Read Online All the Colors of Time by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
Ads: Link
observing camera eye panned. He saw uniformed
soldiers scrambling through the blazing brush, flames patting at their passing
legs like playful but deadly kittens.
Below, the Admiral made a clicking noise and said, “Visual
off. Advise Commander Li that we will send reinforcements immediately. Then
contact Colonel Darnell and have her dispatch a company of troops and aerial
support units. I believe the closest air squadrons are aboard the UNS Crazy Horse. Have the air support sent
in from there.”
“Yes, sir. ”
“When you’ve completed that, put me in touch with General
Dreyfus in Juneau.”
The Admiral turned as a second officer approached her,
carrying what appeared to be a handcomp. He made what Caldwell felt was a
half-ass salute.
“So, Mr. Krasnik,” said the Admiral, not bothering to return
the gesture. “What new hot spots do you have for me today?”
“Actually, sir, it looks very much as if we’re going to have
an unusual situation in Florida. Cuba Station has already begun tracking.”
The Admiral jerked a thumb at the odd machine to her right. “Show
and tell, Mr. Krasnik,” she said.
“I have General Dreyfus, Admiral,” announced Technician
Mendez.
The Admiral signaled Krasnik to go ahead. “On audio.”
“Admiral Halleck, sir,” said a disembodied voice. “Good to
hear from you,”
“I noticed you were out from under. What’s your status,
Vinnie?”
“Pretty bad. We’ve been hemmed in for the better part of
four days. Everything was grounded. Today . . . it’s terrible.
The sheer number of corpses, sir—it’s devastating. The bio-med team has been
doing its best, but we—we’ve had to put so many of them down.”
Caldwell’s mind froze and threatened to recoil. What in the
name of all things holy had they come to in the last thirty years—putting the
injured down? His lip curled in disgust. He supposed they called it euthanasia
or some such nonsense. Murder—that’s what he called it. Sheer brutal laziness.
He glanced again at the map. Or had the enemy weaponry become that hideous?
Beside Caldwell, Hilyard frowned thoughtfully and rested his
elbows on the catwalk’s padded guardrail.
General Dreyfus finished his report, noting that he could
use something larger than his present complement of destroyer, cruiser and
corvette to help “mop up.”
“More men would be appreciated too, Admiral. We’ve got our
hands more than full disposing of the bodies. It’s gonna take one helluva pit
to bury all of them.”
Caldwell almost puked. He gripped the guardrail, all but
oblivious to Hilyard’s bemused expression. It couldn’t be that bad. It could never be so bad that you had to—
Officer Krasnik turned from his machine and whispered
something in Admiral Halleck’s ear.
“My tactical officer informs me that you have about five
days to get your situation in hand. You’re evidently going to be hit fairly
hard from the northwest again.”
Dreyfus swore.
“Sorry, Vin. We’ll get your reinforcements to you on the
double. The battleship Walesa is in
Anadyr. I’ll have her deployed to your waters. How many men do you need?”
“I could use a battalion,” said Dreyfus.
Halleck snorted. “Take two, they’re small.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
“I didn’t think you were. Casualties were that bad?”
“Thousands upon thousands, Admiral. Worst I’ve seen in a
situation like this. The Apah Param couldn’t have struck at a worse time of year. Shit, it’s hard to believe one
damn boat could do so much damage!”
One boat! One! Caldwell swallowed and found his
throat too dry for the activity. And what the hell was an Apah Param? He had the sudden horrible thought that perhaps the
Enemy wasn’t even human.
“They will insist on year-round activity,” said Halleck.
“ We’ve certainly
advised them against their bad weather jaunts, but who can reason with them? It’d
take another Gorbi, God bless him.”
Caldwell’s mouth popped open.
soldiers scrambling through the blazing brush, flames patting at their passing
legs like playful but deadly kittens.
Below, the Admiral made a clicking noise and said, “Visual
off. Advise Commander Li that we will send reinforcements immediately. Then
contact Colonel Darnell and have her dispatch a company of troops and aerial
support units. I believe the closest air squadrons are aboard the UNS Crazy Horse. Have the air support sent
in from there.”
“Yes, sir. ”
“When you’ve completed that, put me in touch with General
Dreyfus in Juneau.”
The Admiral turned as a second officer approached her,
carrying what appeared to be a handcomp. He made what Caldwell felt was a
half-ass salute.
“So, Mr. Krasnik,” said the Admiral, not bothering to return
the gesture. “What new hot spots do you have for me today?”
“Actually, sir, it looks very much as if we’re going to have
an unusual situation in Florida. Cuba Station has already begun tracking.”
The Admiral jerked a thumb at the odd machine to her right. “Show
and tell, Mr. Krasnik,” she said.
“I have General Dreyfus, Admiral,” announced Technician
Mendez.
The Admiral signaled Krasnik to go ahead. “On audio.”
“Admiral Halleck, sir,” said a disembodied voice. “Good to
hear from you,”
“I noticed you were out from under. What’s your status,
Vinnie?”
“Pretty bad. We’ve been hemmed in for the better part of
four days. Everything was grounded. Today . . . it’s terrible.
The sheer number of corpses, sir—it’s devastating. The bio-med team has been
doing its best, but we—we’ve had to put so many of them down.”
Caldwell’s mind froze and threatened to recoil. What in the
name of all things holy had they come to in the last thirty years—putting the
injured down? His lip curled in disgust. He supposed they called it euthanasia
or some such nonsense. Murder—that’s what he called it. Sheer brutal laziness.
He glanced again at the map. Or had the enemy weaponry become that hideous?
Beside Caldwell, Hilyard frowned thoughtfully and rested his
elbows on the catwalk’s padded guardrail.
General Dreyfus finished his report, noting that he could
use something larger than his present complement of destroyer, cruiser and
corvette to help “mop up.”
“More men would be appreciated too, Admiral. We’ve got our
hands more than full disposing of the bodies. It’s gonna take one helluva pit
to bury all of them.”
Caldwell almost puked. He gripped the guardrail, all but
oblivious to Hilyard’s bemused expression. It couldn’t be that bad. It could never be so bad that you had to—
Officer Krasnik turned from his machine and whispered
something in Admiral Halleck’s ear.
“My tactical officer informs me that you have about five
days to get your situation in hand. You’re evidently going to be hit fairly
hard from the northwest again.”
Dreyfus swore.
“Sorry, Vin. We’ll get your reinforcements to you on the
double. The battleship Walesa is in
Anadyr. I’ll have her deployed to your waters. How many men do you need?”
“I could use a battalion,” said Dreyfus.
Halleck snorted. “Take two, they’re small.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
“I didn’t think you were. Casualties were that bad?”
“Thousands upon thousands, Admiral. Worst I’ve seen in a
situation like this. The Apah Param couldn’t have struck at a worse time of year. Shit, it’s hard to believe one
damn boat could do so much damage!”
One boat! One! Caldwell swallowed and found his
throat too dry for the activity. And what the hell was an Apah Param? He had the sudden horrible thought that perhaps the
Enemy wasn’t even human.
“They will insist on year-round activity,” said Halleck.
“ We’ve certainly
advised them against their bad weather jaunts, but who can reason with them? It’d
take another Gorbi, God bless him.”
Caldwell’s mouth popped open.
Similar Books
