"Jack McKinney - Robotech 03 - Homecoming" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKinney Jack)

Major Aldershot glanced around at him stiffly, the ends of his waxed
mustache seeming to bristle. "I will point out that the commander is a much-
decorated soldier. This insulting levity is unbecoming from someone who has yet
to prove himself under fire." It was the most he'd said all morning.
"What is this `Protoculture'?" Gloval put things back on track.
Lisa hesitated before answering. "It's apparently something that relates
to their use of Robotech. I'm not sure, but they think that Protoculture is the
highest science in the universe and that somehow we possess some of its deepest
secrets."
Colonel Maistroff said with a sly grin to the other evaluation team
officers, "Too deep for me!" and guffawed at his own joke.
The intel and security officers roared spitefully along with him as Lisa's
cheeks colored and Rick felt himself flush in anger.
"Silence!" Gloval barked. It was instantly quiet. "This is a very grave
moment. This alien armada has pursued and harried us across the solar system for
almost a year and yet has never made an all-out attempt to destroy us; perhaps
we do possess a power in the SDF-1 that we don't fully understand."
That was a good bet, the way Rick saw it. Even the brilliant Dr. Lang
understood only a fraction of the alien ship's secrets, and he was the one who
had masterminded its reconstruction from a burned and battered wreck.
Maistroff fixed Lisa with a gimlet stare, red-faced at being rebuked in
front of junior officers. "Commander Hayes, is that all?"
Lisa met his glare. "Yes, sir, that's all."
Ben whispered to Rick, "I don't think they believe us." Ben wasn't exactly
point man on the genius roster, and the idea that such a thing could happen had
never occurred to him until the debriefing was well along.
"It's probably the dishonest expression on your face," Rick whispered back
absently.
Maistroff placed both hands flat on the table and turned to Gloval. "Do
you really believe this wild tale? It's enemy trickery! Hallucinations!"
Gloval began stoking up his evil-smelling briar, tamping the tobacco
slowly with his thumb, pondering. "This information must be correlated and
reported to Earth immediately, whether I believe it or not-"
Maistroff interrupted him, saying tightly and too quickly, "I'll send a
coded message right away-"
"Colonel Maistroff." It was Gloval's turn to interrupt. "No, you won't."
He lit his briar while they all gaped at him.
Gloval said, "We've got to break through the enemy elements that stand
between the SDF-1 and our homeworld."
The evaluation team was aghast, Maistroff shouting, "We can't make it!"
Rick looked around and saw that everybody on his side of the table thought
it was a magnificent idea. Gloval rose. "At our current speed, we are only two
days from Earth, and they must have this information." He started for the hatch.
Maistroff scowled at Gloval's back. "And then what?"
The captain answered over his shoulder. "And then nothing. We just await
orders while we relax, Colonel Maistroff."
He cut through all their protests. "That will be all, gentlemen."
Gloval turned to the escapees. "And as for you four..." They all shot to
their feet at rigid attention.
"At least for the time being, you'll be relieved of duty. You've earned a