"Keith Laumer - Bolos 6 - Cold Steel" - читать интересную книгу автора (Laumer Keith)

 "How long was I unconscious?"
"Twelve hours, fourteen minutes, and either nineteen or thirty-eight seconds, depending on
your definition of conscious."
Tyrus considered for a moment, and decided that lying on the floor for a while longer was a
pretty damned good idea. He felt nauseous, weak, from even trying to move. "What am I
supposed to call you?"
"I am Bolo Mark XXIV, designation DRK. I believe that my previous commanders used to
refer to me as 'Dirk.'"
He suddenly remembered that Dirk had already given his name, before the attack. He
wondered how much damage the bump on the head had done, and why Dirk didn't seem to
remember it either.
"Okay, Dirk, I'm in pretty bad shape. How about you?"
"I have been seriously sabotaged in a means I do not yet understand. My weapons systems
have largely been removed or disabled, my sensors and battle screens extensively modified from
their original configurations, new equipment of unknown purpose welded to my hull, and most
seriously, my psychotronics and memory have been seriously compromised. I attempted to
engage Full Combat Reflex Mode during the attack, and internal feedback nearly destroyed my
higher mental functions. It appears that I will require orders from a human commander before
taking direct combat action."
"They probably hardwired some sort of inhibitor into your combat reflex circuits. They were
as worried about your going berserk as I was. Dirk, you haven't exactly been sabotaged, though
the word 'butchery' might apply. You've been turned into a mining machine."
The machine was uncharacteristically silent for a time.
"That is illogical."
"Damn straight, but they did it anyway."
More silence.
"That at least clarifies my situation. It explains why my sensors have been modified to detect
seismic disturbances and mineral concentrations rather than targeting data, why my screens have
been optimized for low-velocity kinetic impacts, and why my combat communications array has
been replaced with one for civilian wavelengths. I will need to analyze my new capabilities, and
attempt to compensate for my loss of combat readiness."
"You mean, you think you can still fight?"
"I can move. I have awareness. I have power. With your help, I will fight to the best of my
capabilities."
"Listen, Dirk, I'd love to help out and all, but my soldiering days are over. I just want to find
my family."
"Your family were in the colony outside the hangar?"
"Yes."
"Then they are no longer there, or they are dead. I cannot determine which."
That was the thing he'd been trying not to think about. He vaguely remembered seeing the
colony in flames, the apartments exploding. But there could be survivors out there somewhere,
and he'd seen an air shuttle getting away. There was hope. There had to be hope. There were so
many things he had yet to say. He had to apologize for bringing them to this place, for failing to
have the simple courage to say "no" to his superiors when the time was right. The last time with
his wife, they had been fighting. It couldn't end like that.
There had to be hope.
Besides, this crippled Bolo freely admitted that its sensors weren't working right. "Dirk, how
can you be so sure that there are no survivors out there? Do you have visual?"
"Negative. When the explosion went off, a section of the hillside above the hangar collapsed.
We are buried under eight to ten meters of loose rock."