“Nyx, warm up the on!”

  I feel like you should do a little preparation, before you do something you’ll regret.

  “The team is probably being swarmed right now Nyx,” I reminded my AI, “so make it quick.”

  Fine. First I reend you buy the Advanced Munitions and Indiary Munitions catalogs, so you maximize the targeted damage and minimize the colteral damage. Then I reend doing some re so you actually know where to shoot.

  I frowned slightly, that did sound reasonable. “Fine, do I have enough for a re drohat look into the tanks?”

  You get a cheap one from your robotics catalog for one hundred points.

  “Do it then, fet the packaging though.”

  Purchased

  Mark I Armed Re Drone - 100 points

  Points Remaining: 213 Points

  I watched as a small quadcopter drone appeared on the ground. It was much rger than I expected, and armed. “Why does it have a gun?”

  You have Modur bat Robotics, remember. You’d have to buy access to a new catalog if you wanted an unarmed ohis does allow the droo defend itself against Model Ones on the way tet.

  “Fine.” With a quick mental and I sent the drone dowreets towards the farms. “Why do I he munitions catalogs?”

  If you want tet hives, a ventional round from the UHR won’t be that effective. It’s so powerful that it’ll leave a hole in any soft targets, and a hive will easily recover from that damage. Advanced Munitions will give you access to timed and cluster shells, so it’ll detonate when it gets to the target, and Indiary Munitions will give you access to various ways to burarget.

  I hmm’d. “I like the sound of that.”

  As I was sidering Nyx’s suggestion the drone made it to the closest farm; I had it hover o the window to check the tents. Ihe tank was age, I could make out parts of Antithesis but it looked like they’d been put through a blehere were a few worms there colleg the pieces, but not much else.

  “I think we found the first hive the team hit,” I said as I surveyed the area. “That damage is pretty impressive.”

  With the right equipment a Samurai amplify their damage uer. I suspee of your patriots had a vortex on based on the damage patterns.

  I ahe droo rise, showing us the ank. These tanks were about a hundred and fifty feet in diameter, and the only thing I could see inside was a single Model Three digging through the silt, probably looking for roots. At oime each of these tanks had been pletely stuffed with Kelp pnts, now this one was pletely bare.

  “Ravenous fucks,” I muttered.

  The Antithesis devour everything in their path, and then expand. That’s all they know how to do. Nyx replied, quietly. I just sent the drone further upwards.

  The wo tanks were barren as well, but on the fifth level I found what I was looking for. The hive had grown to pretty much fill the eank, pressing against the sides. I could see dozens of new models being birthed every minute, and dozens of other Antithesis moving in and out to deliver biomass. The tral stalk was strange, bulbous, I swear I could even see a fa it. Nyx must have anticipated my question.

  It looks like they grew this hive out of a Model Twenty-Two, mobile hive units that harvest biomass and produew models on the go. It must have rooted here because of the plentiful resources.

  “It’s disgusting, but it’ll serve our purposes.”

  That it will.

  “Alright, buy those two catalogs. I assume you have a shell in mind to burn that iion out?” I asked.

  Yes, A timed thermite psma cluster shell.

  “Sounds fun.”

  It should instantly boil that eank, and may actually burn down into the tank below. I’ll do my best to make sure the charge is strong enough to extermihe hive, but limit other damage.

  “That sounds insane.”

  Indeed. You should probably make sure the rest of your team isn’t anywhere hat area. The heat is going to be intense.

  “Yeah, I know,” I grumbled. “Buy everything we need ahe gun ready.”

  Purchased

  Advanced Munitions Catalog - 50 points

  Indiary Munitions Catalog - 50 points

  Timed Thermite Psma Cluster Shell - 10 points

  Points Remaining: 153 points

  I watched as the three regur bears I’d bought got busy. One gingerly picked up the shell and carried it over to the UHR, while one of the others climbed into a chair attached to the side, strapped itself down, and started messing with a touch s. Meanwhile, the third ran out into the street and started grabbing Antithesis corpses, stuffing them into hatches o the geors. The entire gun started to hum.

  I turned away from the spectacle to call Sharron, who answered after a few seds. [Hey Teddy, still hanging in there?]

  I frowned. [I feel like I should be asking you that. Every Antithesis in the area verged on your position after that explosion. Impressive, I’ve seeermath.]

  [We’re fine, we retreated across the scaffolding to farm five, the going to six. It was too narrow for the Antithesis to provide much of a threat. We did see that monstrosity down at street level, following us. Thankfully it doesn’t look like it climb.]

  [So yood?] I asked, worried.

  [The Antithesis are still pushing pretty hard, but we’re making due. Your bears have been a lifesaver, but they’re getting low on ammo.]

  [I’ll ask Nyx if I share the ammo with you. Just hang in there for a couple minutes, I’m going to try and do something to pull some of the attention off you.]

  [How? You’re not going to do something stupid are you?] I could hear the judgment in her voice. I just turned back to the railgun, just in time to see all the arms swing down with massive ford imbed themselves ireet. The thud echoed through the area. [Teddy…]

  [It’ll be firust me.] The bear in the gunner’s seat waved at me, then gave a vague thumbs up motion. I nodded in response and watched as the bear turned back, the gun’s barrel started elevating, zeroing in oarget. [I should be ready in a moment, hopefully this should take some of the pressure off you guys.]

  Nyx cut into my versation. You might want to brace yourself.

  The bear made o adjustment, then pressed a rge red se of the touch pahere was a fsh followed by a thunderous crash, the pressure wave nearly knocked me off my feet. Out of the er of my eye I watched many of the windows oreet shatter, raining gss on the surrounding area.

  I turowards the farm, only to find the fifth level lit internally by a bright white-blue glow. Steam out of every opening, and even at this distance I could see the entry hole, mostly because it was vomiting steam and causing a high pitched whistling noise.

  It took me a few seds to realise I was still on a call to Sharron.

  [Teddy, what the fuck was that? Teddy…]

  I cleared my throat, [That, my friend, was Awesome.]