"Gordon, Steve - Insectoid 02 - Escape from the Insectoids" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gordon Steve)

"No," said the Ken Pilot. "All of you." He got up. "Meet me in landing bay
in 20 minutes." He walked away.
"You think he's trying to prove something?" said Obe.
"You think those stories of him taking out 40 fighters singlehandedly are
really true?" said Marsten.
"I think we're about to find out," said Took.
When they arrived at the landing bay they had their first chance to take a
good look at the Ken Pilot's ship. It was old, that much was clear, and it
was made of all different pieces, of all different sizes, shapes and
colors. It was as if someone had gone to a ship wrecking yard and
collected pieces from a dozen different ships and then glued them
together. How the different pieces were made to be compatible with each
other was a mystery; how it flew at all, much less so well, was an even
greater puzzle. In addition to forward weaponry, it also had a small rear
turret mounted into the high fin.
"That looks like something out of a museum," said Obe, none too tactfully.
"What is the hull based on?" He peered at it closely. "It's a Wildcat 50
hull, right?"
"A Wildcat 5 hull, actually," said the Ken Pilot, climbing into the
cockpit. He eyed the arriving pilots who were streaming into the launch
bay behind Took and Obey. "Standard simulation protocol 1.2?"
"We use 8.0 now," said Obe.
"But we're downwards compatible," said Took hastily. "It will be no
problem." He eyed the other pilots. "Are you sure you want to take us ALL
on at the same time?"
The Ken Pilot just looked at him for a second, giving a slight shrugging
gesture, as he sealed his cockpit and started his preflight.
"This is going to be one for the history books," said Took.
Took dogged the seal on his cockpit. His entire squadron was getting ready
to launch. Elements of Obe's and several other squadrons were going to
their ships too, if not to fight, then at least to watch. Took wondered
what Colonel Darley would think of this massive mobilization. Well, they
could chalk it up to a training exercise.
"Remember," said Took over the comm, "No matter how cocky this guy is,
there's only one of him but ten or fifteen of us. If we keep on him
together, he might get one or two of us at best."
He thumbed the launch button and a fraction of a second later so did the
rest of his squadron, as well as Obe and two of his wingmen.
Almost the instant his squadron launched and cleared the hull, Took
noticed a flash of light to his right and some yells on the comm. He
quickly glanced at the SSP indicator and saw that three of his ships had
been hit and already taken out of action, slowing to a halt, dead in
space.
"What's going on?" Took said, seeing a battered Wildcat 5 suddenly come
roaring ahead of his squadron. The Ken Pilot must have been waiting for
them, just outside the launchbay, and shot several of their ships right as
they launched. "An ambush right outside of launch? That's not fair!"
The cold reply came immediately. "When the Insectoids start obeying rules
of combat etiquette, let me know so I can too." And then, after a pause,
"What's the matter, are only twelve of you insufficient to take on one