Майк Резник - SNAFU - Future Warfare

“How much of their old lives them remember?” wondered Map.

“Hard to say,” said Alistair. “I remembered more than most. But some of them remember, come and goes in waves. But them no able to do anything about it.”

“Bad business,” said Joy.

“For sure,” said Alistair.

Them creep into Troy though a passage winding through the rock.

“This is a mining tunnel I found as a kid,” said Alistair. “Used to spend a lot of time here.”

The Moirae smiled on them, 'cos them crept out of the tunnel into the night darkness of Troy without being observed. Sergeant sent them off to fetch hiver helmets and clothes. “We need to blend in,” him explained. “I'll stay here to guard Alistair.”

Joy and Tantas found a couple of hivers minding their own business. Joy slit their throats nice and quiet. “I don't want to touch them,” her said, her mouth curling in disgust. But her pried off the hivers' helmets. Half circles them were, like fancy bicycle hats interlaced with thin wet wires.

“I know what you mean,” said Tantas, stripping the bodies of their clothes.

Joy wiped off the blood and tissue as best her could and fitted the helmet over her cropped hair. “How do I look?”

To see Joy standing there, as if her assimilated dried the words in Tantas' throat.

When them got back, Barns and Map had acquired four more helmets and a pile of clothes that would just about do.

“Get these on,” said Sergeant.

Them had to keep their army masks to filter the hiver virus. “Do you think that will fool them?” asked Barns.

“Only one way to find out,” said Joy with a grin.

Only one guard stood outside the flight school.

“Them not expecting trouble,” whispered Map.

“No talking,” said Sergeant, sotto voice. “Hivers no talk.”

But when they approached the guard him held out his arm to them. Like him wanted to touch them. “You are not... You are not... “

Map stepped forwards and slit his throat. “Jeez, him talked,” said Map wiping his bayonet on his jacket.

Tantas stared at the body. “Maybe hiver control isn’t as complete as we thought.”

Alistair shook his head. “I'm like interference. I told you, my brain messes them up.”

“Where we find the Queen?” whispered Joy.

Sergeant sighed. “What's with you and Queen? We no want to meet her. We want to escape.”

“I think killing the Queen would stop this whole thing,” said Joy.

“Unlikely,” said Sergeant. “Cut off the head, and another grows.”

“Like a hydra?”

“Yes,” said Sergeant, “like a bloody hydra.”

Alistair led them confidently down the darkened corridors.

“Why there no lights?” whispered Barns.

“No talking,” said Sergeant.

Them ran down the stairs to the basement. Them needed to go underground to reach the field where Alistair had told them the flyers were.

But in the lower levels them luck ran out. Half a dozen hivers emerged from a door. One hiver's face was covered by his helmet.

“Him general,” said Alistair.

No more need for subterfuge. Sergeant barked out, “Joy and Tantas, take the boy. Get Alistair to the flyers. Me and Barns and Map, we hold them.”

“Leave you behind?” asked Tantas.

“You take him off planet, that's the important thing.”

Joy nodded “Use the stuff,” her whispered to Sergeant.

Them run, leaving the others to fight. Tactically it was good. Them was in the narrow corridor, so even though them was outnumbered, them could still fight one on one.

“What stuff?” asked Tantas, as they ran.

“Sergeant's still got some volatile ware, remember? Would give him an edge in a fight,” explained Joy.

Them ran along the basement corridor. Them see a couple of doors at the end.

“Which way?” asked Joy.

“The left leads to the airfield,” said Alistair.

Behind them they heard the noise of battle. It was hard to leave the others behind.

Joy grabbed the door handle, threw open the door, and them all ran through.

The Queen and a hundred soldiers were waiting for them. There was no mistaking the Queen. Her metallic helmet covered all her face. “Alistair.” The Queen's voice was the buzzing of a thousand minds. “Alistair. You've come back.”

Joy let out a great scream. Her lunged toward the Queen firing wild. Smoothly, a dozen hivers stepped forward to protect the Queen. Tantas was only moments behind Joy, pulling Alistair behind, shielding him. Out of the corner of his eye, Tantas notice some of the hivers standing still as salt. Must be the effect of the boy, Tantas thought.

Them firing, cutting down the hivers. The Queen started laughing, the ringing of a thousand discordant bells. Tantas cut down the hivers like scything wheat, but him know that there too many of them. Sure, them falling, but sooner or later one of them smash his mask. Sooner or later Atropos would snip her shears.

Joy was swimming in a dead sea. Cutting them down. Screaming, magnificent, raging, while the Queen laughed. But soon her will fall. And then there'd be nothing. Snipping shears so close.

But ... the door slammed open. Sergeant ran into the gym, holding his arm up high, then smashing the bottle of volatile ware onto the floor. The smell of almonds filled the air, the hivers fell.

“Where's the Queen?” yelled Sergeant.

“Joy was near her,” shouted Tantas, overstepping the waves of bodies. “Where's Barns and Map?”

“Them dead,” said Sergeant. His head whipped form side to side, surveying the room. “That the exit?” Him pointed to the far corner. Him grabbed Alistair. “Come on. The plan still good, we get Alistair to Primateur.”

“I'm not leaving Joy,” said Tantas.

“Go to her then,” said Sergeant.

Joy was crouched over the body of the dead Queen. Her bayonet still protruding from the Queen's chest. Tantas could see the Queen's eyes through the hole in her helmet, green multifaceted, unseeing, an alien and a dead thing.

“It's over,” said Joy.

“I don't know,” said Tantas. Him scanned the room. The hivers on the floor were stirring. Like Sergeant had said, maybe even now one of the general hivers was mutating into a Queen. “We're leaving, Joy. Getting Alistair off-world, remember?”

“I thought it would be the end of it, if her dead,” said Joy

“I know.” Tantas pulled her to her feet. “We're going now.” Him pulled Joy through the room of hivers, and out into the field.

But instead of the fleet of flyers them expected there was just the one, a small craft, a two solider flyer. Alistair was already in the flyer, Sergeant stood at the wings, waiting for them.

“Where all the others?” asked Joy, bewildered.

Sergeant shrugged. “Who knows. Wordsworth, you climb in and take Alistair to Primateur.”

“No.”

“That's an order, Acting Private.”

“Joy should go.”

“No,” said Joy “You go. You go. You the civilian. I knew what I was signing up for.”

Tantas shook his head. “I mean you should go, Joy, because I can't pilot a flyer.”

“You what?”

“I can't fly.”

“Everyone can.”

“Not me.”

“That's settled then,” said Sergeant, “Alistair no pilot either. Joy, you go with Alistair. And don't even be thinking of telling me to go.”

Joy saluted. Her climbed into the flyer. Her set the course, while Sergeant activated the roof port.

Joy reached out her hand to Tantas and said, “I'm sorry that you can't go. It would have been better if you could get to safety. I'm the solider.”

“Only someone who can fly, can go,” said Tantas. “Lachesis has seen to that.”