The rebuff seemed to calm her.
“Yes, Commander. We were captured…all three of us…” She paused as if trying to organize her thoughts. I waited patiently, wondering about the fate of the other two captives.
“Some sort of stun ray…carry it slung under their bodies… Maximum range unknown…trigger mechanism unknown. We were hit at about fifty meters…They struck Vahr and me first, possibly because of our weapons, then took Tzu…Only saw two weapons. So they can be fired at least twice without recharge or reloading…Effect is immediate…full loss of motor nerve control and partial loss of mental faculties…”
She was weakening. I noticed the wound from her missing arm was still bleeding. Using my hand, I tried to pinch off the arteries. I was not wholly successful, but at least now she was losing blood at a slower rate.
“The Ants were both swift and organized in their movements…We were stripped completely, weapons, harness, even booster bands before we could think clearly enough to try to send a message.”
“We were then carried back to the anthill and inside…We could see and think, but couldn’t move…dim lighting…dumped on floor…”
She stopped and stretched her head back. I realized she was suffering from the pain of her wounds. I waited.
“Dumped on floor in room with dim lighting… We were examined…probed by their antennae…checked for sex…Knew what they were looking for…then piled together…Examining Ants withdrew…replaced by six guards…larger, heavier mandibles…”