Heinz fought back a headache as the convoy slowed to a stop.

He reached for the last few messages in confusion but he hadn’t received anything new. I38-9I was the last zone to have opened up. A quick look out the window confirmed that they were still a distance from the town. They hadn’t even passed the gardening centre yet.

“Why are we stopping?” Phil asked the driver.

Phil had led the group back to the convoy when they finished up the clearing work. He was first into the minibus and his eagerness to get home to his family showed. The Swarm they killed during the clearing work had increased their leave timer but after an hour and a half of work, they had less time remaining than when they started.

Heinz himself was a measly 8 credits and 23.5 energy stronger. It was nothing compared to the amount of time spent.

Luke’s team hitched a ride north instead of returning south and when Kate indicated their transport with her head, Heinz had been more than tempted to join. But if he left it could be the end of his current group. He wasn’t sure he wanted that.

“They’re letting people off at the stalls.” The driver replied.

“Stalls?” Phil questioned.

The convoy began to move forward slowly and the first of the tables was revealed. Some of the stalls lacked overhead cover or were simply cars with the boot held open.

“They’re outside the Kinmore zone.” The driver explained. “No tax out here.”

“What about the swarm?” Louise asked.

“They chip in together to pay reclaimers to be guards. Not much swarm around here anyway.”

Heinz recognised several of the sellers from the street leading to the system shop as the minibus drove passed. He wasn’t sure what Maggie and the other Delegates were doing with the tax but he doubted this was part of their plan.

“Heinz, any idea where Killian would have left our stuff?”

Heinz shook his head at Tara. The five of them had moved off to the side of the road to leave the mess of people exiting the convoy.

“I imagine it’s somewhere in one of the tents but I don’t know where. Let me ask Rosa.”

Rosa wasn’t in her usual tent but the man that was in there was able to direct him to her office in the outdoor centre.

The centre’s gate was locked and guarded but from the inside. The kids were coming in off the water and the focus was now on preventing them from escaping before their parents could arrive. The helpers manning the gate gave him a hard time about his absence but the smiles on their faces made their intentions clear.

Heinz wanted to stay longer to catch up but he would have plenty of time to after he got the others their food.

They let him pass in exchange for examining the torn armour on his side. He promised them the story about how it happened but based on the apprehension on one of the younger helper’s face he would need to censor it. There was no point in terrifying them or making them worry about their parents/ siblings/ friends.

“Heinz. Please tell me you have good news.” Rosa was sitting behind a table in her office and massaging her forehead.

“No news actually.” Heinz said slowly and closed the door behind him. “Are you alright?”

“There are too many things!” Rosa burst out. “If I’m not arguing with the council and the delegates, I’m organising clearing groups. Between all that I’m setting up accommodation, organising the centre, collecting food and holding meeting after meeting.”

She stopped for a breath and to smack her hands against the table.

“And now on top of everything alien, there’s a bloody arsonist out there. Using diesel of all things to start the fires. Targeting buildings in use by the council - and now us, to try and pretend that it’s not just about destruction.”

Heinz opened his mouth.

“People don’t even help because they hear questions about diesel and think about that bloody thief. Or they think that the arsonist is from the council!” Rosa complained, cutting him off.

“Where are they getting the diesel from?” Heinz asked after waiting a second to make sure she was finished.

There had been a lot of rain recently and everything was damp. It would take a lot of fuel for a fire to grow out of control before anyone noticed.

“We don’t know. The records at the petrol station are a mess thanks to Gavin. Thankfully the tank at the docks was better managed.”

“Gavin?”

“The owner of the petrol station. We’re trying to get Gavin to help clarify the details and tell us who had access but he keeps asking for a lawyer or saying he wants a deal first.” Rosa shook her head. ”Where does he think this is? What does he think is going on?”

“It sounds like you’re dealing with a lot.” Heinz started hesitantly. Was there no one else who could be leading this? “Are there any Gardai working with you?”

“Yes but they have none of their usual access to information.”

Heinz winced but that wasn’t the main issue here. Rosa had retreated to her old office for a reason.

“Rosa, it’s been four days. You need to start delegating and letting others take the lead before you burn out.”

“I delegate plenty.” Rosa said as she narrowed her eyes at him.

“You can’t run this like the centre.” Heinz ignored her anger and met her eyes. “As you said, there are too many things and only one of you. I know you like to be involved and contribute-” years of working with her in the centre and the constant texts during her holidays had made that clear, “-but we need to adapt and change if we want to make it. Remember?”

Rosa’s lips pursed as he used the words she spoke to him during his crisis against her.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“And to who?” She asked. “You’re too busy with reclamation to help out here or to patrol the town.”

Heinz winced and Rosa’s face fell.

“That wasn’t meant to be a dig at you. I know you’re doing what you should be but your help here would be useful too.”

“I know.” Heinz inhaled slowly. “Killian. He can help organise the clearing. Push more of the workshop organisation onto Philip and Donal. Allow the Gardai to take over the investigation. Get a fireman to plan fire responses. Bring someone else with you to the council meetings. Let Jacque run a bit more of the centre.”

“Jacque?” Rosa asked, arching her eyebrows.

“Closely supervised and with Ann’s help.” Heinz amended. “You know who to ask better than I ever will.”

Rosa harrumphed but Heinz thought he had gotten somewhere.

“What brings you to my office anyway?”

“Food. Killian was to drop some bits my team picked up somewhere.”

“It’s probably downstairs somewhere. Come on, I’ll look with you.” Rosa pushed herself up and ushered him out of the room. “How was your day?”

Heinz hummed as he ran through his reclamation duty.

“Confusing. My group has a few issues we need to work out.” He summarised as they searched the break room.

“Anything I can help with?” Rosa asked, opening the door to the instructor’s changing room.

“No, I need to have a-”

Screaming from outside cut him off.

Heinz needed to push his way out through the door. The screaming had continued and spread as general panic set in.

Children were running in every direction but one. The slipway.

“Get the kids away and the gate open.” Heinz instructed Rosa, who had followed in his wake.

He sped up, weaving through the boats and fleeing children.

Space opened closer to the top of the slip, allowing him to run and the source of the panic became clear.

“Swarm! Swarm! In the water!” Ann screamed as she fended off an icebox sized creature with a paddle.

Small and plump, the curly furred creature seemed innocent until it chittered and threw itself at Ann. No, not solely at Ann. At the terrified children huddling behind her too.

Heinz ducked down as ran and grabbed a paddle of his own off a kayak at the top of the slip. He slowed as the concrete became a slippery mess of seaweed and slime. Falling would help no one.

“What do we do?” Someone hissed.

Heinz glanced around to see Liam. The teenager held a topper boom and had begun to descend down the slip behind him.

“Nothing! Go back!” Heinz shouted back and waved an arm at him.

The kids below screamed as the swarm got to Ann and she fell, the creature bowling into her. More shapes were appearing in the water.

Heinz flicked his eyes back to Liam, who was still following him and grimaced. Phil was going to kill him.

“Drop the boom. Get the kids.” Heinz instructed before focusing ahead.

There was no clang but he didn’t have time. Heinz slid past the huddled children and lifted his paddle high. Ann was trying to fend the creature back with her arms but it ignored her blows as it tore at her stomach with its mouth.

Heinz swung and the paddle blade struck the swarm with a sickening crack. Shards of plastic went flying as the swarm was thrown away from Ann and out across the water.

Heinz knelt quickly to examine Ann. Her groin was a mess of blood and torn neoprene. The swarm had taken strips of the neoprene from Ann’s wetsuit with it. Ann groaned and pushed herself up, whimpering at the pain from the movement.

“I got you.” Heinz said and pulled off his scarf to press into the wound. There was so much blood. This was beyond his first aid experience. “Help is on the way. Stay still.”

A plop made Heinz turn back to the water. Fat squished leeches were rising out of the water. Heinz guided Ann’s arm to his scarf and pressed it down. “Keep pressure on it.” He helped her lie back down before grabbing for his paddle.

A boom came flying horizontally over his head to rattle against the concrete and bump into the swarm, buying him some time. Heinz turned to see Liam herding the children back up the slip. More figures were running down the slip towards them.

He stood and began to crush and drive the swarm back with wide sweeping swings.

User I38-3NA5

Credits

101

Classification

Fighter-R

Energy

Threshold

516.7

700

His growth from the corpses dissolving on the slip left a rotten taste in his mouth. The Swarm had all been Spores aside from the first one which his bounty had confirmed as a Seed. Once the first few reclaimers joined him, they had been easy to clear up.

The same couldn’t be said about their effects.

Ann and two of the children had been rushed to the makeshift hospital. The other terrified children had helped them piece together what happened. The Frog-like swarm had attacked the children who were playing on the slip first, only to be driven back by Ann. The commotion had drawn the larger Seed. The injured children would make a full recovery from their scratches and cuts. Ann was more in the balance.

“We have to close.” Rosa said from beside him as she stared down at the slip. Heinz’s heart wrenched at how she sounded. “It’s not safe. Those things could be anywhere in the water.”

“Just until we clear the harbour.” Heinz replied but he knew the scale of that task. The billions of litres of water contained in that small area. Swarm growth had fallen but it was still about a tenth of the way full.

“We trawl it.” Shane declared, walking up beside them. Heinz’s group had arrived after the first wave of responders and helped with the clearing. “Lock the harbour down with a gate made of nets across the entrance. A harbour chain.”

“Why?” Rosa questioned without any of her usual anger to Shane. She was too defeated for that.

Shane grunted. “It’s our harbour. I’m not willing to give it up.”

“How do we do it?” Rosa asked. She was still staring down at the slip but there was hope in her voice.

“Have a VHF?” Shane asked.

“Phil!” Heinz jogged over to him.

Phil looked up from the box to give him a tense nod. He passed a box of baby food to Liam, who gave Heinz a relieved smile. Killian arrived back after the slipway attack and revealed the location of their haul.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?” Heinz asked.

Phil sighed and passed one more box to Liam.

“Go say some goodbyes Liam. I’m not sure when you’ll be back next.”

“Dad! that's-”

“Not now Liam.” Phil’s raised voice cut through the complaints. Liam scowled but disappeared.

“I’m sorry Phil. I shouldn’t have let him come.”

“Could you have stopped him?” Phil laughed bitterly. It was a gut wrenching sound. “It’s not your fault Heinz. It’s this goddamn fucking world.”

Heinz flinched as he heard Phil swear for the first time. Heinz prided himself for never swearing around kids but the System and Swarm brought the cursing out of him. Until now it hadn’t been able to do the same to Phil.

“I can’t keep them safe if I’m not around and they’ll never be if I don’t fight for them. And that’s..” Phil trailed off.

“And that’s going wrong too.” Heinz said softly. “Did you know about the end of the groups?”

“No. Yes. I had suspicions.” Phil pushed himself up with the last of the food from the box in his arms. Heinz frowned. He had hoped that Phil would deny it. “It’s all for a purpose Heinz. Nothing the System is doing is by accident. It’s a machine not a person.”

“It’s alien. It could be either.” Heinz wasn’t sure if he would prefer everything to be controlled by an analytical machine rather than an indifferent alien. He wasn't sure if it made a difference at this point.

Phil smiled sadly and began to look towards where Liam had disappeared.

“We need to do something about the group.” Heinz said before Phil could leave. “Team meeting?”

Phil shook his head. “I need to get back to my family."

“Tonight?” Heinz asked. It would give him time to think on Luke’s offer.

Phil hesitated but nodded.

“I’ll let the others know.” Heinz promised.