"Jack McKinney - Sentinels 02 - Dark Powers" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKinney Jack)

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Jack McKinney - Sentinels 2 - Dark Powers

Copyright 1988 by Jack McKinney

CHAPTER ONE

All I have learned of the Shapings of the Protoculture tell me that it does not work randomly; that there is
a grand design or scheme. I feel that we have been brought here, kept here, for some reason.

Yet, what purpose can there be in SDF-3's being stranded here on Tirol for perhaps as long as five
years? And during that time will the Robotech Masters be pursuing their search for Earth?

Since tempers are short, I do not mention the Shaping; I'm a little too long in the tooth, I fear, for
hand-to-hand confrontations with homesick, frightened, and frustrated REF fighters.

Dr. Emil Lang, personal journal of the SDF-3 mission

On captured Tirol, after a fierce battle, the Humans and their Zentraedi allies-the Robotech Expeditionary
Force-licked their wounds, then decided it was time to mark the occasion of their triumph. It was, as
nearly as they could calculate, New Year's Eve.

But far out near the edge of Tirol's system, a newcomer appeared-a massive spacegoing battleship,
closing in on the war-torn, planet-sized moon.

Our first victory celebration, young Susan Graham exulted. What a wonderful party! She was just shy of
sixteen, and to her it was the most romantic evening in human history.

She was struggling to load a bulky cassette into her sound-vid recorder while scurrying around to get a
better angle at Admirals Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes Hunter. They had just stood up, in full-dress
uniforms, clasping white-gloved hands, apparently about to dance. There had been rumors that the
relationship between the two senior officers of the Robotech Expeditionary Force was on shaky ground,
but for the moment at least, they seemed altogether in love.

Sue let out a short romantic sigh and envied Lisa Hunter. Then her thoughts returned to the cassette
which she was tapping with the heel of her hand. A lowly student-trainee, Sue had to make do with
whatever equipment she could find at the G-5 public-information shop, or Psy-ops, Morale or wherever.

At last the cassette was in place, and she began to move toward her quarry.

In Tiresia, the moon's shattered capital city, the Royal Hall was aglow. The improvised lighting and
decorations reemphasized the vast, almost endless size of the place.

The lush ballroom music remained slow-something from Strauss, Karen Penn thought; something even
Jack Baker could handle. As she had expected, he asked her to waltz a second time.