"Ian Douglas - Inheritance Trilogy 1 - Star Strike" - читать интересную книгу автора (Douglas Ian)

тАЬSir, yes, sir!тАЭ

тАЬAnd when I give you an order, you will respond with тАШsir, aye, aye, sir!тАЩ Remember that! тАШAye, ayeтАЩ
means тАШI understand and I will obey!тАЩ Is that understood?тАЭ

тАЬSir, yes, sir!тАЭ

Garroway was impressed. Under the DIтАЩs unrelenting barrage, the line of recruits, until moments ago a
chaotic m├йlange of individually mumbled responses, was actually starting to chorus together, and with
considerable feelingтАжbut then the DI was back in his face once again, eye to eye, screaming at him.
тАЬWhat the hell are you doing on your feet, maggot? I gave you a direct order! I told you to give me fifty!
ThatтАЩs fifty push-ups!тАЭ

Damn! Garroway had been as confused as the rest, stunned into unthinking immobility by the DIтАЩs
performance. He dropped to the ground, legs back, arms holding his body stiffly above the sand, and
started to perform the first push-up, but then Warhurst was hauling him upright by the scruff of his neck,
dangling him one-handed above the sand, still screaming. тАЬI did not hear you acknowledge the order I
gave you, mudworm!тАЭ

тАЬSir, yes, sir! Uh, I mean, aye, aye, sir!тАЭ

тАЬWhat was that?тАЭ

тАЬSir! Aye, aye, sir!тАЭ

Warhurst released him. тАЬGimme those fifty goddamn push-ups!тАЭ

тАЬSir! Aye, aye, sir!тАЭ

Garroway dropped again and began cranking out the push-ups. HeтАЩd worked out a lot over the past
couple of years, knowing that this sort of thing would be routine. HeтАЩd also spent a lot of time recently
working in the Recovery Projects back on Earth. There he massed a full 85 kilos, so he had a bit of an
advantage of some of the other kids in the line. On Mars, he only weighed 32 kilos, compared to the 60
kilos he carried at his home level in the Ring.

So right now he weighed half what he normally did, and was feeling pretty strong, even competent. The
push-ups came swiftly and easily as Warhurst continued to parade up and down the line of recruits,
finding fault everywhere, screaming invectives at the other recruits. Before long, Garroway wasnтАЩt the
only one doing push-ups. He completed his count and stood at attention once more, surprised to find he
was breathing harder, now. In fact, his chest was burning.

The Martian air was painfully thin, despite the nanochelates in his lungs that increased the efficiency of his
breathing. The terraformers had been reshaping Mars for almost four centuries, now, hammering it with
icebergs to begin with, but more recently using massive infusions of nanodecouplers to free oxygen from
the planet-wide rust and restore the ancient Martian atmosphere. For the past two centuries, the air had
been breathable, at least with nanotechnic augmentation, but it was still thin, cold, and carried a harsh
taste of sand and chemicals.

Abruptly, as if at the throw of a switch, Gunnery Sergeant WarhurstтАЩs fury was gone. Instead, he seemed
relaxed, almost paternal. тАЬVery well, children,тАЭ he said, standing before them with his hands on his hips.