Ertes took her work credits and prepared to leave.
But how could Gamma let such a useful tool walk away?
"You're leaving?"
"Fine. But once you leave, getting back in won't be easy!"
"Hard? Even if you begged me to let me back in, I wouldn't come back! Why would I want to go in again? Am I crazy?"
Ertes would never stay here. She had redeemed herself out of loyalty to the Imperium and The Emperor, so she could return to Terra and complete her duties. This was not where she wanted to serve with loyalty.
"Fine." The people of Gamma World revealed a trace of regret. "What a pity. You missed an opportunity."
"?"
"Nothing." The Gamma World staff did not tell her directly. "You won't be working here anymore, anyway."
But their mysterious manner made her feel like tearing her hair out.
Regret?
I'll never regret this for the rest of my life.
Beyond Gamma World's border.
Somewhere outside Is III.
The Fifth Company of Gamma's expeditionary First Army was stationed along the border defense line.
Gamma World's expansion was proceeding steadily.
Nearly every surrounding planet had been drained of resources and turned into isolated planetary belts. The celestial fragments of those dwarf planets filled the orbits where the original planets had been blown apart.
Several Chaos figures appeared there.
They intended to build a temporary base atop these planetary fragments.
But Gamma World's actions had made it impossible for them to establish a complete military base on an intact planet, or an underground world where they could conceal themselves.
Because Gamma World had blown up every world except those they had turned into Forge Worlds. They had no shortage of ore after mining them, but those worlds had suffered terribly.
"Damn it! Those bastards blew up