P-437

Calypso's a sprinter, a special forces insertion boat built before I was born. She'd been sold to the Explorer's Guild, assigned to me soon after I joined, and has made me wealthy. Earth richly rewards those who find inhabitable worlds and with Calypso I've found several. Of course none of that would have been possible without the EVOs. The current state of humanity wouldn't have been possible without them. From the moment a way to make synthetic people was discovered everything changed. They've become our soldiers, our workers, our adventurers. There are ten, nine, of them aboard Calypso, and the ship has the capacity to create another five before supplies run out.

I'm currently in orbit over a world designated P-437. From above it's looks beautiful, seemingly a clone of Earth, but the readings from the initial probe drones said otherwise. I sent EVO C-01 down in the shuttle for a personal look but she was still in the air when P-437 seemingly fought back. I was watching her cockpit camera feed as the shuttle was swarmed by flying creatures, watched her breath catch as an excitement came over her. EVOs come with basic flash-training that instills a sadomasochistic streak, it comes in handy more often than not, but it can overwhelm them. I could see it the moment the shuttle was breached. C-01 looked to her own pleasure above all else, her vitals spiking as she turned her vibe-implant to maximum, and then the feed was filled with nothing but local wildlife, C-01's lifesigns flatlining.

In the aftermath of C-01's death I wake her sisters, every one a mirror image. Each is nude except for pasties, a c-string and ankle socks, the protective nano-paint will be applied later, and I keep an eye on the troop bay camera feeds, watch their lithe bodies as they stretch. Calypso is basically a rounded box below a pair of hyperdrive engines, its lowest level a combined hanger/drop pod bay and above that is the troop bay, virtually unchanged since the ship's construction. Through the cameras I see the EVOs one-by-one step into the armoury, emerging as the black silhouettes of women. Angular & formfitting clamshell helmets encloses their heads, vambraces containing pulse weaponry surrounds their forearms, and a power pack is nestled between each EVO's shoulderblades, a cable reaching up to link it to the helmet.

With graceful movements the nine EVOs slide into their drop pods, hatches closing over their heads. I check the program each pod will use as an additional hatch makes the troop bay airtight and then Calypso shudders as all nine drop pods launch at once. There's no guarantee speed will work, C-01 had been flying fast before she was attacked, but there's always risk. My eyes track the progress of each pod as they descend, occasionally I observe the EVOs themselves. The landing sites are close together, the idea being that they can aid each other if needed. Support drones activate as each pod touches the ground, zip around as sheets of metal fall away from the frame.

C-04 is the first to leave her pod, I hear her shriek of surprise from two camera feeds and in her own I can see her twitching fitfully, impaled on sharp stakes at the bottom of a bit. She convulses as an orgasm rips through her and in the aftermath dulled eyes stare skyward. Nearly five hundred meters to her right C-02 steps down onto the soft soil, panting slightly with excitement as she tests the ground. They can all see each other's PoVs on their helmet HUDs, hear each other's breathing and whispers. It's C-09 who meets her end next through, the sudden movement on her support drone's camera feed getting my attention. A swarm of raptor-like creatures descend upon her, force her to the soil, and I listen to her struggling, to the sounds of her bodysuit impossibly shredding. Through her drone's feed I see one of the creatures actually tear a chunk of suit and flesh from C-09's throat, hear her gag as blood sprays into the air, and press her suicide button, the explosive in her power pack detonating.

A smoothed crater is all that's left of the EVO and her attackers, all evidence wiped clean to the molecular level. The seven remaining EVOs begin moving to gather together, long strides carrying them through the thick undergrowth, but C-02 is caught before reaching the rendezvous. A plant, reminiscent of a flytrap, lashes out, closing around her left leg and C-02 spins to slash at its stem, its throat. It was all a trap though, other plants springing forward to tightly ensnare the woman and I reach for her suicide button. My hand drops when another plant spears her through the back, its tip sticking out half a meter, and C-02 spasms as she's pulled into the maw of a colossal flytrap.

Six EVOs meet, spinning to form an outward-facing circle. I can see their elevated heartbeats, their quick breathing, through their health monitors and those belonging to the dead are muted, vital signs a steady flat line. I let the six calm, let the adrenaline loosen its hold on them, before activating the communications system.

"C-03, you're the senior. Split the team into pairs and approach the location marked." I push a map onto their HUDs, a glowing dot indicating where I want them to go. "I'm getting big readings from up here. It could be something useful."

I see C-03 nod, her field of vision dipping slightly for a moment, and then her soft tones fill the air.

"5, 6. Team Two. 7, 8. Team Three. C-10. You're with me."

I notice the way C-10 leans in towards C-03, they must have formed a connection at some point, and watch them as the six break apart. The wildlife must have been watching too, a monkey-like creature leaping from the undergrowth. The EVOs swivel, each opens fire, and the creature thuds against the ground, insects already swarming its corpse.

I flip between the helmet-cams of C-03, C-05 & C-07, using the support drones as overwatch to give the EVOs better directions. All three pairs encounter danger, C-06 is nearly snatched by a bird of some description while both C-07 and C-10 encounter vines that try to drag them away. C-06 and C-07 save themselves, the bird dies as it falls from the sky and the vines threatening C-07 are cut apart until they withdraw. C-10 however disappears from view, I listen to her struggles until I hear the sound of snapping bones. Another smooth gap, a whole sphere this time, is blown into existence, and I command C-03 to continue to the objective, connecting C-10's drone to her beacon.

It's while the remaining EVOs are approaching the destination that my scans of the planet begin giving some useful information. I sacrifice a couple of drones, lure hostile creatures into the open so they'll be eliminated. I think the planet notices me though, it isn't the first time I've felt that it's alive, as boulder-sized balls of energy leap from equatorial volcanoes, coming close enough Calypso shakes. The energy balls get more precise as the EVOs close on their destination, the armoury is torn apart and one engine ripped off, Another volley destroys Calypso's comm-antenna, all my screens go dead, and my hands move quickly over the ship's controls, internally debating my options.

P-437 decides for me, vomiting vast amounts of energy. I angle Calypso towards the planet, dive towards the atmosphere at speed. My poor ship rattles, damaged and probably dying. My hands seem to blur as I pilot, dodge one energy ball after another, but one has my name written all over it. Glowing an electric blue the energy races towards Calypso, becomes the only thing I see. My last thoughts are of the EVOs, if any of them will see my destruction and know what it means for them.