A Web Serial by M.C.A. Hogarth
| 23. Backchannel. | 25. Taking Care of Business. |
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24. Skip-leveling
"Claws? Claws, where are you going? Scythe is that way."
"Yes, and if we wake up Scythe, he'll just have to turn around and wake up a bunch of people who will eventually wake up the Gunny... who'll wake up the LT... who'll drag us right back in front of her. Let's just say we're skippin' to the chase."
"But that's not the way things are done—" Spots grabs Claws's arm, stopping him. "Claws what is the matter with you? This isn't like you at all."
"Spots, they're ****in' eatin' our people. While they're alive. On purpose."
"Yes... and there's nothing we can do about it right this minute, so can't it go up the normal chain, the way it's supposed to?"
He eyes her. "This from the woman who kept callin' Scythe 'sir'?"
"Call it exaggerated respect for authority."
Claws looks up the corridor, eyes distant. Then looks at Spots again. "You comin' or not?"
Spots sighs. "Yes."
Office, Depot's Senior Marine Officer. Has an unused air, metal desk and mostly empty shelving; Peaches obviously doesn't spend much time here. She's here now, working on the computer.
Peaches, leaning over her sling and cursing. "...one hand, ****, how does anyone use a computer with one hand?"
Door chime. Peaches looks up. Glances at computer clock. Frowns. "Come in."
Claws steps through first, followed by Spots. They come to attention and wait to be recognized by Peaches, who looks puzzled. "At ease. Corporal, Private, why aren't you asleep?"
"Ma'am, we had information we thought you needed. Immediately."
Peaches. "There's a procedure for this sort of thing, Corporal."
"Yes, ma'am."
Peaches glances at Spots, back at Claws. "All right. Tell me what's so damned important that you decided to come straight here."
"Ma'am, the crabs eat the dead to absorb their memories."
Peaches. "Excuse me?"
Spots, speaking for the first time. "Samuel-Colt told us. He said it doesn't work cross-species, as far as he knows."
Peaches, tense. "As far as he knows."
Claws. "You saw, ma'am... they dragged off their King. Maybe they planned to absorb his observations. Maybe that's why they're changing their tactics."
Peaches, frowning. "Or why he has an extra brain. Maybe he's storing something there for them to access. Damn, using their own kind as recon drones... that's low." She rubs her mouth then looks up. "You said 'as far as he knows'. Does he think they're trying to do the same with us?"
Spots glances at Claws, then says, "He said so, ma'am."
Peaches's eyes narrow. "And he talked to you because..."
Claws. "Because she's a mom, ma'am."
Spots, embarrassed. "He wanted you to know, though."
"But he had to go through you to do it..." Peaches frowns. "It's not fathers, is it? Just mothers?"
Claws. "As far as we know, ma'am."
"Well, then, since I think you might be the only mother on station... you get to be my liaison to the alien, Private Guitart."
Spots, wide-eyed. "Of course, ma'am." Adds, "I can't talk to him without Claws."
"You can't... ah, right. He wouldn't talk to you without an escort." She glances at Claws. "All right. Then you get to go with her whenever I need information. Think of it as your reward for showing so much 'initiative' in coming to me directly."
Claws. "Glad to be of service, ma'am."
"No doubt. Next time, do it the right way, Corporal. You don't want me to write a letter for your personnel file."
"Ma'am, no ma'am. I'll remember."
Peaches, thinking. "Their memories. All of them?"
Claws. "So completely it's like they live on in the recipient's head."
Peaches. "****." She looks up. "Dismissed. Go get some God-damned sleep."
Spots. "Yes, ma'am." Outside in the corridor, she eyes Claws.
Claws. "Bonny Peaches got the info and we didn't have to stay up half the night gettin' passed up the chain explainin' and explainin' how we got it to five different people. Everyone's gonna get more sleep. That's a net good, right?"
Spots, studying him. "Let's not do that again."
"We won't have to. You're the Liaison to the Alien, remember?"
Spots sighs.
| 23. Backchannel. | 25. Taking Care of Business. |
|---|
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