Read Online The Dead Sun (Star Force Series) by B. V. Larson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: B. V. Larson
Ads: Link
and a familiar voice echoed on the command deck. It was faint, but I recognized it immediately.
“Star Force ship?” Kwon hailed us. “Could you maybe pick me up or something? I’m drifting, and the Worms didn’t give me any kind of propulsion.”
-6-
We slowed down, turned around and hauled Kwon into our vessel. Newcome was even paranoid and objecting about that, spouting some nonsense about fake Kwons and parasitically infected personnel.
“I assure you, Admiral,” I told him, “the Worms have neither the technology, motivation, nor the personality to try something like that. They just gave him back to us, that’s all. They probably got tired of him. He eats a lot.”
Glowering, Newcome followed me to the sally portal where we deployed marines in battle—or in this case, retrieved them.
We processed him through the airlock and, when there was enough air in the chamber to talk, I opened my visor.
“Kwon, you have some serious explaining to do,” I told him.
“Good to be back, Colonel.”
“I beg your pardon, Colonel,” Newcome said. “But can’t we at least bring him through the decontamination center? It is standard operating procedure.”
“All right, all right,” I said, closing my visor again.
Ten minutes later, I met up with Kwon again in a small pressure-sealed chamber. Only the Imperial ships had rooms like this, designed to hold people who’d done space exploration before they were allowed back into the general population of the crew. They were quarantine centers, really. I didn’t see the point, but I figured since we had the facility we might as well use it.
“It was very interesting living with the Worms, sir,” Kwon told me.
“I’m sure it must have been quite an interesting experience for the Worms too, since they dumped you out of their hold like a sack of trash.”
“Oh, I don’t know. That’s just their way. They aren’t a soft people, you understand.”
He laughed then, and I realized belatedly that Kwon had made a joke. The Worms were squishy, like huge leather pillows filled with squirming muscle. Physically, they were soft people.
I chuckled politely, then continued to question him. On hand, I had Admiral Newcome, who looked as if he smelled rotten meat. Marvin had managed to tag along as well, and seemed very interested in the discussion. He wasn’t saying much, but his interest in unusual events was always alarming to me. He often knew or suspected more than he was letting on. I knew enough not to ask him what he was thinking, of course. Marvin would only clam-up harder if he thought I was on to him. The best thing to do would be to watch him closely for clues as to what he was thinking.
“All right, let’s hear your report, Kwon. Where is the rest of the delegation I sent to Helios?”
“I don’t know, sir,” he said. “But I think they all died.”
“ Died? How?”
“The Worms had a contest with us. A constriction contest. That’s what they like to do for fun, you know. They squeeze each other. It’s like wrestling for them.”
I nodded slowly. “Let me guess, they squeezed you, and you won.”
“Yeah. The other guys didn’t make it, though. Internal injuries, probably.”
“How the hell did all this start?”
“It was the chief emissary’s fault, I think. She didn’t quite understand the Worms. She talked about learning their customs. She told them she wanted to form a relationship with them—to be treated as a Worm citizen.”
“Uh-huh. So the Worms took her at her word and wrestled with her.”
“Right. I don’t think she was even nanotized. She made a funny little sound, and then there was blood all over the inside of her visor.”
Newcome was squirming like a Worm himself. “Beastly barbarians,” he mumbled.
I glanced at him. “True,” I said. “The Worms are probably the most culturally barbaric species we’ve encountered. They’re kind of tribal and believe in blood sports. If it was anyone else, I’d take
“Star Force ship?” Kwon hailed us. “Could you maybe pick me up or something? I’m drifting, and the Worms didn’t give me any kind of propulsion.”
-6-
We slowed down, turned around and hauled Kwon into our vessel. Newcome was even paranoid and objecting about that, spouting some nonsense about fake Kwons and parasitically infected personnel.
“I assure you, Admiral,” I told him, “the Worms have neither the technology, motivation, nor the personality to try something like that. They just gave him back to us, that’s all. They probably got tired of him. He eats a lot.”
Glowering, Newcome followed me to the sally portal where we deployed marines in battle—or in this case, retrieved them.
We processed him through the airlock and, when there was enough air in the chamber to talk, I opened my visor.
“Kwon, you have some serious explaining to do,” I told him.
“Good to be back, Colonel.”
“I beg your pardon, Colonel,” Newcome said. “But can’t we at least bring him through the decontamination center? It is standard operating procedure.”
“All right, all right,” I said, closing my visor again.
Ten minutes later, I met up with Kwon again in a small pressure-sealed chamber. Only the Imperial ships had rooms like this, designed to hold people who’d done space exploration before they were allowed back into the general population of the crew. They were quarantine centers, really. I didn’t see the point, but I figured since we had the facility we might as well use it.
“It was very interesting living with the Worms, sir,” Kwon told me.
“I’m sure it must have been quite an interesting experience for the Worms too, since they dumped you out of their hold like a sack of trash.”
“Oh, I don’t know. That’s just their way. They aren’t a soft people, you understand.”
He laughed then, and I realized belatedly that Kwon had made a joke. The Worms were squishy, like huge leather pillows filled with squirming muscle. Physically, they were soft people.
I chuckled politely, then continued to question him. On hand, I had Admiral Newcome, who looked as if he smelled rotten meat. Marvin had managed to tag along as well, and seemed very interested in the discussion. He wasn’t saying much, but his interest in unusual events was always alarming to me. He often knew or suspected more than he was letting on. I knew enough not to ask him what he was thinking, of course. Marvin would only clam-up harder if he thought I was on to him. The best thing to do would be to watch him closely for clues as to what he was thinking.
“All right, let’s hear your report, Kwon. Where is the rest of the delegation I sent to Helios?”
“I don’t know, sir,” he said. “But I think they all died.”
“ Died? How?”
“The Worms had a contest with us. A constriction contest. That’s what they like to do for fun, you know. They squeeze each other. It’s like wrestling for them.”
I nodded slowly. “Let me guess, they squeezed you, and you won.”
“Yeah. The other guys didn’t make it, though. Internal injuries, probably.”
“How the hell did all this start?”
“It was the chief emissary’s fault, I think. She didn’t quite understand the Worms. She talked about learning their customs. She told them she wanted to form a relationship with them—to be treated as a Worm citizen.”
“Uh-huh. So the Worms took her at her word and wrestled with her.”
“Right. I don’t think she was even nanotized. She made a funny little sound, and then there was blood all over the inside of her visor.”
Newcome was squirming like a Worm himself. “Beastly barbarians,” he mumbled.
I glanced at him. “True,” I said. “The Worms are probably the most culturally barbaric species we’ve encountered. They’re kind of tribal and believe in blood sports. If it was anyone else, I’d take
Similar Books
