Read Online After Earth: A Perfect Beast by Peter David Michael Jan Friedman Robert Greenberger - Free Book Online Page A

“You’re also a member of this world’s governing body. So whatever you do as chief of the Rangers reflects on our offices as well.”
    “And you think I’ll reflect on us poorly?” Wilkins asked.
    “To be blunt,” said the Primus, “and I know you would want us to be so, you have already done so.”
    “By accepting his invitation?” asked the Prime Commander.
    Rostropovich nodded. “Precisely.”
    “All I want to do is present the facts,” Wilkins said. “That’ll end his little rant once and for all.”
    “I think you underestimate Mr. Vander Meer,” the Primus said. “He’s become quite the popular commentator. His rhetoric may leave something to be desired, I’ll grant you that. But he does seem to tap into what’s on people’s minds.”
    “And if he twists your words just right,” said Flint, “we could be facing a bigger problem than we had before.”
    “Quite a bit of confidence you’ve got in me,” Wilkins said. “I’m flattered.”
    “You’re on Vander Meer’s turf,” Flint reminded her. “He knows it better than you do. As a strategist, you know how much of an advantage that gives him.”
    The Prime Commander scowled. “What would you have me do? Not show up? That won’t look very good, either.”
    “That’s what we were talking about,” said the Primus. Again, she saw the exchange of glances. “It would be more difficult for Vander Meer to come out on top if all three of us were to attend his program.”
    “All three …?” Wilkins said.
    Flint leaned forward in his chair. “It’ll be a lot harder to make you look like a wastrel if we all weigh in on the Rangers. You know, talk about how valuable they’ve been over the years.”
    The Prime Commander hesitated. Flint had a point. And although her ego told her that she could—and should—handle Vander Meer on her own, it wasn’t about her. It was about the Rangers.
    “You see the value of what we’re proposing?” asked the Primus.
    Wilkins nodded. “Thank you.”
    “No need,” Rostropovich said. “I’m certain that you would do the same for me were our positions reversed.”
    The Prime Commander wasn’t so sure about that. Nonetheless she said, “Naturally.”
    Conner had just come back from a five-klik run with Red Squad. Cheng was back in the leader’s position, showing him that Wilkins hadn’t completely changed her mind about him yet. He heard Lucas Kincaid having a heated discussion with Danny Gold. Gold, a tall, thin fellow, was one of the few cadets besides Blodge who hung out with Conner now and then, and so Conner felt himself on Gold’s side even before he knew what the conversation was about.
    “Really?” Lucas said. “Name one.”
    “There’s the black market,” Gold said.
    “Right. And is that why you signed up to be a Ranger? So you could bust a bunch of kids?”
    “Of course not,” Gold said. “But—”
    “But that’s what you would be doing,” said Lucas, doing what he always did—going for the jugular—on the battlefield or anywhere. “The guys who run those warehouses are no older than your little sister.”
    “What they’re doing is illegal.”
    “So stop them. But do they need Rangers to do it? That’s the question.”
    “What about aliens?” asked Gold.
    Lucas turned to him. “What about them?”
    “We were attacked once. It can happen again.”
    “Come on,” he said. “You know how long it’s been since the Skrel showed up here?”
    That was when Conner figured out what they were talking about. It was like listening to Vander Meer all over again.
    “I don’t know,” Gold said.
    Lucas laughed. “Well, I know. It’s been over three hundred years. That’s before your great-great-great-grandfather was born. And not a sign of them, not evena comm bleep. You seriously think we’ll ever see those buggers again?”
    Gold shrugged his bony shoulders. “We might.”
    “We might also grow wings and fly to a moon. But we won’t. We’ve seen the last of