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she was feeling the same way as I about the situation; there was fuck-all we could really do about it.  Whoever, whatever they are, they would outstrip our technology by a wide margin.  Personally, I held little faith that we would hold out in a firefight, as they would presumably be armed with laser or plasma weaponry.  At the very least, their projectile and missile weapons would be far in advance of our own, and in a hand to hand encounter, with their extra elbows and far greater mass, I was not liking our chances of survival there, either.
     
    I did, however, agree with The Boss on one major point, though.  These Terraformers were clearly hostile, clearly the enemy.  We had to do something about them.  Was it even going to be possible to kick them out, now that they’re actually here?
     
    evening
    Most of the base had heard the news by dinner time.  The mess was almost empty, just the more hardened troops making sure that they get their last meal in.  The ones that knew that any meal might be their last.  Looking at Apocalypse Girl, I realised that we were actually there for the same reason.  It felt strange to lump myself in with these guys, many of whom had participated in some of the more recent, ultimately idiotic conflicts amongst various races or cultures of humanity.  Looking more closely, I realised that many of them might well have even been on opposing sides.  The Dead rising made us all realise that human is still human, Living is still Living.
     
    The Brigadier wandered in, almost in a daze, with a tray full of grub, and sat next to us.  Shaking his head occasionally, he ate, clearly not tasting the food he shovelled into his gob.  Every now and then, he would whisper something.  Leaning closer I heard; “They really are aliens.  Shit.  We’re done for now.”  He repeated the phrase over and over.  Then, finished with the plate before him, he stood, saluted us all and all but fled back to his office.  Some of the grunts began laughing derisively.  As the ranking officer present, I felt I had to stick up for the poor guy.
     
    “Look, you guys have all been through the shit, either before or after the Dead,” I stood on my table for effect.  Many of the troops in front of me laughed as derisively as they had at The Brigadier.  “And so have I.”  Some in the back began chattering, telling people that I’d saved their bacon in and around Canberra.  Many times over.  Most of the laughter dropped off, the troops begrudgingly looking at me with respect.  “He hasn’t.  But, he still knows what’s what.  He still knows that these fuckers are really out there.  You’ve all faced death before, looked the Reaper in the eye.  Respect the man for facing Death’s First Stare.”
     
    Giant spoke out, saying that I was right.  We had all seen that look, in ourselves and in each other.  Just because he was an officer, unused to the prospect of an imminent and bloody demise, didn’t mean that he was less of a man.  He had faced Death with dignity.  She herself was going to his office to apologise in person.  As she stood and left the mess, everybody followed, to the last man.  Those from Canberra shared a smile and handshake for Apocalypse Girl and myself, first.
     
    late evening
    Just as I was about to turn in for the night, Giant came up to me.  “He was almost ready to quit, you know.”  Her expression, from what I could tell down here, at least, was grim.  “When I knocked on his office door and walked in, he was putting his gun away.  It looked like he’d had it in his mouth.  I don’t think it’ll be a problem now though.  Everybody apologised, one at a time, face to face.  I think it’s done him some good.”  I certainly hoped it had.
     
    I opened the door to the quarters that I shared with Apocalypse Girl, hearing the radio chirp slightly as I did so.  Snatching it up from the nightstand quietly, quickly, before she awoke to the noise, I