"About time they got here," Burke muttered to herself as the horde made its final approach to the outer layer of fortifications the colony had erected.
"Everything ready?" Wills asked for the fourth time in the last five minutes.
"Yes, everything is ready. You really should have rested when you were told to."
"Couldn't," Wills flicked her antennae, "the scouts were still out there."
"That doesn't mean that you had to be."
"We disagree on that point."
"I know," Burke lifted an antenna and brought it down with a gentle thwack on her siblings head. "Now that the battle has arrived, you're useless. Go back with the other late returning scouts and get an hour of rest. This isn't going to be over by then."
Stubborn, Wills shook her head.
"I'll be fine for a while yet," she said, "I've got a full load of acid and I'm not sleeping till these invaders have felt every drop of it."
"Fair enough then. Just make sure you don't push too far forward. Stick to the plan. Deliver the product and then get to safety."
The two scouts fell into a companionable silence as the horde made its final approach. One hundred metres. That's all that separated the enemy from the first defensive line. After a week of solid fighting, it was a relief to have it come to this.
"About time then," Burke announced.
"Seems like it," Wills agreed.
the order to open fire," Burke told the
snapped out
course, Elder. Fire when
communication. Not a single sound was uttered yet a thousand monstrous ants leapt into motion simultaneously. Not far away the human defenders
the ants however, the
fire! Long range will engage in ten seconds! Ten seconds! Soldiers and generals
come! Are you ready to
your angles! Don't
them what real monsters are
"Two! One! FIRE!"
the entire scouting brigade of the Formica Sapiens, their collective business districts already pointed at the foe,
POW!
the shrill sound pierced the air but faded quickly as the acid lost momentum and began
was set upon by its fellow horde members
POW! POW! POW!
steady barrage, firing in sequence as a well
about half empty" Burke observed, "what do you
I haven't been tracking the time," Wills
generals, FIRE!" the order rippled
POW! POW! POW! POW!
barrage. So much acid filled the sky it began to fall on the horde like burning rain. The ants were careful to spread their fire as much as possible. It wasn't as if it were possible to miss in this scenario, but to inflict maximum damage on the horde the ants didn't need to inflict fatal damage. It was better to wound as many
poured from the sky and the creatures who threw themselves on their wounded brethren, the horde continued to advance, an unstoppable wave of momentum that couldn't be halted. Despite the damage caused
Burke declared, reorienting herself so she could look out over the wall once again. "Ten more seconds
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