The openings weren't slowing down.
I had cleared the field twice over and the hive was still producing, each cycle pulling from something deeper, something I couldn't reach from out here.
I ran the numbers and didn't like the conclusion.
There was no version of this where I stayed outside and won. I could keep killing them for hours and the hive would keep replacing them, and eventually the difference between my army's endurance and the hive's production rate would settle the question on its own.
My soldiers were strong. They were not infinite.
The hive apparently was.
I stopped fighting and stood still for a moment.
The aliens nearest to me slowed. They had learned enough by now to be cautious when I stopped moving. That worked in my favor.
I let the lightning build.
