As soon as the first pods ripped open, releasing a combination of Model Threes, Fours, and Fives, I immediately ordered the bears to open fire.

  This initial wave wasn’t that bad, probably less than a hundred Antithesis in total across the chamber, but considering how many pods were scattered about, if we didn’t keep on top of things, I could see them easily building up and overwhelming my current forces.

  [Bob, get Jane and the kids out of here now! We’ve got a real problem here,] I shouted across the command channel. [Spooky, send whatever bears we have available to help quarantine the area. It won’t take long until this hive hits peak production, and the plants flood out of here.]

  Just as I said that, the second wave of Antithesis burst from their cocoons and started scrambling to their feet.

  [If anyone has an idea how we could stop this, I’m all ears,] I yelled.

  Activating the nanites will not prevent the birthing process. The solution has been diluted by the other nutrient tanks, but it may slow things down. Nyx suggested.

  [It may not tear this place apart, but I’ll take all the help I can get right now,] I replied, triggering the nanites. All along the walls the un-birthed Antithesis thrashed in their pods as the tiny robots did whatever they could to slow the birth process. [How long do you think we have until this place reaches peak production?]

  The nanites will delay the first two or three generations for a couple minutes, but after that, the hive will either have purged them from its system or diluted them beyond an effective level. Based upon my current projections,I’d say it’ll recover in about forty minutes.

  [And you wouldn’t happen to know how many Antithesis a hive this size could pump out in an hour, would you?] I asked.

  Assuming it keeps to the basic models, around six thousand, assuming they have enough biomass to get the first few generations out. Once they hit critical mass, they’ll be birthing three Models an hour and recycling the dead. I recommend dealing with the issue prior to that.

  [Thanks for the tip. I never considered that,] I snarled. [How am I supposed to cripple a place this size with just a handful of bears?]

  [Commander, I have a suggestion,] Spooky announced. [Based on the readings the foxes have been sending back, the central hive structure is fairly close to the surface. The UHR should be able to penetrate the outer shell, allowing us to strike directly into the structure.]

  [How does that help us?] I growled. [The big gun might be able to open up the roof, but what good does that do? I haven’t purchased the secondary weapons yet, so everything on the Carrier is single target. We might be able to slowly pick this place apart with the secondary cannons, but the antithesis will flood out of here before we can do any significant damage.]

  [Ummm… Boss, did you forget about the secondary munitions?] Bandit asked. [Didn’t you buy a bunch of secondary munition catalogs to use with the UHR and other railguns back in Seattle? Can’t we use some of those?]

  I blinked and lowered my rifle for a moment. [Nyx, remind me to do a full review of my available catalogs once we get back to the ship. It sounds like I need a refresher.]

  Noted.

  While we were talking, several tentacles slipped around the edge of the platform and started swiping blindly. I fired right through the platform, killing the lurking model four, but before it died, the creature managed to clamp one of its feelers around the leg of a bear. As the four’s body fell, the weight ripped the poor bot out of position and over the edge.

  I jumped to the edge of the platform and glanced down. The wall underneath us was absolutely covered in Model Fours, and there were a ton of Threes and Fives milling about below us.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Fuck! I didn’t realize the lower pods had already popped,” I growled. “Nyx, is there anything in that ordinance catalog strong enough to deal with this issue?”

  In the Class I Incendiary Munitions Catalog? Absolutely. The real question is, what flavor of Antithesis do you want? Charcoal or glass?

  “I don’t give a shit, as long as we cripple the birthing chamber and get most of the antithesis before they can get out of here,” I shouted over the sound of my rifle. There were pods bursting all around the room now; we weren’t keeping up.

  In that case I recommend penetrating the roof with a shell that can disperse aerosolized M17 accelerants, followed by a plasma blast shell.

  “I’ll take them it’ll be worth it if we can shut this place down,” I replied. [Deadbeat, Bandit, head back to the entrance and start evacuating. We have a plan. Spooky I’m going to authorize Nyx to provide you with a couple shells for the UHR. Just don’t fire them until we’re clear.]

  [You might want to also gain some altitude. You don’t want to be anywhere near the ground when this goes off,] Nyx added.

  [You heard the AI, everyone double time it!] I ordered.

  All the bears in my squad simultaneously turned and started sprinting down the hallway. I turned to follow them but noticed the Badger hadn’t moved. “I gave you an order; time to leave,” I said.

  It grunted and unleashed a burst of plasma at the tentacles, which had once again peeked over the edge of the platform.

  “No heroics! Everyone’s leaving,” I barked. “If you want to watch our back, you can do it back at the evacuation point. The Antithesis will probably try to rush us before the evacuation is complete, and we need people to protect the corridors.”

  It looked at me strangely. The Class II bots weren’t the smartest, but even they were smart enough to recognize some basic goading and manipulation. Thankfully it seemed to accept my orders this time and started bounding back towards the entrance.

  I took one last look at the rapidly filling birthing chamber and sprinted away. It didn’t take long for the sound of slapping tentacles and scrabbling claws to fill the corridor behind me.

  By the time I reached the breached chamber, Deadbeat and Bandit had already started evacuating their troops.

  “Fill the Kodiaks past capacity, and have a couple of the Badgers start putting bears on the roof of the transports,” I ordered. “Any badgers not assisting with the evacuation should position themselves so they can clear the corridors.”

  “Is it that bad?” Deadbeat asked.

  “Worse. Thousands of antithesis an hour, more than enough to overwhelm our small force in these tunnels,” I replied before placing a hand against my temple and reconnecting to the network. [Spooky, how are we doing with those shells?]

  [The gunnery bears are inserting the first shell as we speak. I should remind you that even though the gun is now hooked into the ship’s power systems and has a second capacitor array, it can only be fired every thirty seconds,] Spooky reported.

  [Do not worry, the extra delay is actually a benefit to us. It gives the M17 a chance to disperse into the rest of the hive complex,] Nyx replied.

  [You heard the AI; get it done,] I said before closing the connection again.

  The evacuation was progressing quite quickly now that we were overloading the transports, but it wasn’t enough for us to get away unscratched. One of the badgers opened up with its plasma throwers, torching an Antithesis who had reached our defensive positions.

  “This is gonna be close,” I muttered.

  The next Kodiak was able to carry pretty much all our remaining forces. The only ones left were me, Deadbeat, Bandit, and the defense badgers.

  I rubbed the back of my neck. “Hey Nyx, what exactly is M17?”

  I don’t think there’s a proper analog on your planet. At least, not one you’d recognize. Pre-ignition, it’s a gas that disperses extremely quickly, allowing it to flood through complexes.

  “And after ignition?”

  It condenses into a thin viscous gel, which burns for an extraordinarily long time.

  “Wait? You mean it’s aerosolized napalm?” I asked in horror.

  Oh, it seems like you do recognize the analog.

  “Only enough to know we don’t want to be here when the gas is dispersed or ignited,” I grunted. As the final Kodiak descended to the cavern floor, I jumped to the top of the vehicle before turning to my remaining troops. “Alright, everyone out! You do not want to be around when this bomb goes off.”

  Many of the badgers took a couple moments to get going, sending a couple last bursts down their fleshy corridors before sprinting back to the vehicle. As soon as they were on board, I activated the nanite canisters we’d spread through the hive and gave the order. [Spooky, you’re clear to open fire.]

  The IFV had just barely cleared the lip of the chamber when the first round hit. The impact was quite spectacular, sending shockwaves through the ground and kicking up a huge cloud of dust. Within seconds of the birthing chamber being breached, there were model fours clambering out of the hole; if we hadn’t been threatening the structure just minutes before, I’m sure a huge cloud of Model Ones would have followed them out. Thankfully the small birds weren’t great at defense.

  After a couple seconds a thick red mist started spilling over the edge of the breach.

  “This is going to be safe, right?” I muttered.

  The M17 is only dangerous to those that touch it. You’re at the perfect distance to watch the show while being out of range of the fallout.

  “The show?” I asked as a bright white light streaked out of the Carrier and slammed into the birthing chamber. Nothing happened for a moment, then the plasma detonated, igniting the gas, and it was like the desert was lit by a second sun.

  The flash incinerated everything in the area. Some of the Model Fours had reached fifty or sixty feet away from the breach, and they still burst into flame from the heat. I’m sure if my helmet didn’t have automatic polarization and my armor didn’t have any environmental shielding, I would have been blinded and burned, even at several hundred meters out.

  I think that ought to do it, Nyx chirped happily.

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