Training finished after another half hour, then our group returned to our designated plot and rested up for a bit, talked with one another, and ate a supper of bug bar rations and distilled water. Later, we were running through some drills before another robot came by. This one gave us all different numbers for reporting to the armory and departure. These numbers were for whichever troop each of us would be relegated to for the assault tomorrow. Everyone was taken aback by this news, considering that it was assumed anyone who came here together would fight together. That and the fact we only received a total of one hour of virtual training before heading off to battle the next day. E asked the drone what the purpose was for the separation and speed of mobilization, but the drone continued to explain how they would scan the battlefield, communicate orders, and field info to all fighters. Strike two and three.

When the robot left, I raised my concerns to Comandanta E about what has become quite apparent to me by now. The seeming refusal to divulge any rationale behind their decisions, was the latest to bolster my suspicions since entering this camp. Nearly all fighters I observed at the camp were either people from communities with large populations, such as Chiapas, or vicious warlike smaller groups or loners, like Shaun and his buddies of Néo-Napoléonie. A whole bunch here may have made a deal to fight for a better world, but I’m sure the others made separate deals consisting of selfish and sinister compensation. I’m not saying the Apiary was playing favorites in the camp. On the contrary, they couldn’t care any less about humanity. They didn’t have any intention on fulfilling any wishes, they probably just told everyone whatever they wanted to hear to get us to do their dirty work. We were of no real value to them, except as cannon fodder, which brought up another question. If we’re expendable, what the hell was their real plan?

E and much of her EPC comrades already figured this early on today. The agreement they made with the Apiary had the option of bowing out and staying at camp until the fighting was over, and then ride the dropships back home when available after the battle. However, doing so would null and void the deal, leaving them to return home emptyhanded. They didn’t take the option because they felt they had a duty to see it through. Crazy as it may have sounded at first, there was a good reason for continued participation. As E put it when she addressed everyone in Spanish, “We can’t afford to play it safe. If people like us leave the fate of the future to a collection of reactionary forces and random ruffians, if they win and do receive their rewards, then they will surely reshape the world so that there will be no room left for you or me. You can opt out and await the inescapable consequences of the failure to act, or you can go to battle tomorrow and fight for a chance to stake claim upon victory.”

Not everyone was on board. Fortunately, part of the agreement allowed for a small fraction to stay behind at camp if they chose. Over twenty of our people opted to stay at the designated plot; one being Xandra. I was glad knowing that she’d be staying out of the fighting, but I strangely felt a little disappointed too. I could only imagine how E felt since she took a chance on letting her join the militia. Before those of us planning to join the fight were split up, Comandanta E gave a long-range, two-way radio to at least one of each of us with differing numbers. The plan was to regroup on the battlefield, so to work as a unit with fellow fighters we knew we could trust. I reported to the armory with two others from the EPC, Comrade Carlos Chavez, and Comrade Flores. Two of us received rifles, the other got a rocket launcher, and all of us got grenades. We remarked how, despite the advanced hi-tech look to them, their features suggest of being predominantly old firearms with new parts added to them. Not to mention, their manufacturing seemed as if they didn’t even share the same generation. After that, we headed to the waiting area for the dropships, joining those in front of us for the walk, as many others joined us from behind. I spotted combat vehicles moving away from the camp and over the horizon further inland in the distance. Chavez was the first of us three to board a dropship and depart. I didn’t get to know him all too well, but he seemed like a cool guy.

Flores and I boarded our dropship, finally meeting our assault troop. There were about a hundred and sixteen infantries, including us two. We had to wait for a moment, so some reassigned fighters could replace four who bowed out. More than half present were an assortment of marauders, killers, and rogues. I recognized a few from stories I’ve heard. We had one of the three Death Hammers; serial killer brothers, whose idea of fun was brutally murdering any unfortunate who crossed into their territory. True to their name, they always carried a type of hammer or two, and in this case, I believe the one with us was Dust Hammer, because his signature weapon was a point-ended sledgehammer complete with tic-marks on the head. We had two Abrahamics; a fascistic, tweaker, berserker-type gang, who blended the worst attributes of major pre-conquest religions together. Lastly, there was the hook-handed bastard Xandra told me about, who looked up from polishing his hook to give another woman nearby a creepy smile.

He looked over in my direction and his smile morphed into an angry sneer. I didn’t know what his problem was, until I heard a sad, “I couldn’t do it, Joy.”

I turned and saw Xandra sitting next to me, with a railgun-rifle and some signs that she was crying earlier. Turns out she changed her mind about sitting this one out, when she saw some of her comrades holding out change their minds and rush out to join the rest of us. She felt she made a commitment to her comrades, and she was going to stick with it. The ramp closed before I could try and convince her to get off. I was miffed, and my voice expressed it when I talked to her in a hushed voice, telling her to stay out of the way but stay close to me and watch our backs. If we got separated, I wasn’t coming after her, she was going to have to catch up or she was on her own. She understood I meant what I said.

Hook was still angrily staring at her, and she was trying her best to ignore him. I was kind of impressed. I got her attention, and I bet a box of breeder bugs that guy would try to kill us on the battlefield. Xandra looked at him before looking back at me and raising the bet to two boxes if he only came after her. I smiled and we shook hands on it, right when our dropship lifted off. Xandra, Flores and I talked through much of the flight’s duration, unaware that we were to become a part of the largest and deadliest battle in recent history.