"David Weber & Linda Evans - Bolos" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weber David)

I know of no native agricultural pest which would be capable of
deflecting a Concordiat ship from its assigned mission and abducting the
members of an entire colony in order to more easily access our crop
base. I consider a probable extraterrestrial point of origin. Lacking data,
I file the possibility and maintain Battle Reflex Alert. I have been
charged with protecting MatsonтАЩs World. Vigilance is necessary if there
is to be a well-maintained facility waiting when my Commander and the
rest of MatsonтАЩs colonists return.
I wait and listen and watch.

тАЬ. . . should be able to snag and hear SWIFT messages, at least,тАЭ
Lewis muttered through his suit mike. The sound of his voice was
distorted slightly, either by the transmission from the Command Module
or by stress, Tillie wasnтАЩt sure which.
тАЬYou understand, IтАЩm not an engineer. I donтАЩt really know how to fix
this the way it ought to be fixed. If we had the proper parts, it might be
different.тАЭ
Tillie nodded. One of the nightmaresтАФone of manyтАФwas discovering
that the blast which had destroyed their propulsion system and their
engineer had also destroyed most of the shipтАЩs spare parts. What hadnтАЩt
been lost to vacuum when the main storage bins blew had partly melted
in the extreme heat.
 тАЬYou ready, Kelly?тАЭ
тАЬYessir.тАЭ
тАЬNow.тАЭ
Tillie, watching via a two-way vid hookup in the wardroom, crossed
her fingers. She considered crossing her toes, ankles, knees, even her
eyes . . . Lewis bent over a damaged console and fiddled. In the
wardroom, speakers crackled and hissed unpleasantly. A shrill shriek
made her grab both ears. ThenтАФ
тАЬ. . . immediate emergency evacuation. Incoming Xykdap fleet
expected in your space within twenty-four hours local. Repeat, you are
instructed to proceed with immediate emergency evacuation. The Enemy
has a fleet-strength battle force which has already taken Scarsdale.
MatsonтАЩs World is expected to fall within the next four hours. Sector
transports are inbound toward yourтАФтАЭ
An explosion of sparks danced across the damaged console. Lewis
exploded into curses. Ten minutes of futile coaxing dragged by to no
effect.
тАЬWell,тАЭ he said finally, тАЬthatтАЩs that. I, uh, think weтАЩre sunk. Any ideas,
Kelly?тАЭ
тАЬNot right off,тАЭ the young Passenger Steward said mournfully from
what was left of Engineering.
Tillie dragged her thoughts away from the horror of the message
theyтАЩd intercepted. DonтАЩt think of Carl, surely heтАЩs evacuated Phase I,
please, God, let Sector have evacuated them. . . . Have to think about our
survival, here and now.
тАЬMr. Liffey, we have a good library with us. Maybe Saros Mysia can
locate something that will help us fix the SWIFT unit again. Or rig up
something else.тАЭ