“Okay, here we go.” Said Gizzy, strutting in fully tactical, now around 6 foot even, and looking a more Osirian shade of icy pink. She opened the crate and the team stared at some rather fancy looking weapons.

“Wait…conventional bullets? We’re not rocking lasers and shit?” Vinn asked.

“No, the energy draws them in, you don’t wanna get swarmed? They’re anything but conventional, These are heavily modified rounds. 5.7mm compressed frangible copper and tungsten. They turn a soft target to Stroganoff, but they turn to dust on a wall and don’t bounce they don’t penetrate plywood very well, or body armor, so these are the rounds you wanna spray in a confined space with friends, not FMJs and certainly not lasers that will puncture gas lines and concrete walls."

“Aren’t the colors gonna ruin the camo effect?” Evee asked.

“The bugs are colorblind, this just helps the humans see their guns better. Standard Osirian battle rifle, just toned down for close quarter bug hunting. Vertical loaded topside magazine, like a P90 mag flipped edgewise. Holds 250 rounds a mag, and everyone carries a spare mag, holographic sights in neon colors so you humans can see them, as well as the loading bolt, the trigger and digital ejector display showing how much you got left. Vinn, yours is the same except the 3d printed stock and trigger is bigger, and I printed it in Delmarian rust rather than royal blue. Silverback, you get the big red bastard.”

“Why does he get the biggest gun?” Vinn asked.

“Cuz I got the biggest Willy.” Silverback smirked. “Not a gatt-daym one of you believes that, hu?” he said, looking sad.

“It’s okay honey.” Said Evee, making him even less comfortable.

“Actually, it’s for a number of reasons, none of them penis related.” Gizzy informed. “I want you on flamethrower duty because you’re the most heat-resistant, least flammable fur covered and least aquatic here. The flamethrower sticks out a good 4 inches longer, so why not also give you the longer barrel and magazine? I made the optics bigger too, figuring you have the shittiest eyesight at your age.”

“So this is the old fart flamethrower version.”

“Yea, exactly. It’s also the only one with no integral suppressor, so your team’s gonna have ringing ears, but at your age you probably do already.” She added.

“I get it, I’m old. Icyhot rubberized buttpad, bigger buttons, so I can read, Viagra rounds and no full auto because I’ll just shake so bad I’ll make it full auto anyway, hu?” he asked sarcastically.

“Do you not want me to take away the big red flamethrower gun?”

“No, I want the big red flamethrower gun.” he sighed.

“Good, then shut up. So you, Menace and Vicki are the rear team, you protect the areas we’ve covered and keep them bug free, Vicki secures the barriers and Vinn keeps Menace on a tether and be the pack mule. Don’t let her go unless you get overrun and need her to go ferrule, we need her BEHIND the flamethrower. She’ll eat the wounded bugs and make sure they’re dead as you go, Silverback, you pick off anything that gets past the front team. If you get too many, burn em.”

"Toob." Menace saluted.

“Rodger that.” He nodded, admiring his fancy red gun.

“Do you have any experience with firearms?” she asked.

“Two years military duty…about 50 years ago.” Silverback sighed.

“Yea, you definitely need the bigger mag and flamethrower. Simplest gun in the moon. One selector: Safe, 3 round hyperburst, full auto, flamethrower turns on here. Same trigger. Pull this knob to cock and rock. Now Jack and I will take lead, followed by Evee, You play enough shooter games you should pick up quickly, these don’t have much recoil. Stay behind me and Jack and be his eyes in the dark, nobody worry about me. I’m better than all of you and technically at home in another body, so if I get swarmed, fuck it, I’ll be fine"

“You said Menace is immune to the bugs, does that give me a resistance to the toxins or make me impossible to bite into?” squinted Evee.

“Shit if I know. Don’t test it. Shoot bugs, get money.” Gizzy shrugged.

“So…just us 7?” Silverback asked.

“Vinn can barely move in these tunnels, let alone Hyde, whose specialty is flying a ship and open combat. And I got Dee and Melody guarding the house because do any of you really want those bouncing airheads holding a loaded gun? Or Hyde?”

“Very good point.” Vinn nodded.

The tunnels breathed near silently as the 3 best killing machines lead the way into a 7 by 14 meter stone room tall enough for Vinn to stand, acting as the fallback base, the last area before the tunnel reached the iron door to the homes.

“Okay, listen up, people. The fact that you got both stairwells and the East maintenance line plywooded up solid is a damn miracle, but we got a lot of zig-zag left ahead. Those barriers need airflow, you see the foam cracking away from the stone? We need to let the pressure off. Vinn, you and Vicki get these air grates installed, holes don’t have to be perfect. Silverback, you watch for that corner we’re going around. If you see bugs, shoot them, if you see us, don’t shoot us. If you see us hauling ass and hear us yelling, switch to flamethrower and the moment we get past you, broil the whole tunnel.”

“I assume those aren’t gas lines?”

“Water lines, copper coated steel, they’ll be fine. Keep Menace tethered to the…is that a bed spring frame you welded over the stairwell?”

“Yea.” Jack nodded.

“Cheap but clever, keep her tied to that, but make sure she CAN reach the plywood walls and CANNOT get to Silverback. She’ll hit any bug that sneaks through like a starving Pitbull on a damn crawling burrito, but I want her nowhere near the flamethrower. Once those vents are in, foam the bed frame better, let her hunt and seek for stragglers and once she’s bored, move to the next barricade, we should have another one up by then. Clean and move.

They proceeded around the unusual jog.

“Why does this tunnel loop around itself here anyway?” Jack inquired.

“Vertical air vent lasered into the stone. We had to loop around it. It’s 15 feet internal diameter and keeps the subways from air locking. Wow, that is one piss poor barricade.” Gizzy noted as they made it to the straight away.

“Hey, we had a water line and an electrical line to work around, so we-” he said as Gizzy fired a round near his feet, splattering gold bug goop.

“Left gaps…yea, I see that. You sealed the 2 openings airtight that needed airflow and the one that didn’t need airflow you left bug-squeezin room. This is why you don’t go rogue. Jack, you take point here, hold the shitty barricade, Nico-i mean, Evee you go first."

“Why me?” she asked.

"Because Jack is going to be firing around us, and I'd rather him hit me than you, I’m armored better, and I can’t see shit. You're the eyes, I'm the barrier.”

“I thought Osirians had night vision.”

“Kid I’m 150 centuries old, my brain doesn’t process vision like it used to, and I’m looking through the eyes of a modified sex droid. I’m just following your laser and acting an inhuman shield. Go for it. Ready?” she asked, they nodded. “Yippiekayey motherfuckers.” Gizzy said power kicking the plywood down and opening suppressing fire, stopping to let Evee through.

“They’re everywhere.” Evee yelled, firing into the dark.

“Not for long.” Gizzy said, targeting and hitting the water line just past the valve. A shriek of high-pitched noise echoed as they scattered and moved back. “They can’t swim.” She noted. They pushed through the rush of cold mist, Gizzy mostly firing where the green dot was aiming when Evee fired.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Shit, we got brave ones.” Gizzy said as a handful of determined bugs circled under the pipe to avoid the water and made it past them. Jack picked a few off as Gizzy yanked Evee in front of her. One of the little demons scuttered right over their heads and looked right at Evee, hissing and moving on.

“You’re scared, aren’t you?” Evee said softly to the bug.

“No, do not get sentimental. We’re not stomping Chihuahuas, these are murderbugs, murder their bug-asses. No pets, just death. Kill pussycat, KILL KILL!” Gizzy taunted.

The tunnel seemed to go on forever…as it tended to do, but even well lit with torches, the bugs kept coming. Gizzy tagged another water line, scattering them further and driving a few their way. Gizzy and Evee went full auto, taking out the majority, but it was clear they weren’t going to stop them all. The bug concentration was getting heavier.

“Fall back.” She ordered, eye glowing brighter as she powered up and rushed forward as a distracting snack. Evee kept firing around her, picking off the ones making it by, as Gizzy switched to her flamethrower and Maniacally chuckled, roasting her way along.

“Get off me, bitch.” She barked, grabbing on off her neck and punching it into the stone wall. “HA!” Who’s the hive queen now, GOD I hate bugs.” She barked, igniting her way down the hall as Evee stayed a good 10 meters back to pick off sneakers.

She reached a T in the tunnel, taking out a water line to clear the area. She peeked around the corner and stepped back.

“Progress bravo?” she asked.

“WHAT?” asked Silverback.

“What is your progress, Team B?” she tried again.

“We’re at Jack’s location.”

“I need a 7 by 5 piece of plywood stat, Jack, get it up here. Evee, cover the other tunnel.” She ordered. Vinn and Vicki quickly measured and sawed a panel, handing Jack the tools as Jack and took over rushing the plywood to the front line, Vicki following him.

"Damn, I wish I could run longer." she huffed, feeling oddly weak.

“Evee, how is that direction?” Gizzy asked, laying down heavy fire and also actual fire.

“Pretty minimal.”

“Good because this room sucks, Jack, get that plywood up here.” She barked. They arrived and readied the plywood. Gizzy chucked an incendiary grenade into the room and casually stepped out, firing wildly behind her as it went off, fire rolling past her and singing her hair. She slammed the plywood over the opening. Jack and Vicki began driving concrete screws in frantically to brace it as she leaned in to keep it there.

“Silverback, Vinn, move forward to the last barrier we sealed, start shutting off water valves as you go.” Gizzy said. The plywood shuttered suddenly.

“What’s behind that door?” Vicki asked Gizzy.

“Don’t worry about it. More screws, less talky. She said, activating her com system."

“Yea, this is Gizzy. Flood floor 13. The whole thing, starting with area 336. Like yesterday…go go go go!” she barked. The plywood shuttered again, startling Vicki.

“That doesn’t sound like bugs.” She said.

“No, that sounds like bugs, it just sounds like substantially bigger ones. “Maintenance team 3, This is Gizzy. Get this shit flooding. NOW! Anyone here prone to infections or waterborne viruses?” she asked.

“Me.” Vicki said. "My immune system is weak."

“Yea, you need to run. Jack, cover her ass from here. Vinn, we need a steel door down here 7 by 5 stat.” she said as the plywood cracked.

"So I'm just too human to help?" she asked.

"Honey, be thankful you're human. This is a place for monsters." she said, eyes glowing.

“Are they evolving, getting bigger?” asked Evee, noticing the plywood nearly split.

“No, of course not. We just woke up a queen.” Gizzy shrugged. Firing a hole into the plywood and jamming the barrel against the hole, spraying rounds into the room wildly.

“Let me talk to it.” she suggested. Gizzy gave her a WTF look and paused to emphasize the stupidity of the words.

“It’s... a... BUG.” Gizzy said slowly.

“It’s an animal. They’re scared.” Evee said, hunkering down to listen.

“I don’t give a shit. It should be scared. I plan to dead their asses several times over. I want my moon back, people are dead, I need to kill a lot of bugs to stop that.”

“I can sense them. Maybe if we show we’re not a threat, they’ll back off."

“Evee, either murder bugs or go home. This is a war, cupcake. In fact, go help Vicki. Silverback, swap guns with Vinn, and let him man the flamethrower, get your old ass down here and replace your dumbass girlfriend. I assume you can shoot bugs without a moral issue?”

“Affirmative.” he said, rushing down the hall.

“Good, Evee, you’re fired, go cut plywood. Silverback, get all primate mode and kill anything crawling that isn’t Menace on your way through." She finished, rolling her eyes. "Shit, maybe the second clone is a little defective." Gizzy sighed.

Jack returned with a briefcase and a helmet. He opened the case and tossed Gizzy a much larger looking gun. Silverback huffed his way down the hall, dragging the steel door with his welding gloves

“I’m going in, bolt the door behind me.” She ordered. She fired a few bursts, weakening the top of the plywood and ramming through, the sound of much louder gunfire at a higher cycle rate rang out, almost deafening everyone in the hall as they slid the door in place, driving lag screws into the side hinges. The sound of roaring and banshee screams vibrated the panel as they got it secured.

“Is that steel getting warmer?” Jack questioned.

“I was hoping it was just me.” Silverback said as the room went silent, and then a loud bang gonged the steel barrier, smoke rolling from the sides as they sprayed it with foam and listen to it sizzle.

“Is she…dead?” asked Silverback.

“Yea probably.” Jack sighed casually. An awkward moment of silence was broken by gunfire down the hall towards the homes and both of them turning to push back the bugs headed their way from the further tunnel. Jack and Silverback both ducked in shock, as a beam of white light hummed past them, and they turned to see the original lawyer sexbot with Gizzy blue eyes holding a mining laser.

“Yea I know, fuck it, plans change, That body is trashed, it’s not worth digging out. On the bright side, we now have detailed scans of a hive queen, and those are pretty rare. Blood samples, and we know what temperature they cook at. Stop looking at me like that, mission continues. Move out.” She said, leading the way, missing half her face skin.

Gizzy sexbot casually stomped her way to the next opening and laid a beam of destruction down it. She trudged in and let off more gunfire, stepping back out. The room shuttered and the sound of collapsing rock and grenade shrapnel echoed through the tunnel.

“Plywood that shit.” She yawned. Moving her way down the tunnel to the last juncture. “Vinn, shut the hatch at junction 68, don’t open it. Make sure the hatch is closed leading to the mansion, double-check the barricades, and then release the Menace.” She ordered.

“Confirmed.” He reported.

“Boys. Weld that door shut and put some vent screen on the openings. We got one stairwell between us and the Arcade, and it has no air vents or jogs. So make your way back to junction 68, make sure nothing got through, check for holes in the wall over 1 inch wide, make sure all the relief valves are shut and foam the gaps.” She ordered.

Gizzy sexbot flame throwered her way up the stairwell, fricasseeing a few bugs on the way, till she reached the steel doors leading into the Arcade. They were locked and solid. Someone sealed them from the inside. She rolled her eyes, dug into her bag for a cutting torch, and began going at the left side latches.

Menace sat cross-legged, crunching happily on some bug remains. Evee squatted down to her level.

“You’re not getting vengeance, are you, little buddy? You’re just a hungry little animal with no hate in your heart.” she smiled. Menace smiled happily, handing her a chunk to share.

“Wood.” she pointed.

“No, I’m not hungry.” She said back, noticing a wounded one slowly making its way into the gap under the pipe to hide. She got down on her hands and knees and tilted her head.

“I’m not gonna hurt you. You can sense my feelings, can you?” she asked softly.

“Menace, kill.” Vicki whispered.

“No, we got the area secure, this one is wounded. It’s just trying to survive like we are."

“Taco.” Menace pointed, hungrily doing the excited Peepee dance.

“No taco…maybe friend. You know, there are 14 species of cave spider on this moon that were here before Delmarians were. This was their home first. Most of them are harmless, but people kill them because they’re scary and big. Not everything scary is a monster that needs to be killed.” She said, turning her eyes black.

“That’s not a cave spider." Vicki noted. "They’re venomous, invasive, and lethal and taking over OUR home. That bug needs to die." she insisted.

“They can’t bite Menace. Maybe they can’t bite me, either. My skin is tougher than human skin. She’s immune to their venom, maybe I could capture it alive.”

“Move... out of the way, I’m gonna shoot it.” Vicki said.

“Nobody’s gonna shoot it. You’re okay, little guy. Look he’s terrified.” She said, holding out her hand. “You’re not gonna bite me. I’m friendly. Just crawl up to my hand. See? It’s not aggressive. It’s just scared. We may have these poor creatures misunderstood. Humans called Delmarians monsters once. I’ve been called a monster. Menace was literally named Menace, and look at her…she's as sweet as could be. You don't understand what it’s like, Vicki, to be scared and hungry, trying to survive and be called a monster for surviving. You never will.”

"Stop overthinking this, it’s an aggressive venomous bug that kills humans. WE are trying to survive here. Are you high?" she asked.

“Hi.” Menace waved.

“Hi there." Vicki waved back.

"I think these bugs are just like any other animal, running on survival instinct and trying to find a safe place to exist. Look, it's not biting me because I'm not afraid of it, and it won't. Trust me."

The doors of the mansion burst open as the team frantically rushed into the basement, clearing the game table as Gizzy grabbed the med kit. Evee was carried thought the doors, screaming and kicking, as Silverback tried to calm her.

“I WAS WRONG! THEY'RE JUST EVIL!” Evee yelled, “OH, IT HURTS SO BAD.” She wailed as they slammed her to the table and restrained her. Gizzy began administering a series of shots around her shoulder and bicep, her left hand a pale shade of green and curled into a sort of claw as the muscles contracted and the blood toxicity rose.

“Do something!” Yelled Silverback.

“I am, it just takes a second. I gave her anti-venom, a regen shot, enough painkillers to knock out a horse. She took 37 bites in under a minute, and she’s lucky to be alive. The drugs should bring her back to normal, but it could take hours, and it’s not gonna feel great. You’re gonna start throwing u-oh she’s already doing that. That’s good, purge it out. Someone get her bottled water and a protein shake. Ice the arm, she’ll be fine. And what did we learn about spacebugs?”

“Some of them are just evil.” She sobbed.

“Very good. Now if you got all the dumbass out of your system, maybe save the animals, not trying to wipe out all life on this biosphere. But you did provide us with some interesting facts. Turns out 2 percent Menacodian ain’t shit sometimes. You can’t speak with bugs, you’re not immune to them, and they CAN very easily bite through your very slightly tougher skin. Teachable moment" Gizzy grumbled.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Nicole asked.”

“It’s just a critter.” Evee deliriously huffed.

“Yea, not everything is worth trying to save.” She replied. Vinn hugged Nicole and lead her to the other room so she didn’t have to watch.

“See, I got the better Nicole after all. You’re less horny, but you’re also not stupid.” He said, kissing her head.

"She's just trying to find who she is." Nicole sighed.