╨╧рб▒с>■  JL■   I                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ье┴7 Ё┐└HbjbjUU РZ7|7|└D      l&&&&&&&4Zж ж ж ж ▓ $Z╢т т т т т т > 4 кмммммм╜ ▌▓м&@ т т @ @ м└&&т т ┴└└└@ ┌&т &т к└@ к└╓└Ц&&Цт ╓ @ `;Л╝└ZL ж жЦЦ╫0ЦП└ПЦ└ZZ&&&&┘ FIGHTING FOR THE CAUSE The sun beat harshly down onto the flat plain, the featureless horizon all around broken only by the occasional clump of massive irregular boulders that littered the cracked desert. Heat hazes shimmered in the blistering sunlight. There was no water to be seen, not even near the few clumps of scraggly weeds that scratched out a living in the desolate land. They obtained their moisture from deep below. Cklikclaq ran a limb over his head as he darted to take shelter beneath a huge shell-holed leaf. One by one, the rest of his Platoon followed, some taking up guarding positions around the makeshift camp, others uncracking supply packets and water canteens, making the most of the lull in the fighting. The distant sound of passing heavy bombers dumping high explosive on a far off settlement broke the silence, not for the first time today, but the troops were used to hearing the sound of death, and paid it no heed as they struggled to offload their heavy equipment and backpacks. One of the junior officers took the time to make a quick check of the numbers present, and ran off to report to Cklikclaq who was peeking from behind the thick trunk of the plant which was providing them with a safe haven. He held an electronic tactical data map in his hand into which he had plugged a GPS unit to calculate their exact position on the battlefield. УAll present and correct SirФ, reported Lieutenant Foqualiquik in his usual efficient style. УVery goodФ replied Cklikclaq after a pause. Overhead, a squadron of fighters flew past. He couldnТt tell if they were allies or not, but from the sound of the wing beats, he suspected they were of the WASP interceptor class Ц enemies. Allies of the Spiders. The war against the Spiders was not going well. CklikclaqТs Colony had held out well until recently, but then Launch Day had come, and the Queen had died, her task in life finished. Now they could no longer count on the resource of unlimited troops for battle Ц and every day the Colony grew smaller and smaller. Soon, they would have to evacuate and prepare for hibernation, and their ColonyТs contribution to the Great Patriotic War would be over for this year. УWe need to get to that small ridge over thereФ instructed Cklikclaq, pointing to a small mound of dirt in the distance. УThen we can call in fire support and move onto the enemy baseФ. He pointed with an armoured forelimb to the GPS display that was projected into the air in 3D. One of the unusual features of the plain on which they stood were the straight lines placed at regular intervals which divided the desert surface into square-like УsectorsФ. Some claimed the deep trench-like lines, which had existed for thousands of generations, were evidence of alien visitors in years past. The lines, it was said, had been placed there as messages to the aliens for whenever they returned. Others said that the plain itself had been manufactured and that the trenches were merely the join lines. The architects, it was claimed, were simply on a tea break and would be back soon after the second round of cakes. Cklikclaq didnТt care about such things, all he knew was that the trenches were good for defence, and that they made navigation about the desert easier. The Colony had been founded at a junction of four of the trenches and was well hidden from enemy soldiers. It was also well away from Spider lines, even with the Spiders at their greatest point of advance the Colony was safe from a direct assault. Foqualiquik peered over with compound eyes to the ridge Cklikclaq had pointed out. His feelers twitched nervously. Even from this distance he could see the strands of a web-made structure. A Spider machine-gun nest, complete with observer and radar posts. Parked by the side of the mound of dirt was a BumbleBee class heavy bomber Ц an enhanced version of the WASP vertical-launch fighter with the ability to precision drop three grams of heavy explosive using computer assistance, or with the capability to be outfitted with guided missile launchers. Foqualiquik pulled out his binoculars and saw that the hatch to the Bee was open. The crew of three small Money-Spiders was loading the weapons racks. Any minute now, the Bee would be ready to launch. УAnd then what Sir?Ф asked the Lieutenant, Уthe men canТt take another day of fighting, and we need to restock for supplies at the Colony. We canТt hold the ridge forever, weТd have to withdraw at nightfallФ. УIТm aware of thatФ Cklikclaq said sternly, Уbut this is all part of one big assault, and we are a key element. If we fail, then the tanks wonТt be able to break through the enemy lines. We HAVE to push on!Ф Foqualiquik nodded as he realised the enormity of the task ahead of them. The dirt ridge hid a Spider-held trench, possibly the key to the entire Spider trench network in the region. They would undoubtedly lose a few of their Platoon today, but such losses were necessary to contain the Spider menace. An explosion shook the ground beneath Foqualiquik as he jogged back on four of his legs towards the weary Ant soldiers under the leaf. A second explosion, this one slightly closer, made him look around. A huge column of flame erupted from behind a boulder in the near distance. Foqualiquik could make out the shape of a Woodlouse class fast attack tank being flung into the air. Dammit, the second column was under attack! Three Ants would have died inside the wreckage of the Woodlouse, and they couldnТt be replaced until a new Colony was founded next year. Foqualiquik hoped that Launch Day had been successful and that at least some of the Flying Ant Queens had got through the WASP blockade and founded new Colonies Ц if they hadnТt, then all would be lost when the war resumed after winter hibernation. The entire region might be lost to the Spiders, a great blow for the Ant Empire. Foqualiquik quickly explained to the Ants in the Platoon what was required of them, and watched solemnly as they pulled on their blackened torso armour and strapped their half-shell leggings on. One by one, the troopers reported ready, standing on two legs, assault rifles in their right lower forearms and with their upper forearms raised in the traditional crossed-limb Ant salute. Cklikclaq found it difficult not to allow a tear to drop down his face armour as he joined Foqualiquik in inspecting the Ants present. This might very well be their last day together as a Platoon. Already the weather was getting colder, if the Spiders didnТt kill them all, maybe the rains would come. They might not even make it to hibernation so they could join up with another Colony next year. He quickly put such thoughts out of his head. There was a job to do. He nodded over to Foqualiquik. УOK, letТs move outФ ordered Foqualiquik as he snapped his plastic visor down. Silently, the Platoon crept from behind their shelter, three Ant troopers taking point position as the column moved forwards in zigzag fashion towards the enemy lines. It was mid-day, and the sun was bearing down inexorably as the troopers marched from boulder to boulder. No Spiders were supposed to be in the area, but there was nothing to stop them being dropped by web parachute behind into Ant territory, so the troops were constantly on the alert. They were a devious lot, the Spiders. After half-an hour of scurried yomping, Cklikclaq called a halt and allowed those Ants that had them to smoke what might be their last weed cigarette. Packets of Greenfly Milk were passed around and weapons were checked. They were close. The front line was but a few centimetres away and the sound of battle was now deafening. The silhouettes of slow, unwieldy and outdated Ant-manned Cockroach Bombers roared in the skies above, causing havoc in the Spider controlled-lands beyond, but themselves suffering appalling casualties to the anti-aircraft artillery that picked off the lumbering giants. In addition, squadron after squadron of WASP Interceptors buzzed the Cockroaches, battering the heavily manned bombers with their torso-mounted cannons, bringing many down onto the plain in balls of fire. In a desperate measure to defend the Cockroaches, each with a crew of twenty Ants on board, the numerous, super-fast and super-reliable black-shaded Fly-Fighters flitted amongst the WASPs, trying to defend their charges in vicious dogfights. But the WASPs, although slower and less manoeuvrable, had heavier armour and weaponry. And they were definitely winning this day, their evil buzzing noise striking fear into the hearts of the Fly-Fighter pilots, some of whom resorted to strafing the enemy lines as they dove out of control, tails afire and battered and torn wings locking the Fighter into a death-spiral. One Ant pilot drifted to the ground in a parachute, only to be picked off by a Spider as it ran from cover to spear the stricken Ant with a bayonet. Running back to the safety of the trench, Cklikclaq was pleased to see the creature blown apart by an exploding grenade, its disgusting eight legs flying in every direction, sticky green goo oozing out of the shattered body and soaking the dusty ground. As the Platoon members looked around nervously, other members of the Spider Alliance could not be seen, they were hiding beneath their webs as usual. But machine gun fire was heard sporadically as brave Ant soldiers charged the enemy trenches. The throbbing sound of powerful Woodlice diesel engines occasionally rose above the noise of the heavy artillery that pounded both sides and the stench of hot death was sickening. The Woodlouse class tank was fast and sleek with many tractored legs, but local manufacturing of the model had been halted after a sneak Spider Commando attack on the nearby factory that had been hidden beneath a damp log deep in Ant-occupied land. Consequently, the Woodlice were few in number and valuable assets. Cklikclaq hoped they could sweep aside the heavily armoured Beetletanks and assist in the main attack to come. As for the enemy Beetletanks, they were usually deployed in small groups. But today, not only had they been grouped together in one vast armoured division, but many of them had also received modifications that increased their effectiveness. In a cynical move that went against all the laws of modern morality and in supreme defiance of the GenevAnt Convention, the eight-legs had modified some of their larger Beetletanks to carry Solar Magnifier weapons on their armour-plated backs. Stuck onto the end of a vertically mounted shaft, the beams caused by the focusing areas of the Magnifiers concentrated the power of the sun onto the battlefield, burning the Ant troopers and frying them alive inside their armour. Only Ants lucky enough to be inside Woodlice attack tanks could escape this fate, but they in turn were battered by the hovering Bumble-Bee Bombers that flew low-level attacks upon them. It was a massacre. All this would change of course, when the war would start again after the yearly hibernation for both species. It was the same every year. The Ants would make huge advances with unlimited Antpower, until the Queens died, and then the tables would turn. The hardier Spider troops would seize back the territory their enemies had gained in a remarkably short time, whittling down the ever-diminishing numbers of Ants right up until the winter set in, when the war would stop for hibernation. The stalemate would continue until one side either developed a super-weapon to win the war, or unless one side managed to hold onto their natural advantage for two seasons in a row. Alternatively, a longer summer could swing the war either way Ц depending on whether it started earlier or ended later. Both sides were of course developing technologies to adapt the weather patterns of the Earth, but resources for space projects other than military satellites were scarce. All these thoughts were going through FoqualiquikТs mind when Cklikclaq ordered the assault. He checked the magazine on his assault rifle, and moved forward with the rest of the Platoon. This was it. Under blistering weapons fire from the Spider artillery placed several metres away, the Platoon hugged the ground as they raked the ridge with their small arms. The noise of exploding mortars and grenades was deafening. Two of the Platoon were burnt to a crisp as a Solar Magnifier swept the plain with its deadly beam. Their bodies lay kinked and smoking on the ground, faces locked in death masks of terror. Cklikclaq ordered two of the Ants carrying the larger General Purpose Machine Guns into position to fire at the refocusing Solar Magnifier high above them, when, with the Platoon only managing to have struggled a few millimetres forward toward their objective, it happened. The lead trooper was there one second, and simplyЕgone the next. There was no explosion, no gunfire, no beam of sunlight from the Magnifier, just a squashed Ant soldier on the hard ground. УWhat theЕ?Ф exclaimed Cklikclaq as the Platoon hit the floor in a panic. Those who had taken the point position looked around, alarmed but there were no enemies in direct sight. Yet SOMETHING had killed their comrade. It wasnТt the Solar Magnifier; the Beetletank carrying it was reversing away at maximum speed, its mechanical legs kicking up dust as it ran, the sound of its engine at full power clearly audible. Foqualiquik clawed his way towards his Platoon leader. УWhat killed him?Ф He asked incredulously, pointing with his left lower forearm at the crushed corpse. УNot sure, perhaps they have a new weapon.Ф Responded Cklikclaq. Maybe the rumours were true Ц perhaps the Spiders had finally managed to ship over some of the giant Tarantula killer-droids from the factories overseas? Maybe the Ant blockade of the shores had failed? But it COULDNТT be a Tarantula Droid. They were supposed to be enormous, for sure, but it would have surely been in view when it killed the unfortunate soldier. Whatever had killed him had come from above. A long way above. The ridge ahead of them was temptingly close. Cklikclaq had two choices for his Ants. They could continue on and take the point or retreat back and try to work out what had taken down their comrade. The decision was taken from him when, in a flash of pink, another soldier was crushed beneath an enormous SOMETHING that darted out from the sky. A huge shadow blocked out the sun and in an instant, another two Platoon members lay dead, their six limbs jutting out in impossible positions. CklikclaqТs field radio buzzed him. He switched it off and looked on horrified as another soldier was killed. His comrade pulled out a tube from his backpack, flipped up the sights in readiness to fire a small tactical nuclear warhead into the enemy lines, when he too was removed from the battlefield. УRETREAT!!Ф Cklikclaq shouted to his troops, scrambling and rolling to the side as a huge long pink mass struck the ground next to him. Foqualiquik wasnТt quick enough and he lay dead Ц his eyes open in horror, one leg jerking in reflex action as he died. Cklikclaq jumped up and, using all six of his limbs ran to shelter. In a sudden massive УexplosionФ of dust and debris, the ridge which he had been detailed to capture was gone Ц the Spider emplacement nothing but sticky junk. A dead Spider body rolled down towards him, three of its eight eyes crushed like the rest of its torso, body armour torn open to reveal the hairy legs beneath. The body was so close, Cklikclaq could see the red and black legband with the symbol of the Fascist Spider Alliance upon it. Whatever this super-killer was, it didnТt distinguish between Spiders and Ants. Overhead, Cklikclaq could hear the whoosh of escaping Fly-Fighters and WASPs alike as they fled the battlefield. The general sounds of warfare had ceased, it was every insect and arachnid for himself. A descending BumbleBee bomber hit the ground and exploded a few centimetres away, deafening Cklikclaq with the concussion and scattering hot metal fragments everywhere. One of the crew popped a hatch and fled the scene, passing Cklikclaq it shouted at him in a squeaky voice to escape. In reflex, Cklikclaq pumped thirty rounds from his assault rifle into the Money-Spider and blew it to pieces. The enormous pink killing machine struck again and again, wiping out the rest of CklikclaqТs small force right before his eyes. Dust filled the air and Cklikclaq had to switch on his suit filtering system to breathe. He dropped his rifle, it didnТt seem to be much use now, some of his men had fired up at the pink thing before they had died, to no avail. A Woodlouse tank swept into position ahead of Cklikclaq, its main gun firing energy bursts of maximum laser power wildly up into the air. Suddenly, it was gone, as flat as the plain on which it sat, another victim of the huge pink mass from the sky. The shadow above Cklikclaq suddenly darkened even more. He tried to run, but it was no use. He was beaten. The last thought that went through CklikclaqТs mind before the darkness of permanent oblivion, was that he loved his wifeЕ * * * The man in the pinstripe suit stood up from the smear on the pavement and flicked the remains of the dead insect from his finger. The distraction with the ants had amused him for a few brief seconds, but now he wanted to annoy some real creatures Ц like people. 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