"R. Garcia Y Robertson - Oxygen Rising" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robertson R Garcia Y)

fault, but what could we do? Our ships were one-way jobs, built to be cannibalized at our destination, so
we couldn't even go home. Those of us who opposed fighting were dragged in anyway, once the killing
began. I started by organizing peace vigils, and ended up as a door-gunnerтАФdon't think that was easy."

Hunched up, her arms around her legs, she laid her head down on her bare knees, looking back over at
him, saying, "Now we're defeated, despised, and deported, and it will all go to the Greenies." Surviving
Gekkos had sold their now useless claim on Harmonia to the Greenies, and there was scant support for
letting the human settlers keep a planet they had acquired by mass-murder. "Greenies are going to just
waltz in and take what we made, because they are so good and we are so evil."

Derek agreed, Greenie goodness could get to youтАФ witness this island-paradise-cum-prison. Greenies
were adept at making you feel grateful for doing what they wanted. "I don't think you are evil," he told
Tammy, "only human. That's why I offered you the jobтАФthis is something that must be done by humans.
If Greenies could do it, we wouldn't be having this talk."

Still staring straight at him, Tammy told him tersely, "I can't betray my people."

"I'm asking you to help save them," Derek pointed out.

Again he got that questioning look. By now, Mia would have said what she wantedтАФand then some.
Tammy just said, "I'll work for you, but not for Greenies. The first time I have to take orders from a
GreenieтАФI'm gone."

"Absolutely," Derek agreed. He could talk to the Greenies, being very good at that.

"And don't try to pump me for info," Tammy warned him. "I will talk people into coming out, but I won't
help kill them. Understood?"

Derek nodded. "Understood."

Tammy looked hard at him. "No hypno-probes. No brain scans."

"I'm not even wired for lie detection," Derek reminded her. He liked the give-and-take of talking to
Tammy, enjoying an edge you never got with Greenies. With Mia, everything was so pleasantly simple,
that were it not for her green skin and weird way of thinking, there would be no mystery at all. With
Tammy, it was a challenge just to get agreement, before she piled on more bizarre conditions. "We go
dirtside at 1630 hours tomorrow. Can you be ready?"

"Sure." It was not as if Tammy had much to do here. Nor did she bother to ask about the payтАФwhen
you were being paid to get out of jail, how much hardly mattered.

Getting up to go, Derek surveyed the white sweep of tropical beach edged with treehouse cabanas. "So
this is not Portland?"

"More like Paradise Island," Tammy told him. "Minus the holo-rides, dance arenas, sex-clubs, and love
grottos."

Earth sounded like an amazing place. He remembered Tammy saying that she had been to Paradise
Island with her boyfriendтАФand liked it a lot. He asked, "Do you still have the boyfriend?"