Talken Reservoir, the Arena, Prasinos system
Andy slowly flattened himself down in the water. It was freezing and he shivered as his clothes and boots became sodden. Keeping just his face and the pistol above the surface, he watched around twenty bugs investigate the remains of the fighter and the two human bodies. They hadn’t seen him across the road in the water and he hoped they’d soon lose interest and bugger off.
He swore under his breath as another human strolled around the corner of the building. It was female this time, she was young, slim and extremely attractive. She wore a pure white short thigh-length dress that showed off her long shapely legs.
‘Bloody hell,’ whispered Andy. ‘Shame she’s on the other bench.’ Then Rayl crossed his mind and he felt ashamed.
She wandered up the road to where the fighter had exploded and peered in where it had left quite a sizeable crater. Andy noticed the bugs gave her a wide birth, the nearest ones kowtowing to her, seemingly almost frightened to go near her.
Returning to the bodies, she bent down and checked them both. Shaking her head and standing again, she gazed around, her eyes quickly finding his.
‘Oh fuck,’ he spluttered. He’d sunk so low, his mouth was under the water.
‘Andrew,’ she called, strolling quickly and confidently nearer. ‘Get out of there. You’ll catch the death of a cold and that ankle looks very sore.’
He really had no choice now. He struggled up with one leg, his sodden clothes pouring water and hanging off him like a wet scarecrow. He kept the weapon by his side because she seemed to be the only reason the bugs weren’t tearing him apart.
‘You did well to survive that,’ she said, nodding at the crater. She stopped at the water’s edge and beckoned him with a finger. ‘Come on…come and get dry and we can have a nice little chat.’
He sighed and hopped his way out of the reservoir with a grimace as his ankle gave him its disapproval. He gave her a wide birth and stopped a few feet away. One thing that did puzzle him, was the fact she was human like the other brainwashed people, but she spoke normally, no monotone for her.
‘Who are you?’ he said, shivering uncontrollably. ‘You’re human and with the bugs, but speaking normally.’
‘Yes,’ she said, ruefully. ‘That is unfortunate. Something we haven’t perfected yet, but it’s only a matter of time before you won’t be able to tell the difference.’
‘You didn’t answer my question,’ he said.
‘Ah, yes,’ she said. ‘Depends on whose perspective you’re talking about. To these beautiful little creatures, I’m their queen.’
‘YOU’RE THE QUEEN?’ Andy blurted, unable to keep the astonishment from his voice.
‘You were expecting a four-metre tall insect with pincers that could decapitate a man in one snip, weren’t you?’ she said, tilting her head to one side.
Andy just stared at her for a moment.
‘Well, kinda,’ he said, finally. ‘What’s your real name then?’
‘My human name is Menka the Nine. I believe you know me as an Ancient.’
‘Bollocks,’ he said, without thinking. ‘No way are you a fucking Ancient.’
Menka laughed before glaring at him menacingly.
‘Such disrespect…you should watch your manners, mortal.’
‘A mortal with a gun,’ he said, pointing it at her for the first time.
She shrugged and held both hands up as the seething mass of bugs behind her surged forward. They stopped as if hit by a truck.
‘Go on, try it,’ she said, waving for the bugs to back off.
He pointed it up in the air and pulled the trigger. The faintest of clicks, but nothing else happened.
‘You see, Andrew…you’re not the only one with what you call DOVI technology. Your weapon was deactivated before I rounded the corner.’
‘You’re still not an Ancient though!’ he said, placing the pistol back in a soggy holster. ‘The Ancients travelled the galaxies spreading the human genome after their planet was destroyed by the star going nova and definitely not trying to wipe them out as you are.’
‘How d’you know all this?’ she asked, seemingly surprised at his knowledge.
‘I’ve spoken to two Ancients quite recently…that’s how I know,’ he said, crossing his arms to try and look confident and curtail his shivering.
‘Really?’ she said, raising her eyebrows. ‘And who might they have been?’
‘Husband and wife, Neferuptah and Pyriaeus,’ he said, nodding.
Her demeanour changed in an instant. Her face went crimson and her mouth twisted in a sneer.
‘Pyriaeus?’ she hissed. ‘I buried that shit alive on Tessamaine and as for that treacherous bitch, Neferuptah…’ she continued, almost spitting the name.
Turning on her heel, she marched off the way she’d come so quickly, the bugs struggled to keep out of her way.
‘Bring him,’ she shouted. ‘And get him some dry clothes.’