[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
him again, reading out the names of the dead in deep, sonorous tones. Colonel Jeannette Devereaux . .
.
Blair snapped awake, stifling a cry. His hands groped on his bedside table until they wrapped around the
holocube she had sent him. For a moment he fumbled with it, and then her image appeared, lips moving
soundlessly with the volume turned down.
He stared at the ghostly figure and tried to control his breathing. Blair was never a superstitious man, but
the nightmare was like an omen, a vision. Angel was gone, and he was afraid that he would never get her
back.
Flight Wing Rec Room. TCS Victory Blackmane System
Another evening, another day of seemingly endless work. Blair was looking forward to a tall glass and a
chance to unwind, and although he wasn t eager for company, the rec room was preferable to his
quarters. He spent too many nights lately staring at those four walls, awakened from sleep by the
recurring nightmare. At least Angel couldn t haunt him here.
There was a cluster of officers at the bar, Lieutenant Rollins right in the middle. They were grouped
around a newspad, watching the latest Terran News Channel update just beamed in from Blackmane.
Barbara Miles, perfect as ever, looked out of the screen with an expression of mingled concern and
reassurance as she spoke.
Despite denials from official Confederation channels, TNC now has independent confirmation that the
Locanda star system has been placed under absolute quarantine in the wake of an outbreak of a virulent
plague said to be the result of a Kilrathi biological weapons attack. There are unconfirmed rumors that
this is not the first time such weapons have been used against human colonies. It is now generally believed
that the colony on Locanda Four has already suffered heavy losses, and may be all but wiped out as the
disease runs its course.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
She paused significantly. In other news from the front, TNC has learned that a strategic withdrawal of
Confed forces is underway in several outlying sectors. While government and military spokesmen
officially deny any such actions, unofficially several sources have suggested that these withdrawals have
been ordered as a means of consolidating the front lines by surrendering unimportant territory in the hope
that the Kilrathi will spread themselves too thin and thus be exposed to a significant counterstroke. But
independent military analysts retained by TNC have labeled this suggestion as spurious, and believe the
Ñconsolidation is merely an improvised response to the advances of the enemy.
This is Barbara Miles reporting, with another TNC Infoburst . . .
Shut it off, Radio, a lieutenant Blair recognized as one of the carrier s shuttle pilots growled. Always
the same old line from those cat symps.
Rollins blanked the screen. Hey, Trent, where ve you been? We were at Locanda . . . and they re
breaking down Blackmane Base right now. I hear tell there s been talk of sending a peace envoy to
Kilrah . . . that we re as good as ready to surrender. So how can you keep buying the fantasy that we re
actually winning this war?
What I want to know, Rollins, Blair said, placing a hand on the lieutenant s shoulder, is why you re so
all-fired eager to tell us how bad everything s going?
Ah, c mon, Colonel, Rollins said. You d have to be blind to miss the facts. Things are bad . . . and
they re getting worse. Fact: we haven t had a real shore leave in months. Fact: they keep shuttling this old
bucket around from one trouble spot to another, as if one battered carrier and one fighter wing was all
they could spare to cover half the sector. Fact: we ve been on one defensive op after another, and we
always seem to end up pulling back when it s over. Seems pretty damned clear to me, Colonel. This
war s winding down, all right. But we re not on the winning side.
Blair looked from Rollins to the others grouped around him. Most of them were nodding their heads in
agreement, though a few, like Lieutenant Trent, were frowning at his words. You want facts,
Lieutenant? I ll give you a few to chew on. Fact: the grunts on the front lines, even the ones with lots of
well-placed sources. never see the whole picture in a war. Fact the fastest way to lose a war is to allow
morale to be sapped by half-assed young officers with big ears, bigger mouths, and no common sense at
all. And fact: I know a communications officer with too much time on his hands who is letting his love for
gossip jeopardize the morale of this ship.
With all due respect, sir, I m entitled to my opinion, Rollins said stubbornly.
Indeed you are. But if I hear any more of this defeatist talk, you ll be reassigned to Waste Recycling,
where your crap belongs. Get my drift?
Telling him to shut up won t make the truth go away, sir, one of the others spoke up.
If it is the truth, wailing about it isn t going to change a damned thing, Blair said. We ll just have to
play the cards we re dealt. But like I said, the grunts at the front hardly ever know what s really
happening. Hell, maybe it s worse than old Gloom and Doom here thinks. But maybe it s a lot better.
Point is, if we decide everything s lost anyway, and give up, we might end up letting down some folks
who need us to turn things around. He paused. I m not telling anyone what to think. Or even saying you
can t shoot the bull over a few drinks. But spreading the worst possible rumors × that s crossing the line.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]