"Keith Laumer - Bolos 3 - The Triumphant" - читать интересную книгу автора (Laumer Keith)

weapons systems are operational, although God knows when they were
tested last. I got a certificate somewhere says when. Been a while.
DiggerтАЩs old, Carl. Government surplus still made me fill out forms like
you wouldnтАЩt . . .тАЭ
He shook his head. It didnтАЩt matter that heтАЩd managed to obtain an
ancient, decaying Bolo out of surplus only because he was still a Reserve
Marine officer and nominally the head of MatsonтАЩs defense forces.
MatsonтАЩs was entitled to some form of military support and centuries-old
Bolos were cheapтАФand could be reprogrammed to handle genetic
engineering computations a helluva lot cheaper than plunking down the
cash for specialized gengineering equipment usually sold to ag colonists.
So they had Digger and Digger had done every job theyтАЩd assigned
him. But one Bolo Mark XX Model MтАФessentially a Mark XX brain in
a Mark XIV chassis, minus the HellboreтАФextensively modified to
handle genetic cultivar computations and field trials, plus plowing,
harvesting, and heavy construction, just wasnтАЩt any kind of match for a
whole enemy fleet. Hal spat one last time.
тАЬHe might buy us time, but weтАЩd still end up dead. Or worse. We gotta
skedaddle, Carl, and git now. Sector send word to Phase II to hold up
transhipping?тАЭ
The look in CarlтАЩs eyes worsened. тАЬThey said Phase II had already
left. But theyтАЩll use SWIFT to make contact with the Star Cross. They
should be able to drop out of FTL and turn around in time.тАЭ
Hal nodded. тАЬThatтАЩs good. This ainтАЩt gonna be no place for women
and kids and nanny goats.тАЭ
Carl set his jaw muscles. Hal immediately wished he hadnтАЩt said that.
More than just CarlтАЩs wife was aboard that Phase II ship. The future of
everything and everyone they loved was on that transport. And all of it
was headed right into the teeth of an alien invasion fleet. If anything
went wrong . . .
тАЬWell,тАЭ Hal muttered, тАЬIтАЩd better get busy shutting everything down.тАЭ
тАЬYes. That FTL transport Sector mentioned will be here tomorrow. ItтАЩs
carrying refugees from Scarsdale, too, so there wonтАЩt be room to take
much out.тАЭ
Hal glanced sharply at his director. тАЬNot even Digger?тАЭ
Carl glanced away. тАЬIтАЩm sorry. WeтАЩll . . . You saw the message. Sector
said to fry his Action/Command center. We canтАЩt let him fall into enemy
hands.тАЭ
тАЬYeah, but that was an тАШif you canтАЩt remove the unitтАЩ order, not a hard-
and-fast gotta do it order.тАЭ He shut his lips. He knew as well as Carl that
Sector had really meant, тАЬKill your Bolo, Hal.тАЭ He cleared his throat.
тАЬWell, damn . . . First they farm him out as surplus junk, now they want
me to go and . . .тАЭ
тАЬI know.тАЭ
Hal shrugged, trying to shunt attention away from his emotional
outburst. Complaining about it wouldnтАЩt do any good, anyway. тАЬYou got
other business. Just leave the equipment to me. IтАЩll wreck what we canтАЩt
take.тАЭ
Carl nodded and left.
Hal watched him go. Then: Kill Digger?