Star Clash

Chapter Three

(Mars, Sol System)

Captain 'Hawkeye' Hallow shot the skyplane through the mountains, swooping and twisting like his namesake, following the slipstream. He'd disconnected himself from the autopilot which would have given him the exact co-ordinates. As far as he was concerned, his own eyes were good enough to get the job done. The day his eyes started to fail him would be soon enough to rely on instruments.

The rocket launcher was primed and ready to fire as soon as he spotted his prey. There! Something moved on the ground.

He aimed and fired in one smooth movement. Then smiled tightly as a pink and crimson cloud sprayed into the air. Looked like a bullseye as far as he could tell. He supposed he had better go down and check. Never mind that his equipment would give him the answers he sought, this was one thing he always liked to do in person. One survivor was one too many in his opinion.

Damn greasers didn't know when they were well off. You'd think they'd have given up by now, been resigned to the consequences. Been grateful that they weren't dead like their friends. After all, as prisoners of war, they got three square meals a day, shelter, even school for the sprogs until they turned twelve and were big enough to earn their keep. But no, there was always one or two who had to make a run for it.

Always running for the mountains, as if they could find refuge there.

Never got them anywhere, of course. He made sure of that.

~~~

(Troni, Vishna System)

Ula Tesz seated herself on the stool and looked gravely at the Premier. "I have a development to report to you, sir, but unfortunately, in its current form, it's a strategy of last resort."

Nesa pinched his lips, and nodded for her to continue.

"I've been working on adapting our identification nanobots to simulate a virus. I've reached the point where I can trigger the production of an artificial 'virus' in the nanobots inside our people, which will attack the human immune system."

"Excellent!" Nesa enthused, but Ula Tesz wasn't smiling. "But?" he added, warily.

"The downside, is that the triggering of this particular 'virus' causes the mutated nanobots to attack our own genetic code. In layman's terms, unless I can find a solution, the virus will kill humans, but it will kill us as well."

Nesa frowned, his brows a single line across his forehead. "A suicide bomb, in effect." He thought for a minute and came to a decision, straightening his broad shoulders. "Keep working on a solution. Your project has the utmost priority, I'll authorise all the resources you need. I hope to Vishna we won't have to use it, but ... if things get worse ..."

Black eyes met silver for a long moment, neither voicing the unspeakable. That if things got worse ... they might have to.