Spring RTS Engine

Bugs? What bugs?

Oh, right...it's another one of Zoombie's chu-razy story threads. If you don't want to read a story...BUGger off!

Oh the wit.

I'll be proofreading it myself, cause I don't want to overwork Guessmyname. But I'll actually...proofread it, instead of just skim it for misspellings. I won't be perfect, but I'll try my best.

And so, without further a-due, I present you: Bugs.

###

Darkfast, dark, cold... The Hold can't contain us any longer. We chitter, and the Largesky trembles. We shake, and the Largesky cowards. We raise our claws to the Brightlight and we blot it out. We chased the Creator from Heaven and ruled all: The Darfast, the Largesky and the Brightlight.

We are here

We are waiting

They will be back...



Chapter One: The start of a most Excellent Apocalypse

├óÔé¼┼ôTwo thousand years ago, humanity blew up the Earth. There was a big war, and lots of people died. They...uh...used nukes and stuff. The only survivors were the people living in space. Lots of them thought we shouldn't remember anything about the Earth, we should just leave it and never come back.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSo...they're wishes were granted when Harbinger showed up. It was big. And...big. But we -er- they managed to hitch a ride in the sewage system and for another thousand years, nothing much happened. And then we came back. And that's my history report."

Quant clapped her hands together, stood on her tiptoes and looked at the class. No one clapped. Mr. Vorhee sighed and gestured to her.

Quant hurried back to her seat, her cheeks blazing. Mr. Vorhee frowned impressively. He scribbled something on a piece of paper and walked slowly over to Quant's desk.

├óÔé¼┼ôQuantum,├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, his voice scratchy. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee me after class. Next student!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant sat through fifteen other students talking about human history, ranging from the ancient Second American Civil War to the more recent War of the Devoured Tree. And they all were better than hers. Quant had started considering ritual suicide when the chime rang. The other students walked out of the class, chatting to each other. The door closed with a soft creak and a loud clang.

Quant stayed behind. She slunk out of her desk, her hands in her pockets, and walked to Mr. Vorhee's desk.

├óÔé¼┼ôQuant...you're a bright girl,├óÔé¼┬Ø Mr. Vorhee said, in the slow way teachers use as they compliment students moments before giving them horrible news. Quant supposed he was trying to comfort her.

It didn't work.

├óÔé¼┼ôBut...your classwork has been abysmal, your participation sub-par and your final a joke.├óÔé¼┬Ø Mr. Vorhee steepled his fingers, looking down a long, slightly bent nose at Quant. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow, your parents have made it quite clear they don't want you to get any special breaks. You have made it quite clear you don't want any special breaks...but if you don't do something exemplary, I will have to flunk you on Human History.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôBut that means I can't graduate.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant whined. She knew she was whining and didn't like it, but it was too late to do anything about it.

├óÔé¼┼ôExactly.├óÔé¼┬Ø Mr. Vorhee sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôHowever, I will give you one last last last chance.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant perked up, her antenna's sparking.

├óÔé¼┼ôI want you to do a project for me.├óÔé¼┬Ø Mr. Vorhee leaned back in his chair. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy only constraint is it has to due with Earth history, the Forgotten Era, say late 2530's, and it has to be good.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant nodded.

├óÔé¼┼ôAnd it's due at the end of the grading period.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant cocked her head, scratching her antenna. They antenna sparked and she frowned, trying to call up the calander with her nural-web. Mr. Vorhee broke her train of thought.

├óÔé¼┼ôThree weeks, Quant.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôRight.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll get right on it.├óÔé¼┬Ø

###

Quant walked down the front steps of New Washington High and tried to not think of the big fat F on her report card, the same looming F that blocked her entrance from New Washington University, her future romantic options and pretty much her whole life.

She sat down on the curb and watched other students walk across the street. Most of them headed to the hover bus lot, and waited there for a buzzing, cigar shaped bus to swing by and pick them up. Others walked home, braving the possibility of rain.

After a few minuets of watching other's walk by, Quant saw her Dad's car zip over. The lime green V.E.K hovercar settled down in front of her and the door opened.

"Hiya Honey," Dad said, smiling. His perpetually ruffled hair hung down over his eyes, and the slight grin he always wore seemed especially endearing today. Quant climbed aboard and buckled herself in, sighing.

"Hi Dad."

"What's wrong, sweety?" Dad asked, flipping the car into gear. It lifted off and zipped over New Washington. "You look blue."

Quant rolled her eyes, running her hand through her light blue hair. Dad had black hair, and Mom had pink, and Quant would be darned if she knew where her blue had come from. She also wished he'd stop making that joke.

"Well...I'm having some problems in History," She said, trying to downplay the issue.

"Problems?" Dad asked, glancing at her while maneuvering his hovercar around a broken down hover bus that had deployed it's emergency anti-crash balloons and hovered like a ancient zeppelin

"Well...Mr. Vorhee says that I might need to do a project to keep my grade...up."

Dad paused in his driving, shifting the car to park. He looked at Quant. "How...up does your grade need to be?"

Quant bit her lip. "Uh...sorta...three...maybe four letters." She braced herself for Dad's response.

"Quantum," He said, slowly. "Honey, I'm proud that you didn't lie to me. But I'm not so proud that you're flunking history."

"I know." Quant looked at her feet

"So...what's this special project? Anything I can help with?"

"Dad," Quant looked at him. "Remember what I said?"

"I know, honey, but saving the world isn't the same as passing history. It's not like I'd give you an unfair advantage." Dad put the car into drive, speeding it towards their home. "I mean, lots of dads help their kids with homework."

"Yeah, well," Quant sighed. "The project needs to be something really spectacular."

Dad pursed his lips, nosing the car down to the house. The Leonite residence looked slightly tilted, as it had been built in the early days of New Washington, back when the city had been little more than an archaeologist camp. Dad and Mom said they were 'attached' to the place and didn't really feel like moving, so in the house they remained. Several supports kept it from tumbling over.

And, unlike the pre-fab buildings that sprung up in the cities outskirts, it had a lawn.

That was one perk, Quant thought, of having a house like this. She stepped out of the car and ran to the front door, her backpack dangling from one hand. Dad followed, slower, closing the door to his car and locking it.

Quant opened the front door and rushed in. She jumped over the small opening in the hardwood floor (opened to expose some faulty wiring) and landed with a soft thump on the carpet. The lobby into her house was five feet of hardwood floors with a few pictures hanging on the wall. She glanced at one of her parents standing next to each other.

Stretching behind them was a gaping, impossibly huge mechanized maw, with machines too large to imagine crammed around the inside like teeth. The caption of the picture said, "Jimmy and Pix, Planet Maw, 3021"

Quant slung her backpack off and dropped it under the ------- table. Her brother, Cir, stuck his head through a hole in the ceiling. The hole was an anarchisms, the remnant of an old emergency escape system, put in when animal attacks had been a serious issue. Cir used it as a way to get snacks from the ------- without getting out of his room.

"Hey squirt," He said. "Can you hand me that?" He pointed at a bag of Glodie O's, a disgusting cheese flavored crackers shaped like a local celebrity, Godlie.

Quant sighed and picked up the bag, tossing it through the hole. Cir caught it. "Thanks squirt." He vanished into the hole, closing it up with a manhole covering.

Quant turned to the front door as her father came in. He locked the door, sighed, and glanced at a few of the pictures. A faint smile played over his features, then he knelt down to the hole. "Honey," He called. "I'm home."

A soft clattering preceded Mom sticking her head out of the hole (what was with people sticking their heads out of holes, Quant thought). She kissed Dad on the lips. "How was your day, Jimmy?"

"Oh, can't complain." Dad smiled. "Ed came up with a new computer...thing. Said it'll help the Colony Web."

Mom grinned. "Speaking of Colony Web..." she ran her fingers around her antennas, which stuck out of her scalp, as if her head was an old television set. The antennas sparked. "I got it to work again."

"Fantastic." Dad kissed her on the lips again. Quant tried connecting herself to the Colony Web. After a moment, a small webpage icon popped over her eye. She grinned and started checking her E-mails. The past week had been hell without the Web.

As Quant checked her E-mails, Dad whispered a few words to Mom. Quant sighed when Mom broke into her E-mail checking. "Quant...Jimmy told me about your...situation."

"Yeah, Mom, I can handle it."

"You sure?" Mom glanced at Dad. "We'd be glad to help."

Quant pursed her lips. "Well...do you...do you have any suggestions?"

Dad stroked his chin. A year ago, he had a beard, but Mom had complained that it had itched when she kissed him, so now he could only stroke smooth skin. "I think...I might have an idea."

###

Quant looked around Dad's office. She didn't get much of a chance to look around in his office, as he normally kept it locked. The first thing she noticed was the white washed Xorquin skull attached to the wall over the dusk. Next to the skull was a small box with a few flattened bullets. Under the skull was a desk with about half a ton of paper work on it, a small computer, and on the walls were several awards, certificates, and other paraphernalia a diplomat and galactic hero accumulates over his lifetime.

Dad started to rummage through the paperwork. "Where...are you," He muttered. "Aha!" he drew out a slim piece of paper and handed it to Quant.

She looked at it. "New ruins excavated in former Miss...Missi...Missisi..."

"Mississippi." Dad said helpfully. "It was on the losing side of the first American Civil War."

"I...knew that..." Quant said. "So, ruins in this Missy place. Think I should do a report on them?"

Dad grinned. "Better. Just imagine how impressed your teacher-"

"Mr. Vorhee."

"Whatever. Just imagine how impressed he would be if you took an out of school field trip TO the ruins yourself and saw what you could learn."

Quant blinked. "Dad...that's got to be the stu-"

She thought, then realized that meant she could skip at least a week of school. And ruins couldn't be as boring as Mythology class, computer engineering, and Human History.

"The...best idea I've ever heard." Quant grinned. "I'll just ask Mr. Vorhee."

"Well, I don't see a reason why he'd say no." Dad said.

###

"No, no, absolutely not."

Quant saw her dreams explode into a thousand tiny pieces. She shook her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on, Mr. Vorhee...you said something spectacular. What could be more spectacular than an actual trip to brand new ruins?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Mr. Vorhee scowled. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause you just want to use it to skip your other classes. Which you aren't doing well in either!├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI am doing fine in Home Ecc-├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you have C's in Myth, Computer Engineering and Mathematics.├óÔé¼┬Ø Mr. Vorhee sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry, but I can't let you go on this trip without permission from your other teachers.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant glanced around. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd if I get permission from my other teachers, then I get your permission, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôYes, but you'll never-├óÔé¼┬Ø

The door to his classroom shut with a clang as Quant ran out.

├óÔé¼┼ôGet that,├óÔé¼┬Ø Mr. Vorhee sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy couldn't she be so enthusiastic for actual class work...├óÔé¼┬Ø

###

Quant ducked into her Home Ecc class. Mrs. Finklston, a seven foot tall Arachnos, looked up with half of her eye stalks, the other half continuing to look at the papers she graded with her left arms.

├óÔé¼┼ôOh, hello Quant.├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, chattering softly through a translation bracelet that dangled from her upper right forearm. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat can I do for you today?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant explained quickly, holding out a piece of paper Mr. Vorhee had given her. Mrs. Finklston cocked her head, pausing in grading her papers.

├óÔé¼┼ôWell...if you promise to be careful.├óÔé¼┬Ø Mrs. Finklston signed the paper with one arm, then handed it over with the next one down. Quant took it and smiled.

├óÔé¼┼ôThanks.

###

Quant showed the paper to Mr. Glick. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee, I already have permission from Mrs. Finklston and you know how she is.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Mr. Glick pursed his lips. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, if you promise to do your homework out of class.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWell...of course I would.├óÔé¼┬Ø

###

Two teachers later and Quant poked her head back into Mr. Vorhee's class. He sat at his desk and scribbled on papers, which seemed to be all teachers did after school. Quant put the paper on his desk. He looked at it.

├óÔé¼┼ôWell, I guess I have no choice but to sign it.├óÔé¼┬Ø He did so, sighing, then handing the paper to Quant.

She took it and grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry, Mr. Vorhee, you won't regret it.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Moar bugs!

Now I can really use more screenshots like that ;D

Quant pursed her lips.

Quantum, a woman? More likely than you think!

rattle wrote:

Quant pursed her lips.

Quantum, a woman? More likely than you think!

Another trip into this universe aye? Should be fun.

-Watching

Yes, I think so.

The last time was fun, I think.

Also, Quant and her sibling's names are all part of an obscure computer's joke, just as the same way their mother's is.

The long versions are Quantum (youngest), Circuit(middle) and Vacuum (eldest).

The first person who gets it and explains it gets a prize!

Vacuum Tube computers were first

Integrated circuits replaced Tubes

Quantum computing will replace IC's

And the prize goes to CompWiz.

It was so obvious I almost didn't get it

You are actually the first I didn't have to explain it to, which is nice.

You are the second person who said that to me.

I was at the mall ind this guy had this pond display with ultrasonic foggers,
I figured it out right away when everyone else thought he was hiding dry ice somewhere...

And so, moar.

###


├óÔé¼┼ôThis is fun, isn't it?├óÔé¼┬Ø The archaeologist sitting across from Quant shouted. The thumper craft engines WHUMP WHUMP WHUMPed louder than most things, and the soundproof earphones the passengers wore didn't seem to do much.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant shouted.

├óÔé¼┼ôTHIS IS FUN, ISN'T IT!├óÔé¼┬Ø The archaeologist shouted.

├óÔé¼┼ôWHAT!├óÔé¼┬Ø

The archaeologist bawled his answer at the top of his lungs. Quant closed her right eye, then nodded.

├óÔé¼┼ôYEAH! IT IS!├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWE'LL GET TO MISSISSIPPI IN FIVE MINUETS! YOU SHOULD GET READY!

Quant nodded, then looked out the window of the thumper craft. Thumper craft were the heavy lifters of the Human Federation, capable of sub-orbital flights and trans-atmospheric flight. They carried passengers, heavy cargo, even guns if they needed to. Their engines were absurdly loud, two spinning disk of anti-gravity generators thumping along.

The thumper craft stopped over a large jungle, that spread around a even larger river. The river stretched for miles, twisting and bending, branching and branching. It was the Mississippi river. And to the right of the river, in a clearing cut by laser machete and flamethrowers, was the camp.

The camp looked more like a town than anything else. It had a thumper pad with a big T to show where the thumper craft could land. There were blinking lights, arrayed in a cricle, that flashed at Quant. People ran too and fro around the T pad, getting ready to re-fuel and stock up the craft the instant it landed.

The thumper craft touched down with a thump and it's engines spun down, their whumping turning to thumping and finally to soft clicking. The door opened with a loud whirr and the arecheologists that were coming to the camp got out, followed by Quant. Archaeologists who were leaving climbed into the Thumper Craft.

They looked tired and grubby and glad to get out. Quant gulped.

├óÔé¼┼ôMiss Leonite! A voice called over the Thumper Craft engines, which started to get louder again. Quant looked around and saw...

Indiana Jones. A mythological figure, a hero of the Classical era. Only a few drawings of him had survived the Forgotten times but, this man, this...archaeologist looked just like him. Right down to the handsome chin and rumpled hat.

Quant blushed as the thumper craft took off. Wind blew at her back and dust kicked up in flurries that made her eyes water. She ran forward.

├óÔé¼┼ôHello Miss Leonite,├óÔé¼┬Ø The Archaeologist took her hand and shook it. ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope you've had a good flight.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôIt was a bit loud,├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant shouted, then stopped and spoke quieter. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry...it was a bit loud.├óÔé¼┬Ø

He smiled and she melted like butter. ├óÔé¼┼ôThumper craft are a bit loud. Oh, right, where's my mammers? ├óÔé¼┼ô He shook his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe name's Sidorov. Indiana Sidorov.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant snickered to herself.

├óÔé¼┼ôYes, my parents were police officers and they wanted to name me after a real hero,├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana shook his head.

├óÔé¼┼ôI think it's a fine name,├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant looked around the camp. She...didn't like what she saw once she looked past Indiana. The buildings, all prefab tents with supports to keep them from falling over when the winds that occasionally blew up from the ocean. The insta-crete the camp was built on was covered in mud and leaves that blew down from the strange, twisting tree's that filled this area of West Continent.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo, that tent is the mess hall. That tents the rest tent, and that tent has our labs.├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana pointed out the tents one after another. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow, we've got tents for sleeping, over here.├óÔé¼┬Ø

He lead her over to a collection of tents. They were small, green colored, and uniformly uncomfortable looking. Quant peeked into her's. Small cot, rough blanket, no computer. Nothing.

Quant tried to not cry.

###

Indiana lead Quant through a small pathway that had been cut through the jungle by laser machete. The path, unlike the camp, had no insta-crete so Quant had to slog through ankle deep mud. She grunted as she got through the mud, singularly hating everything about the trip thus far. Well...everything but Indiana. He was in front of her, so she could watch him without worrying about him seeing that.

Even with the thick jacket and pants that comes with traveling through a jungle, there was plenty of stuff to watch. Quant sighed.

She was being silly. He was at least twenty four, and she was barely seventeen.

But, she thought, there is no law against looking.

├óÔé¼┼ôAnd these,├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs the Ruin.├óÔé¼┬Ø

The jungle around them suddenly vanished as they reached the edge of the Mississippi river. The river streamed past, huge and slightly green. And, rising out of the center of the river, was a huge square of silvery metal. The sides were completely smooth and shone brightly in the sunlight. The bottom of the square actually started to taper downwards, but then it was covered by more water.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa,├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant blinked.

├óÔé¼┼ôYeah.├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôMost of the team is in the pyramid right now-├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôPyramid?├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant looked at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôAren't those pointy?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôNo, see, it's an upside down pyramid.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant looked back at the square. She nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay...so, how do we get to it?├óÔé¼┬Ø

"With that." Indiana pointed at a small boat, tethered to nearby tree. The boat wobbled slightly as the two of them clambered on. Indiana leaned over- Quant watched him - to untie the knot. He kicked the boat away from the tree and it started to float towards the ruins, it's hover engines thrumming softly. The anti-gravity fields created slight dimples in the river's below, like four invisible fingers pushing into the water.

"Neato," Quant looked down at the murky green waters of the Mississippi. "Does it ever capsize?"

Indiana shook his head. "It's got stabilizers built into it..." He looked up at the ruins. A few small tents were set up on the top, and the rest of the team walked between them. "Hey!" Indiana shouted, waving. "Jason!" One of the figures looked up and waved back.

"Jason," Indiana explained. "Is our English specialist. Necessary for any Amerikaner ruin excavations."

Quant nodded as the boat nosed against the edge of the ruin. Indiana tied it up and clambered onto the ruin. He helped Quant up and gestured to a lanky, intellectual type with gray eyes and spectacles. He looked more like an archaeologist to Quant, the only thing missing being a tweed jacket and a dusty book under his arm.

"This," Indiana said. "Is Jason."

Jason held out his hand. Quant shook it. "You must be our new intern." He said. And then he said something in complete gibberish.

"What?"

"That's English for 'Hello, how is your day going'" Jason explained.

"Oh." Quant smiled. "Your camp is very...nice. And the ruins are very impressive."

Jason grinned as Indiana slipped around Quant to Jason's side.

And then Quant's admittedly wild fantasies of jumping onto Indiana, ripping his clothes off and devouring him were shattered. Indiana kissed Jason on the cheek.

Quant tried to not look disappointed as Indiana dragged her and Jason over to the tents. There, Indiana started to introduce people.

"Marion Berete" was a tall, thin blond E.L.F with glasses. "She's our ancient computer expert." Quant shook her hand and Marion grinned at her.

"Nice to see another E.L.F," Marion said as Quant was lead away from her. Quant nodded.

"Kevin Caraveen," was a Amerikaner history professor who was trying to fit whatever they found in the ruins to known timeliness.

"Lisa Grant" was the safety expert. She had a compact laser pistol at her hip and a wicked array of survival knives, laser machetes and jaws of life. Her handshake hurt Quant's fingers.

And lastly, there was "Kurt Von Vanducken" a beefy redhead with a smattering of freckles. He was the sponsor.

At Quant's confused expression, Kurt explained. "See, miss Leonite, my cooperation sponsor this excavation and I like to get hands on with what I'm putting my I.S.K into. Also," He slapped his hands against his meaty thighs. "It's good fun, isn't it?"

Quant nodded slowly. Kurt laughed.

Indiana lead Quant to a small tent filled with supplies and tools. "And now, as the local intern, this is your job whenever you're not teamed with one of us." He said. "Organize all the tools, keep what we find in order, and help anyone who needs it. We'll be sure to rotate you between us, to make sure you learn as much as you can not just about History, but about archeology in general. So...anything I can do for you, or do you want to get straight to work?"

Quant forced a grin to her face. "I'll just get right to work." Indiana smiled, clapped his hand to her shoulder, then walked off.

Quant looked at the messy, jam packed tent, then at the sky. "Thanks Dad." She muttered, rolling her sleves up, cricking her neck. "Thanks a lot."

###

├óÔé¼┼ôF-B 44 catalytic analyzer...C for Catalytic, A for Analyzer.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant bit her lip. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat puts it...here.├óÔé¼┬Ø She dropped it into a box with a clang. Quant winced.

├óÔé¼┼ôHope that wasn't breakable.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant muttered. Most of the gear the archaeologists wasn't easy to break, but every so often one was. She pulled the analyzer out and checked it over.

Nope, it was good. She dropped it back into the box.

├óÔé¼┼ôQuant?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant yelped and jumped to her feet. She spun around to see Lisa standing at door to the supplies tent. Lisa grinned, her teeth contrasting with her dark face.

├óÔé¼┼ôIt's dinner.├óÔé¼┬Ø She said.

Quant sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôTime flies when you're having fun.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThis is fun?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lisa lifted her eyebrows. ├óÔé¼┼ôLooks a bit more like the place interns go when they've been bad.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant shrugged. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy mom always said I had a knack for sorting things.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Lisa shrugged. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, we've got some fine Mississippi cuisine waiting for you back at camp.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant closed up the supplies tent. Wild animals didn't go near the Ruin, but a single gust could knock over her carefully sorted carbon sheets. And, Quant thought, someone from a rival Archo-corp might show up and do some sabotage.

She half wished it would happen, just to add some- ├óÔé¼┼ôAAAH!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Lisa spun around, her laser pistol flashing into her hands. She looked around at Quant and saw...

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked, her voice hushed.

Quant blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...don't know. But...just there,├óÔé¼┬Ø she pointed at the center of the ruins. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere was a man there!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Lisa walked to the center of the ruins and toed the ground nervously. ├óÔé¼┼ôNothing here...no tracks.├óÔé¼┬Ø She looked up at Quant. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo man.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant shook her head, her antennas sparking. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sure I saw someone, something. Or...at least...I think I'm sure.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Lisa grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's okay...just the other day, Marion was sure she heard voices down there.├óÔé¼┬Ø She holstered her pistol. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on, the hyper salmon is getting cold.├óÔé¼┬Ø

###

Quant rolled over in her cot, eyes closed. She missed the humming of her house's air conditioning. She missed air conditioning, over all. The humidity and heat of southern West Continent was thick and oppressive, and the constant buzzing of insects wasn't helping with her need to sleep.

Deepfast! OPEN!

Quant yelped, sitting up in her cot. The voice had definitely been real...deep and reverberating, with an strange undertone like a thousand chattering insects. Quant looked around her tent for something, anything to comfort her. All she saw were shapes given life and twisted by darkness, and two glowing eyes that floated in the middle of the room.

You and all that you know, will DIE, enemy!

The eyes flashed and vanished and Quant found herself alone in the tent. No shadows, no eyes and no voices. She lay back down and slowly pulled the covers over her head.

She closed her eyes, but didn't get to sleep for a long time.

###

├óÔé¼┼ôHey, Quant, you look like the tubes.├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion Beret brushed her hair back as she sat down across the table from Quant. The mess building was large enough to hold three tables. Quant noticed Kurt and Kevin sat at the same table, while Jason, Indiana and Lisa crammed into the second. Which left Quant and Marion, the only E.L.F's, sitting at their own table.

├óÔé¼┼ôDidn't sleep to well,├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôHad a nightmare.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Marion blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou too?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant sat up. ├óÔé¼┼ôRed eyes, big scary voice?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Marion shook her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo...bugs. Lots of creepy crawly bugs...├óÔé¼┬Ø She shuddered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI hate bugs.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôMy dream had the sound of bugs,├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant said, shuddering as well. ├óÔé¼┼ôWeird, isn't it?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Marion nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, I guess it's all the bugs crawling around. So, Quant, you're interning with me today.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôIt has to be better than sorting the equipment.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant grinned.

├óÔé¼┼ôOf course. You get to meet the Queen.├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion stood up, taking her plate ├óÔé¼ÔÇ£ it was almost cleaner after she had eaten off of it than before- and grinned.

Quant watched her put her plate in the auto-wash, then duck out of the mess tent. Quant turned back to her food, wolfed it down, and tossed her plate into the auto-wash. She hurried out of the tent and saw Marion standing near the trail. She grinned at Quant.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll learn to eat quick,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said as Quant jogged up to her. ├óÔé¼┼ôFaster you eat, faster you get to work and the less Kurt complains.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôDoes he complain often?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôActually,├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion lead her down the path to the boat. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's pretty good about not expecting the world from us. Better than some of the other cooperate sponsors I've worked with.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThe corps really do pour all that money into this business?├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd have thought the Gov would have handled it.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Marion looked over her shoulder at Quant. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I'd have thought a Leonite would know more about how the Government works.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant blushed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI try...to not you know...be like my dad.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Marion blinked, stopping as they reached the boat. She turned to face Quant. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't want to follow in James Leonite's footsteps?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI get asked this...do you know what it's like to have the great James Leonite as a father?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI can guess.├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have read books, you know.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood. Except it's even worse in real life.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Marion shrugged, climbing into the boat. She helped Quant up, untied the boat from the tree and kicked away into the open air. The boat's hover engines hummed softly as they covered the air between the tree and the Ruin. The Mississippi burbled beneath them, and Quant thought she saw a school of fish.

The boat nudged against the side of the Ruin. Marion tied the boat up as Quant clambered out. Marion lead Quant to the center of the Ruins. She leaned over and brushed her fingertips over a small circle engraved in the otherwise smooth, glossy surface. The circle glowed green and a small image appeared in the center: A rectangle with 13 white strips and 13 red stripes and a lot of stars in a blue rectangle in the upper right corner.

The symbol faded and the circle...opened. Quant stepped back as the circle opened wider and wider. It opened till it got to about three meters wide, a big black circle in the shining silver gloss of the ruins.

├óÔé¼┼ôWell, come on, lets go.├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion jumped down into the hole. Quant glanced around, then jumped down. She landed, her knees bending slightly on impact, and looked around. She stood in a circular room with a row of buttons on one side and a big black screen on the other.

├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the Transport. It moves us around the base. Most of these buttons are broken, or the halls they lead to are cut off...but we've opened up the areas of the base that lead to Computing, Power, Inventory and three of the sixteen labs.├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion pointed out the buttons. Each one had an ancient English label, but Jason had taped the lables over and written their names in current human text.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo, let me guess...we're going to computing, aren't we?├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant asked, grinning at Marion. Marion winked, then pushed the computing button.

The hole in the ceiling closed and the transport dropped straight down.

What? No responses like, "Zoom, your new story sucks" or "Zoom, finish the other story first" or, "Zoom, you have a B, I, E at the end of your name!"


Whatever...



###


├óÔé¼┼ôAnd this,├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion gestured Quant out of the transport. "Is the Queen.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant gaped. The Queen wasn't what she had been expecting, not that Quant expected much when it came to Queens. She stepped closer to the Queen and winced.

The Queen looked all the world like a thousand small soap bubbles stuck to a large gray pole by small strands of wire that streamed through each of the bubbles, making spiral patterns. The light from the ceiling lamps caught in the bubbles and reflected out like a thousand tiny rainbows.

And, just to make it even more blindingly pretty, the entire thing spun slowly.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhoaa.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant walked closer to the Queen, glancing around at the rest of the room. Silvery gray walls and lots of ceiling lights, just like all the other rooms in the Ruins. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow on Harbinger does that work?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Marion laughed, brushing her hair back. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's actually a fairly primitive version of our brains, Quant. The size actually decreases it's efficiency, increases the cost, makes the entire thing more fragile.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant snapped her fingers. ├óÔé¼┼ôKnew it...thought they looked familiar."

Marion grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôSame thing I thought, when I first saw the thing...it confused the heck out of everyone else, but they're only humans.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant walked around the Queen, grinning. After her first circuit, she looked down for a moment. English words were scrawled over the ground in black paint. Beneath the words someone had taped some paper down with colloquial human scrawled on it. Quant bent over.

Translation: Mississippi Queen.

Quant frowned. ├óÔé¼┼ôAny luck on turning the thing on?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Marion shook her head, then realized Quant wouldn't be able to see that, and said, ├óÔé¼┼ôNo.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhy not?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion slid her backpack off and flipped it open. She started rummaging, coming up with some tools and a clipboard. She pulled out a pencil and started to scribble on the clipboard. ├óÔé¼┼ôFor one, there are no buttons to push. Makes the whole thing difficult. Secondly, most of the out-put devices...things like monitors, speakers, microphones and projectors.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhy not have Kurt import some things.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant sighed, walking around to Marion. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait, don't answer that...ah!├óÔé¼┬Ø She nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôOur equipment doesn't work with two thousand year old junk...right.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Marion grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight, now take this.├óÔé¼┬Ø She handed Quant a clipboard. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd write down everything I say.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant nodded, putting the clipboard down and crossing her legs. She picked it up and grinned at Marion.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhy don't we just use data crystals and audio-recorders.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôIt helps with your long hand.├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion grinned slyly at Quant. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou won't believe how many collage proofs don't let you use computers in tests. Ugh...I still remember the cramps.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant mimed writing. ├óÔé¼┼ôStill remember...cramps,├óÔé¼┬Ø She muttered.

├óÔé¼┼ôDon't write that.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôDon't...write...that.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Marion rolled her eyes at Quant. She shook her head, her antennas sparking. Her face became serious. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right, date 12, 23, 4031, location computing chamber. Today, I'm planning to separate a quant-bubble that's not being used for mnemonic storage. To locate this, I shall use a bio-lattering harmonic resonator and...├óÔé¼┬Ø

The technobabble droned on and on. Quant's wrist started to cramp up at ├óÔé¼┼ôby isolating the quantum-lattace, I hope to├óÔé¼┬Ø, and she thought her hand would pop off before Marion was done.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou got that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôYeah.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant hissed, rubbing her wrist.

├óÔé¼┼ôGood. Now, bio-lattering harmonic resonators require two people...here, take this.├óÔé¼┬Ø She handed Quant a small doohickey with a handle jutting from it. Quant took it and assumed a position on the opposite side of the Queen. She held her doohickey up. Marion did the same. Quant held hers still as Marion moved hers slowly up and down till a soft ding told her the two resonators were locked.

├óÔé¼┼ôRight...now slowly walk around the Queen...├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion started to walk, holding her resonator up. Quant did the same. They did one pass, then lifted their resonators up just a little bit higher. On the second pass, Marion stopped.

├óÔé¼┼ôAha!├óÔé¼┬Ø She called Quant over. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis here,├óÔé¼┬Ø She pointed at a small soap bubble that looked almost exactly like all the other soap bubbles.

├óÔé¼┼ôGet me the tongs.├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion pointed at the box. Quant hustled over, got the tongs, and handed them to Marion. Marion carefully reached in and took the quant-bubble out of the computer.

###

├óÔé¼┼ôAnd if it weren't for Quant and her creative use of my clipboard,├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion held up the clipboard, which had several still smoking holes in it. ├óÔé¼┼ôwe'd have been in trouble.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant grinned and blushed, trying to not let her head swell up as the other archaeologists looked at her. Indiana smiled, which practically turned her into a pile of bubbling goo right there. Quant.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo, tell us...what did you find.├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana's eyes practically glowed with excitement.

├óÔé¼┼ôWell, after the security systems were shut off-├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant spoke up. ├óÔé¼┼ôMore like smashed up.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôRight.├óÔé¼┬Ø Marion grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo, after Quant finished up with the security systems, we got the quant-bubble to the analyzer and now we have specs on what kind of speaker system the computer used to use!├óÔé¼┬Ø

There was a sudden clamor of excited voices.

├óÔé¼┼ôThis is fantastic!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kurt rose to his feet, his bulk jiggling slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are the specs! I'll send for the t-craft right away.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant reached into her pocket, where she kept the scribbled notes they had made after the clipboard's tragic meeting with several high powered laser cannons. She handed the paper to Kurt, who hustled out of the tent even as Marion answered questions.

Quant was grinning and feeling a lot less like an out of place high school student and more like an intern when...she heard the low, raspy chattering of insects outside. She looked over her shoulder, at the tent wall. She could see a dark silhouette, illuminated by the camp's lights. The shadow looked at her, then became...real. It morphed off the wall, gaining depth and dimensions beyond hight and breadth.

Two malevolent red eyes blazed at her and Quant screamed, lurching to her feet.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lisa shouted, leaping to her feet and landing right behind Quant with the skill of an amazing gymnist. Her laser pistol was already in her hand.

Quant stared at the wall...where nothing stood. No malevolent shadow, no menacing presence.

├óÔé¼┼ôUh...I don't feel well,├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant muttered, hurrying past Lisa. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to lie down.├óÔé¼┬Ø

She walked out of the tent, rubbing her temples. She leaned against one of the many light fixtures and sighed.

├óÔé¼┼ôQuite a piece of heroism down there.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant jumped, but it was just Kurt, walking back. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe T-craft'll be here next evening.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat'll be nice. Will it have other supplies?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI do believe so.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant sighed, relived. Marion had told her they were running low on stoppers, and she didn't want to imagine life without stoppers.

###


Quant tried to not look like she had won the lottery when Indiana walked over to her table in the mess hall and said, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're with me today.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhatarewedoing?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked, forgetting the spaces between words as she stood up, knocking her cup over. She righted it and sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood thing there was nothing in that.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Indiana laughed softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're going to head down to the blocked off levels, in sector 4 by 5.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôFantastic.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant grinned.

Indiana blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôReally? I'd have said something along the lines of 'ew'├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant laughed, punching him lightly in the shoulder. ├óÔé¼┼ôNonsense. This is the fine art of archeology.├óÔé¼┬Ø

###

├óÔé¼┼ôEw.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana looked at Quant.

├óÔé¼┼ôUh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant blushed. ├óÔé¼┼ôW-what about security systems? What if they're on down...here.├óÔé¼┬Ø

She looked out of the open transport door and tried to not look green. Ooze slimed down from the walls, silt and water mixing with ancient rust and corroded parts. Solitary lines of dripping water almost came from the ceiling, and a soft groaning sound came from all around them every few minuets.

├óÔé¼┼ôI...is this place safe? It looks like something out of Ayn Rand.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Indiana looked at Quant quizzically, then shook his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're going to put up supports every intersection. That's what the Intern box is for.├óÔé¼┬Ø

He gestured to the crate he'd wheeled into the transport. Quant gulped.

├óÔé¼┼ôLift with your knees, not your back.├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana said, helpfull to the last.

They galumphed through the ooze, their boots squelching through the muck and mire. They passed several support columns- Quant could see out of the corner of her eye that they had small wires boring into the wall and softly glowing green lights in the middle.

├óÔé¼┼ôSee, power still flows down here. The cables are super insulated and shut down if breached, so don't worry about going up like a lighting bolt.├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana explained as they reached an intersection without support columns. Quant grunted, her face covered by the box.

Indiana took out a few poles and jammed them against the walls. The poles quivered, bored into the wall, then extended up and down, supporting the ceiling.

├óÔé¼┼ôAll right,├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana said as they reached a dead end. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis corridor supposedly leads to the Command and Control of the base. We're thinking if we can find the C and C, then we can hook our speakers up there, rather than trying to find a bypass in computing.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant nodded, sitting down on the Intern box. Her arms felt like taffy, as if the bones had been pummeled and the muscles worked over by meat tenderizers .

Indiana pulled out a vibro-pick and started working at the dead end. The ooze which blocked the corridor off proved no match to his mega-sonic pick axe, and soon fresh ooze started to pad the bottom of the hallway.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant watched Indiana work. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did you get in this line of work.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôAlways wanted to be an archaeologist...├óÔé¼┬Ø He sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWas born on Harbinger, but I was only 1 when we moved back to Earth.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant sighed too, wistful. She wished she could have explored the colossal starship before it whizzed out of SOL at 500 Gees. Dad said it wasn't all that great, but Quant occasionally saw him standing in the lobby of her house, looking at old photos with a far-away look in his eyes...

├óÔé¼┼ôWell, at least you're not agoraphobic.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant said.

Indiana grinned as his vibro-pick went down and something went CLANG!

Quant jumped off the box, letting Indiana grab some more tools. He handed her a wide beam excavator and pointed to a patch of ooze. They got to work and soon, the ooze had fallen away to reveal a door.

├óÔé¼┼ôFantastic!├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant felt a sudden...thrill run up her back. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...Indiana, who exactly were the Amerikaners?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Indiana looked at her, brow furrowed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant gulped. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee...the sorta reason why I signed up for this was not...was well...I-├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI know about your grade in history, Quant,├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour teacher sent Kurt and I the letter.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant blushed. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo you know I didn't care about any of these?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôDidn't?├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana cocked an eyebrow?

├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant grinned, sheepishly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...its more interesting in the thick of it than in class, trying to catch 40 winks.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Indiana laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø he jammed a crowbar into the door and started to jerk on it. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Americkaners were an independent republic that split off from the Britaish Empire in the 1700's. The fought a war amongst themselves over the ownership of people.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôOwnership of people?├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant scratched her head as Indiana groaned, arms straining.

├óÔé¼┼ôSlavery is the...PIKE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana sagged back, panting. ├óÔé¼┼ôStuck fast!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant sighed, looking at the crowbar. The door hadn't moved a budge.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhy don't we both try. You take the top of the door, I'll take the bottom.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant grabbed the second crowbar out of the intern box and knelt down.

She jammed the crowbar into the door jam. Indiana did the same, higher up. Quant glanced up and got a nice view...

├óÔé¼┼ôOne, two, three PULL!├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana yanked on the crowbar as Quant strained as well, splashing about in the muck.

The door creaked slightly.

├óÔé¼┼ôAgain! PULL!├óÔé¼┬Ø

The door cracked open with a hiss. Ooze started to flow from the corridor into the door. Indiana and Quant pulled one last time and the door slid open, revealing a completely dark room.

Indiana pulled out a light stick and snapped it. A bright light came from it's tip. He tossed it into the room, bathing it in light.

Quant and he gasped at what they saw.

WHAT DID THEY SEE???


The suspense is killing me!

Buttons.

Lots and lots of buttons.

Are they big and red?

CompWiz wrote:Are they big and red?

And they all are labelled "Self-destruct: Section X", but neither quant nor Indiana is capable of translating that... so...

Short, but fun.


###



├óÔé¼┼ôI raise you five I.S.K.├óÔé¼┬Ø Jason tapped his finger against the betting pool. The number jumped up a few notches. Kurt scowled, trying to read the other man's face.

├óÔé¼┼ôI see your five...├óÔé¼┬Ø Kurt tapped his end of the betting pool and glanced at his cards. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd up the ante another ten.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jason smirked ever so slightly and Kurt looked at his cards again. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo,├óÔé¼┬Ø he said as Jason shuffled the deck and handed out some more cards. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you think of Quant?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôShe's not stuck up.├óÔé¼┬Ø Jason said. ├óÔé¼┼ôGuess James Leonite did right in raising her.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Kurt nodded.

├óÔé¼┼ôSmart too, even if she doesn't know a lot about history. Quick thinker, with the clipboard and all.├óÔé¼┬Ø Jason shrugged. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kurt looked at his cards to avoid looking at Jason. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you think she'd feel about...me?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jason laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôKurt, no offense, but she's eighteen.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Kurt scowled. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jason shook his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you're thirty. And, well...fat├óÔé¼┬Ø

Kurt scowled even harder. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou do remember I fund this mission, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Lisa covered her mouth to hide a grin, tapping the barrel of her laser pistol against her hip as she continued to walk around the Ruins.

###

Indiana tapped his comlink. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis Indiana.├óÔé¼┬Ø

A moment later, Jason's voice came through. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe read you.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôQuant and I've managed to open up the Command and Control. We need Jason, Marion and possibly. Tell Kevin we might have some new information for his books.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jason's muffled response came back, but Quant didn't even bother listening for it. She was too busy stepping slowly into the room to care.

The Command and Control felt deeply familiar to Quant. Steel gray walls, mostly free of ooze and goop. Control panels, slanted slightly, covered with buttons and switches...screens, long defunct, but each with small panels beneath them. Quant walked to them and tried to puzzle out the words under each screen.

Indiana hurried over. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, hey, stand back...listen, we're going to have to put up markers and make a map, then head back up.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIsn't that Marion's job, once she gets-├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThe comlink isn't working.├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana sighed.

├óÔé¼┼ôRight.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant nodded.

And then something incredibly horrific happened, though neither would know it for a while.

Indiana turned, slipped on a small puddle of ooze beside the main C&C panel. He put a hand out to steady himself. His palm landed on a small button.

Quant hurried forward to help him, but he grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm okay.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôUh-oh.├óÔé¼┬Ø Quant said, looking at where his palm had landed.

├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry.├óÔé¼┬Ø Indiana took his palm away. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't think we've gotten power to come down here.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Quant grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood thing too. That might have been the self destruct button.├óÔé¼┬Ø

###

Jason shrugged. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I don't even see what you see in Quant.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôUh, Jason,├óÔé¼┬Ø Lisa cut in. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm straight, and even I can see what Kurt can see in Quant.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Kurt nodded, glad to have someone come in on his side.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jason shrugged. ├óÔé¼┼ôI just don't see it.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Lisa and Kurt looked at each other, then shrugged.

Jason checked his watch as Kurt looked his cards over again. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomething is wrong,├óÔé¼┬Ø he said as Lisa went off to patrol some more. ├óÔé¼┼ôIndiana and Marion were supposed to report in right-├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôGuys!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lisa shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomething is happening over here!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Kurt and Jason clambered to their feet, setting their cards down. They jogged over to where Lisa stood. She looked at the cente of the ruins, eyes wide, laser pistol at the ready.

The Ruins were opening. The circle in the middle of the Ruins opened, but it was opening as a squire, and far wider than ever before.

Jason, Kurt and Lisa stepped back. Jason tapped his com-bracelet. ├óÔé¼┼ôIndiana, Marion, Kevin, something is happening-├óÔé¼┬Ø

Then...something crawled out of the hole. Lisa, Jason and Kurt gaped. Kurt tried to keep his gorge from rising, stepping bacwards as the...thing stood fully upright.

It looked like a nightmarish cross between a insect and a man. Two insectoid eyes were multi-faceted and set into his eye sockets. Four wings sprouted from his shoulders, catching the light like a sick, twisted rainbow. His chest was human, finely muscled, but then the humanity stops around the hips. Chitin and hair, like a gigantic fly, extended below that. His hands were tipped with claws, long and deadly.

And, strangely enough, was a small blurry patch on his belly. It looked like a wide rectangle, with thirteen red stripes and white stripes. In the upper left corner of the rectangle was a blurry blue square with an odd number of white dots.

It cocked it's head, looking at the three humans.

It hissed something, in English.

├óÔé¼┼ôJason, you're field here.├óÔé¼┬Ø Kurt muttered, his hands shaking. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it trying to say?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jason gulped, then stepped forward.

├óÔé¼┼ôWho isss,├óÔé¼┬Ø The Bug hissed, it's version of English almost impossible to decipher. ├óÔé¼┼ôAbraham Lincoln?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jason blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø

The bug cocked it's head as another Bug crawled out of the hole...followed by another. And another. Then it blinked, a horrible sight, and hissed, ├óÔé¼┼ôENEMY!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jason stepped back. Lisa brought her pistol forward as-

The Bug jumped forward, wings buzzing in the air. It landed on Jason's chest as Lisa fired and-

One of the Bugs, freshly crawled out of the hole, fell backwards in two parts-

Kurt jumped into the river. The last thing he saw before the light green water of Mississippi around him was the bug biting Jason's face off.

ENEMY!!!!!!