Read Online Point of Origin (War Eternal Book 4) by M. R. Forbes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: M. R. Forbes
Tags: Science-Fiction, Space Opera, Military, Time travel, Science Fiction & Fantasy, alien invasion, first contact, Galactic Empire, Space Fleet, Space Marine
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back there and check-in with him. You should come with me."
"Okay, sure. Thanks for lending me a hand, Colonel. I'd still be fighting with the frigging mainframe. I don't have exo attachments."
Mitchell shrugged. He was getting used to the manually controlled version of the strength-enhancing suits. "I needed the practice in it. Come on."
They headed for the exit, the Mule following dutifully behind them with the three large pieces of tech on its back. It stepped smartly over the debris, keeping pace as they moved to the lift.
"Have you slept at all since you got back to Asimov, Colonel?" Digger asked while they ascended.
"No, not yet. I'm getting to it."
"It's been almost fifty-four hours. You're going to drop dead if you don't take a breather." He paused. "I've got this shit, came from a trader on King's Point, or at least that's what Gorman told me. Helps you sleep real good, and you don't wake up with a headache or any of that shit."
Mitchell didn't like taking drugs, but he was so physically tired and mentally aware that he considered it. "You know where I'm staying?"
"Yeah, in the apartments with your brother's crew."
"Drop it off there."
"Sure. Hey, Colonel, I wanted to ask you something about the Battle for Liberty. I mean, you don't need to answer if you don't want to, but it's been something that's been twisting my pecker for a while."
"Twisting your pecker?"
Digger laughed. "Figure of speech from back home. Do you mind?"
"I won't answer if I mind."
"Right. Okay. So I watched you on the streams, and I read the reports. I saw something in there about the Federation Dreadnaught; you said that it didn't have full shield coverage or some shit?"
"Yes. The geometry was off. There was a gap in the rear." It had been a while since he had thought about it. It felt like it had all happened so long ago.
"Did you ever wonder why?"
"Why what?"
"Why the frigging gap? I mean, the Federation is full of the smartest scientists in the universe, like Tio's brother, for example. How the frig did they get the geometry wrong?"
"Of course I wondered. I don't have any answers for it, though. We saw an opportunity, and we took it."
"Sure, sure. But what about in light of recent events?"
Mitchell stared at Digger, starting to catch on to what the mechanic was trying to say. "This has to do with what you were discussing in the meeting earlier?"
"Yeah. How do we know there isn't a Tetron, or maybe a bunch of Tetron, embedded in the Federation? How do we know that they didn't frig up the dreadnaught's build process on purpose?"
"So that I could take the Shot?"
"Yup."
Mitchell had never thought about it that way before. The idea of it intrigued him. "They would have to be on humanity's side."
"Would they? This is going to sound really crazy, Colonel, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way. What if you weren't supposed to be the one who took the Shot?"
"I can't take it the wrong way because I don't know what you're suggesting."
Digger looked frustrated at having to explain it. "What if you weren't supposed to take the Shot? What if your commander was supposed to be the Hero of the Battle for Liberty? What if she was the one who was originally supposed to fight the Tetron, but somehow the bad ones interceded and got you mixed up in it instead?"
Mitchell felt his heart begin to race. Ella was the real hero, and she had been twice the pilot and leader he was. Could it be that the mechanic was right? Did it even matter?
"I guess anything is possible," he said, keeping his voice level. "Who knows how this whole thing started, or what it looked like during the first recursion? The point is that in this one, I'm the guy who's supposed to try to stop it. If the Watsons set me up to become that guy because they thought I would be some kind of patsy, that's only more motivation for me to prove them wrong."
Digger nodded. "I agree with you, sir. Don't get me wrong. It was just something I was wondering about. I mean,
"Okay, sure. Thanks for lending me a hand, Colonel. I'd still be fighting with the frigging mainframe. I don't have exo attachments."
Mitchell shrugged. He was getting used to the manually controlled version of the strength-enhancing suits. "I needed the practice in it. Come on."
They headed for the exit, the Mule following dutifully behind them with the three large pieces of tech on its back. It stepped smartly over the debris, keeping pace as they moved to the lift.
"Have you slept at all since you got back to Asimov, Colonel?" Digger asked while they ascended.
"No, not yet. I'm getting to it."
"It's been almost fifty-four hours. You're going to drop dead if you don't take a breather." He paused. "I've got this shit, came from a trader on King's Point, or at least that's what Gorman told me. Helps you sleep real good, and you don't wake up with a headache or any of that shit."
Mitchell didn't like taking drugs, but he was so physically tired and mentally aware that he considered it. "You know where I'm staying?"
"Yeah, in the apartments with your brother's crew."
"Drop it off there."
"Sure. Hey, Colonel, I wanted to ask you something about the Battle for Liberty. I mean, you don't need to answer if you don't want to, but it's been something that's been twisting my pecker for a while."
"Twisting your pecker?"
Digger laughed. "Figure of speech from back home. Do you mind?"
"I won't answer if I mind."
"Right. Okay. So I watched you on the streams, and I read the reports. I saw something in there about the Federation Dreadnaught; you said that it didn't have full shield coverage or some shit?"
"Yes. The geometry was off. There was a gap in the rear." It had been a while since he had thought about it. It felt like it had all happened so long ago.
"Did you ever wonder why?"
"Why what?"
"Why the frigging gap? I mean, the Federation is full of the smartest scientists in the universe, like Tio's brother, for example. How the frig did they get the geometry wrong?"
"Of course I wondered. I don't have any answers for it, though. We saw an opportunity, and we took it."
"Sure, sure. But what about in light of recent events?"
Mitchell stared at Digger, starting to catch on to what the mechanic was trying to say. "This has to do with what you were discussing in the meeting earlier?"
"Yeah. How do we know there isn't a Tetron, or maybe a bunch of Tetron, embedded in the Federation? How do we know that they didn't frig up the dreadnaught's build process on purpose?"
"So that I could take the Shot?"
"Yup."
Mitchell had never thought about it that way before. The idea of it intrigued him. "They would have to be on humanity's side."
"Would they? This is going to sound really crazy, Colonel, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way. What if you weren't supposed to be the one who took the Shot?"
"I can't take it the wrong way because I don't know what you're suggesting."
Digger looked frustrated at having to explain it. "What if you weren't supposed to take the Shot? What if your commander was supposed to be the Hero of the Battle for Liberty? What if she was the one who was originally supposed to fight the Tetron, but somehow the bad ones interceded and got you mixed up in it instead?"
Mitchell felt his heart begin to race. Ella was the real hero, and she had been twice the pilot and leader he was. Could it be that the mechanic was right? Did it even matter?
"I guess anything is possible," he said, keeping his voice level. "Who knows how this whole thing started, or what it looked like during the first recursion? The point is that in this one, I'm the guy who's supposed to try to stop it. If the Watsons set me up to become that guy because they thought I would be some kind of patsy, that's only more motivation for me to prove them wrong."
Digger nodded. "I agree with you, sir. Don't get me wrong. It was just something I was wondering about. I mean,
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