"Steve Perry - Aliens 03 - The Female War" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Steven)

we're looking at here. Wilks?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah. I talked to General Peters yesterday, and he refused our request for
transport." He paused. "Actually, the man thinks we're bugfuck."

Captain McQuade broke in. "Peters is an asshole," he said. The two marines with him nodded. "I'm
surprised you botheredтАФthe man's so full of shit he farts instead of burping."

Several people laughed.

Wilks grinned. 'Yeah, well, be that as it may, we don't have the official green light. We can try
again, but I think the general is a waste of time."

Ripley took over. "Which is why we've decided to borrow a ship," she said, "and that makes this an
entirely different game. I want you all to understand what you're agreeing to before you make a final
decision. If we get caught, we're in deep. If we fail, coming back here means consequencesтАФ maybe
even if we succeed."

She met the eyes of each person as she spoke. "We didn't tell Peters where we were headed
specifically, so we probably won't be chased if we get clearтАФbut stealing a transport wasn't part of the
plan when you agreed to go, and if you want to walk, now's the time. We'll understand."

There was a pause.

"Fuck it," said Falk from the back of the room in a hoarse voice. "Not doing anything would be
worse."

There were several murmured affirmations from the group.

Wilks looked around the dojo and saw the same kind of determined look on everyone's face. No
one moved.

After a moment, Ripley went on. "Good. Thanks. We want to leave here in a few days, and there's
a lot to do to get ready. We're looking at ships now, and Leslie"тАФRipley nodded at the hackerтАФ"is
getting us a read on the security system we're dealing with. We've got a list of shit that needs to be
thought out, supplies and weapons to begin with, and we need to work out details of taking the ship...."

As Ripley continued, Wilks watched the expressions of the people they would be working with.
Several of them threw out suggestions as the discussion continued, and all of them looked as though they
had been bestowed a special privilege in being included on this tripтАФthis trip that could cost them their
lives and probably would. Yeah, they were a good crew.

Not too bright, maybe, but he didn't have any room to talk.



Billie checked the supply list for the third time, cross-referenced with what was stocked on the
Kurtz. The military freighter had been chosen for its large hold, designed to haul toxic liquid byproducts.
The containment area could hold up to 10,000 cubic liters of radioactive sludge, was airtight, had
interleaved durasteel-and-lead walls half a meter thick, with hatches to match. Anyway, the hold was