"Robert Onopa - Republic" - читать интересную книгу автора (Onopa Robert)

of them had reactions, but the others ... I think it kept them from being sick later. I believe they were
being recruited. You know some of them stayed. The fresh battle to which they'd gone was a smoldering
fire. The planet was already destabilizing, the news of our arrival spreading like the rosy light of the sun.
And now we were part of it, the marines, their weapons, even Grace was part of it, with the business in
the cave.

That's where he was killed, three days after the first blood ceremony.
****
We were never really sure who killed Grace. Captain Hess withdrew all but a skeleton crew up to The
Copernicus. We reviewed our data, took inventory of our samples--geologists, planetary engineers,
people like me. It was possible that Grace could have been killed by one of our own. He'd been
strangled. Hess decided that we should ship back home.

We held a service for Grace and a ritual farewell with the aliens, who gave us no answers about Grace.
We were happy enough to leave.

We hit our mark to the wormhole, initiated cryo sequence, and out of nowhere, our primary engine fell
apart on us. The core blew out our water, blew out a side of tanks. You know how little water we carry,
how we just loop it around. Well, if you lose half your holding tanks, you have a problem.

We had to return to the surface of the fourth planet to resupply. We jury rigged the cargo sled with a
backup tank from hydroponics and used the lander for logistics.
****
There was no welcoming committee this time. Even the farmers kept their distance.

We established a site beside a lake three clicks from our original base. There was trouble. First tools
started to go missing, then materials, starting with pipe at the shoreline. Gloves, boots, then a rebreather.
When Hess complained, one of the silver-and-red-caped elders gave him a sharp lecture I'd finally gotten
familiar enough with the language to translate: we were taking something of theirs, their water. They had
the right to take something in return.

I told you the planet was tropical/marine. It was awash. Still, in their language, the word for water was
the word for life.

As the crew was squaring away the sled after topping off, the aliens decoupled the tank from the cargo
sled's cab, the cab with the power unit, and three of them took the cab and lurched off across the lake.

Hess had been uporbit. He was livid. He dressed in his ceremonial blues and went down with the marines
in full gear. The farmers led him up the shoreline on a false trail for three hours--it was a total waste of
time, they'd convinced him to go on foot, it had turned hot, and he was tinder. He marched the squad
through the stone buildings and into the square between the temple and the fortified bank, followed by a
crowd. He made for the residence beside the temple.

His idea was to take an alien as hostage for the cargo sled's cab.

But the instant Captain Hess raised his arm to seize the elder, a guard ghosted up from behind and made
a sharp, sideways move with his rod that made Hess's head snap forward. Weapons went off.... It was a
real mess.

We took on the rest of the water under fire. Seven marines deserted, hooked up with the aliens who had