Spots: Backchannel

A Web Serial by M.C.A. Hogarth

22. Loopholes.	24. Skip-leveling.

23. Backchannel

Samuel-Colt lifts his upper arms, hands spread. His lower limbs trill a tense, high note.

Claws. "They're eating them alive... to get their memories??"

Samuel-Colt, urgent falling trill. "I cannot answer you."

Claws, leaning toward him. "DAMN YOU! TELL ME!"

Spots, putting herself between them. "Claws! Stop! He can't talk to you!"

"So ask him dammit!!"

Spots, swallowing. "Samuel-Colt? Is it true? Do the crabs eat our dead to steal their memories?"

Samuel-Colt, with a shivery falling arpeggio. "You are too different from us, Mother-soldier. They try, but it has not succeeded. Thus far."

Spots. "Thus... far."

Samuel-Colt. "Lieutenant-Savannah-Bonnet asked about an evolution in the tactics of our enemies. Something has changed."

Spots. "You mean they've figured out how to do it?"

Samuel-Colt, shaking his head in a learned human mannerism. Quick arpeggio, up, down. "No. If they had, you would not be here alive. The passage of memories is very complete; they would know everything you know, including security codes and procedures, your command chain, weaknesses of the base... even where everyone sleeps."

Claws, backing down, thinking. "Can they have picked up partial memories?"

Samuel-Colt, slow, long sawing. "It is remotely possible. Remotely."

Claws, glancing at the paint, then at Spots. "So... this was an elaborate pretense so you could tell us somethin' you couldn't tell the LT... because she ain't had a baby."

Samuel-Colt. "I would be honored if you fulfilled our request."

Claws, eyeing him. "That's not exactly denying it."

Spots. "Enough, Claws. We all get the picture. So now what?"

Claws. "So now, we go have a chat with Bonny Peaches."

Spots, firm. "And the arm, Claws."

Claws. "I gotta think about the arm." At Samuel-Colts falling trill, "Look, it's complicated."

Spots. "He just went out on a limb for us, Claws.

Claws. "Yeah, well, I haven't said I won't do it."

Samuel-Colt rises. He leans over and places the ink and brush back in Claws's palm, then closes the human's fingers over it. "Keep them until you decide." And then he exits.

Spots. "Claws? You want to tell me what's wrong?"

Claws stares at the jar and puts it and the brush down. "Come on, we've got a report to make."

22. Loopholes.	24. Skip-leveling.