"Robert E. Vardeman - Battletech - Mechwarrior - Dark Age 03 - The Ruins Of Power" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vardeman Robert E)

structure. Each wing was devoted to a distinct epoch of history on Mirach and in The Republic, but
Austin stood before the ten-meter-tallCenturion BattleMech on display. He could not guess how many
times he had stopped at this very spot and stared up at the тАЩMech. Each time filled him with awe as new
as the dawn.

тАЬNever gets old, does it?тАЭ asked Dale. Austin heard the appreciation in his brotherтАЩs tone, although Dale
tried to hide it under his air of nonchalance.

тАЬHasnтАЩt yet,тАЭ Austin said. The museum rotunda was almost deserted today, save for three young women
studying the exhibit plaque at the feet of theCenturion .

Austin saw how intently they were taking notes on theCenturion and he almost went to ask if he could
fill them in on the тАЩMechтАЩs history. This wasnтАЩt just any BattleMech. This wasSergeant Death , the one
his father had piloted. Austin turned from the three students to keep himself from prattling on about it;
nowhere in the history was it recorded that this тАЩMech was so named. The тАЩMech stood as it had for
decades, with shining armor and grim autocannon, yellow stripes on the legs and red hash marks on the
arms, lasers and LRMs just like the simulated тАЩMech he piloted during simulator training. Because of the
distinctive markings on the old тАЩMech, Austin had nicknamed it тАЬSergeant Death,тАЭ much to DaleтАЩs
amusement. He had never told his father this, and never would, giving Dale blackmail material since
childhood.

тАЬI canтАЩt imagine what a battle was like in those days when тАЩMechs clashed,тАЭ Austin said, his voice
hushed in respect. тАЬTanks and battle armor just arenтАЩt the same.тАЭ His heart beat a little faster. Nothing
equaled a ready-for-combat BattleMech.
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тАЬLetтАЩs go up,тАЭ Dale said. They went around theCenturion to the back of the rotunda and took an
elevator to a walkway suspended four stories above the white marble museum floor. From this aerial
vantage five meters over the тАЩMech, they could circleSergeant Death and study it from above. Austin
did, but Dale chose to stare out the towering museum windows facing Cingulum.

Austin held down the hollowness threatening to consume him as he stared at the тАЩMech. This was the
only BattleMech remaining on Mirach, and his fatherтАЩs increasing insistence on pacifist policies made it
unlikely any others would be bought or built. The First Cossack Lancers relied on battle armor and
armored vehicles. Even the Planetary LegateтАЩs force was hardly more heavily armed, save for tank
battalions and assorted motorized artillery pieces.

тАЬAll we do is play,тАЭ Austin said harshly, his blue eyes fixed onSergeant Death .

тАЬYou mean like we did when we were kids? Yeah,тАЭ said Dale. тАЬIt was fun sneaking into that old pile of
bolts and pretending.тАЭ

тАЬI want to pilot it. For real, not in a computer simulator.тАЭ

тАЬYou think you can do better than Papa?тАЭ Dale laughed. тАЬPick a newer model, one with state-of-the-art
armament, and donтАЩt try to relive the past. Then all you have to do is find somebody whoтАЩll recruit you
off-world for a real fight. The Republic is always on the lookout for hotshot тАЩMech pilots.тАЭ Austin saw