But What Will The Gods Eat Tomorrow?

Ambrosia wasn’t a big drug then. It was just being introduced. It makes you feel good. Makes you pliant and easily controllable. And it eats your insides away, Jonny. Literally. It’s not a pretty death.

"And you Humans have it easy. The effects of Ambrosia on the other species studied at Bohrstein makes the human reaction look like a runny nose." There was a pause, and I heard a crackling hiss in my ear. "We have to blast this place, Jonny. It’s the right thing to do!"

"I can’t believe I’m taking morality lessons from a pile of nanocircuits hellbent on the extermination of my species!" I muttered, constantly amazed by the situations the universe kept putting me in. "What are we going to tell High Command?" I asked, already knowing I was making a big mistake.

I started toward the door, heading back to the Dragon. "We could tell them the truth," Tempest suggested, but immediately disregarded the idea. "No. Forget that. They’d never understand the concept of charity and goodwill to all." There was another pause, and I quickened my pace. If we were going to blast this place, we’d better get it done with quickly.

"We could tell them it was a weapons plant. Or even better, not tell them anything at all. What High Command doesn’t know isn’t going to kill them."

I reached the door and grabbed the handle. "Wait, Jonny! There’s so–" Tempest’s warning was too late to do any good. I didn’t hear the rest of what he said because I was surprised by the cultist. Luckily, he was just as surprised by me, which was the only thing that saved my life. By the time he drew his weapon, I had my hands on his shirt and was pulling him into the warehouse. Before he could cry out an alarm, I cuffed him several times and threw him to the ground.

He tried to get up, but I was on him in a second. Somehow, he managed to get his laser out of its holster, and I had to bite his arm to get him to release it. Then, picking it up, I rammed it into his head a couple of times. "Never point…a gun…at me…again!" I said, emphasizing every few words with a smack from the laser.

The cultist’s eyes rolled up into his head, and I knew he was out for a while. "Great job watching the perimeter, Toolbox!" I said, running for the door.

"Sorry, Jonny," Tempest said, and I almost believed he sounded relieved to hear my voice. I took off across the compound at a run, which was awkward since every step sent me flying through the air. I was out of breath long before I reached the Dragon, and nearly unconscious by the time I pulled myself into the cockpit.

"I told you not to run too much," Tempest chided, powering up the Dragon’s systems. I grabbed the flight controls, and we took off. I circled the trees and flew in low. When the warehouse came into view, I opened fire on it with the Dragon’s weapons. The building went up in a flash, and I sighed contentedly when I heard the booming explosion.

A few red target boxes appeared on the cockpit windows. "You’d better take these buildings out too," Tempest told me. "They may be support facilities, or where the cult keeps the Ambrosia until they’re ready to ship it off planet."

"They’re all empty, right?" I asked, flying toward the first target. "I’m not blowing up anything if they’re cultists inside.