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

The door opposite the screen opened and Jack walked into the room. He looked pleased,
but worried about something too. SheтАЩd been JackтАЩs XO long enough to read his moods. Now a
First Lieutenant, sheтАЩd been a Second Lieutenant fresh out of the academy when Jack had first
met her on Mars. Now she was vital to him as a sounding board, voice of reason, and all too
often, his conscience.

тАЬSo, howтАЩd it go?тАЭ she asked.

тАЬHe approved a scouting mission in the dropship.тАЭ

Robyn had expected it, but the news still surprised her. тАЬWith armor?тАЭ

тАЬMy discretion,тАЭ Jack said, walking past her to the viewscreen.

тАЬHow did you manage that? Chenzokov has had us just about confined to quarters. HeтАЩs
wanted to shove us all out the damned airlock since we left spacedock.тАЭ

Jack turned to her and smiled. тАЬI started an argument with him, then apologized. Once he
saved face in front of his crew, he stopped listening and gave me anything I wanted.тАЭ

Robyn laughed. тАЬYou are my god.тАЭ

тАЬEasy there, Lieutenant. The tough part is just beginning.тАЭ

She looked at the screen, the world so like Earth spinning beneath them. тАЬYou donтАЩt like it,
do you?тАЭ

He looked at the screen. тАЬIt wouldnтАЩt be my first choice. Too many unknowns. ThereтАЩs a
whole ecosystem down there that weтАЩve never seen. All we know is that the gravity and
atmosphere are close enough to Earth not to kill us. That leaves a whole lot of things down
there that can.тАЭ

She walked over to stand next to him. тАЬYou understand why weтАЩre here. You know better
than anyone why terraforming a dead world isnтАЩt politically viable with the folks back home.тАЭ

He sighed. тАЬYes, Robyn, I know.тАЭ

тАЬHey,тАЭ she said. тАЬMars wasnтАЩt your fault. You did everything possible to avertтАФтАЭ

тАЬIt wasnтАЩt enough, though, was it?тАЭ Jack said. тАЬAnd now weтАЩre passing up any number of
worlds suitable for terraforming, taking unnecessary risksтАФтАЭ

тАЬWeтАЩre soldiers, sir. WeтАЩre doing what weтАЩve been ordered to do.тАЭ

Jack stood a little straighter at that. тАЬGood point, Robyn.тАЭ

Jack touched a few controls at the edge of the screen. The view of the planet zoomed in,
showing just the tropical and temperate zones.

With his finger, Jack circled three locations on the planet, two in the northern hemisphere