“Nyx, is it just me, or is this incursion larger than the last one?” I asked as I flipped through the security feeds Nyx was pulling from the incursion site.

  It requires an enormous amount of energy to generate a rift and send seed pods through to other planets; the antithesis squeeze as many troops through as they can before they collapse. You didn’t see the full scale of the previous incursion because half the pods hit topside, and those antithesis never made it into the undercity. This incursion appears to be approximately the same size as the last one.

  “Good to know,” I mumbled. “I’m not seeing anything too powerful down there, a couple Elevens, Twelves, and Fourteens, but that’s it. I doubt the bears will have any problem keeping them contained.”

  Stepping away from the monitors, I stumbled towards the back of the Kodiak where my squad was positioned. “Bandit, how’s the perimeter coming?”

  “The last few squads are just getting into position now, boss,” the fox reported. “The streets will be completely locked down before the antithesis can reach our positions.”

  “Good. Bob, how are things on your side?”

  “Not great. The towns only have a couple of squads each, and there appear to be thousands of antithesis flooding out of those hives. I’m coordinating with the local corporate security and PMCs to move everyone into shelters and establish defensive lines, but if the antithesis push I doubt our defences will hold,” the big bear said.

  “I’ve already dispatched backup units, and there should already be samurai in the area, so don’t hesitate to call for backup if things start going south.”

  “Can do!” Bob replied happily.

  I felt a momentary sense of weightlessness as the Kodiak descended rapidly towards the ground. The northern part of the city held most of the city’s research and development, along with the advanced manufacturing facilities that required skilled workers. It was also where a lot of the chemical processing occurred, and waste was improperly stored. It was the source of all the chemical runoff that ended up in the undercity.

  It actually made me feel a little sick seeing the huge, modern-looking manufacturing complexes just a couple feet away from walled storage areas stacked high with chemical waste. It was a very corporate solution for the waste problem—just build a wall high enough that no one could see it leak into their other properties, and the problem was solved. Out of sight, out of mind.

  Of course they didn’t give a shit that that garbage was leaking into the neighbourhoods below. That wasn’t their problem.

  “Nyx, when we’re done here today, I’d like justification to go into those storage areas and vapourize that shit so it stops leaking. I know it’s unlikely, given Calgary’s corporate-focused laws, but I’d also like to find something to rake those fuckers over the coals with. Enviromental laws, improper storage, fucking littering—just something to force them to reconsider putting that shit in the middle of the city.”

  I’ll look into it. For now I recommend focusing on the more immediate problem, the antithesis. You’re approaching the perimeter now.

  “Right,” I mumbled under my breath as I grabbed my helmet off the nearby seat. As soon as I slipped it onto my head, I pulled the hood of my camo cloak up to cover it, then snatched my rifle.

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  I’m sure some people would think I looked ridiculous, a four-foot-five inch girl running around in a cloak with bear ears, and a helmet that had a bear-like muzzle, but it fit my aesthetic. Even if they didn’t like it, it wasn’t like they were going to say anything to my face. Not when I was backed up by hundreds of cuddly, teddy bear-shaped killbots.

  As soon as I felt the bump that indicated the Kodiak touching down, I slammed the button that lowered the rear door. The area had already been evacuated, and the roads blocked, before we even arrived. Two squads of bears had already taken defensive positions halfway down the street, just waiting for the antithesis to try and make a move.

  “Bandit, you stay here. I know you’re able to multitask right now, while things are quiet, but it’ll be much more difficult when the antithesis start trying to push out. Maintaining the perimeter is more important than clearing out the antithesis,” I told the fox.

  The tiny critter nodded, the fabric of his oversized ghillie suit bouncing just enough that I could see his eyes. “Got it, boss. You can count on me.”

  Bob immediately threw his hand in the air and started dancing from one foot to the other. “Oh, oh, oh, what about me? I’m also monitoring some bears.”

  “You’re staying in the back of the Kodiak as I advance. I know that leaving you here so you could concentrate on the town defenses would probably be the best idea; the antithesis have thrown new shit at me far too often, and you’ve almost always been the best counter, so you’re coming. I wish Spooky was here to take over from you, but since he’s way out east, you’ll have to manage things for the time being. Stay in the back of the Kodiak unless I call for you.”

  “Yes, Ma’am!” Bob replied as he stood us straight and saluted. “Ummm… You are going to call Spooky back, right? Like, I can probably handle the defenses in the short term, but he’s always been better at organizing things.”

  “I’d like to,” I grumbled, “but the situation is complicated right now. The marsupial was sitting next to New Montreal when the attacks started, and Spooky is trying to help contain the incursion that’s occurring over there. I’m not going to pull him out of an active combat zone just because it would make things slightly easier for us.”

  “Understandable, and in the grand scheme of things, what are a couple hundred bears compared to the forces you already have assembled around here, right?” said a sensual female voice, seemingly out of nowhere.

  Swiveling in place I scanned the entire street, trying to identify the source of the voice. “Charlotte? Is that you?”

  “Of course it is; who else would it be?” Charlotte replied as she appeared in the middle of the street just a few feet away. She was dressed in a tight black segmented armor, which fit her like a second skin, and she was carrying what appeared to be an anti-tank rifle, which was longer than I was tall.

  “I forgot that one of your specializations was stealth,” I grumbled.

  “Evelyn, darling, it’s in my handle. Stalking Shadow, remember?” Charlotte chuckled.

  “Yeah, well, I don’t typically call my friends by their samurai names that often,” I huffed. “What are you doing here anyways? If you wanted to talk, you could have just called me.”

  “Oh, this wasn’t a planned meeting. I was heading into the incursion zone on my bike to scout out the drop zones and spotted you as I flew by. I figured since we’re both in the same place, I’d stop so we could coordinate our efforts. How are things going on your side?”

  “Fine, so far. Containment is in place around the incursion, but unfortunately I can’t dedicate many bears to clearing it out. The vast majority of the bears were required to just establish the perimeter, and most of the remaining units were sent out to fortify the surrounding towns,” I explained quickly. “How about you?”

  “I sent out an alert to all the local samurai about the hives, but since the incursion occurred around the same time, I don’t know how many people actually went to deal with the external threats. There are still two or three dozen samurai around the city, so we shouldn’t have any problems dealing with the incursion.”

  “Good. The sooner it’s contained, the faster I can collapse the perimeter and start cleanup operations,” I replied. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Hoppy is right now, would you? I have Bob handling the exterior defenses, so it would be nice to have another heavy hitter at my back while I help clear.”

  “We were having a meeting when the alerts went out. She needed a little time to swap to her combat legs, but she should be by shortly. I’ll let her know where you are,” Charlotte said, hoisting the oversized rifle to her shoulder. “I need to get back to my search. The faster I locate those pods, the less time the antithesis have to spread out. I’ll keep you informed of any developments.”

  “And I’ll do the same. Stay safe out there,” I chirped.

  Charlotte nodded and headed back down the street. After a couple of steps, a sleek hoverbike just seemed to appear before her. She took a moment to strap the massive rifle to her back before straddling the bike and gunning the engine. I only managed to track her a couple feet before the cloaking tech re-engaged, and she disappeared.

  “Alright, you lot,” I shouted at my squad as I turned back towards my transport. “The other samurai may be on their way, but we’re not going to sit around and rely on them. It’s time to get to work.”

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