Dizzy looked out over the sand and rocks that made up Zegema Beach.
She had not been here since Zander's death. Every day, it had been another
assignment, another battle. Until now, she had never had the chance to
simply stand and grieve the loss of her friend. Now, with the bug threat
under control on Terra, the Roughnecks had been assigned to a mop-up team
on Tesca Nemerosa.
No bugs were in sight. Just empty rock as far as the eye could see ahead of her, and the ocean behind. The rest of the squad was out scouting. Max, the other half of her two man team, had gone on ahead. Leave it to the rookie not to know any better.
Dizzy sighed and started to walk again. Then stopped. Something wasn't right. She flipped her visor down and scanned the area. Bugs? No, one bug. Or maybe it was Max. It walked upright like a man.... Dizzy pushed her vizor back up and headed for the spot her scan had indicated. Max's voice crackled over the radio asking were she was, but she ignored it.
The bug creature was only a few hundred feet away now. It stood staring at her, not attacking, not running. Dizzy closed the gap, a since of unrealness capturing her. She stopped when less than twenty feet separated them.
"Zander?" She questioned softly. The creature made a move as if to try to speak. It had to try several times before a rough, hoarse word was formed.
"Yes."
Dizzy's eyes filled with tears. "Is it really you? We thought you were dead! Were have you been? How did you survive?" Each word closed the distance a little more, until she was face to face with her former comrade turned enemy.
Zander fought to speak again. "The cave in-- it-- it blocked me-- in but-- but did not kill me. The-- bugs dug-- me out."
"Have you lived with the bugs this whole time?"
Zander's voice came easier this time. "No, I-- sent them away-- to die. I am a soldier. I-- will survive."
"Zander, come back to the Valley Forge with us! Maybe Doc can think of something that will help you."
"Nothing will help. My condition is-- permanent."
"How do you know for sure? Let us at least take you home."
"I am home."
"No," Dizzy started to protest, but was cut off by a voice behind her.
"Duck, Diz! I've got your back!" Max jumped from an outcropping about ten feet away and turned his gun on Zander.
"No!" Dizzy's protest turned into a scream. She threw herself in front of Zander as Max opened fire.
The pain of three of Max's rapid shots ripped across her shoulder and arm before Max could throw his weapon clear.
"Diz!" Max looked in horror at the Roughneck lying on the ground. Zander bent over her, and gently lifted her in his arms.
"Put her down!" Max demanded, turning his rifle back on Zander.
"Stand down, trooper!" Zander commanded, a new clarity in his voice. "I am Major Zander Barcalow of Fleet Command! You will direct me back to the Valley Forge, Private--" He looked at the side of Max's helmet. "Ah, Brutto! Any relation to Francis Brutto, Mobile Infantry? I think you must be his son. You act just like him!"
Max dropped his rifle to his side and saluted. "I'm sorry, Sir, but-- but--" Max gave up.
"But I looked like the enemy." Zander finished for him. "Always think first, Private. Now, we've got to get Dizzy to the Doc. LeCroix still with your outfit?"
"Yes, Sir." Max turned and led the strange creature carrying Dizzy back to were a transport waited to take the squad back to the Valley Forge. "This is private Max Brutto," He called into his radio.
"Don't tell them about me." Zander warned.
"Dizzy's been hit." Max nodded in acknoledgement of Zander's statement. "Uh, no Sir, no enemy fire. It was um, an accident." He listened for a moment. "Three pulse rifle shots to the right shoulder and arm." Max continued to talk as they walked, carefully avoiding mentioning their companion.
A few moments later, Max signed off and turned to Zander. "We've got to get the bleeding stopped. Rico and the others will meet us at the transport."
Zander nodded. He worked his mouth for a moment, and then spit a wad of sticky goo onto Dizzy's arm.
The bleeding has been stopped."
Max didn't comment.
In just a few more minutes, they arrived at the transport. The whole squad was there waiting. Rico was the first to notice the third member of the group.
He stared at him for a long moment, surprise covering his face. "Zander?" He questioned much like Dizzy.
"Yes. Now we need to get Dizzy some help. I'll tell all later, but get Lt. Razac." Zander's customary take charge manner rose to the front.
"Razac-- isn't with us anymore. I am the LT now."
It was Zander's turn to be shocked. "I never thought he would ever die," he said softly. He cleared his throat. "So you are in charge, huh? Figures. Let's get Dizzy settled. She should be ok. I-- have learned that, well, bugs can do things humans can't." He pointed out the slime on Dizzy. "It should heal fast."
They took Dizzy in and laid her across her bunk. Doc looked at her briefly, then turned to Zander. "She'll be fine. What I am interested to find out is how you are even alive."
Zander told them his story. The squad was shocked to find out how he had lived all that time.
Dizzy woke up and listened, too. Her arm didn't hurt at all, and other than being light headed from the loss of blood, she was fine. When Zander had finished his story, everyone turned expectant eyes on Doc.
Doc started to speak slowly. "After you contracted this, um, disease, Intel started to work on the possibilities. They came up with one... longshot." He turned serious eyes on Zander. "It has never been tested. It is supposed to attack any foreign bodies in your system. The problem is, at your advanced stage, humanity could be considered the foreign body. It might take out the bug, but it could just as easily take out the man. If it does..." doc trailed off.
"There is no turning back." Zander finished for him. "I will finally be... a bug, right?"
Doc nodded. "If I administer this drug, you will either be all human or all bug when it is over. There is no way to tell which."
Zander's eyes took on a dreamy, far-off look. "All this time, not man, not bug..." he said softly. His eyes took on a look of steel. "Do it."
Doc gave him the drug. It would take several hours to work-- for one way or the other. Dizzy sat by Zander, her eyes searching for any change. She could not see any. He still looked like a bug, and talked like a man.
Zander could see, though. He could feel the drug burning him up inside. He knew what was happening. He sighed and reached into a pocket- like dip in his armory flesh. He held a canister out, and gazed at with a look of finality.
"What is that?" Dizzy questioned him.
He avoided answering the question. "I guess I thought giving this up was like giving up hope. It was my last link to humanity."
"What is it?" Dizzy asked again.
Zander looked at her with dark, unhuman eyes. "It's just a bad dream. All of it."
He twisted the lid on the canister, and the room started to grow cloudy. The substance was thick and choking, and Dizzy coughed and fought to stay awake. She failed. Her body slumped to the floor.
"Goodbye, my friend." Zander said, and then he walked away, and darkness closed in.
When Dizzy woke up, she was on her bunk in the transport. The others were all still sleeping peacefully in their own bunks. Was it all a dream, then? She wondered. She sat up, and looked around her. Nothing was disturbed. All of Doc's things were still where they should be, not scattered around. Nothing was missing or out of place.
She sighed and hung her head, resting it on her shoulder. Something caught her eye. Three tiny white spots peppered across her arm, almost unnoticeable. She smiled. No, it wasn't a dream. Zander was alive.
The others started to wake up. No one mentioned Zander. It seemed that they had all written the whole day off as a dream. One they didn't want to remember. Rico gave the order, and the ship prepared to take off.
Somewhere out in the darkness, two black eyes followed the transport as it rose into the night sky. Not quite animal, but not quite human. Zander turned to go back inside his cave. Here was home, forever. He doubted he would ever see a human being again. But that was ok. He would never see a bug again, either.
No bugs were in sight. Just empty rock as far as the eye could see ahead of her, and the ocean behind. The rest of the squad was out scouting. Max, the other half of her two man team, had gone on ahead. Leave it to the rookie not to know any better.
Dizzy sighed and started to walk again. Then stopped. Something wasn't right. She flipped her visor down and scanned the area. Bugs? No, one bug. Or maybe it was Max. It walked upright like a man.... Dizzy pushed her vizor back up and headed for the spot her scan had indicated. Max's voice crackled over the radio asking were she was, but she ignored it.
The bug creature was only a few hundred feet away now. It stood staring at her, not attacking, not running. Dizzy closed the gap, a since of unrealness capturing her. She stopped when less than twenty feet separated them.
"Zander?" She questioned softly. The creature made a move as if to try to speak. It had to try several times before a rough, hoarse word was formed.
"Yes."
Dizzy's eyes filled with tears. "Is it really you? We thought you were dead! Were have you been? How did you survive?" Each word closed the distance a little more, until she was face to face with her former comrade turned enemy.
Zander fought to speak again. "The cave in-- it-- it blocked me-- in but-- but did not kill me. The-- bugs dug-- me out."
"Have you lived with the bugs this whole time?"
Zander's voice came easier this time. "No, I-- sent them away-- to die. I am a soldier. I-- will survive."
"Zander, come back to the Valley Forge with us! Maybe Doc can think of something that will help you."
"Nothing will help. My condition is-- permanent."
"How do you know for sure? Let us at least take you home."
"I am home."
"No," Dizzy started to protest, but was cut off by a voice behind her.
"Duck, Diz! I've got your back!" Max jumped from an outcropping about ten feet away and turned his gun on Zander.
"No!" Dizzy's protest turned into a scream. She threw herself in front of Zander as Max opened fire.
The pain of three of Max's rapid shots ripped across her shoulder and arm before Max could throw his weapon clear.
"Diz!" Max looked in horror at the Roughneck lying on the ground. Zander bent over her, and gently lifted her in his arms.
"Put her down!" Max demanded, turning his rifle back on Zander.
"Stand down, trooper!" Zander commanded, a new clarity in his voice. "I am Major Zander Barcalow of Fleet Command! You will direct me back to the Valley Forge, Private--" He looked at the side of Max's helmet. "Ah, Brutto! Any relation to Francis Brutto, Mobile Infantry? I think you must be his son. You act just like him!"
Max dropped his rifle to his side and saluted. "I'm sorry, Sir, but-- but--" Max gave up.
"But I looked like the enemy." Zander finished for him. "Always think first, Private. Now, we've got to get Dizzy to the Doc. LeCroix still with your outfit?"
"Yes, Sir." Max turned and led the strange creature carrying Dizzy back to were a transport waited to take the squad back to the Valley Forge. "This is private Max Brutto," He called into his radio.
"Don't tell them about me." Zander warned.
"Dizzy's been hit." Max nodded in acknoledgement of Zander's statement. "Uh, no Sir, no enemy fire. It was um, an accident." He listened for a moment. "Three pulse rifle shots to the right shoulder and arm." Max continued to talk as they walked, carefully avoiding mentioning their companion.
A few moments later, Max signed off and turned to Zander. "We've got to get the bleeding stopped. Rico and the others will meet us at the transport."
Zander nodded. He worked his mouth for a moment, and then spit a wad of sticky goo onto Dizzy's arm.
The bleeding has been stopped."
Max didn't comment.
In just a few more minutes, they arrived at the transport. The whole squad was there waiting. Rico was the first to notice the third member of the group.
He stared at him for a long moment, surprise covering his face. "Zander?" He questioned much like Dizzy.
"Yes. Now we need to get Dizzy some help. I'll tell all later, but get Lt. Razac." Zander's customary take charge manner rose to the front.
"Razac-- isn't with us anymore. I am the LT now."
It was Zander's turn to be shocked. "I never thought he would ever die," he said softly. He cleared his throat. "So you are in charge, huh? Figures. Let's get Dizzy settled. She should be ok. I-- have learned that, well, bugs can do things humans can't." He pointed out the slime on Dizzy. "It should heal fast."
They took Dizzy in and laid her across her bunk. Doc looked at her briefly, then turned to Zander. "She'll be fine. What I am interested to find out is how you are even alive."
Zander told them his story. The squad was shocked to find out how he had lived all that time.
Dizzy woke up and listened, too. Her arm didn't hurt at all, and other than being light headed from the loss of blood, she was fine. When Zander had finished his story, everyone turned expectant eyes on Doc.
Doc started to speak slowly. "After you contracted this, um, disease, Intel started to work on the possibilities. They came up with one... longshot." He turned serious eyes on Zander. "It has never been tested. It is supposed to attack any foreign bodies in your system. The problem is, at your advanced stage, humanity could be considered the foreign body. It might take out the bug, but it could just as easily take out the man. If it does..." doc trailed off.
"There is no turning back." Zander finished for him. "I will finally be... a bug, right?"
Doc nodded. "If I administer this drug, you will either be all human or all bug when it is over. There is no way to tell which."
Zander's eyes took on a dreamy, far-off look. "All this time, not man, not bug..." he said softly. His eyes took on a look of steel. "Do it."
Doc gave him the drug. It would take several hours to work-- for one way or the other. Dizzy sat by Zander, her eyes searching for any change. She could not see any. He still looked like a bug, and talked like a man.
Zander could see, though. He could feel the drug burning him up inside. He knew what was happening. He sighed and reached into a pocket- like dip in his armory flesh. He held a canister out, and gazed at with a look of finality.
"What is that?" Dizzy questioned him.
He avoided answering the question. "I guess I thought giving this up was like giving up hope. It was my last link to humanity."
"What is it?" Dizzy asked again.
Zander looked at her with dark, unhuman eyes. "It's just a bad dream. All of it."
He twisted the lid on the canister, and the room started to grow cloudy. The substance was thick and choking, and Dizzy coughed and fought to stay awake. She failed. Her body slumped to the floor.
"Goodbye, my friend." Zander said, and then he walked away, and darkness closed in.
When Dizzy woke up, she was on her bunk in the transport. The others were all still sleeping peacefully in their own bunks. Was it all a dream, then? She wondered. She sat up, and looked around her. Nothing was disturbed. All of Doc's things were still where they should be, not scattered around. Nothing was missing or out of place.
She sighed and hung her head, resting it on her shoulder. Something caught her eye. Three tiny white spots peppered across her arm, almost unnoticeable. She smiled. No, it wasn't a dream. Zander was alive.
The others started to wake up. No one mentioned Zander. It seemed that they had all written the whole day off as a dream. One they didn't want to remember. Rico gave the order, and the ship prepared to take off.
Somewhere out in the darkness, two black eyes followed the transport as it rose into the night sky. Not quite animal, but not quite human. Zander turned to go back inside his cave. Here was home, forever. He doubted he would ever see a human being again. But that was ok. He would never see a bug again, either.