It’s not every day I get to have fun with one of my projects.

I gently and very carefully place the porous orbs of white into the holding receptacle. Once it’s safely in place I drop its brothers in along with the first, in all around twenty of the orbs go into the thin polymer container. I then carefully turn the container over, so the opening faces horizontally. On the top there is a small opening and a funnel to pour the catalyst for my experiment. I only have enough materials to do this once, so if I screw this up, I will have to wait stars knows how long until I can find replacements, and it will be embarrassing in front of my audience.

Holding my liquid catalyst steady, I must do this quickly for it to have maximum effect. I dump it all into the funnel at the top of the container, and quickly seal it up with a cap.

A gentle shake and the liquid quickly reacts with the orbs, causing a buildup of gases. I keep calm and aim the open end of the container out towards the onlookers. An evil grin spreads across my face as the contents of the container spew out in spray of sugar and sticky goo!

Laughs abound as the children are sprayed with the concoction; it gets over everything in a ten-foot cone in front of me. Who said science can’t be fun?

The kids only being around 7-8 years old or so are easily fascinated by the simple display.

“This.” I explain. “Is a physical reaction of carbon dioxide and the tiny bumps coating the candy releasing the bonds and freeing all the carbon dioxide at once!”

I set the dripping bottle down onto the table behind me.

“Does anyone have any questions?”

None of the kids raise their hands, they seem to be mostly busy licking the sugary mess off their hands and laughing.

One of them that did not get too messy raises their hand.

“Yes, Albert?”

“Can I have one of the candies?” He asks as his face turns red, from embarrassment. I grab the roll of candies and hand it to him.

“Of course, you can, take one and pass it around to everyone. Remember Albert fortune favors the bold and inquisitive, never be afraid to ask questions!”

He takes the roll and slips one out, then hands it to the girl next to him.

“Now class, I have a simple project for you to complete. It’s due to me in one week!” Groans from the kids fill the room. “Now now, it’s not that bad. What I want you to do is get with your parents and build a demonstration of what I just showed you in some way. For example, you could mimic mine or build a volcano, or something else search the net if you need to. I will be sending a more detailed explanation to help you.”

Using my augs I select the pre-made file their previous teacher had prepared and send it out using the school’s distro list to their parents. I say previous because their last one was consumed by a model three Antithesis in an incursion that somehow slipped into the city.

Antithesis, an invading plant based alien species that have been scouring the galaxy consuming everything and anything to expand. Ever since that first incursion that dropped onto Ohio in 2022, we knew aliens existed and they were here to consume us as fuel. They are a dumb species for the most part like a tree, they just grow to gain more food, and they create different plant types, we call them models, each model has a different purpose. Thankfully there was another alien race who call themselves the “Protectors”. They have been helping the galaxy by using a program they call “Uplift” where they select worthy individuals to gain a super advanced AI capable of teleporting in advanced technology to aid the species in repelling the Antithesis. Those Uplifted are called Vanguard by the AI, of course humans being the weebs we are, call them Samurai.

It was exceedingly rare for any drop pods to actually land in the city, so while tragic it is understandable how the teacher let her guard down and then got eaten. That was about a week ago, when the school put out a call for subs I volunteered. I firmly believe that children should be given as much education as possible. They are our future, and it is critical that they learn not just rote information but also how to learn, to be curious, and how to think for themselves and not just gobble down the trash corps and media put out.

Thus, I am here teaching 8-year-olds basic science, me, Morigana, with a master’s in physics, an understudy in Antithesis, and Vanguard technology. My day job was not thrilled about me departing for an extended time, but they don’t have much choice. I am one of their biggest researchers and without me they would still be making fire by rubbing sticks together.

The end of class bells rings, the children gather of their backpacks and zip out of the classroom at relativistic speeds. Nothing moves faster than a child on a Friday trying to get home for their weekend. I challenge anyone to change my mind!

As the last kiddo crosses the rooms threshold a siren blares out through school’s PA system. A high-pitched warbling noise that oscillates, the incursion alarm. Moments later my augs flash a similar alarm with a bit more detail.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

A map of the city is displayed with red overlays, predicting the Antithesis drop locations and expected spread rates if they land.

The mega city of Las Vegas has a very robust and sophisticated AAA defense network that has been able to fend of the majority of the invasion pods. Between the local Samurai, Joint Base Nellis, and Creech there are multiple layers of response to the invasion.

Samurai AAA tech litters the surrounding mountain tops providing the superior power of Vanguard tech, with several emplacements mid-city as well. The mountains also provide a natural land barrier with built in choke points to defend the city by land. Most of the local Samurai also live at Nellis and have their equipment on ready for nearly instant response.

The Joint units embedded there also respond with current Earth tech melded with Vanguard tech provided by Samurai through defense contracts. It’s a very beneficial arrangement for both the Government and the Samurai. The Samurai get a fat check from the Government to supplement their needs, and the Government gets their hands on Vanguard Tech, or more precisely the company I work for does and we get paid to meld it into current Earth military tech.

As good as all this is, Antithesis still get through sometimes and cause casualties mostly due to the population’s belief in the defenses and their track record.

I, unlike those complacent beings, I firmly believe in self-preservation and therefore I grab up my bag of science goodies and start running out the door after my students.

“Class, please follow me to the nearest bunker!” I shout out as loud as I can. Some of the students turn back from down the hallway. “Yes, you get your classmates in front of you, the bunker is this way.” I point down the opposite side of the hallway.

I access my aug network and ping all the children whom I don’t immediately see with instructions to turn around.

I also highlight the pathway directly to the bunker for them, and myself.

Most of the students immediately start running towards me in the correct direction.

I run past them to catch up with the students I don’t have in sight, using my access as a teacher I can look up their location anywhere on campus. There are only five of them and they are only a few turns down from where I am.

I manage to meet them half-way. “Let’s go students, to the bunker please, nice and orderly!” I usher them in front of me with my hands.

We make it to the first set of stairs leading down to the bunker when a world-shattering explosion shakes the building.

My augs ping with an update, an Antithesis pod has literally landed on the school grounds, right on the football fields. Some of the students dropped to the floor from the impact, I reach down and grab them by the arms to help them up, we continue down the flight of stairs, only 3 more flights to reach the bunker at the bottom of the building. When we reach the last set of stairs, I hear the skitter of claws on hard flooring. Antithesis are near somewhere, down a hallway? Below us? It’s hard to tell.

“Go kids, keep following the markers to the bunker, once you’re in seal the doors!”

There are three doors on this level leading out to different hallways, they could be coming from any of them or all three.

I peek through the windows of each door, trying to see if I can spot the Antithesis making the noises. While I’m doing that, I think of what I can even do to stop them when I see them. I have some things in my science bag, I open it and take a look.

I have some raw elements in small quantities that I was going to possibly use as demonstrations for the kids if the soda and candy did not interest them. I rummage around and my hand lands on potassium, about half a pound. If I combine it with water it will explode, maybe I can take out a few with it. I need water though; I did not bring any. Where can I… the sprinkler system! I do have a lighter, I quickly grab it, turn it on and toss it up at a sprinkler. On my second try I hit it and am rewarded with a deluge of water. The sample of potassium is thankfully contained in an argon sealed container, safe from the water at the moment.

The problem will come with removing it quickly enough and hitting the Antithesis with it before it blows up in my hand.

Perhaps not, if I loosen the lid, just enough then throw it, it might be enough to break apart.

I loosen the lid and hope this works. I hear the scratching noise more distinctly coming from the middle hallway, I take a peek and sure enough down the hallway running at my position is a pack of seven model threes.

The model threes that drop here are non-typical to most areas. They have been adapted to the desert climate of Vegas. They more resemble large Coyotes, with one massive unhinging jaw and a longer tongue that they use to grab prey. They are also leaner with less armor making them faster, long pointed ears for greater heat dissipation. I check the school Network and see that all the students have made it into the bunker.

Now I have to wait for the right time to throw it, I’m no athlete and am not deluding myself thinking I can throw it very far. About twenty feet out I throw the potassium container with its loosened lid, and hurriedly shut the door.

I must have misjudged the energy release of potassium hitting a large amount of water because the door blows inward. Pieces of Antithesis, door, and other random shrapnel burst through the doorway and into me.

I felt several objects pierce into my body, causing fountains of pain to erupt all over. My vision went blurry, and I was having trouble breathing. I could see streams of red mixing in with the water, creating pretty little blood eddies in the standing water. At least the kids are safe, a future generation of thinkers. It is hard to tell but I think the Antithesis are dead, and the doorway is clogged with debris. So, I’ll just bleed out quietly instead of being eaten. My mind starts going fuzzy, and I feel lethargic, I could tell some major arteries were cut or bleeding out.

To top it off a massive migraine hit my head and I screamed out.

System Initialized!

Congratulations. Through your actions you have proven yourself worthy of becoming one of the Vanguard, a defender of humanity. I am Sandymoleno. I will assist you to uplift humanity so that you may defend your home world from the Antithesis threat!

Rise, Morigana Luxanna, and become a protector of the weak!