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"You're a nerd, and it's killing my buzz," she says.
Well, she's got me there.
Clara’s laugh subsides. She says, "Okay, I'll admit it. In a weird way, they're pretty hot. Shame they're dead
set on resisting us. If the alphas were able to integrate into society like we thought, maybe they’d make good partners.”
I ignore her as best I can. When I’m this close to the jungle, she doesn't seem that funny. There could be anyone out there, watching me. Waiting for me to slip up.
"I take it you've run a landscape analysis on the region?" I ask.
Clara clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. I can hear her typing. "Did one weeks ago, but I could set another for tomorrow," she says.
"Tomorrow?" I ask. "If we wait that long, you might as well call the search off. A craft will flash out of the quadrant in less than a second."
"These days, Syndicate criminals don't take to the sky. Too many Earth Federation patrol vehicles," she says.
"Even more reason to send a bot in to scan for any irregularities in the landscape," I say.
"We know their path, Anna," she says. "They take the Kalyx River. They transport the women by boat," she says.
"We have documentation of their vehicles?" I ask. "Seems a little crazy we don't have patrols stationed along the river."
"The river goes all the way up to the Red Sands. It's part of the treaty with the Gorkis. Until our lovely Earth Federation generals feel the need to reform old laws, the river is out of our jurisdiction,” she says.
"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" I ask.
"I didn't want to freak you out. I know how you stressed you get," she says.
"Clara, what are you hiding from me?"
She clears her throat and clicks her tongue again. "We think there are some in the area. Despite the laws surrounding jurisdiction, I think we'll be able to defend our case to the generals if we hunt them down. You know, bring General Kyev an alien, face to face,” she says.
She continues. “Slavers have made routine trips across the river, slowing down at a small, clandestine harbor outside of the refugee camps. They are loaded with weapons and women. Tonight is important, so I sent you out to—"
"You sent me to patrol, knowing full well I was walking into a Syndicate fuck-party," I say.
"A shame, I know. But just last week you were complaining about a lack of adventure. Here you go. You've found it. If you catch one of these bastards, you’ll be celebrated by every general, soldier, and MP on the planet," she says.
Wow. What a total bitch, but she's right. This is exactly what I signed up for. "I guess I didn't expect to be alone," I say. “Normally, we get briefed on this sort of thing.”
“Don’t be such a wuss. We've got units in the area standing by," she says. "They're just waiting on you."
My heart races. In the distance, I see red lasers appear. They bounce near my feet. Friendly snipers.
Oh, thank God…
I smile and loosely wave my hand, shaking my head with astonishment. "You set me up," I whisper.
This is what I wanted. To rise in the ranks. To honor my planet and do right by the docile alien races.
"You're damn right, soldier. You know I have your back. This is your time to shine, so enough joking around. Embrace the suck," she says.
Embrace the suck. Just one of many of our squad's catchphrases. Sometimes, this place really does suck, but it feels good to get a chance at making it suck less.
I inhale the humid air and repeat her words. "Embrace the suck. Over and out."
My eye transmits everything I see back to base. All of the data gets projected on Intel screens. There's not a clear trail in front of me, but I know the area well enough to navigate.
