"Jeff Kirvin - Unification Chronicles 1 - First Contact I" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kirvin Jeff)

vessel itself is mine. Your past accomplishments mean nothing to me, Major. I will not have
you usurping my authority on this ship.тАЭ

Jack wasnтАЩt finished. тАЬThe President of the Terran Republic appointed me head of security
for this mission. Before we tunneled into an unknown system, you should have given me the
chance to make sure it would be safe to do so. My duty is to see to it that these people are safe,
and I wonтАЩt have you jeopardize that just because you want to play cowboy with тАШyourтАЩ ship.тАЭ

тАЬWe scanned the system,тАЭ Chenzokov said at last.

тАЬThe probesтАФтАЭ Jack began.

тАЬThe probes are fine,тАЭ Chenzokov said. тАЬThe best Russian technology has to offer. If there
were a threat in this system, weтАЩd know about it.тАЭ

Jack took a deep breath, marshaling his strength. тАЬIтАЩm not going to get sucked into a debate
over your pointless nationalistic rivalries. Not again. If you have issues with my being
American, thatтАЩs just too bad. IтАЩm the security officer for this mission, and I should have been
notified before tunneling so we could be prepared to defend this vessel against any threats that
your probes may have missed.тАЭ

Chenzokov rose from his chair. тАЬ тАШDefend this vesselтАЩ? Against what? If anyone is playing
тАШcowboyтАЩ here, Major, itтАЩs you. Maybe you see danger everywhere you go; given your record, I
can understand why. But I assure you, my dear Major, we are quite safe here, and if we
werenтАЩt, thereтАЩs nothing you and your Marines could do about it.тАЭ

Jack stood in silence for a moment, beaten. He raised his head and looked the captain in the
eye. тАЬYou have a point, Captain. Maybe I was overreacting.тАЭ

Chenzokov nodded, and the bridge crew turned back to their tasks.

тАЬAs there are no threats in the area to keep us with the ship,тАЭ Jack continued, тАЬIтАЩd like to
take my Marines down in the dropship and scout potential colony sites. We might be able to
see things on the ground that we could miss from orbit.тАЭ

тАЬYes, fine,тАЭ the captain waved his hand. тАЬWhatever. It will be a few days until the science
teams will be ready to land. You have until then.тАЭ

Jack exited the bridge. No one saw the smile on his face.


* * *


Marine Lieutenant Robyn OтАЩReilly stood in the cramped Marine briefing room, a
conference room near the drop bays. Like most of the military quarters on the ship, it was
small, poorly ventilated and looked like the afterthought it was. The one thing it had going for
it was the far wall, a floor to ceiling viewscreen similar to, though much smaller than, the one
on the bridge. It gave her an unobstructed view of the planet they now orbited.