The Dogs of God: Science Fiction According to Chris by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Theogony Books
Published: 2020-03-02T22:00:00+00:00

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Part 2

“Get outta here, kid,” Egger said. Her voice sounded gruffer than she’d meant it to, more like the tone her brothers used with her. Then again, she’d just spent the last thirty minutes watching Marines die, so she figured she was entitled to some severity. “I said, get lost!”

But the kid didn’t move.

Egger took a few steps toward him and noticed his dark arms and feet. He couldn’t be more than eight or nine. Then again, adult Miblimbians were typically much larger than their human cousins—maybe he was even younger. She didn’t know how it worked with kids.

“Listen.” Egger willed herself to be softer and took a knee. “It’s not safe for you here. You need to leave.”

The bucket sloshed left and right, swimming on his head. Then he raised the bowie knife—not in a threatening way, but more as a gesture that he wanted to fight.

“I see,” she said. “You want in.”

The helmet nodded, hitting his chest.

“Well, the enemy is pretty fierce today. You sure you’re not afraid?”

He shook his head.

“That’s just the kind of fighter we need. But with a knife like that—” Egger tapped her weapon with a finger, noting that it looked like it was made of duradex, “—we’ll need you protecting families. Know any families you can help?”

The kid hesitated as if considering the ramifications of her logic, but nodded.

“Good.”

“Egger,” Loo said. “Get that kid outta here.”

“On it, Sarge.” She leaned into the child. “Go protect your family, kid. That’s where I need you the most right now.”

The child seemed reluctant. Egger couldn’t see his face, of course, but there was something about the way his shoulders sagged that said he was disappointed with the orders he’d been handed. Aren’t we all, kid? Egger thought.

She patted him on the head, and then watched as he turned into a small opening in the back wall and disappeared into the darkness.

“Third Squad, slide south,” Loo said over comms. “We’re needed in that gatehouse.” Egger tracked to where her sergeant pointed and saw a large sandstone tower, maybe four stories tall. It offered several porticos with good sight-lines of the expanding battlefield. “Let’s move!”

Egger double-checked that the kid was gone then led Vance toward the gatehouse with the rest of the squad. They proceeded south about 125 meters, following the palace’s round contour until they reached the gatehouse. Egger ducked inside the rounded door and bounded up the stairwell. The circular stairs wrapped an open cavity that stretched from the ground floor some ten meters below to a bell in the canopy at least thirty meters above.

“Third level,” Loo said. “Pierce, you’re northside. Billings, east. Egger, take the south.” All three corporals acknowledged on their HUDs, and Egger moved around an interior walkway before stepping into the light. She and Vance had a perfect view of the southern sweep of the open ground outside the palace. The optimal setup would have been an MS800 sniper blaster or even a well-stocked SMDL. But her MC87 was better than nothing.

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