StarCraft: Tyranid Empire

Reno's mother Carol knew that her son was coming back, so when she had free time, she always stood at the door and looked up at Shiloh's sky dimmed by sandstorms, even though the bright sun might burn her beauty. light green eyes.

Most of Centerville's farmland has been abandoned. The economic depression caused by the war, population loss, and lack of fuel are the main reasons for soil erosion and the expansion of the desert.

Although she was startled by the fierce-looking Tychus Finley, Carol didn't say much. She just smiled and invited Augustus and others into the front hall of the dome house. The soldiers noticed that despite suffering from hunger and poverty, this gentle and beautiful Shiloh woman still kept her home clean and orderly.

This hut with the characteristics of Shiloh colonists is a metal and granite building. On the brown walls, you can even see the fossils of local prehistoric vertebrates and beautiful spiral patterns.

There is a small rectangular oak dining table and a few chairs in the front room. These wooden furniture are quite expensive in Shiloh, which lacks vegetation and forests, almost equal to the value of precious metals. Between the table and a star map of the Koprulu sector hanging on the wall was a red carpet that the mistress of the family had woven herself.

When Carol poured tea for the guests, Renault noticed that there was a lot less furniture in the house. His father's favorite Josara sunwood music box was gone, and many old furniture in his memory seemed to have been erased by time.

Where's Dad? Renault said as he helped his mother pour tea.

He's still working on the farm and on his way back.

Mrs. Reynolds, I am Second Lieutenant Augustus Mengsk, Jim's commander. Augustus introduced himself to Carol, pointed to the others and said: These are Jim's comrades in the same class. I don't know Jim. Did I tell you that he is already the corporal squad leader of this class?

We are proud of him, sir. Carol handed Augustus a cup of cool black tea. Shiloh, which is always extremely hot most of the year, is a favorite of farmers and workers. A must-have drink.

Please take a seat, gentlemen. Oh, and there is a beautiful lady.

Mom, why don't you buy some food with the money I gave you. Renault helped his mother put the pot of herbal tea back in the refrigerator: Dad, did you sell the music box?

After you left, the government's taxes increased month by month, and farms significantly reduced production due to shortages of genetically modified seeds and fuel for agricultural robots. Even so. Shiloh still has to be the main agricultural world to hand over food as a form of tax. government to supply the troops on the front lines.”

Shit, someone must have stolen all the food. Jim's mother, you must not know how we spent our days in the army. We ate shit all day long. Hanak was wearing a black jacket with civilian attire. and torn dark blue jeans, and he had his hair cut into a mohawk before leaving the barracks.

Between Harnak's smooth head, the crimson hair that stood up on end looked like a brightly colored comb.

Shut up, Hank, Augustus whispered.

At first, we used the salary you sent back to repay the debt we owed. However, the few payments we sent back later were definitely not like what you could get with your military rank and military age. Their origins were unknown, and you did not tell us that you Where did you get this money? Your father and I both think that we should not use it. Carol glanced at Harnak for a few times and then withdrew her gaze.

We're all worried about you, kid, if you got this money through crime or some other way I don't know. Well, we must not touch it.

Reno was speechless. Although he did not consider profiting from the loot to be a crime, and it did not hurt his conscience to take wealth that would eventually go to the rich and powerful, his parents did not know this.

I think there may be some misunderstandings here. Augustus looked at Carol: Madam, you don't have to worry about the money coming from unknown sources, because it was earned by Jim through life and death in the war.

My soldiers received generous rewards for their repeated military exploits and had the right to dispose of the spoils of war on their own, and Jim deserved these. I learned about the plight of the Renault family, so I gave him an extra bonus. He had not I’m telling you, it’s just because of the military’s confidentiality regulations.”

Really? Jim. Carol looked at her son, she was dubious about Augustus' words.

In Carol's eyes, Augustus was definitely an excellent soldier. He was young, handsome, and not frivolous at all. He stood as straight as a green pine at all times. This made it very easy to win over an older woman. Good impression.

Of course. Renault nodded quickly. To a certain extent, what Augustus said was basically the truth.

We are the demons of Heaven, and our names and deeds are celebrated across many colonial worlds.

You never lie to me. But we still can't accept them. They belong to you. We are your parents, not vampires. Carol looked at her son and shook her head. The Renault family all have very similar personalities, that is, they are very persistent in what they want to do and are difficult to be persuaded.

I understand your concerns. Augustus noticed some opened cans in the Reno family's kitchen and realized that the family was using these as staple foods.

You hope to earn the money you need to live with your own hands, but poverty will eventually destroy your body.

Judging from the inferior metal packaging alone, Augustus could imagine that when the farm went bankrupt and could not apply for any subsidies, the cans purchased by the Reynolds family were likely to be cheap smuggled goods.

The sources of these smuggled cans are often very complicated. They may have been stored for more than ten years, have expired, spoiled, and breed bacteria. They may also include synthetic foods from black-hearted processing factories in the fringe world.

Smugglers travel across the stars precisely to avoid quarantine, or to avoid a series of additional qualification certificates such as food safety production licenses that non-Creation families need to purchase, staying in various illegal black ports, and selling goods to the people at the bottom of the world. Sell ​​these contraband items at incredibly low prices.

Eating these canned foods whose quality is not guaranteed means taking many risks, and the diseased mold can be fatal. In the Koprulu sector, although many difficult and complicated diseases have been eradicated, there are still more emerging diseases for which there is no cure.

It was probably these that claimed the lives of Reno's parents.

This is also the common fate of Shiloh and the people of other colonial worlds, poor quality food, poor living conditions, and a bleak future.

Augustus realized that the only way to save these people was to reshape the rotten system.

Carol Raynor nodded, and Augustus just hoped she'd listen.

Next, Augustus said nothing more and left more time for Reno, his mother and his father who was about to return, allowing him to convince his family.

The spacecraft's stay in Shiloh was very short, only half a day. Augustus did not have the courage to meet Tom Omo's parents because he believed that Omo's death was his own responsibility.

Before the ship was about to set sail for Tarsonis, Augustus placed a bouquet of flowers in front of Omo's tomb and stood there for a long time.