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received a transmission. The Skeptics have taken every single military installation within the solar system. They didn’t just take over Camp Eighty Seven, they took all one hundred camps around every single planet. They infiltrated eleven attack class warships and seven of our surveillance stations.”
    Mr. Humboldt said, “God Damn.”
    “It’s not all bad news though. We’re retaking most everything back from them as we speak.”
    I said, “Keep talking,” because I knew he was trying to get to something and he was stalling.
    “Camp Eighty Seven is still crawling with Skeptics but it has been infiltrated by a single highly trained Marine. The problem is that she doesn’t know the layout. And quite frankly, neither does command. I want you two to go back to your bodies and take the lead. Take her to any caches of weapons you know of. Show her where the Skeptics might hole up. Help her defeat them.”
    “But the tech who sent us here, came here himself. There’s no one to receive us on that end to complete the transfer.”
    “There is. She’s a little rusty but I hear she’s done this before.”
    Mr. Humboldt said, “I’m not trusting my life to a greenhorn. She’ll screw it up and kill us.”
    “If you don’t act fast, you won’t have bodies to go back to. The Skeptics will thaw your bodies and let you die.”
    “They haven’t done it yet,” I said hopefully.
    “Not yet . You are correct.”
    I got his meaning but only because there was no subtlety to it.
    Mr. Humboldt said, “Hurry up then. Let’s go.”
    I would have asked why I had to go but I already knew. I was the only one in the class who’d killed someone. They were starting to look at me like a Marine’s apprentice or something. It made me proud and afraid at once.

Hidden Modifications
     
    Rick Pringle ran into the skin bay right before we were to be up and downloaded.
    He said, “Those Bleeders have no heart that we can find. They don’t have blood either. They have this little black sack in their stomachs though, and when you cut it open, it makes a hissing noise. Whatever came out of it made the doctor run and rinse his eyes out.”
    Mr. Humboldt asked, “Are we calling them Bleeders now?”
    “That’s what they call themselves. It’s fitting, considering I want to make them all bleed.”
    “I thought you just said they didn’t have blood,” I said like a smart ass.
    “Shut up Jack. Hey, good luck down there.”
    “Is that why you came here, to wish us good luck?” I asked, knowing that couldn’t be the real reason.
    “Nope. I’m here because as soon as you’re gone, I’m taking my skin back. This one’s all clunky and boring.”
    “Well, it’s good to know you care,” I sarcastically said.
    “Uh huh. Hurry up and give it back.”
    I nodded and he added, “Hey Jack, before you go, I want you to check out one of my upgrades. Say to the skin, Rick Pimpage wants his guns .”
    I said it and my suit completely transformed. It clicked and rumbled as hidden weapons appeared out of nowhere. I had a gun on each wrist and one on each shoulder. I had a spinning turret on my head too with a little laser sight that was strafing the walls. I was impressed. Then I saw that each finger had hinged open and I was beyond impressed. That was eight individual guns, plus the four on my body and the turret on my head. Either Rick was a genius with mechanical devices, or more likely, Peggy had fitted them for him. She seemed like the serious one of the two.
    Some dude from the flight crew started to hook up cables to our heads and Rick said to him, “Don’t mention the little mods I made, hey?”
    “Of course Mr. Pimpage.”
    Rick smiled at that.
    I looked over at Billy Humboldt and said, “This is so fucking stupid, sir.”
    “Watch your language,” he joked. “I’m still your fucking teacher.”
    I tried to smile but just as I did, my mind screamed out in confusion and my consciousness went out like a light.

Dolores
     
    I