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

colonists shut up. A fewтАФunaccustomed to paid underlings barking
ordersтАФgulped like fish drowning in a sea of oxygen. His dark gaze
flicked to her. тАЬDr. Matson?тАЭ
тАЬYes?тАЭ
тАЬWould you join me, please. We have a lot to discuss.тАЭ
The orderтАФphrased as a polite request to preserve an illusion of
normalcyтАФwas nevertheless clearly an order. Tillie knew in that
moment they were in more serious trouble than even she had thought.
тАЬItami, Saros,тАЭ she said quietly, тАЬhave the casualties roster updated by
the time I get back.тАЭ
Then she followed him into a part of the ship she hadnтАЩt seen before.
Every step of the way, Tillie sweat into her jumpsuit and tried to
convince her jangled insides that she really did want to hear whatever
awful things this man was about to reveal. The badge on her jumpsuit,
glinting in the subdued emergency-level light, weighed more heavily
with each and every step toward doom. He ushered her wordlessly into
what might have been a wardroom. Two crewmen she knew were
already there: Kelly McTavish and Booker Howard.
Both remained pale and silent.
тАЬPlease, have a seat, Dr. Matson.тАЭ
She sank into the nearest chair.
тАЬI believe you have already met Kelly McTavish and Booker
Howard?тАЭ
тАЬYes.тАЭ Her hands wouldnтАЩt quite hold still. She moved them into her
lap.
тАЬMy name is Lewis Liffey. ShipтАЩs Supply Steward. ItтАЩs my job to
manage Star CrossтАЩ provisions. Foodstuffs.тАЭ He held her gaze steadily.
тАЬRegretfully, I am also in the direct chain of command for captaincy.тАЭ
An ominous chill touched TillieтАЩs cheeks.
He glanced at McTavish. тАЬYes, Kelly, I see you were right. Very well.
Yes, Dr. Matson, it is that bad. Probably worse. IтАЩm afraid weтАЩre in very,
very serious trouble.тАЭ
 He paused as though looking at another, far more terrible image than
the wreck of TillieтАЩs composure. тАЬWhatever attacked us blew our
Command Module to vacuum. Captain Redditch and Darren Boyd, our
Navigator, died instantly. Jay Adler, our Engineer, was killed when they
blew our propulsion system. All outgoing communications are dead. So
are the propulsion systems and all navigational capability. The three of
us are the only crew left alive.тАЭ
Tillie shut her eyes and held onto the edge of the table. HeтАЩs right, itтАЩs
worse . . .
тАЬWe may be able to repair part of navigation and propulsion. Maybe.
We certainly will not be able to bring the Cross up to anything like
standard operating specs. None of us is an engineer. Or even a tekkie.тАЭ
Tillie opened her eyes at that faint stress. He was asking her to
produce a miracle. тАЬIтАЩm sorry,тАЭ she said hoarsely. тАЬAll our engineers
went out in Phase One. Our techs, too. WeтАЩre just the crop-production
specialists.тАЭ
Watching the flicker of hope in his eyes die into blank despair was
worse than hearing the grim news in the first place. тАЬI see.тАЭ His voice