing the subject.

Rostov’s mouth dropped. “You found something? You have an idea about how to defeat the Deathspawn?”

“That is correct, Captain. Based on my analysis of the genetic information obtained by your Marines, I have formulated a plan. However, it will be very difficult to pull off, and may not work at all.”

“Tell us. What is it?” Sakaki asked breathlessly.

“The pattern encoded into their genetic code was very complex, and difficult to extract. It is my opinion that it was designed this way deliberately, in order that this secret would be kept from any race attempting to do the very thing we are doing.

“Regardless, it is definitely there, and I have checked and re-checked it quite thoroughly. The Deathspawn have a limited lifespan, gentlemen. They are designed to penetrate an area of the galaxy, engage all sentient life they find there, and when their job is complete, extinguish themselves completely. This requires a deliberate act on their part once they have achieved total victory.”

Sakaki let out a long, deep breath.

“So what you’re saying is all we have to do to get rid of the Deathspawn is to let them kill us all?” Rostov said despondently. “How does this help us?”

“We do not need to do that,” Andy replied patiently. “All we have to do is somehow convince the Deathspawn that they have achieved this victory. They will handle the rest themselves. Look at the division of forces we have here.” Andy dimmed the lights and a holographic projection of their sector of the galaxy filled the room. “They are sending large contingents of their forces to Earth and Zruthy simultaneously. Because they have smashed our defenses over the last few weeks, they do not expect these forces to be heavily opposed. At the same time, they know that we have concentrated the remainder of our fleets here at Barnard’s Star. They are committing the majority of their forces to a single strike intended to wipe us out once and for all.

“What I am suggesting is this: We need to maintain the fiction that most of our ships are remaining here, while secretly sending the bulk of our fleet to Zruthy and Earth respectively. If we can send large enough forces, we should be able to defeat both Deathspawn strike fleets completely. We will then need to transmit captured Deathspawn message pods back to their main fleet with the news that both Earth and Zruthy have been obliterated. Then we must engage the main Deathspawn force here, and somehow convince them that we have all been destroyed. With the news that both Zruthy and Earth are gone, combined with the apparent destruction of our fleet, the Deathspawn will have no more foes to combat in this sector, and will activate their self-destruct mechanisms according to their own genetic instructions.”

Rostov let out a low whistle and shook his head. “That’s an awful long list of things that have to go exactly right in order for this strategy to work,” he said.

“How can we be sure that the two Deathspawn strike fleets will not send messages back to their main force as soon as they discover that they are outnumbered?” Sakaki asked. “And how can we fake our own fleet’s destruction convincingly in front of them? I am sorry to say this, but it seems impossible.”

Duncan looked up at the two flag officers. “Not impossible, sirs,” he said meekly. “Just very, very improbable.”

“My associate is correct,” Andy said. “However, improbable as it may be, it is our best chance of success at this point. We must find a way to execute this strategy, or we shall inevitably fail in our struggle against the Deathspawn, and all sentient life in this part of the galaxy will become extinct.”

Rostov put his head in his hands. “All right,” he said, rubbing his face and revealing bloodshot eyes, “at least it’s a chance, even if it is a small one. Do you have any ideas on how we might attempt to do this?”

“Yes,” Andy said, “but we must act quickly. We are running very short on time.” He paused for a moment, reflecting. “But first things first. You should really see what you can do to resolve the issues with the Zruthy. We are going to need their full cooperation on this.”

Admiral Sakaki hung his head. “That is entirely my fault,” he apologized. “I did not appreciate the extent of their distaste for artificial intelligences. It should have been obvious given their history and their sensitivity to our knowledge of it.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Admiral,” Rostov said, placing a large hand on his shoulder. “We can go talk to them together. In the mean time, Andy, you can fill Duncan in on your plans for carrying out this elaborate deception.”

“Me, sir?” the scientist asked, surprised.

“Yes, you,” the Captain replied. As he led Sakaki out of the room with him, he turned his head around. “I’ll expect a full report as soon as we get back.”