Read Online Edge of Solace (A Star Too Far) by Casey Calouette - Free Book Online

that went to GJ anything .”
    “This is my story , yes? You weren’t even in training yet.” He paused. “So, we pack up and blink through seven star systems.”
    “Wait, last time it was five?”
    “ My story! My story! Just sit and listen, eh?”
    William glanced around and saw others watching. It was more than just looks of passing curiosity.
    “We go, and we go, and we go. We’ve got a freighter of the old style fuel pellets following that cut loose two thirds of the way. They gonna sit and wait, wait for us.” He cleared his throat. “We blink into the star system and there it is, a beautiful blue and green marble. There’s an elevator, there’s a spectrum from the planet showing nice O2, there’s even a delicate little moon. Nice, eh?”
    “What was the name of this colony again?”
    Greer continued ignoring the question. “So we ping ‘em, nothing. We blink in closer and ping again. Nothing. Maybe the comms are out, or maybe it didn’t work. Then we blink closer and slowboat our way in.”
    The room was now silent, even the Marines had stopped the game and were listening to Greer.
    “The Marines gear up and we dock. Colony ship looks fine. They pop the doors and head on in. She’s empty, the usual, whoever was on the ground has everything. The seal is still on the elevator, no one went down.” Greer spread his hands apart slowly for effect.
    “How did you know they just didn’t seal it back up?” Tinibu asked.
    Paulo interceded. “Once the colonists go down they can’t go back up. The final load brings the elevator up and they’re stuck until the eighty years pass.”
    “As I was saying, we break the seal and the Marines go down. Gun drones, this was before they had striders like they do now. They pop the doors on the ground and,” Greer clap ped his hands together. “Nothing.”
    “Nothing?” Tinibu ask ed.
    “Not a person. Not a cow. Now a single animal. The colony modules are laid out. The buildings are built, the terraforming is rolling, and there isn’t a soul in sight.”
    “Bodies? Must’ve been bones or something?” Punjav asked.
    “Nope. Nothing. The Marines spread out, they’re all quarantined on the planet now. Ain’t no on going up ’til they know what happened.”
    “What’d they do yo?” a Marine PFC named Kelton asked.
    Greer l eaned back in the booth and spread his arms out. “They searched. Whoever came down unloaded everything. They popped the shelters, opened the containers, and did, well, something. But poof—gone, man. Gone.”
    “That’s it?” Tinibu asked excitedly.
    “Yeah, that’s it. The Marines came up and got the most thorough medical exam ever and we left.” Greer shrugged. “We leave and they seal up that colony ship, robot welder crawled onto every seam and torched them all shut. We dropped a beacon and blinked our way back.”
    “You’re full of shit , Greer,” Punjav said.
    Greer shrug ged and smiled. “Take it or leave it, eh? I’m telling you, though.” He sat at the table and picked at something stubborn in his teeth. He definitely looked smug as eyes were still on him.
    William walked over to the edge of the galley and dropped off his platter. Paulo stood nearby waiting for his food. “Paulo , right?”
    “Hmm? Yes , sir?”
    “Is that story bullshit?”
    Paulo looked back to Greer and smiled slightly. “The details always change, but he swears it’s the truth.”
    “And what do you think?”
    “I think he likes telling that story.” Paulo turned and picked up a large cup. “Now if you’ll excuse me, sir.”
    The sounds slowly edged back to rowdy as the Marines continued the game. William watched. The Marines were devilishly overseeing the AI and giving the Army one hell of a battle.
    “XO?” Greer asked with a slight smile.
    William looked up. “What is it , Greer?”
    Greer scanned his table with a mischievous eye. “Any opportunity for some shore time when we arrive on Canaan?”
    William chuckled and shook