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

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Per evacuation protocol, all the colonists were still in their shuttles when Jack arrived, lined
up in the launch bay. Jack and his Marines exited the dropship the moment it touched down
and ran to the bridge.

The bridge of the massive ship was nearly deserted, only the skeleton crew of shipтАЩs pilot,
navigator and communications officer present. Jack removed the helmet from his armor and
began giving the orders to tunnel back to Earthspace. He was interrupted.

тАЬSir!тАЭ the comm officer shouted. тАЬWe have two tunnels opening, bearing 245, thirty-two
degrees up!тАЭ

тАЬShow me.тАЭ

One the central viewscreen, Jack watched the images captured by cameras on that side of
the ship. In two different locations, Jack witnessed the signature distortion of the starfield
caused by the intense gravitational energies of a tunnel drive bending the light. Two tunnels
opened, and from these rents in the fabric of space, two starships emerged. They were like
nothing he had ever seen.

The ships were identical. Each was nearly two kilometers long, and roughly cylindrical.
They were dark pewter, full of sleek curves and ripples, suggesting the powerful musculature
of a predator. The bow of each ship bristled with spiky extrusions Jack took to be the barrels of
weapons, and at the center of the bow was a dark maw. On one of the ships, this maw began to
glow.

тАЬSir!тАЭ the comm officer shouted again. тАЬIтАЩm reading a massive gravitational surge from one
of the craft!тАЭ

тАЬAdjust our orientation,тАЭ Jack said as he slid into the CaptainтАЩs chair, listening to it creak
and protest under the weight of his armor. тАЬI want both of those ships underneath us. And
ready the tunnel drive to get us out of here. WeтАЩre going home.тАЭ

тАЬAye, sir,тАЭ said the shipтАЩs pilot from his neural interface couch. Jack felt the slight tidal
disturbances as EnvoyтАЩs gravitational field altered, pulling it into a new orientation. The views
on the screens shifted to keep the alien craft in view.

Jack watched as the glow increased from the alien ship.

тАЬSir! The alien craftтАЩs gravitational field is spiking!тАЭ

I was afraid of that, Jack thought. тАЬHang on, everybody!тАЭ he shouted as he gripped the
arms of his chair with armored strength, almost ripping them off.

A flash of light appeared on the bow of the alien ship, followed almost instantaneously by a
severe rocking of the Envoy. Robyn and Jabari fell to the deck, and the navigator was knocked