Free Infinity Squad by Shuvom Ghose Page A

eggs."
    I unbuckled my harness. "And no Hell-Spider hunting parties?"
    Zaz did the same. "Not today."
    I looked around again. A rolling desert with barely any tree cover. From one of the small hills, we'd be able to see a threat coming for miles in every direction. And we were carrying enough firepower to crack open a tank. I tapped Jinx on the shoulder. "Okay! That flat spot there! Combat drop and dust off!"
     
     
    Jinx handled it great, the skids barely touching the sand long enough for us to jump off, and then he crash climbed to a safe altitude again. I'd be damned if I was losing our ride home.
    "Stay safe but stay within a few minutes range," I told him through our mikes.
    "Roger. Climbing to overwatch height."
     
     
    Ann-Marie led us forward, looking every minute at her paper map. We made good time. She was light on her feet, my new body felt like I could run for hours even in the stifling heat, and the Heavies did the work for Zazlu and Juan, even though their footpads sunk into the soft sand. If the Heavies had had calves, they would have been burning.
    "Too bad about your reporter friend," I told Juan as he ran along beside me.
    "Why's that, sir?"
    "Benefactors never stay planetside for more than a day. Once the bots have toured the base, I'm guessing all the news teams will leave on the same transport they came in on."
    He beamed while his machine muscles whirred and pumped. "Oh no, sir. Dakota's staying until the next transport at least. She's gonna cover that first farm colony thing."
    Ann-Marie snorted. "Dakota."
    "It's a cowgirl's name," Juan fired back. "I know because that girl sure knows how to ride a-"
    "All right, all right," I interrupted. "Butcher- how much farther?"
    She stopped and wiped off her brow with her shirt, then checked her map again. She looked up and pointed to a Joshua tree-like-thing standing alone at the top of the next hill. "That tree. Three-Spot says it's one of the last things the hunting party saw."
    We stopped to drink some cold water, the four of us kneeling in a circle facing outward, weapons ready. I was looking towards the Joshua tree, about a two-minute jog away.
    There was no noise but the breeze rustling sand and our breathing.
    "They're still going ahead with volunteer farmers starting colonies here?" I asked no one in particular. "With Hell-Spiders sneaking into our base?"
    "The transport was probably already underway before that news got back there," Ann-Marie said. "It takes a week to get from Earth through to our wormgate."
    "And if they are like normal farmers," Zazlu added, "they are already in debt to pay for their equipment. They are probably eager to start planting, no matter the security situation."
    "And I'm sure Spider skulls on the walls will make them feel safer," I snorted. "Everyone ready?" My team nodded. "Then let's go."
     
     
    We jogged the valley between us and the Joshua tree, but slowed as we approached it. Ann-Marie went first, creeping forwards with her rifle on her shoulder. Zazlu covered her, weapon ports open. I went around the tree the other way, looking up, down, over, but not seeing anything. We formed another circle around the tree, weapons out, and listened. Nothing.
    "What did Three-Spot say killed this hunting party?" I asked.
    "He did not," Zaz grunted. "And we had no more lightning snakes to offer in trade."
    "We'll have to fix that. Anyone see any dead spiders?"
    "I see a live one," Butcher said, looking through the sniper scope on her rifle.
    We turned back in the direction we had come. A lone black dot was clearly visible on the sandy horizon, scuttling towards us. As soon as I pulled up my binoculars to look at it, it stopped and sat down, folding its legs below itself just like Three-Spot did. I stared at it for thirty seconds, but it didn't move any closer, just sat there.
    "Great. Juan, you watch it watching us. Butcher and I will start searching. Zaz, you cover us."
     
     
    Ann-Marie and I started spiraling outwards from the