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

 тАФ3тАФ
Tillie Matson scrambled through the makeshift nursery on hands and
knees, struggling to thrust screaming children into life suits. Another
explosion rocked the Star Cross. Lights dimmed, flickered, went out.
Oh, God, no . . . Strident sirens sounded through the whole ship. Then
the hull shuddered like a mare trying to dislodge biting flies. Even Tillie
screamed.
They dropped out of hyper-light with a disorienting jolt. The
childrenтАЩs screams turned to terrified whimpers in the darkness. тАЬM-
mammaтАФтАЭ
Another explosion somewhere aft brought new cries. Emergency
lights came up, flickered, dimmed, came up again.
тАЬInto your suits!тАЭ Tillie shouted at the older kids.
A few of them snapped out of terror long enough to comprehend her
order. They knew the drill. Under the goad of an adult voice, they
scrambled to obey. TillieтАЩs hands shook as she thrust whimpering
toddlers into life suits and sealed the latches. Saros Mysia, his face a
terrible shade of green in the emergency lighting, stumbled through the
open hatchway and helped her finish the little ones.
тАЬInto the corner!тАЭ the colonyтАЩs education administrator ordered suited
children. Kids scrambled to obey.
тАЬInto a suit, Tillie,тАЭ he added sharply.
тАЬYouтАЩre not suited, either. Zip up, stat.тАЭ
They both struggled into life suits, fully expecting the hull to blow at
any second. But no more terrifying, inexplicable explosions rocked their
transport. The sirens continued to hoot, but whatever had happened, it
was over. Or so Tillie thought.
 The good news arrived in the person of Kelly McTavish. The shipтАЩs
Passenger Steward, suited against hull breach, poked his faceplate into
the nursery and looked directly at Tillie.
тАЬWeтАЩre spaceworthy.тАЭ
In two words, he relieved their greatest terror. Tillie sagged inside her
life suit, trembling. тАЬWhat happened?тАЭ Good God, is that my voice?
тАЬWe were attacked. DonтАЩt know by what or why; but it was a
deliberate attack.тАЭ
тАЬAttack?тАЭ Tillie echoed. тАЬMy God, weтАЩre not at war with anyone.тАЭ
тАЬWerenтАЩt at war with anyone,тАЭ Kelly corrected harshly. тАЬWe sure as
hell are now.тАЭ He glanced at the wide-eyed children behind her. тАЬUh,
sorry. I really shouldnтАЩt have said that.тАЭ He cleared his throat. Through
the faceplate, Tillie read stark terror in his eyes.
Tillie made a fast decision. тАЬSaros, stay with the children, please. I
need to find out what our status is.тАЭ
Once in the corridor, away from the nursery, she asked, тАЬIs it safe to
take this helmet off, Mr. McTavish?тАЭ
He nodded, solemnly unbuckling his own. тАЬYeah. WeтАЩre spaceworthy.
No hull breach in this sector, anyway.тАЭ
Tillie swallowed hard. тАЬThen there was a hull breach?тАЭ
He glanced at the nearby bulkhead. тАЬYeah.тАЭ
тАЬHow bad is it?тАЭ
Kelly McTavish wouldnтАЩt meet her eyes. тАЬBad, maтАЩam. IтАЩll, uh, update