It looked slow, but that was an illusion due to its size, Scratcher only just getting out of range of it as the limb missed him by a hair. Its spindly...antennae twitched, its wet, glistening eyes shifting independently of one another as it tracked the different fighters. Didn’t it have missiles, plasma guns, projectile weapons of any kind? What was its purpose? Did it fill some kind of non-combat role, like harvesting ice or other raw materials to take back to the hive ship?Everyone kept their. "Go ahead, the one on the left." That one dropped with a single shot as well. She had them take turns until all the close ones were gone. There were more, way down the street, but those ones didn't seem to have noticed the bus. Occasionally one of those passing along the cross street heard the persistent cough from the rear of the bus and wandered over to investigate. The kids put them down easily. She'd expected more of them to come from her end of the street.Zoe watched her furtively, but. . there ... and shuddered, making a face. My collar started to vibrate softly against me - a gathering buzz, as if a storm was coming.“Don’t...” I glared at Tracy. “Don’t give it ideas!” I sighed, then tapped the collar - my finger touching a small green button next to my throat. “And this is going to keep me from being controlled. I hope.”“What is it exactly?” Amanda sounded like she was starting to come out of her fuge.“Quite clever, actually,” Jules said - trying to sound cheery and not. I simply sat and stared at the rock formation as I listened in. But I was starting to get a little bored of all the girl talk when my phone rang.“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” I heard Liz say. “But I ... I think I’m finished. All 25 of the stories,” she said excitedly. “I’ve never worked so fast. And it looks good. Shit, it looks great!”“I’m sorry, you have the wrong number,” I deadpanned. “No, Liz! Don’t hang up. Just messing with you. What you need to do next it organize everything, have.