Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale)
Page 47
The doctor paused with his shirt half on and looked at him. Shane shrugged. "All good things come to an end eventually doc," he said.
"Okay, I'll buy that...."
"The third is training. We need to get our people out there, handling the situation. Training on the weapons, the situation, and learning about the aliens as much as possible. Hell, more than four. Just thought of other reasons."
"Really?"
"Well, another, killing the damn aliens now during the day before they get big."
The doctor reluctantly nodded. "Seems like we're losing as much as we're gaining."
"It seems that way sometimes doc, but we're killing ten times as many as we lose." Shane admitted to himself that the way the aliens breed it was still a losing proposition. Hell, loosing experienced people was a losing proposition. Sometimes though, you had to be the cold bastard and risk your people to get somewhere.
"Still not enough," the doctor growled pulling his pants up.
"It never is doc, it never is," Shane sighed, shaking his head. He rubbed at his brow.
"Another reason?"
"You really want to go out there or send people out there to scavenge for food a year from now? Six months even?” he shook his head again. “Now is as good as we're going to get. It'll go downhill from here if we bunker up doc. Trust me on this. The aliens get bigger. I'd rather we kill them and keep the food for us." He grunted. “Hell if I'll let them eat it and use it against us,” he muttered.
"How bad are we on the supplies? I thought we had enough?"
"Never enough doc," Shane said as the doctor put his shoes on. "Never enough. I think we keep hovering around a two month supply." The doctor looked up at that. "That's with what we bring in, which is about a days’ supply for the entire group. That doesn't include the extra mouths we pick up daily."
"So we're getting what we're eating?"
"There about I think, some goes to the black market, and some is fed to the animals for various reasons. But we're getting a diminishing supply, that means its finite."
"Yeah," the doctor said. "So there is an end to this?"
"No, I'd like to tell you there is doc, but this is the world we live in now. Better get used to it or find another line of work. Don't try mine, its worse. Just a suggestion."
"Great," the doctor sighed, rolling his shoulders. "The ankle biter as you call it is also in ICU as well.” He shook his head. "Severed the foot, ripped up the calf, dislocated hip and knee, and shattered most of the bones in the leg."
"Ouch." The cat had probably shaken the kid like a rag doll when it had taken the foot.
The doctor sighed. "Yeah," he said softly. "You could say that. Ouch."
"I tell you what, let me buy you a cup of coffee and some dinner now..." Shane said in sympathy as he patted his shoulder. "At least while we've still got stuff on hand."
"I'll skip the coffee. I need to sleep. But I'll take you up on dinner. If your lovely wife doesn't mind."
"Great," Shane said nodding. He waved to the door and followed the doctor out.
"Thought you'd be with your family?" the doctor said as they made their way through the crowd.
"Jen is busy with Doctor Phillips again, the girls are volunteering at the day care, and Nick has training tonight."
"Oh, so I'm you're date?" the doctor asked amused.
"Something like that doc. That way if I'm propositioned I can foster the better looking ones off on you and run for cover."
"Gee thanks," the doctor said, grinning.
"Survival instinct," Shane said sounding smug. "Jen would have my ass if I even thought of straying." His lips flickered in a quick smile as the doctor chuckled softly.
...*...*...*...*...
There are concept images of the aliens floating around on the web. Some may be on my blog by now. More will be posted later.
Expect the book around late 2012 or summer 2013! (I hope)