10-06-2005 16:22									#1
	Valor Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

Paradise Swarming, MY 2158

“Lieutenant Whay reporting,” the woman said as she wiped the blood from her forehead with her sleeve. The image shimmered as if it were seen through a haze of heat. In the background there was a thin veil of smoke.

“This is The Hive,” the voice replied. “Begin report.”

“The mindworms attacked in tandem. We saw them two weeks ago at the monolith. They got big. But we reported that. Just after that they headed straight for us. We tightened up, since we knew we couldn’t seen them as they traveled through the fungus, not exactly anyway. The sensor techs told us generally where they were. We felt them coming before we got here. Private Johns got itchy, of all things, and had to be sedated. He’s in the infirmary. Good thing we got him out since the worms attacked moments later. In a way he gave us a warning.”

The woman paused again to wipe of more blood mixed with sweat. It made her standard issue blue uniform look dark blue where the fluids mingled.

“We got out our shredders, and I ordered suppressing fire into the fungus. That flushed them out, and a high-pitched chattering started, or that’s as near as I can describe the sound. Others said it was more like someone screaming and drawing their fingernails over a chalkboard like we used in school. We got a few real good shots in before the boil swarmed into the perimeter defense. They went through it as if it wasn’t there, Sir! We kept on firing, reducing the first work to a pink and bloody pulp.

“The second one got further, and it got Privates Wayne and Hong. We had to fire into them as they swarmed, and between our fire and the worms there wasn’t much left of either. Shredder shrapnel went everywhere, and four more in our squad were hurt.

“That’s it, Sir. Based on the report from PR3 before they died there should be four to six more out there.”

The young woman straightened, and brushed the front of her uniform off as best she could. “Lieutenant Whay, People’s Infantry 38, Paradise Swarming, signing off.” She gave a crisp salute, reached down, and the image disappeared.

First Citizen Yang was impressed with this soldier. Her valor had preserved a Hivean base and over a thousand Citizens. Such competency could not be ignored. He reached down to his datapad and issued a recommendation for Lieutenant Shu Whay to receive a battlefield promotion to Coronal, effective immediately, and that she receive the Order of the People citation for valor, and that everyone in her unit receive a People’s Citation.

It remained to be seen if she survived the next few attacks, but if she did it was clear she would make a fine general some day.