"Gordon, Steve - Insectoid 03 - Death to the Insectoids!" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gordon Steve)

derision.
The hooded figure shook its head sadly. "The humans can be used
for skilled labor-"
"Skilled? For what?"
"Sophisticated product production. Driving. Piloting. You have a
very educated worker base that you are squandering."
Zsst made a derisive noise.
"Do you not have a human in your employ?"
"The cook?" said Zsst. "It is a cook!"
"A sophisticated biochemist who is able to come up with dishes
that your own cooks cannot," said Baraki. "I expect that you will make
better use of the humans." The menace in his tone was clear.
The tension was palpable.
Zsst said, "Perhaps there are some minor tasks that they can be
put to."
"Good. Also, you have ignored their industrial base. You simply
level whatever they have in place in order to build your own
factories."
"Their factories are not equipped to produce our munitions or
other goods."
"Some of them can be retooled," said Baraki. "You might also
learn something from their manufacturing techniques."
"Their techniques?" Zsst said incredulously.
"You don't even make use of their own power supplies," said
Baraki. "Your race knows how to conquer, but doesn't know how to
exploit. We invested a lot of time and effort in helping you with this
invasion. You must profit fully from what you have conquered so that
you can build up as rapidly as possible and be ready for the next
step."
"Very well," said Zsst reluctantly. "We will see what can be
done."

The Sarney Sarittenden Stadium was the largest event arena on the
planet, with ample seating for 50,000 on-site spectators. Used in the
past for sporting, artistic, or cultural events, the Insectoids had
found a more practical use for it: gladiator games. Over the past two
years over a thousand human prisoners had met their end providing the
Insectoids with entertainment.
But attendance at the games had been declining. The audience, all
Insectoids, was starting to find them boring. Thus it was with great
pleasure that Czzz had located a new source of entertainment.
The Silencer stood in the arena, blinking in the morning sun as
he raised one hand over his eyes. The other arm hung loosely on his
right side. On the ground in front of him something gleamed in the
bright sunlight. Coming closer he saw it was a smaller version of the
sticks with the curved blades on the end that the Insectoids used. He
picked it up with his good arm.
Over the announcement system words blared out in the clicks and
buzzes of the Insectoid native language. "Announcing a new target...
one of the most fearsome human opponents... a Graftonite... the one