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

studded with missile launchers, and it tapered to a V-shaped tail. The cockpit sides were
painted with sharkтАЩs teeth, a design dating back 250 years, and the motto of the Terran
Republic Marine Corps was painted above it. тАЬSemper Fidelis,тАЭ in white cursive script against
the dull gunmetal gray. Always Faithful.

When Jack walked into the drop bay, the assembled Marines were standing around,
leaning on equipment, clustered around the dropship but not doing anything in particular.
Robyn was among them, shooting the shit with the guys. As soon as she saw Jack, she bolted to
attention and shouted, тАЬMa-RINES, ten-HUT!тАЭ

The Marines ran to their spots in formation and snapped to attention. Jack stood back and
addressed the troops. There were only four of them, just a fireteam. Envoy didnтАЩt even rate a
full platoon. тАЬOkay, Marines, we finally get to do what weтАЩve been training for. Captain
Chenzokov has authorized a dropship mission to scout potential colony sites.

тАЬI think you all know the dangers involved. We have no idea whatтАЩs waiting for us down
there. We do know itтАЩs a new ecosystem, and as far as the planetтАЩs concerned, we donтАЩt belong
there. Our primary goal is to make sure that when Chenzokov sends down the civilian
scientists, they donтАЩt get eaten, poisoned, driven crazy or dissolved.

тАЬWeтАЩre going to scout three colony sites, ensuring the safety of each one. We canтАЩt afford to
miss anything. WeтАЩve got a couple days to determine everything this planet can throw at us
before the captain gets impatient. We need to work quickly.

тАЬLetтАЩs suit up.тАЭ

Jack led the Marines to a section of the wall surrounding the central pillar. Lined up like
sentinels were several suits of armor. The armor was flat black, metallic and sculpted to
correspond to major human muscle groups. The result was a dark Greek god, sleek, lithe and
powerful. The armor was based on the suit of angelic armor worn by Daniel Cho in the Angelic
Jihad, although two centuries of refinements had made these suits stronger, faster and more
responsive than ChoтАЩs. Each suit weighed less than two hundred pounds, and each Marine was
capable of suiting up on their own, without the group of assistants Cho had needed. The new
armor was also more power-efficient, allowing a Marine to run for up to two weeks without
recharging the suit.

Jack put on his armor, the rank insignia on the shoulders all that differentiated it from the
others. He looked out through the heads-up display in his faceplate, seeing readouts for various
suit systems superimposed over his vision. He cycled through several targeting modes, making
sure everything checked out. A MarineтАЩs armor was more than protection. It was weaponry,
life support, mobility. A suited Marine could run over fifty miles an hour in bounding strides,
lift up to five tons, and survive in environments from the cold vacuum of the moon to the
molten-lead greenhouse heat of Venus. In a hostile environment, a MarineтАЩs suit was his life,
and Jack instilled that respect in all his troops. They were on a short time schedule, but there
was no rushing to check out their suits. No one would leave until everyone was suited up.

Jack got a thumbs-up from each of the Marines. Everyone was checked out and ready to
go. He led them to the back of the dropship, where they all walked up the ramp into the belly
of the ship. Robyn and her co-pilot Corporal Shimura continued forward to the cockpit while
Jack and rest took their places along the walls, fitting themselves into armor-sized restraints for