Rosek moved her mech between the two combatants. August had yet to throw a punch, and Sterling had only been successful in landing the one. Blood dripped from August’s nose. He finally got the chance to pinch it, thanks to Rosek’s intervention.

Sterling wasn’t done. “You start that car attracting the caraperium, and then—”

“The what?” August asked.

“The horned beetle dolo!” Sterling shouted. “Then you waste my whole bottle after I specifically said to use only one drop. Then you blow the tank! That could’ve killed us all. It’s not over, though. Your stunt with the pheromones attracted those flyers. The ones that stuck the general!” He looked up at Rosek, and his face softened. “Oh, please, let me kill him. Let me do it before he gets us killed.”

“No one’s killing anyone,” Rosek said.

“Would anyone really care if this little shit died?” Sterling looked around. “I bet no one would even remember him at the dome. He’d just be another little name on a hidden plaque somewhere.”

August burned inside. He wanted to tell Rosek to let the bastard try him, but at the same time, he knew everything Sterling had said was true, including the plaque. Sure, maybe Manny and a few of the boys might mourn him. Mom might even attend the funeral, so long as Dirk would let her, but who would care if August died? He doubted the squad would even bring his body back to the dome. It was unlikely they’d even waste time burying him.

He risked a glance of each squaddie. Sterling, of course, was easy to read. In fact, there was no reason to read him. He’d vomited his true thoughts as bluntly and candidly as possible. He couldn’t see Rosek’s face with her back turned to him. He didn’t want to see her face fearing she might look as vengeful and angry as the exterminator.

Slupman slouched with a hand on his injured arm and looked away when August’s glance reached him. Belmont was busy attending to the general who lay against a car with his eyes closed, muttering something incoherent. Dalton West met August’s eyes with a stern look. He was difficult to read, but the look didn’t inspire much hope. He was alone outside the dome. Hated. He’d never felt so exposed in his life.

He turned away and started for the town. He made his way toward the fresh tire tracks in the stretch of sand. It might’ve been a good place to lay low a while and clear his mind, maybe let some tempers cool as well.

“Ace,” Wolf’s feeble voice called before he could go too far.

August toyed with the idea of ignoring him. He could just say he hadn’t heard him, but the general called again louder this time. He regarded the injured veteran. Wolf hooked a weak finger in a ‘come here’ motion.

Rosek had let go of Sterling, and the exterminator was free to charge the rookie again if he were so inclined. He got nothing but dirty looks as Sterling puffed a fresh cigarette. August looked to Rosek, hoping he might find a glimmer of hope in her expression, but she’d been keeping her eye on Sterling and paid August no mind.

He crouched beside the general. Belmont gave him a little smile when their eyes met. He gladly returned it despite the rotten feeling in his heart. The general coughed, then spoke. “What you did was wrong.”

“I know, General,” August said. “I’ve already taken shit from it. There’s no need—”

Wolf put a hand up. The rookie silenced. “What you did was wrong, but I understand why you did it. I was young and inexperienced once, believe it or not,” he let out a wheezing laugh at that. “You delayed your first order of scouting around town. You were concerned for Rosek.” He lifted his left hand for the first point, then the right hand for the second. He repeated this for each subsequent pairs of points. “You used the pheromones.” Left hand. “You saw we were being overwhelmed.” Right hand. “You smashed the whole bottle when you were told to use one drop.” Left hand. “The entire swarm was coming at you.” Right hand. It continued. The general mentioned each mistake August had made during the battle and quickly followed it up with empathetic understanding.

“One of the hardest things to learn as a rookie,” Wolf continued, “is trusting that your superiors know what they’re doing. At least, that was the hardest part for me. Thankfully, I wasn’t as bold or confident as you are. That’s why I’m not going to punish you, even though you’ve probably cost me my life.”

August’s eyes welled up.

“General, that’s just mean,” Belmont smirked.

The general wheezed another laugh. “I know, I know.”

August looked confused.

“I’ll be fine, son,” Wolf said. “Stinger didn’t hit anything vital, and it shat its gunk out the other side. Got real lucky. My point is that we all make mistakes, and in my many years as a high-ranking soldier, I’ve observed enough to know a good up-and-comer when I see one. The only reason you made these mistakes is that you’ve got spunk. Intense confidence like what you have will get you places. Be it an early grave, or a dozen promotions, it’ll get you someplace.” He laughed again.

August wanted to hug him, but he stayed as calm and rigid as he could. “Can I do anything to help?” He asked Belmont.

She smiled. “I’ve got it, honey. You just go on and get yourself collected.”

General Wolf nodded in agreement.

August got up but didn’t go anywhere. He stepped a few feet away to give Belmont room to work but hovered around them, watchful like a loyal dog.

“Colonel Belmont, what do you think you’re doing?” Wolf said.

Belmont froze with a handful of sweet stems halfway to her mouth.

“Didn’t we have a long talk about that?” he said.

“General, please,” Belmont said. “I think you should let me—”

“There will be no discussion on the matter,” Wolf said. “Use the equipment you were provided, Colonel.”

Belmont sighed. “Fine.” She bagged the stems and pulled a tiny bottle out. She regarded the medicine with a nasty grimace and popped the lid.

Someone whistled. August turned to find Vern Slupman signaling him. He gave a last glance at Belmont and Wolf, they paid him no mind, and he left to join the engineer.

“You mind helping me with this?” Slupman asked, holding the loose ends of his splint. Belmont hadn’t had the chance to finish the job, and the general’s wounds had been a higher priority.

“Sure, but I don’t know what I’m doing,” August said.

Slupman laughed. “None of us do, trust me.”

“What, you don’t hate me?”

The engineer winced as August tightened the cloth.

“Nope,” Slupman said with clenched teeth. “You saved me from that slab. I didn’t have much power left in my pistol, and those bugs weren’t slowing down. It was only a matter of time before…”

“Don’t mention it.” August tried to act like it was nothing—like he was just doing his job, but the truth was he’d forgotten any of the good he’d done amongst the bad he’d taken shit for. He had saved Slupman’s life. Maybe he’d saved all their lives with the gas tank trick. His posture deflated a bit. None of it would have happened had he not turned the ignition.

“A good man cleans up after himself,” Slupman said, seemingly reading August’s mind. The engineer went silent after that as if contemplating heavily on his own words. Once his splint was secure and tight, he walked away without saying another word.

“General, you have to rest,” Belmont’s voice was frantic.

Wolf was on his feet with his armor back on. His face was white and sickly, and his balance wavered with every step. “We can’t afford to rest. We don’t know how many of those things can smell the pheromones.”

August slouched. How many times would he have to be reminded of his failures? Until my successes outweigh them, I guess.

“We’ve got to get as much distance between us and this town as we can,” Wolf said. Sterling and Rosek had to come in closer to hear the general’s weak voice. “Colonel Slupman. You said there was a city nearby, is that correct?”

“Yes, Sir,” Slupman said. “Westendale. Not too far from here if memory serves.”

“Good,” Wolf said. “You mind leading the way?”

Slupman perked up at that. “Of course. When do we leave?”

“Now.”

Slupman looked at the sky. The sun was on its way down, and the vivid evening colors flared up in the west. He didn’t look so sure or perky anymore. “Very well.”