Read Online Ephialtes (Ephialtes Trilogy Book 1) by Gavin E Parker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gavin E Parker
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warriors of the last great war find
themselves right back where they started, while the politicians and the
generals take all the credit,” said Foley. “I guess some things never
change.”
“I wouldn’t knock
it,” said Steiner. “You’ve got a job, and a pension, and a bucketful of
stories to tell the grandkids.”
“And the
scars to prove it,” added Foley.
“I was sure lookin ’ forward to Dubai, though,” Johnson said wistfully.
“Aw,” said
Foley, “I’m sure we’ll have a great time, right here.”
The bright
late afternoon sunlight streamed through the large floor to ceiling windows,
framing Secretary of Defence Audrey Andrews and holding her in shadow.
Her dark hair was pulled back severely and rolled into a tight bun on top of
her head. She leaned into her desk, signing papers which she examined
through glasses perched at the tip of her nose. There was a knock on the
door and Andrews looked up. It was the timid woman.
“Ms Andrews?”
the timid woman said.
“Yes?”
Andrews snapped. She liked to appear officious and irritable. She
thought it stopped people from bothering her unnecessarily and deterred people
from asking stupid questions.
“Do you have
just a moment?” the woman asked.
Audrey
slipped the glasses off and gestured into the room. “Come in,” she
said. “What is it?”
The woman
walked into the office and stood across from Andrews on the other side of the
desk. She held a manila folder across her chest like a child might hold a
favoured cuddly toy. It seemed defensive, but despite her timidity at her
core she had a steely resolve. She had something she thought the
secretary of defence should know about and she was going to make sure she told
her.
“My name is
Colleen Acevedo. I’m an analyst in intelligence.” Acevedo had
always been modest. She was, in fact, a senior intelligence analyst,
reporting directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“I know who
you are, Ms Acevedo,” said Andrews. She was vaguely aware of Acevedo and
her work, but nothing more.
“I thought
you might just want to look at the transcripts of the conversations coming out
of Venkdt.”
“Leave them
on my desk; I’ll have someone take a look.” Andrews went back to her next
piece of paper. Acevedo stepped forward.
“I really do
think it’s worthy of your time, Ms Andrews. We’ve done some further
analysis on the conversations and we’re pretty sure they’re between Charles
Venkdt and Michael Summers, the CEO of Venkdt Corp here on Earth. There
are some other conversations within Venkdt Mars that suggest that Charles
Venkdt is very serious about what he’s discussing. He’s had senior
members of Venkdt making feasibility studies, costings, etcetera, and he’s gone
out of his way to keep it all under the radar.”
Audrey
Andrews sat back in her chair and bit gently on the arm of her glasses.
She observed Acevedo, and squinted almost imperceptibly. “Feasibility of
what?” she asked.
Acevedo took
a second to process the question. To her, the answer was so obvious she
thought she might have misunderstood the question. “Martian
independence,” she said.
Andrews
thought. “Do you have the feasibility studies?” she asked.
“I do,”
Acevedo replied, holding up the folder.
“And what do
they say?”
Acevedo took
a breath. “Essentially, they say that independence is feasible, desirable
and even necessary.”
“Necessary?”
“Yes, Ms
Andrews. Necessary for Mars to grow, economically. The arguments
are essentially the same as in the Kasugai study, of which I’m sure you are
aware.”
“Yes, yes, of
course,” said Andrews. She had never heard of the Kasugai study.
“So this is something they’re discussing seriously at Venkdt?”
“At Venkdt
Mars, Ms Andrews, yes. Michael Summers is bitterly opposed. He gets
quite angry in the transcripts.” Acevedo once again held up the
themselves right back where they started, while the politicians and the
generals take all the credit,” said Foley. “I guess some things never
change.”
“I wouldn’t knock
it,” said Steiner. “You’ve got a job, and a pension, and a bucketful of
stories to tell the grandkids.”
“And the
scars to prove it,” added Foley.
“I was sure lookin ’ forward to Dubai, though,” Johnson said wistfully.
“Aw,” said
Foley, “I’m sure we’ll have a great time, right here.”
The bright
late afternoon sunlight streamed through the large floor to ceiling windows,
framing Secretary of Defence Audrey Andrews and holding her in shadow.
Her dark hair was pulled back severely and rolled into a tight bun on top of
her head. She leaned into her desk, signing papers which she examined
through glasses perched at the tip of her nose. There was a knock on the
door and Andrews looked up. It was the timid woman.
“Ms Andrews?”
the timid woman said.
“Yes?”
Andrews snapped. She liked to appear officious and irritable. She
thought it stopped people from bothering her unnecessarily and deterred people
from asking stupid questions.
“Do you have
just a moment?” the woman asked.
Audrey
slipped the glasses off and gestured into the room. “Come in,” she
said. “What is it?”
The woman
walked into the office and stood across from Andrews on the other side of the
desk. She held a manila folder across her chest like a child might hold a
favoured cuddly toy. It seemed defensive, but despite her timidity at her
core she had a steely resolve. She had something she thought the
secretary of defence should know about and she was going to make sure she told
her.
“My name is
Colleen Acevedo. I’m an analyst in intelligence.” Acevedo had
always been modest. She was, in fact, a senior intelligence analyst,
reporting directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“I know who
you are, Ms Acevedo,” said Andrews. She was vaguely aware of Acevedo and
her work, but nothing more.
“I thought
you might just want to look at the transcripts of the conversations coming out
of Venkdt.”
“Leave them
on my desk; I’ll have someone take a look.” Andrews went back to her next
piece of paper. Acevedo stepped forward.
“I really do
think it’s worthy of your time, Ms Andrews. We’ve done some further
analysis on the conversations and we’re pretty sure they’re between Charles
Venkdt and Michael Summers, the CEO of Venkdt Corp here on Earth. There
are some other conversations within Venkdt Mars that suggest that Charles
Venkdt is very serious about what he’s discussing. He’s had senior
members of Venkdt making feasibility studies, costings, etcetera, and he’s gone
out of his way to keep it all under the radar.”
Audrey
Andrews sat back in her chair and bit gently on the arm of her glasses.
She observed Acevedo, and squinted almost imperceptibly. “Feasibility of
what?” she asked.
Acevedo took
a second to process the question. To her, the answer was so obvious she
thought she might have misunderstood the question. “Martian
independence,” she said.
Andrews
thought. “Do you have the feasibility studies?” she asked.
“I do,”
Acevedo replied, holding up the folder.
“And what do
they say?”
Acevedo took
a breath. “Essentially, they say that independence is feasible, desirable
and even necessary.”
“Necessary?”
“Yes, Ms
Andrews. Necessary for Mars to grow, economically. The arguments
are essentially the same as in the Kasugai study, of which I’m sure you are
aware.”
“Yes, yes, of
course,” said Andrews. She had never heard of the Kasugai study.
“So this is something they’re discussing seriously at Venkdt?”
“At Venkdt
Mars, Ms Andrews, yes. Michael Summers is bitterly opposed. He gets
quite angry in the transcripts.” Acevedo once again held up the
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