"Ben Weaver - Brothers in Arms 01 - Brothers in Arms" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weaver Ben)

ran much deeper than the skin because they branded you as a colonist, a second-rate citizen with bad
genes. And you couldnтАЩt do much about hiding a mark on your face. Flesh-colored creams always
rubbed off. IтАЩve learned to live with my mark, even embrace it, but back then I wanted nothing more than
to rip it from my face. I sometimes thought that my handicap was the reason my mother left us when I
was just three. My father still refuses to talk about it, and for years I blamed myself. I imagined that she
couldnтАЩt handle a child with a mark, that every time she had looked at me, it had been with pity and
disgust. The fact that my brother lacked any trace of defect only heightened my guilt and jealousy.

тАЬYou all right, Scott?тАЭ Jarrett asked with disgust.

I stiffened. тАЬJust go.тАЭ

It was bad enough that someone had had the bright idea of assigning both of us to Third Battalion, Kilo
Company, Twenty-seventh Platoon. But couldnтАЩt the brass have found another squad for my brother? Or
had they figured me for a liability who needed a keeper? I would never learn the truth. Official policy
dictated that you were assigned to a unit and would remain there until either promotion, dust out, or
death. Decisions of unit organization were made by the administration. Most requests for transfer were
denied unless you had a seriously good reason; even then the staff would do everything they could to
keep you where you were. They did not want to second-guess themselves.

Pope crossed in front of us. тАЬYou better watch your brotherтАЩs ass,тАЭ he told Jarrett. тАЬIf you donтАЩt, in the
next couple of days I guarantee heтАЩll IDO.тАЭ Translation: Involuntary Dust Out. Pope faced me, and as
usual I averted my gaze so I wouldnтАЩt have to watch him stare at my birthmark. тАЬMr. St. Andrew, theyтАЩll
come for you in the night. IтАЩm you, I donтАЩt sleep.тАЭ

тАЬSir, IтАЩm trying my best, sir.тАЭ I sounded like a pathetic fool. Why was I wasting my time and the
alliancesтАЩ money trying to become an officer? Why couldnтАЩt I just accept who I was, genetic flaws and
all?

Because I knew exactly what my life would be if I remained on Gatewood-Callista. I would marry some
poor slob woman, bang out a couple of kids (who would, in turn, become middle-class workers like me
because that was all you could get on a colony), and I would probably die painfully, in debt, and not by
natural causes. Numox poisoning killed more people on my world than anything else. The stuff was
layered through the rock, and you had to protect yourself from it as though it were plutonium. Exposure
for just a few seconds would kill you within a day.

I had just wanted to escape. My father had wholeheartedly supported my decision, and I had even
scored higher on the entrance exams than my brother.

тАЬSir, permission to speak candidly?тАЭ Jarrett asked.

PopeтАЩs god-ugly face spilt in a crooked grin. тАЬSpeak.тАЭ

Jarrett raked fingers through his reddish brown crew cut, drew in a deep breath, then raised his
shoulders. тАЬSergeant, this is bullshit. YouтАЩre standing there and telling me that someone tried to kill my
brother, and there isnтАЩt a thing you can do about it?тАЭ

тАЬTrust me. Fourth years are investigating. But we should talk in private,тАЭ Pope rasped. He turned a
menacing stare on me. тАЬYou. Go.тАЭ