"Jeff Kirvin - Unification Chronicles 4 - Exiting Eden" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kirvin Jeff)

тАЬHalf the launch bay is missing!тАЭ Jack said. тАЬThe shipтАЩs coming apart!тАЭ

Another delay, then, тАЬI know! The reactor has taken too much damage. The tunnel drive is
totaled, and we have no AG or insystem propulsion! The remnants of the tunnel effect are
tearing the ship apart!тАЭ

тАЬGet down here!тАЭ Jack said as he eased his armored form into the control chair. тАЬWeтАЩre
leaving.тАЭ

тАЬWith all due respect, sir,тАЭ Jabari answered, тАЬget the other shuttles out first. ItтАЩs all I can do
here to hold the ship together. IтАЩm tied into the pilotтАЩs neural interface couch. EnvoyтАЩs a lot
bigger than the transport mechs I jacked in training, but sheтАЩs manageable. As soon as I leave,
Envoy will shake apart!тАЭ

Jack stared at the radio, then turned his attention to another control panel. As a safety
feature for just such occasions, the shuttles all had an emergency override feature than allowed
the entire group to be controlled remotely from any shuttle. Jack engaged this feature, then
began moving the shuttles out of the launch bay in something resembling an orderly manner.
In the microgravity, a slight touch on the thrusters was all that was needed to get most of the
ships clear of Envoy.
 As Jack tended to this task, he noticed the tremors shaking the Envoy increasing in intensity
and frequency. With or without JabariтАЩs intervention, the ship was shaking itself apart.

Finally, only JackтАЩs shuttle remained. He turned to the radio again. тАЬJabari!тАЭ

There was no reply.

тАЬSergeant Major!тАЭ Jack shouted into the microphone.

Nothing. Robyn put her hand on JackтАЩs shoulder just as another mammoth quake racked
the ship. тАЬSheтАЩs gone,тАЭ Robyn said. тАЬLetтАЩs make her sacrifice mean something.тАЭ

Jack nodded, and fired the thrusters that would take the shuttle out of the ruined launch
bay and into space.

Clear of the ship, Jack brought the rear camera view up on the monitor. Great holes had
been ripped out of EnvoyтАЩs once unbroken sphere, and gouts of fire shot from rents in the hull.
The great ship quivered, shook, and collapsed in on itself, leaving only a small and irregular
hunk of metal smaller than one of the shuttles.

Turning his attention back to the front viewscreen and the view of Earth, Jack moved aside
and let Robyn pilot the shuttle home.


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┬й Jeff Kirvin 2005