would make.
A front loader was the first to arrive. As Sanji had
instructed, its hopper already held rocks two to three feet in diameter. The
driver had scooped them up along the way, from mounds of overburden. Then they
waited, with the explosives rigged with everything but the remote initiators
connected.
The second front loader drove up, also loaded with large
rocks. However, the key to the plan was the Big Dumps. With the other equipment
shut down, they were relieved when they heard the rumble, and soon felt it, as
the three enormous trucks rounded a hill. Will had taken a more roundabout
route than Sanji had anticipated, but considering the noise, it may have been a
good idea.
When Will brought the trucks up to the men signaling him
with flashlights, he pulled past them slightly, to leave the string of trucks
all well placed for loading. They reminded Sanji of images he’d seen of
elephants in his mother’s native country, India, on Earth. Like that line of
big animals following each other, linked trunk to tail.
The hauler forks were not quite high enough to lift the
explosive pallets over the lip of the backside of the dump trucks. Will and the
other two “Turds” solved that by tilting the beds up five degrees, to allow the
forks to clear the now lowered rear lip. Four men helped in manhandling the
pallets off the forks, then a second, third and a final fourth pallet was
loaded onto each truck.
The front loaders carefully divided their rock loads in the
back of the trucks, and the remote initiators were only then attached to the
chain of detonators. Banked dirt from the sides of the now empty three bunkers
was used to cover the explosives. When finished they had three Big Dumps, ready
to blow it out their asses.
The urgency of the plan gained impetus when Brad called to
say that much of the town was on fire, and about three or four hundred of the
invaders were moving at a rapid trotting pace on the road towards the Pipe.
Sanji spoke to the three truck drivers privately, and told
the other men they could return to the Pipe in the air cars, or stay here, it
was their choice. However, he was going in a truck with Will, and the other two
drivers were going part of the way with them.
Brad recalled his lookouts from the top of the bluffs, and
heard from Saul that his crews had inserted as many of the charges as they had
boreholes. They were pulling back. They intended to bury the remaining charges
in the roadway, closer to the Pipe.
****
Grodol’s mood was improving, slightly. A rough body count
revealed that each warrior would share in just over thirty-two kills apiece,
after the commander collected his share, and he then awarded additional points
to warriors that could prove exceptional performance. This was below the
hundreds of kills per warrior he had expected, but now they were seeking out where
most of the humans had fled.
He had sent most of his warriors ahead, following the
massive scent trail. He was returning to the Clanship with a hundred twenty
eight warriors and his K’Tal. He would move the Clanship close to wherever the
largest number of humans had gone to hide. There would be fresh ammunition to
increase the kill rate if the prey tried to flee farther.
Over by the Pipe, from around another bluff, Saul watched
the curve in the road through the explosives rigged area, hearing the rapid
crunching of hundreds of heavy feet. These beasts were not only strong, but
they ran the entire six miles from the flames at Gem Town. Even at only .81 of
Earth gravity, these creatures were obviously very strong and tough.
Suddenly a wall of the large bipeds poured around the curve,
almost filling it from side to side. They had a rather funny looking bowlegged
look, but moved very gracefully, smooth like a cat. He was tempted to let the
leaders get a little past the explosives, but wondered what he would do if even
a few got past.
He flipped up the safety cover, and motioned the others to
move back
A front loader was the first to arrive. As Sanji had
instructed, its hopper already held rocks two to three feet in diameter. The
driver had scooped them up along the way, from mounds of overburden. Then they
waited, with the explosives rigged with everything but the remote initiators
connected.
The second front loader drove up, also loaded with large
rocks. However, the key to the plan was the Big Dumps. With the other equipment
shut down, they were relieved when they heard the rumble, and soon felt it, as
the three enormous trucks rounded a hill. Will had taken a more roundabout
route than Sanji had anticipated, but considering the noise, it may have been a
good idea.
When Will brought the trucks up to the men signaling him
with flashlights, he pulled past them slightly, to leave the string of trucks
all well placed for loading. They reminded Sanji of images he’d seen of
elephants in his mother’s native country, India, on Earth. Like that line of
big animals following each other, linked trunk to tail.
The hauler forks were not quite high enough to lift the
explosive pallets over the lip of the backside of the dump trucks. Will and the
other two “Turds” solved that by tilting the beds up five degrees, to allow the
forks to clear the now lowered rear lip. Four men helped in manhandling the
pallets off the forks, then a second, third and a final fourth pallet was
loaded onto each truck.
The front loaders carefully divided their rock loads in the
back of the trucks, and the remote initiators were only then attached to the
chain of detonators. Banked dirt from the sides of the now empty three bunkers
was used to cover the explosives. When finished they had three Big Dumps, ready
to blow it out their asses.
The urgency of the plan gained impetus when Brad called to
say that much of the town was on fire, and about three or four hundred of the
invaders were moving at a rapid trotting pace on the road towards the Pipe.
Sanji spoke to the three truck drivers privately, and told
the other men they could return to the Pipe in the air cars, or stay here, it
was their choice. However, he was going in a truck with Will, and the other two
drivers were going part of the way with them.
Brad recalled his lookouts from the top of the bluffs, and
heard from Saul that his crews had inserted as many of the charges as they had
boreholes. They were pulling back. They intended to bury the remaining charges
in the roadway, closer to the Pipe.
****
Grodol’s mood was improving, slightly. A rough body count
revealed that each warrior would share in just over thirty-two kills apiece,
after the commander collected his share, and he then awarded additional points
to warriors that could prove exceptional performance. This was below the
hundreds of kills per warrior he had expected, but now they were seeking out where
most of the humans had fled.
He had sent most of his warriors ahead, following the
massive scent trail. He was returning to the Clanship with a hundred twenty
eight warriors and his K’Tal. He would move the Clanship close to wherever the
largest number of humans had gone to hide. There would be fresh ammunition to
increase the kill rate if the prey tried to flee farther.
Over by the Pipe, from around another bluff, Saul watched
the curve in the road through the explosives rigged area, hearing the rapid
crunching of hundreds of heavy feet. These beasts were not only strong, but
they ran the entire six miles from the flames at Gem Town. Even at only .81 of
Earth gravity, these creatures were obviously very strong and tough.
Suddenly a wall of the large bipeds poured around the curve,
almost filling it from side to side. They had a rather funny looking bowlegged
look, but moved very gracefully, smooth like a cat. He was tempted to let the
leaders get a little past the explosives, but wondered what he would do if even
a few got past.
He flipped up the safety cover, and motioned the others to
move back
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