Read Online The Callisto Gambit by Felix R. Savage - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Felix R. Savage
Ads: Link
Kharbage, LLC to join Star Force. And they’re chewing through pilots like my pig here chews through kibble. It’s fucking criminal, and if I think about it too much, I’ll probably break down and cry. So, Jun? Get this right. SLAG that goddamn AI. Do it for Alicia Petruzzelli. Do it for me. Do it for all of us.” He gave a crisp nod. “Yonezawa out.”
That over with, he laid his head down on his folded arms. Sucked on his cigarette.
They had to make it.
Another three weeks until Jun reached Mars. Assuming all went well, it would be another month after that until he could get home.
So they just had to hold out for another two months. It wasn’t forever.
But Kiyoshi had a dreadful decision to make, and he had to make it now.
Should they stay at 99984 Ravilious? Or run to 39 Laetitia?
If they didn’t leave now, life-support requirements would drain their fuel reserves to the point where they couldn’tgo anywhere.
But which option would offer them a better chance of survival?
And what about those 6,000 souls in the Salvation? Was abandoning them really an option? Kiyoshi felt a personal connection only with Father Tom and his motley flock of Catholics. But in a sense, they were all his responsibility, non-believers included, because only he knew the truth about the boss-man’s insane plan for them.
Two sounds interrupted his agonized reverie. A chime from the astrogation workstation, and a ping from Sister Terauchi.
“News from the other side,” the nun said. Mukou— over there, the other side; that was how they’d begun referriing to the Salvation .
“Lay it on me,” Kiyoshi said. He ambled over to the astrogation workstation. The radar detector was flashing. He requested velocity and position data. While he waited for the stupid, slow hub to compute them, he speculated, “Another delivery of goodies?”
The stream of ships bringing supplies to the Salvation had slowed to one or two a week, just when Kiyoshi was getting desperate enough to consider raiding the next one.
“Holy Mother of God!” He stared at the radar plot. It was now clear that the ship his sensors had picked up was moving away .
“Yeah,” Sister Terauchi said. “They’re leaving.”
He heard her saying the same thing in real life, from inside the elevator. And then a thump.
“This stupid elevator is stuck.”
Kiyoshi unlocked the elevator. Sister Terauchi sailed onto the bridge, the split skirt of her habit flapping. A dozen other people followed her. Nothing ever happened on the Startractor but a crowd turned up to gawp and make ‘helpful’ remarks.
“The Salvation’s leaving,” Sister Terauchi repeated.
“Did they warn you?” Kiyoshi said. “They didn’t warn me.” He kept glancing back at the radar plot, as if his eyes might be lying to him. The fact that the Salvation was moving at all meant the boss’s antimatter drive worked. Kiyoshi hadn’t expected that. Nor had Jun. The boss-man didn’t have anyone smart enough to DIY an antimatter drive, and have it freaking work. Except, he apparently did.
“No,” Sister Terauchi said. “No one was warned. Father Tom texted me a minute ago. An announcement was made to everyone on board. But no one was given a chance to get off.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Kiyoshi muttered under his breath, too quietly for the nun to hear his foul language. He sucked on his cigarette, wishing it contained something stronger than nicotine. Then a thought came to him. “This wasn’t scheduled. The boss must have received new information that convinced him to clear out immediately. Maybe the ISA’s coming. About time—all those deliveries to the middle of nowhere …”
Sister Terauchi swatted him on the head with an open hand. He flinched. She said, “If the ISA comes here, and finds only us, do you think that’ll go well for our people? We’d be dragged away for resettlement. Our faith would be suppressed, our identity destroyed! We must follow the Salvation. It’s
That over with, he laid his head down on his folded arms. Sucked on his cigarette.
They had to make it.
Another three weeks until Jun reached Mars. Assuming all went well, it would be another month after that until he could get home.
So they just had to hold out for another two months. It wasn’t forever.
But Kiyoshi had a dreadful decision to make, and he had to make it now.
Should they stay at 99984 Ravilious? Or run to 39 Laetitia?
If they didn’t leave now, life-support requirements would drain their fuel reserves to the point where they couldn’tgo anywhere.
But which option would offer them a better chance of survival?
And what about those 6,000 souls in the Salvation? Was abandoning them really an option? Kiyoshi felt a personal connection only with Father Tom and his motley flock of Catholics. But in a sense, they were all his responsibility, non-believers included, because only he knew the truth about the boss-man’s insane plan for them.
Two sounds interrupted his agonized reverie. A chime from the astrogation workstation, and a ping from Sister Terauchi.
“News from the other side,” the nun said. Mukou— over there, the other side; that was how they’d begun referriing to the Salvation .
“Lay it on me,” Kiyoshi said. He ambled over to the astrogation workstation. The radar detector was flashing. He requested velocity and position data. While he waited for the stupid, slow hub to compute them, he speculated, “Another delivery of goodies?”
The stream of ships bringing supplies to the Salvation had slowed to one or two a week, just when Kiyoshi was getting desperate enough to consider raiding the next one.
“Holy Mother of God!” He stared at the radar plot. It was now clear that the ship his sensors had picked up was moving away .
“Yeah,” Sister Terauchi said. “They’re leaving.”
He heard her saying the same thing in real life, from inside the elevator. And then a thump.
“This stupid elevator is stuck.”
Kiyoshi unlocked the elevator. Sister Terauchi sailed onto the bridge, the split skirt of her habit flapping. A dozen other people followed her. Nothing ever happened on the Startractor but a crowd turned up to gawp and make ‘helpful’ remarks.
“The Salvation’s leaving,” Sister Terauchi repeated.
“Did they warn you?” Kiyoshi said. “They didn’t warn me.” He kept glancing back at the radar plot, as if his eyes might be lying to him. The fact that the Salvation was moving at all meant the boss’s antimatter drive worked. Kiyoshi hadn’t expected that. Nor had Jun. The boss-man didn’t have anyone smart enough to DIY an antimatter drive, and have it freaking work. Except, he apparently did.
“No,” Sister Terauchi said. “No one was warned. Father Tom texted me a minute ago. An announcement was made to everyone on board. But no one was given a chance to get off.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Kiyoshi muttered under his breath, too quietly for the nun to hear his foul language. He sucked on his cigarette, wishing it contained something stronger than nicotine. Then a thought came to him. “This wasn’t scheduled. The boss must have received new information that convinced him to clear out immediately. Maybe the ISA’s coming. About time—all those deliveries to the middle of nowhere …”
Sister Terauchi swatted him on the head with an open hand. He flinched. She said, “If the ISA comes here, and finds only us, do you think that’ll go well for our people? We’d be dragged away for resettlement. Our faith would be suppressed, our identity destroyed! We must follow the Salvation. It’s
Similar Books
