“Really? You’re letting me have a weapon?” Tor thumped the side lever down and armed it.
“Don’t make me regret this decision.”
Jaycee grabbed the last six dumb bombs from the wall and tipped three of them into Tor’s hand.
“I guess we’ll need some of these. You have three, so make them count.”
Tor’s jaw dropped at the man’s generosity, “Thanks.”
“I’m not finished yet.”
Five Rez-9s and a spare D-REZ semi-automatic stared at Jaycee from the wall. He licked his lips and scooped them up in his arms, “Okay, that’s it. That’s all our inventory.”
He grabbed the D-REZ and pushed it into Tor’s chest, “This is easier for you to aim with. The magazine is full.”
“Okay,” he said, slipping the strap around his head.
SCHWUMP!
Jaycee threw the hatch shut. He kissed his fingertips and pressed them against the surface of the door, praying for good fortune, “Thanks for everything.”
He stepped away and looked over his shoulder,” You ready to go down in a blaze of glory, comrade?”
Tor ran after him. The sheer weight of the weapons slowed him down, “I don’t want to die if that’s what you mean.”
Jaycee palmed the panel on the wall and opened the door. He clipped the five Rez-9s to his belt and snorted, “Funny how we never get a say in what happens to us, isn’t it? Viktor?”
Tripp stood amongst the rotten plants and stared at the flat horizon. The edge of Pink Symphony loomed against a blanket of a thousand white stars.
“This is it,” he said under his breath, “This is where it all ends.”
Bonnie held her Rez-9 in both hands and saw the oncoming horde of Shanta crawling over the dunes, “I figure they’ll reach us in five minutes. I’m going to kill every last one of those bastards before they kill me.”
“Amen,” Tripp patted her on the back, “How’s your new battery holding up?”
She reached over her neck and pressed her fingers between her shoulder blades, “Yeah, it’s okay. I’m not freaking out too much.”
“Good,” Tripp turned to Wool and Jelly, who appeared ready for battle, “You guys okay?”
“We’ll do our best,” Wool said.
Jelly held her D-REZ in both hands and swished her tail around, ready for war, “I am a fighter.”
Tripp walked over to Jelly and squatted in front of her, “I’m proud of you, Anderson.”
“If Shanta doesn’t kill us, the sun will.”
Tripp ran the back of his hand over her face, “That’s right. You’re very smart, you know.”
“I know,” she licked her lips and pushed her gun into his chest.
Jaycee stormed into Botanix with a range of weapons strapped to his shoulder, “Tripp, catch.”
He flung one of his K-SPARKS at Tripp, who caught it in his arms, “Fully loaded?”
“You know it.”
Tripp looked at the D-REZ firearm in Tor’s hands as he walked in, “I see you trust the Russkie with a gun, now?”
“Yeah,” Jaycee thumped the man on the back a little too hard for comfort, “I think he knows that he’s way down the pecking order of what’s going to kill us.”
Bonnie armed her Rez-9 and rolled her shoulders. She widened her eyes at the horizon, “They’re coming. Get ready.”
Tripp ran in front of crew and addressed them for perhaps the last time. He pointed to Jelly and made sure everyone was listening.
“This is it. We need to protect Anderson as best we can. Every single one of us needs to return fire if we’re to stand a chance of surviving. On no account are you to leave Opera Beta.”
Jelly nodded and pressed her baby bump with her elbow, “Miew.”
“Setting turret, stand by,” Jaycee held his K-SPARK out at arm’s length. The grip on the gun folded out in three directions and shot downward, attaching itself to the floor, “How many of them are there?”
“We’re vastly outnumbered, let’s put it like that,” Tripp said. “When you’re down to your last clip, use it on yourself.”
“Last clip?” Bonnie chewed back her anger at that statement, “How many bullets does it take to kill yourself?”
“You might miss,” Tripp said.
Jelly’s eyes reverted to the horizon. Something strange took place, “Look, over there.”
Everyone turned to see what she was talking about.
“Is it… moving?” Jaycee asked.
Wool stepped back against the wall and began to hyperventilate, “I can’t do this. I d-don’t want to die,” she said. The sweat forming over her hand caused the Rez-9 to drop from her hand. She caught it before it hit the floor.
The stars crawled across the black sky at a snail’s pace.
Tripp looked at the desecrated plants. The branch ends and leaves lifted toward the horizon. The grains of sand outside the broken wall trailed away and shifted.
Pink Symphony’s surface revolved, enabling a strong pull towards the horizon.
Jaycee felt his arms lift in front of his body, “What’s happening?”
“Ugh, ugh,” Wool’s heels skidded across the ground, “Oh God, I’m falling.”
“You’re not falling!” Tripp scanned Botanix for something to hold on to, “We’re spinning. The whole place is spinning.”
“Miew,” Jelly grabbed hold of a grounded plant tray to stop herself from flying out of the room.
In the distance, the hordes of squealing Shanta scurried even faster in an attempt to fight off the pull.
The disc spun faster… and faster.
Bonnie slipped and fell on her behind. The pull of the external force sent her sliding toward the sand, “Help me!”
“Bonnie!” Tripp grabbed hold of a charcoaled plant and aimed his K-SPARK at the horizon, “Grab hold of something—”
SWOOOOSH!
Pink Symphony’s spinning grew exponentially as Bonnie unsuccessfully tried to grab at the ground. Her fingertips jumped off each tile as it whizzed under her front.
Jaycee placed himself behind the turret to prevent himself from flying out with her, “Bonnie, grab the wall!”
She rolled over to her back and bent her knees. The broken wall screamed towards her. She held out her hand and grabbed it, swinging out above the sand.
“God damn it,” Bonnie opened fire on the approaching Shanta, “Die you vicious scumbags. Die!”
BLAM-BLAM-BLAM!
The thousand-strong Shanta clambered towards Botanix. A giant creature extended all twelve of its limbs and cartwheeled ahead of them.
“Jeeeeeeeeeesus…” Jaycee thumped the mounted K-SPARK turret. It fired off a round at the enormous rolling beast, “Get some of this, you ugly—”
BLAM-BLAM-SCHPLATT!
The barreling Shanta exploded as the bullets tore through its central section. The pink gore splattered to the sand as its body tumbled back into the crowd of beasts.
“Open fire!” Tripp shouted and blasted at the horde, “Keep holding on.”
Bonnie’s grip on the wall loosened, “Agh. Tripp, Tripp, my hand… I can’t hang on…”
“Don’t let go,” Tripp fired another round of bullets at the creatures. The bullets whizzed past Bonnie and tore into three Shanta, severing their limbs.
They crashed against the floor and swished into the horizon.
“Nggggg,” Bonnie grunted and continued firing at the creatures. Her fingertips traced against the wall and threatened to release.