dimwitted commander s and yet they’d all come back victorious with few casualties under their belts. This mission was odd in that their prey fought back fiercely, but command wouldn’t care to hear excuses.
He said, “We could break out the battle suits, sir. Then the men will get a fight but be protected at the same time.” He was referring to the mechanical suits they had in storage.
“How many do we have?”
“A couple dozen.”
Davok laced his fingers as he thought. Then he shook his head. “It’ll look weak on my part to use the suits.”
“It’s always an option.”
“It’s overkill. Let’s make it our last option and only if things go to hell. This is only a class D planet. We should be able to plow right through them.”
The second in command , Fillo, walked away. If it was going to be so easy then why use so many Mowers? The Mowers were a coward’s way to deal with a threat. The suits weren’t too far removed.
The men were getting sick and tired of their gutless commander taking away all of their potential kills just to save face.
His disgruntled men would take their fury out on the poor Earthlings that survived the Mower deployments. It would be a bloodbath.
Costumes
Molly was hard at work on her antique sewing machine. She’d put two trays of chocolate chip cookies in the oven just a few minutes ago and the smell was making everyone but the doctor salivate.
Scott was drinking a cup of hot coffee that was about half filled with sugar and Melanie was eating hard candy out of a dusty dish. The candy looked like it had been manufactured sometime before the great depression, but that hardly fazed her.
Jack felt the urge to gorge himself on sugar too but he was fighting it, if only because the surge of powers within him that sugary foods invoked still frightened him a bit.
Scott asked Dan what his wife was making on her sewing machine.
Dan shot a quick glance Molly’s way to be sure she wasn’t paying attention and then in a whispered tone, he said, “She’s making costumes for all of us.”
Scott rolled his eyes and said, “I don’t think any of us will wear a costume.”
Jack overheard them and whispered, “No offense, but I don’t want to wear tights with my underwear over them. I think we’re good just the way we are.”
Dan glared at them. There was enough menace in that stare to make them both wish they could take back whatever it was that upset him. “She’s been hard at work on those all damn day. She thought you’d appreciate it.”
“Oh, we do. It’s just that it’s not really our style,” Jack offered hopefully.
“Well it is now. You’d better not upset my wife, especially after we’ve been so hospitable.”
Scott adapted quickly. “I want mine to be red with black highlights. I want a skull and crossbones on the chest too.”
Dan said, “You’ll get whatever it is she makes for you. You’d better feign some appreciation when she gives it to you or you’ll have me to deal with.”
Melanie sidled over now. “I want a yellow one, if she has the fabric.”
Just then, Molly turned around on her little bench and eyed them all suspiciously. “What the hell are you guys talking about?”
Jack lied, “We were hoping you could take those cookies out.”
“No problem, dear. They’re just about done anyway.”
Jack whispered to Dan, “I want a lightning bolt on mine.”
“That’s the spirit.”
“And a mask.”
“Of course.”
Widen the Net
General Parsons had had it up to his eyeballs with Ault, Colorado. It was one of those towns so small and insignificant that it prided itself on its park cannon.
Everyone in Ault was either a farmer or an antique dealer, and the antique shops were full of rusty crap that was too pitiful for even the most pathetic rummage sale in a real town. The lone gas station was almost perpetually unmanned, with rusted jalopies in the back that served as the attendant’s main focus each day as he tried in
He said, “We could break out the battle suits, sir. Then the men will get a fight but be protected at the same time.” He was referring to the mechanical suits they had in storage.
“How many do we have?”
“A couple dozen.”
Davok laced his fingers as he thought. Then he shook his head. “It’ll look weak on my part to use the suits.”
“It’s always an option.”
“It’s overkill. Let’s make it our last option and only if things go to hell. This is only a class D planet. We should be able to plow right through them.”
The second in command , Fillo, walked away. If it was going to be so easy then why use so many Mowers? The Mowers were a coward’s way to deal with a threat. The suits weren’t too far removed.
The men were getting sick and tired of their gutless commander taking away all of their potential kills just to save face.
His disgruntled men would take their fury out on the poor Earthlings that survived the Mower deployments. It would be a bloodbath.
Costumes
Molly was hard at work on her antique sewing machine. She’d put two trays of chocolate chip cookies in the oven just a few minutes ago and the smell was making everyone but the doctor salivate.
Scott was drinking a cup of hot coffee that was about half filled with sugar and Melanie was eating hard candy out of a dusty dish. The candy looked like it had been manufactured sometime before the great depression, but that hardly fazed her.
Jack felt the urge to gorge himself on sugar too but he was fighting it, if only because the surge of powers within him that sugary foods invoked still frightened him a bit.
Scott asked Dan what his wife was making on her sewing machine.
Dan shot a quick glance Molly’s way to be sure she wasn’t paying attention and then in a whispered tone, he said, “She’s making costumes for all of us.”
Scott rolled his eyes and said, “I don’t think any of us will wear a costume.”
Jack overheard them and whispered, “No offense, but I don’t want to wear tights with my underwear over them. I think we’re good just the way we are.”
Dan glared at them. There was enough menace in that stare to make them both wish they could take back whatever it was that upset him. “She’s been hard at work on those all damn day. She thought you’d appreciate it.”
“Oh, we do. It’s just that it’s not really our style,” Jack offered hopefully.
“Well it is now. You’d better not upset my wife, especially after we’ve been so hospitable.”
Scott adapted quickly. “I want mine to be red with black highlights. I want a skull and crossbones on the chest too.”
Dan said, “You’ll get whatever it is she makes for you. You’d better feign some appreciation when she gives it to you or you’ll have me to deal with.”
Melanie sidled over now. “I want a yellow one, if she has the fabric.”
Just then, Molly turned around on her little bench and eyed them all suspiciously. “What the hell are you guys talking about?”
Jack lied, “We were hoping you could take those cookies out.”
“No problem, dear. They’re just about done anyway.”
Jack whispered to Dan, “I want a lightning bolt on mine.”
“That’s the spirit.”
“And a mask.”
“Of course.”
Widen the Net
General Parsons had had it up to his eyeballs with Ault, Colorado. It was one of those towns so small and insignificant that it prided itself on its park cannon.
Everyone in Ault was either a farmer or an antique dealer, and the antique shops were full of rusty crap that was too pitiful for even the most pathetic rummage sale in a real town. The lone gas station was almost perpetually unmanned, with rusted jalopies in the back that served as the attendant’s main focus each day as he tried in
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