Didir: Are you done with that hive yet?

Jonnie Be Good: What? I’m on it?

D:That hive won’t plug itself.

J: Actually, I’m going to need some perimeter control.

D:Why?

J: Newbie needs some points.

***

I was also worried about splitting our forces with the stairs. When we had to retreat, we would probably be dependent on Kang’s team to help while we set up. They couldn’t do that if they were up a level, clearing out Anti’s. It was too bad the M-3’s hadn’t found Jonnie’s turrets. Could we get them there?

--Certainly. Were you thinking of misleading the horde?

--Would she do that? She didn’t want to use the gun you offered her.

“Tara, I don’t know a good way to ask this. I have an idea for how to deal with the Threes upstairs, but it relies on you. But I also don’t want to offend your convictions. How do you feel about luring the Anti’s to places where they can be killed?”

“I play mouse to their cat? A mouse will do what a mouse does: it runs and dodges. It’s not the mouse’s fault that the cat can’t fly.”

“I’ll take that as a yes? Opposite the stairs we’re coming up should be a central staircase. Another Samurai has set up defenses on it, but they may not be visible.”

“I see it. The stairs and floor are covered in goo. What is it with you and goo? It’s unnatural.”

“That sounds about right. Here’s the drone.”

Purchased: Stinky Mouse Custom Lure Drone

Cost: 25 Remaining points: 2,601

--I customized it from a scent-gathering drone in your catalog.

A palm-sized quadcopter appeared and started to fly off after the evacuees. Dangling below it was a long line leading to a fluffy ball.

“Did that drone have fur? I swear it had fur.” Haruka said.

In the conference call, Tara reacted to the drone. “Eeeee! It’s so cute! Designating drone mouse one, call sign: Jerry.”

I muttered to myself, “She named it. Never let them name it. I’m never getting my drone back, am I?” Shaking my head, I turned to the next fire to put out.

--I’ve sent a couple updates to Wylbur, but it would be courteous to update him. He is the one in charge of this hive, after all.

It picked up on the second ring. “Once again, the little duckling graces my phone. I was actually about to call you. How deep in are you?”

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“I’m actually almost back out. I was able to save those prisoners, and I’m escorting them out the way I came in. I have about one hundred twenty evacuees. Ten of them are mobility-impaired. Unfortunately, we have some heavy pursuit by the antithesis. We’re going to be going back through those sonic turrets you set up where we met. Will the turrets hurt the civilians?”

“Other than some temporary hearing damage, no. And maybe not even that, if there aren’t any antithesis with them. How long until you are out?”

“We’re starting the first set of stairs, and after that, we have the ones with your turrets. Like I said, we have several people in wheelchairs. I’ve been doing a step-by-step retreat, but I’m honestly out of space to retreat to. Any way to get help on that top set of stairs?”

“I just checked a drone I left, and there are some emergency service people in the area. I’ll contact them and have them ready for you.”

I checked the feed on our own drones and spotted several M-4s running towards the storage room door. “We have incoming,” I said. “So unless there’s anything else, I need to go.”

“Go ahead. Happy hunting.” Jonnie’s connection ended.

The bulky aliens tried to break for the turn into the door, only to slide on by when all traction disappeared. I followed them as they slid down the hall, bouncing off the sides before hitting the wall at the end.

“Tara, is the drone feed data getting recorded?”

“I’ve been recording it on a secure off-site server. Kaitlyn asked me to.” Corie responded in the conference call.

“Good. My sister would love to see the Anti’s slip and slide. Oh, and it looks like they found the other door. Time to earn our keep.” Through a gap in the shelves’ contents, I could barely see the third door and the M-4 coming through. I filled it with flechettes to help block the door. The next one turned the other way; I only saw a flicker of movement. The third one showed a leg down low, and I punished it for its daring, unfortunately not fatally. The fourth met Haruka’s heavier bullet in the face.

There was a short pause as more came up, and the two in the maze found their way. It was fun to see the one that I wounded try to turn only to keep careening past the opening. It did finally make an appearance, but only as another M-4 came to the intersection much more slowly. I released a burst at them, splitting the flechettes. I shot both, and another one that had come on their heels. I checked the other direction and shot an enterprising M-4 that had climbed up to the third shelf layer. “Watch the upper shelves.”

A host of the smaller, faster Threes soon joined the M-4s already in the room. They bound forward, only for the groups to break up as they skidded through the slick spots. I split my attention between the ones exiting the maze and using the gaps among the shelves to kill them as they entered the room. Soon, the weight of numbers took their toll, and it was all we could do to keep the open area cleared of living aliens.

I’d intended the maze to slow them down and give us chances for chosen shots. Instead, it provided too much cover and only let them get that much closer. Breaking up the groups wasn’t worth letting them get this close before we could open fire. Even as we struggled to hold against the tide, a part of my mind was evaluating the situation and what we could have done better. And another part thought ahead to the next choke point.

“Ginny? Status?”

“The lure worked like a charm, and we’re sending people up already. We’re about halfway through the wheelchairs. Once that is done, we can clear out the rest pretty quickly. Kang and his team are manning the defenses we have set up. When you come in, stay to the left at the last bit.”

“I feel like we’re about done here, so we’ll see you soon. Hopefully we won’t have them hot on our tails, but there’s no guarantee. Jasper, finish up that set of magazines and pull back.”

“What are you worried about?” Kaitlyn asked.

“There’s been a whole lot of M-3 and M-4 in here, but I don’t recall any Sixes or Fives. Weren’t there supposed to be at least three M-6?”

“The three shell beasts that got stuck are outside the doors now. They have several thags with them, at least a couple each.” Tara was still watching the Anti’s via drone cameras.

“I get the feeling they are up to something. And we’re not going to like it. In fact, you should both get off those high spots. I want you ready to run and run fast.” While the platforms were not so high that they couldn’t jump down, now was not the time to risk a turned ankle.

Kaitlyn and Haruka both paused their fire to jump down the box steps and prepare to leave. It only took a couple seconds, but that was long enough for the swarm of M-3s to reach the barricade wall. The aliens pulled up just short of the spikes, some getting long scrapes on their faces. At this range, the ability to aim the flechettes was useless. The rounds were impacting bare meters beyond the barrel, with no space to angle for multiple hits per round. I wished that I had a way to switch to something simpler, but with more raw stopping power.

I used the Roomsweeper like a more standard automatic, firing bursts of fire toward each alien, then moving on as they fell. Anti’s died in waves as I waved the Roomsweeper back and forth. By the time Kaitlyn and Haruka were back in the fight, I was nearly out of ammo. I frantically swapped drums as the alien dogs scrambled just beyond the barricade.

With all three guns running again, we beat the tide back to the openings again. I scanned the battlefield, and I noticed a flicker of motion at the doors. A large crash filled the room, just as Tara reported.

“They’re moving in. All three with thags behind.”