Well, they were.
Or they knew better than I did at the time. Turns out, most soil enrichers are inert when stored in their monomer forms. That’s why the TA needed the RX booster control board to serve as the detonator. It puts out enough power to trigger a polymerization chain reaction, after which the material becomes extremely volatile. Either way, I didn’t know, so the shots landing at the edge of the vehicle served as extra motivation to find a swift means of egress.
Once I realized TA rifle wasn’t worth the weight to carry, I tossed it out from under the truck, low and to the rear, hoping it would distract the guards as I scrambled toward the front and the nearby alley. Unfortunately, the guards must have seen through my ploy, since I soon heard boots racing in my direction. But I w
