The Dead Man Division made their way down a long stretch of highway that cut between the charred remains of roaming farms. A low, grumbling storm churned in the distance. The SMCs’ extending wheels made short work of the burned cars as they crawled like spiders over the obstacles.

Miranda gripped the back of Collin’s seat as the SMC rattled around. Her harness held her tightly, but the jostling still made her nauseous. Collin’s blaring music of the Cure and Duran Duran didn’t make the ride any more comforting.

“Can we turn down the music, Collins?” Miranda asked as politely as possible, but she really wanted to take a baseball bat to the stereo.

“Yeah, sure, Doc. I can’t really hear the coms anyways,” said Collins half heartedly.

“Thank you.” Miranda sighed with relief. She leaned back into her seat as the SMC hit smoother pavement.”What are they talking about?”

Collins turned up the radio. “A distress call.”

“Listen up, squad, we’ve received word that a convoy was ambushed by Helix. Keep your eyes sharp and your weapons hot. There might be some still around.” Marks’ static voice came through.

I’ve actually never seen a Helix alive. I know what you’re thinking. ‘You study the damn things, how could you have never seen one?’ Well I’ve only studied corpses. However, I've learned a lot about their anatomy. They are built much like insects. Thoraxes, translucent wings, and exo-skeletons. They are thirty-two inches long and have an average wingspan of five feet. When they attempt to take over your body, they will attach themselves to the host’s back and a needle like proboscis will draw from the Helix’s mouth. then puncture the neck. From there they will alter the host’s DNA with a bacteria that resides in a venom that they produce.

The entire process is all too horrifying.

Our soldiers now wear a flexible Kevlar collar to protect them. They have me wearing the same. It itches, but will save my life someday.

“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship. Lousia May Alcott.” Spears responded. The radio went silent.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Always the poet.

“Spears, you joined the Army, not the Navy,” laughed Ito.

“Clear the coms, the convoy is in sight,” commanded Marks, “Circle the Smokes around the trucks and search for survivors.”

Miranda watched as the soldiers deployed from their vehicles, climbing onto trucks and checking the vitals of the drivers. She couldn’t help but notice the armor was blackened and the windshields had been melted.

The Helix’s primary offense are napalm-like liquid that spews from their mandibles. It burns all it touches, sticking to our armored vehicles and eating away quickly at exposed skin.

“Chavez!” called out Marks.

Miranda jumped from the SMC and cautiously approached the gathering of Ito and Marks kneeling besides a twitching Helix.

“It’s alive and still attached to its host. Fascinating!” said Miranda now running to the insect. She pulled out her camera and snapped pictures from various angles. She paused to inspect holes that peppered its back. “Several bullet wounds have rendered it paralyzed, but see how the host struggles to move?”

“It’s disgusting that you get off from this, Fragglerock,” sneered Ito.

Miranda ignored the jab and continued to study the Helix’s victim. It moaned as it dragged towards her, his eyes glowed ultraviolet. “His legs don’t seem to be functioning. It’s as if the Helix’s afflictions have affected it’s host as well…”

“Host? Don’t forget that's a soldier! One of us!” snarled Ito.

Miranda turned, “I-”

“Stand down, Corporal. Chavez is treating this mess objectively. She’s not as cold as you think.”

“No survivors, Sergeant,” reported Flores as he walked up to Marks. He pulled Miranda back as she attempted to touch the buzzing alien. “Careful, Doc, that Frag might blow up in your face.”

“He’s right, Chavez. Back to your Smoke.” Marks placed his hand on Ito’s shoulder, “Round the boys, let’s get moving.”

“He’s suffering…” Ito said quietly. She stepped closer to the mindless soldier and lifted her weapon against her shoulder.

“Aim for the Helix, Yume.” Miranda pointed to the dragonfly-like creature.” Killing the ho-the soldier will release the spores. We’d all join his fate then.”

Miranda climbed into her SMC, flinching at the sound of gunfire behind her.

Collins revved the engine and pulled out a CD from a gray case. “Cyndi Lauper to lighten the mood?”

Miranda watched as Ito ripped the dog tag from the now dead soldier. She listened as Spears came over the radio.

“Death remains about the one certain fact in the lives of each one of us, and there will be suffering, sorrow, and sadness next week as there was last week. Basil Hume.”

She patted Collins on the shoulder, “I could use a bit of Lauper right now.”