Path: usenet.ins.cwru.edu!ns.mcs.kent.edu!news.ysu.edu!malgudi.oar.net!bronze.coil.c om!uunet!meaddata!news From: (General LonGears) Newsgroups: alt.devilbunnies Subject: Death Wish 3 (Was: Rabbit's Tail (part 4)) Date: 12 Oct 1994 20:01:32 GMT Organization: P.A.W. Lines: 111 Distribution: world Message-ID: <37hfat$5aq@meaddata.meaddata.com> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: segundo.meaddata.com I radio'd in to check the squirrel situation back in Ohio. "The plan went perfectly, sir!" the captain fluffed. "They're being flattened like a oppossum on a country road!" I frowned at the low-brow metaphor, but decided to ignore it. "Have they been completely decimated?" I asked. "It's important to set an example." "Almost, sir! Only two of their units haven't been confirmed wipe-outs. Initial reports indicate they're scattering and running for their lives." I smiled. "DB casualties?" "Light, sir. We did lose a few and sustained some injuries, but these were statistically insignificant." Excellent. "Did we catch any of the leaders?" ********** Scene shifts to Ohio countryside **************** CAPT Paw MacCartwheel : I believe so, sir. We'll start interrogation as soon as we've dealt with the remaining renegades. ******************** Scene Fades ********************** |> Loren saw the squirrels scatter, and ran, straight ahead. For the next few |> minutes(? hours? seconds?) he ran without thinking or remembering, until |> the next thing he knew he was clinging to a branch, high in a tree. Vague |> visions of bunnies chasing fleeing squirrels flashed before his eyes. Had |> they really been attacked? |> |> "What happened?" he chittered faintly. |> |> "The bunnies attacked," came a soft voice from behind him. One of the soldiers |> stood on the branch behind him. "Hundreds, thousands... probably hundreds, |> but it was enough. We didn't even see them until we were already running." |> |> "But what happened?" |> |> "You were right, they couldn't catch everyone. They chased us, but we made it |> to this forest here. I don't know about everyone else, but I assume at least |> some of them got away." |> |> "Where are we?" |> |> "Some kind of forest. Some of the bunnies followed us inside, but we just |> climbed the trees and they lost track. I saw someone lob a bomb at a group, |> beautiful explosion, took out four, five buns at least. If they're smart, |> they won't we following us." |> |> What about the other groups? Loren wondered, had anyone else survived? |> "All groups," his voice cracked (which is hard, for a squirrel), and he |> cleared his throat and started over. |> |> "All groups, report in." |> |> Silence and static. |> |> "Anyone?" |> |> "Loren?" a voice replied. It was group C's commander. |> |> "What's your status?" |> |> "Well, most of us are still alive. The bunnies have us pinned here, I don't |> think we can get out. Looks bad." |> |> "I think," Loren said, "that the best course of action at this point would |> be a quick retreat." |> |> "Yeah... but first we'd need to get out of here. I think it's safe to say |> that this was *not* a good idea." |> |> Loren's claws dug into the tree's bark, but he managed to calm himself. He |> had had no way to know that the devilbunnies in Ohio had seen them so |> quickly. He hadn't known how closely they'd been watching. Or had they been |> tracking the radio signals? It was possible... |> |> "Take off your computer," Loren said to the soldier with him, who immediately |> complied. Loren peered over the edge of the branch, but no bunnies were in |> sight. He set the computer to tightbeam every other radio in the group, and |> waited several seconds while it verified the locations. 486 signals, scattered |> in more or less random directions -- but those were operating units, not |> necessarily living squirrels. |> |> "Everyone in group E," he said, "Take off and discard your computers. The |> devilbunnies might be tracking the radio signal. Do not reply." He switched |> it off, purged the memory, and left it hanging over the branch. |> |> "Come on," he said to the other squirrel, "We should move away from here |> before the devilbunnies track us here." |> |> "What are we going to do?" |> |> "Wait, for now," Loren replied, "Until the devilbunnies lose interest. Then |> we see how many other squirrels we can locate." |> |> "Then we head home?" |> |> "First things first." |> |> TBC. |> |> -------------+++++++++++++***************************+++++++++++----------- |> Loren Greycoat -- President of SAADB, Warren leader of UCirc Warren, |> Defender of the *true* cute. DB's beware!