Read Online RIFT (The Rift Saga Book 1) by Andreas Christensen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Andreas Christensen
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overwhelming the enemy at first.
“Engage.” The deafening roar of automatic weapons, the explosions of smart rounds, one in every ten, the screams of their enemy as they realized they were under attack. It only took half a second before the sound was adjusted to comfortable levels by the AI, and she wondered what it must be like for the northerners.
“Baseline left,” she heard Tac Hordvik say, louder, but still calm and systematic. He had been under fire before, and she was glad to have someone like him leading now. Sue and Julian moved just as they had trained for so many times, while Quinn on the right flank would be moving behind them all and taking up position to the left of Tac Hordvik. She was relieved that fear didn’t stop her from doing everything just as they had trained. Then again, it might be something the AI gave her.
Seconds later, the team was lined up, side by side, spaced two meters between each of them, still firing at where the enemy had shown itself. So far, so good.
“One forward,” the tacticus said. She moved forward, while counting. One, two, three, four, five. Down on one knee, firing in bursts. Julian, to her right, fitted another hundred-shot magazine into his weapon. She still had sixty left in hers, so she waited. Keisha, on her left didn’t change hers, either.
“One covering,” Keisha said.
“Two forward,” Tac Hordvik said. It was all just as they had practiced, everything moving smoothly, taking the battle to their enemy within seconds. Sue, Keisha, and Julian firing everything they had, while Quinn, Hordvik, and Brad moved steadily forward.
“Two covering,” she heard Hordvik say as they took a knee to their left, returning to the perfect line. Sue quickly ejected the almost empty magazine, sticking it to the suit, where magnets would keep it in place for later. A fresh magazine went into her weapon, and she was ready again. Keisha was eyeing her, having done the same.
“One forward,” came another command. She leaped up and moved forward. One, two, three, four.
A loud blast from the back made her stumble and fall.
Chapter 5
DAVE
Dave had loved the days at the Cottage. He felt like he had stuffed his head with knowledge, everything from economics and history to math and physics. And still he craved more. He was delighted by the fresh perspectives and noticed that, rather than rote learning, the Warden scientists encouraged curiosity and free thinking. They encouraged initiates to question the truth and what the scientists taught. There were limits, such as whenever someone questioned by which right the Moon people ruled, or what lay beyond the Rift, but except for the obvious taboos, the everyday discussions tended to be enlightening.
Back at the camp, the learning centered more around practicalities, and though he liked those parts, as well, he often found himself longing to return to the Cottage. He had begun to consider his specialty and knew that he had a decent chance of becoming an assistant scientist or maybe a techie, both paths that, given time and hard work, could lead to scientist positions at the Cottage. He lifted his gaze from the textbook, Intermediate Materials Technology , and looked out at the quiet part of camp where he had sat down next to a thick tree trunk to study. A couple of initiates were studying nearby, engaged in hushed discussion over something on their infopads. A Warden, a few years older than Dave, was telling a small group of initiates a tall tale, with the initiates staring wide-eyed at him. Two other Wardens were smoking, their futile attempts to suppress their giggles only making them look all the more stupid. Kissweed , he thought.
Discipline among the Wardens was generally lax, completely different from what he had expected. Compared to school back in Charlestown even. It normally suited him just fine. He couldn’t imagine himself surviving the strictness of Janissary life, or the back-breaking Corpus serfdom. He had
“Engage.” The deafening roar of automatic weapons, the explosions of smart rounds, one in every ten, the screams of their enemy as they realized they were under attack. It only took half a second before the sound was adjusted to comfortable levels by the AI, and she wondered what it must be like for the northerners.
“Baseline left,” she heard Tac Hordvik say, louder, but still calm and systematic. He had been under fire before, and she was glad to have someone like him leading now. Sue and Julian moved just as they had trained for so many times, while Quinn on the right flank would be moving behind them all and taking up position to the left of Tac Hordvik. She was relieved that fear didn’t stop her from doing everything just as they had trained. Then again, it might be something the AI gave her.
Seconds later, the team was lined up, side by side, spaced two meters between each of them, still firing at where the enemy had shown itself. So far, so good.
“One forward,” the tacticus said. She moved forward, while counting. One, two, three, four, five. Down on one knee, firing in bursts. Julian, to her right, fitted another hundred-shot magazine into his weapon. She still had sixty left in hers, so she waited. Keisha, on her left didn’t change hers, either.
“One covering,” Keisha said.
“Two forward,” Tac Hordvik said. It was all just as they had practiced, everything moving smoothly, taking the battle to their enemy within seconds. Sue, Keisha, and Julian firing everything they had, while Quinn, Hordvik, and Brad moved steadily forward.
“Two covering,” she heard Hordvik say as they took a knee to their left, returning to the perfect line. Sue quickly ejected the almost empty magazine, sticking it to the suit, where magnets would keep it in place for later. A fresh magazine went into her weapon, and she was ready again. Keisha was eyeing her, having done the same.
“One forward,” came another command. She leaped up and moved forward. One, two, three, four.
A loud blast from the back made her stumble and fall.
Chapter 5
DAVE
Dave had loved the days at the Cottage. He felt like he had stuffed his head with knowledge, everything from economics and history to math and physics. And still he craved more. He was delighted by the fresh perspectives and noticed that, rather than rote learning, the Warden scientists encouraged curiosity and free thinking. They encouraged initiates to question the truth and what the scientists taught. There were limits, such as whenever someone questioned by which right the Moon people ruled, or what lay beyond the Rift, but except for the obvious taboos, the everyday discussions tended to be enlightening.
Back at the camp, the learning centered more around practicalities, and though he liked those parts, as well, he often found himself longing to return to the Cottage. He had begun to consider his specialty and knew that he had a decent chance of becoming an assistant scientist or maybe a techie, both paths that, given time and hard work, could lead to scientist positions at the Cottage. He lifted his gaze from the textbook, Intermediate Materials Technology , and looked out at the quiet part of camp where he had sat down next to a thick tree trunk to study. A couple of initiates were studying nearby, engaged in hushed discussion over something on their infopads. A Warden, a few years older than Dave, was telling a small group of initiates a tall tale, with the initiates staring wide-eyed at him. Two other Wardens were smoking, their futile attempts to suppress their giggles only making them look all the more stupid. Kissweed , he thought.
Discipline among the Wardens was generally lax, completely different from what he had expected. Compared to school back in Charlestown even. It normally suited him just fine. He couldn’t imagine himself surviving the strictness of Janissary life, or the back-breaking Corpus serfdom. He had
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