The Antithesis wasn’t sure why its new instincts had urged it to dig this hole into the side of the hill, or why they bid for it to wait here. Still it listened, as the new instincts had not led it wrong so far.

Yet it could feel the old instincts rising in anger. They knew that there was metal to smash over the hill, they yearned to launch the object inside itself at that metal. Only the instinct to find a good place for the new hive was happy. After all the hole it had dug was a perfect spot for a hive, once it had done its job.

It felt the new instinct’s return, soothing the old ones. It need not worry about going over the hill to smash metal, the metal was flying towards it right now. How much harder could it launch its object, if it didn’t waste the energy required to walk to the metal.

This calmed the old instincts once more, and it pondered how much harder it would be able to launch its object. Then it gave a low grunt to the little ones around it, a sign to bring it food. Digging the hole had been tiring for it, and it would need all the energy it could get.

The flying metal was coming, but it, and others like it, would be ready to smash it, once the instincts told them to.

**********************************************************

We will be reaching the leading edge of the mass shortly.

“Right, how do you suggest we go about this?” I asked, standing up from my seat, and started moving towards the ramp.

I would suggest that we make passes over the lead edge, until you have gained enough points to get some more firepower. As things stand right now, even with my support, you would likely be overwhelmed on the ground, before you could get that firepower.

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“Sounds like a plan, let’s go with it. Say, you got a monkey tail onboard, that way I can sit on the ramp and fire out the back?” I asked, as I pulled the helmet on.

There is, just a second for me to open the ramp. I’ll also patch your helmet into the dropship’s sensors, to improve your visibility.

I hooked up to the monkey’s tail as the ramp opened, then I knew no more.

**********************************************************

The Antithesis had spotted the flying metal coming a couple of minutes ago. The old instincts wanted it to launch its object at the metal as soon as it had spotted it. But the new instincts had come back in force, bidding for it to wait. To wait until the metal had passed overhead, before it launched its object at the metal.

The new instincts had been right before, so it waited, and watched as the metal flew overhead. Then it began to concentrate, tensing its muscles around the object as it prepared to fire it at the metal.

Wait came the new instincts again, but it could not hold back the old instincts anymore. Time slowed for it, as it launched the object at the metal. It watched as the object flew true, smashing into the metal on its closest side, sending the metal into a spin.

It watched as strange glowing objects came out of the metal, heading towards its location. It did not care, it had done its job, and a new hive would be born in time.

Its brain shut down, as the 30mm shells started to smash into it.

**********************************************************

With that, I had reached the end of my story. So I stood, and gave a slight bow to the audience, before I turned to walk down the stairs leading to the stage.

A new chair had appeared in the front row of the auditorium, and instinctively I knew that it was for me to sit in. That it was time for me to join the audience, and a new story teller to take the stage.

As I sat in the chair, all thoughts of answering any questions about my story, fled from my mind. After all, I was no longer the storyteller, and it was not the audience’s job to tell the story.

So I sat, and I listened, as the storyteller began to tell the story of Ellis Johnston.

“I was having a bad Monday morning.”

Ending 1 of ???