Swamped

You smile.

"I know where their main breeding grounds are. You just need a fine enough net and you could pick up thousands of eggs."

"Uh-huh. And what if you draw the attention of the adults? I'd imagine the breeding grounds have more than a few of those around. Plus, it'll take time to get there and back." He looks at the rat pile. "I'd rather take care of this as soon as possible."

"I know the place well. I'll get my team out there and we'll gather eggs. We'll be back in an hour."

"All right, but if you're not back by then, we're going to have to try something riskier. So move fast."

You get your team and head for the docks, explaining the plan along the way. You'll need the barge to get to the breeding grounds in time, but as this is an emergency, you don't expect it to be a problem.

The nets aren't an issue; there are some near the training pool, specifically to get fly eggs out if they somehow make their way in. They'll serve your purposes just fine. Each member of your squad takes one, and then you head to the docks.

That's when you run into a problem. There are greatrats roaming on the barge. You can see three out on the deck, and for all you know there might be more in the cargo hold.

You don't see anyone on patrol here. If you're lucky, they ran to get help once they saw the rats. If you're not... it might already be too late.

You wonder if you should take the time to get some backup. It's standard procedure... but you're also specifically trained to deal with these sorts of pests. Maybe your group can handle three. It would be faster if you could, and time is of the essence.

Will you go back to get help? And whether you do or not, how are you going to handle these greatrats?