S.T.Y.X. Hivecat (S.T.Y.X. Humanhive Book 2) by Arthur Stone

Author:Arthur Stone [Stone, Arthur]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Published: 2018-06-17T23:00:00+00:00

* * *

Ram kept on walking, without turning left or right. First, they passed through a strip of forest running along the road. Then, the small field of oats just beyond it.

The next cluster boundary cut the oat field down to an absurdly small triangle. Once they had crossed the border, they realized they were likely in a stable. The complete absence of any trace of human activity, plus the wild jungle that had overgrown the land, hinted as much. Even plastic garbage, ubiquitous elsewhere, was missing.

Ram stopped suddenly, turned his head, and said, wearily, “We’ll call this a decent stable. Now, let’s have a talk.”

He faced the soldiers, looked into each of their eyes for a second, and then gave a bitter chuckle.

“Some of you, perhaps all of you, doubtless believe I am an inadequate commander after what happened back there. Not because I should not have allowed such losses, but for some other reason. So I’ll give it to you straight. Perhaps I am an inadequate commander elsewhere, but not for this mission.

“We are no army. We’re a bunch of rabble. And that’s all well and good—all-out war is not possible here, nor is it what we need. No one gives a damn about you, or about me. All they care about is what we have come here for. In the Hive, people are the most expendable resource of all. You all know that. No one is safe from resets, ambushes, and edger strikes. No commander can truly assure his soldiers that they will all make it to tomorrow. We have neither air nor artillery cover. We’re just a band sent here by people with meaningless power they received by some cosmic mistake. They play their games of power, and in this game, you are all pawns.”

Khan shuffled his feet. “I always suspected Hell was nothing but long sentimental speeches. Look, none of us blames you. None of us are green. We know what the Hive is like.”

“OK, sentiments aside, it’s time for a serious talk. I can see that every one of you yearns to ask the question that none have dared to bring to me. You want to know how I’m standing here, talking with you, while Val and the others who were with me have been blown to ashes. I would rather tell you myself, before any rumors start flying. I’m sure you’re getting ideas already.

“My Hivegift is one of the invincibility gifts. I cannot control it, though I can maintain it. It activates in the moments where it thinks I need it to survive. The gift makes me invulnerable for a few seconds. I doubt anything can kill me during that time. I cannot breathe, nor can I see anything well, but it is worth it. The more time passes between uses of this ability, the longer I can hold it. It is exhausting, however, and it takes a long time to recover, so I should try to avoid any additional explosions today.”

“Were you

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.