Callie watched her sister as she finished up down below. Her smile turned to a smirk, then a frown. Then she bared her teeth menacingly. “Bitch,” she said. “One day, I’m gonna take your spot, whether you like it or not. And then I’ll be Father’s favorite. I’ll be the whole family’s favorite, and yo
Planet Dro’ren, Fusil System, Federal Colonial Territories Eva’s tall mud boots sank into the soft ground with a wet SQUISH. In fact, all their boots did the same as they traversed the water-logged wetlands that Dro’ren was known for. The ground was so soft that their feet sank down to their ankles
As they walked deeper into the fen wetlands, Claire noticed that there was hardly any animal life. Or at least none that they ran across. If there were swamptoads out here, where the hell were they? “Um, so do you know what these swamptoads would look like?” she asked. “I mean, I imagine they kinda
Claire chuckled. “Oh, that’s right,” she said. “That’s what we call the people who just came outta nowhere. They all just popped up in our regen facilities one by one, in the millions.” “From a year or so ago?” said Max. “That makes sense. At the Hegemony, we call ‘em Revisions. Apparently, they’r
Eva quickly drew her Handcannon and aimed it squarely at the swamptoad’s head, specifically right below the armored ridge between its bulbous eyes. She presumed that was roughly where its brain was. “Wait!” cried Amal. “Don’t shoot it!” “What? Why the hell not?” asked Eva. “‘Coz you might end up
Clearly annoyed by the drones, the swamptoad leapt straight upwards and slammed right into them. Luckily, they bounced off just as it struck - their relative size and the soft moss kept them intact. But they were still damaged, and what little armor they had was cracked right at the point of impact
There, among the spines and skin and armor plates was a milky green substance all over its body. It all flowed freely from the swollen poison glands just behind its eyes. It fell back down on all fours and stared at Eva with its bloated body. Then, it released another long, deep, guttural croak.
Back at the settlement, deep inside the clinic, past the foyer, and beyond the welcome desk. Past the general prognosis station, and past the patient recovery rooms. Upstairs, inside of the special care unit, a young man slept on a medical pad. A rebreather was attached to his mouth and nostrils, an