Pip's Ophidian Book 1: Beatlebug & The Provider

Chapter 3: Oops

Pip's limbs felt static and unreal as he propelled himself forward after his mother. Past the pillar marking their heights. Past the table, where the civilians of the family floated, wives trying to gather the dinner out of the air, kids now literally bouncing off the walls. He avoided Lil's piercing gaze. He did not want to see her fear. "Good luck, Pip!" she called, though, and he heard that fear anyway.

At the door the older kids and Aviva were all strapping things around shoulders and hooking stuff on their belts before exiting in quick succession. They even seemed to float with more talent than he had.

Pip resisted the urge to flap his hands, instead fumbling on his comm vest and forgetting everything else as his mother, ever ready, shoved open the door. She turned in midair, glaring pointedly at him, her short hair a shining dark halo around her head.

He pushed outwards, and with a slap on the frame by his Ma, the door clanged shut.

He was outside during an attack. That was an official truth, now.

"Pip!" She snapped, and he jerked, pushing forward after her. His siblings and Aviva were all gone, and he realized with horror he was supposed to know where to go, too. He was supposed to know, but he didn't. He pushed awkwardly after Ma.

The red lights pulsed, and so did his heart in his throat. Ma seemed to move fluidly down the hall. He seemed to collide with everything it was possible to collide with. They came to an intersection and to his horror she turned and pointed. "Your class will be meeting down there." Something warm flickered briefly in her steely eyes, "You'll be fine. And for Prophet's sake, turn your comm on."

He fumbled, switching it on, and turned towards the hall. He felt more than saw her move away, and wanted to watch, but knew she wouldn't be watching him. He would not disappoint her by behaving differently.

Pip pushed off down the hall. Soon enough he felt a warmth at his side, and was relieved to see them: his classmates, all four of them, looking just as petrified as he felt. It was reassuring. They were like a school of minnows, just going where the river-hallways took them. Together, at the very least. Layal grinned at him, toothy and wry.

"This way, Cadets!"

He managed to stop himself, and Ara collided with him solidly. Down the hall Teach was floating by a weapons locker, looking impatient. They all pushed quickly down that way. Ara went a little too far, and Teach reached out and grabbed her, shoving her into place. "Alright, my little soldiers," Teach said, and while her words were hard, there was a grinning gleam in her small gray eyes, "your first strike! So exciting. Not for y'all, though. These things always go the same way: they get in, they head to cargo, and folks more age'd and better prepared stop them. Y'all are gonna be doing something simpler, so that y'all don't impede the more, eh, functional efforts of our seasoned soldiers."

She'd been keying in a complicated code as she spoke, and then leaned down and opened one beady eye wide at the scanner as she finished and the weapons locker clocked open. "Take your pick. Your choices are: level C1s. So take your Stop n' Tears."

They formed a cautious line, and as soon as Izzi took his, Teach's comm flashed and chirped "Combatants 2, one Orange, one Red, Orange blipped out, Red causing trouble, backup requested in cargo," and she gritted her teeth and pushed Izzi aside, grabbing at SnTs and chucking them out like ears of corn at the rest of them.

Pip, humiliatingly, fumbled his and had to make a mad grab for it. Teach raised an eyebrow at him, but thankfully didn't comment. "So, the rules: setting should be Tear. This isn't training anymore. Be prepared to kill. If you see an Ophidian, shoot, and then slap your comm. Emergency alert will be raised and it'll broadcast your location. Folks'll be there within seconds. Which might be quick enough to stop you from being ripped in half. Keep in mind, though: you're patrolling the crew quarters. You will probably not see an Ophidian. So don't shoot each other, for Prophet's sake don't shoot a civilian, but be prepared to shoot something else, you know, just in case."