Borderlands: Unconquered

Borderlands: Unconquered by John Shirley Page A

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Authors: John Shirley
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Smartun. I need that territory—it’s all part of the plan!”
    He nodded. He’d seen her charts, knew she had a strategy for taking over the planet by taking over key territories, especially those heavy with resources that could be embargoed till she was accepted as ruler of the planet.
    She shaded her eyes and looked out across the Salt Flats, below the Devil’s Footstool. “I want youto go there, Smartun, take half the First Division, reinforce the Second, and deal with these problems. I need someone cleverer than they’ve got with the Knife Legion, and I’m hoping you’re the man. I’ve got to stay here for now and make sure we’re ready for the Dahl operatives. But I will come out and inspect the battlefield, and soon. I’ll be looking to see what progress you’ve made.”
    He boweddeeply this time. “I will not disappoint you. I would rather die, my General.”
    She smiled thinly. “That’s the spirit.”
    He watched her, lovingly and achingly, as she walked back to her headquarters.

R oland was thirstier than a miner on payday.
    They were trying to keep from drinking too much of their water. But it was hard to conserve in this baking heat.
    “Suppose we break out of here before they find us,” Mordecai mused, as he trimmed his beard. “Where do we go? They’ll pursue, and they’ve got long-range weapons . . .”
    Bloodwing, sitting on its perch in the outrunner, squawked as if concurringwith its master’s view of the situation.
    They were parked in the shade of the western canyon wall, as far as possible from Gynella’s army. Roland was sitting on the ground, his back to the outrunner’s warm metal. Mordecai was sitting on a rock nearby, looking in a little hand mirror as they talked and trimming his beard with the tiniest pair of scissors Roland had ever seen.
    “I don’t see howthey haven’t found us yet,” Roland said.
    “They’re kind of oriented to the southwest—they’re looking mostly out that way, focusing on that settlement over there. Pretty well-reinforced place called Bloodrust Corners. I was there overnight once.”
    “Must be pretty damned well defended if Gynella’s bunch is waiting this long.”
    “Yeah. They got some kill-mechs, a wall shield, some other stuff. Theythought it through. See, it’s a co-op mine, run by the settlers, not a corporation effort. The miners do the work, share the profits. Kind of a new deal on this planet. There’s a guy there named Dakes, same color as you are. He’s got the place organized for good defense.”
    “Huh. They got a ECHO antenna there?”
    “Yeah. Kind of short-range, I’d guess.”
    “We won’t need much range,” Roland said, standingand dusting himself off. “I’m gonna get close, and you’re gonna talk to them on the ECHO.”
    “Get close ? How? There’s an army between us and them!”
    “So? You wanna die here of thirst? Or wait till they notice us and start firing shells in here?”
    Mordecai sighed. “What the hell. Let’s do this. I didn’t figure to live forever, anyway.”
    “Okay. You’re driving, I’m on the turret.”
    “Nah, man,” Mordecaisaid. “You’re a better target standing up there than me. Turn me sideways, I almost disappear. And I’m a better shot than you, Roland, face it.”
    “So you say, Mordecai. Now’s your chance to prove it. There are only twelve explosive shells left in that thing. Put that beauty on single shot, and fire it carefully. Now, let’s take us a real long drink of water. We’re gonna need it.”
    Two minuteslater, they were tooling up the slope, headed right for the rear lines of Gynella’s Knife Legion, Second Division.
    When they got to the top of the slope, Roland slammed the accelerator and yelled, “Fire at will, man! But pick those targets!”
    •  •  •
    The army had pitched camp about a quarter-klick from the outer front gates of Bloodrust Corners, and they were lolling about, drinking, flounderingin wrestling bouts, when the yawning

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