Read Online The Firestorm Conspiracy by Cheryl Angst - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cheryl Angst
Ads: Link
to.”
“It’s fine,” he replied. Doubt flashed across her features so he added, “It’s more than I was expecting.”
Again, her eyes widened and John puzzled over her reaction. She was too old to be a recent graduate, but she surprised far too easily for an experienced officer. He wondered if she wasn’t a few stops short of a roundtrip.
Alarm coursed through his veins when he realized his own questions and reactions might be blowing his cover. He coughed and scrambled to find something he figured a civilian would ask about. He set his bag down on the bed and moved to the panel on the wall. “I assume I can control all my cabin’s functions from here?”
“Yes. You can adjust the ambient temperature, the lighting, and the window dressings.” She keyed in a few commands to illustrate. “You can also play music or access any of the video networks through here. The screen will descend in front of the bulkhead on your right,” she said, gesturing toward the far wall, “should you wish to watch anything.”
“Thank you.”
He hoped she wouldn’t linger. He hadn’t meant to ask any questions during the walk from the airlock to his cabin, but he’d never been good at curbing his curiosity. To his relief, his escort seemed somewhat preoccupied. Walking back toward the door, he said, “Thank you for your assistance. Please let Captain Forbes know I will join him for dinner.”
She smiled and appeared to take the hint. Santiago moved into the corridor.
“I’ll tell him.” She began walking away then paused to look back over her shoulder. “Welcome aboard, Professor.”
John nodded and closed the door. He dimmed the lights, lowered the window coverings, and sat heavily on the bed. Holding his head with trembling hands, he gulped in several deep breaths and prayed the trip would be over soon.
* * * *
“Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to take your station?” asked Cheng.
The question brought Rebeccah out of her reverie. She blushed slightly and took her place to the right of the captain’s command area.
“I assume you delivered the professor to his accommodations?” said Forbes, leaning back in his chair.
“Yes, sir,” Rebeccah said. “He asked me to tell you he will join you for dinner.”
Cheng rolled his eyes. “Wonderful, just what we need, a pathetic stuffed shirt asking inane questions all night, or trying to teach us about the finer uses of the English language.”
“He’s not an English professor, Commander.” Rebeccah kept her tone respectful--barely. “He’s one of the foremost experts on avian anthropology and sociology.”
“Right.” More eye rolling.
“So,” Forbes leaned forward to ask, “was he everything you thought he’d be?” He chuckled. “I got the impression he wasn’t quite what you expected.”
She smiled at the understatement. “Well he’s certainly less outgoing in person than he is in his seminars.”
“You watched his lectures?” Cheng asked. “Boy, you are nuts. All we’re doing is ferrying the guy into avian space. He’s not going to test us on our knowledge of alien social structures.”
“He didn’t seem introverted,” Forbes said. “He seemed downright terrified.” His tone became more serious. “I wonder what’s so important about this meeting with the avians that HQ would send someone so obviously unsuited to space travel.”
Rebeccah nodded. She’d wondered the same thing too--before he asked several questions no civilian would think of posing. Now she had other questions about John Thompson. She was positive he wasn’t the man their briefing notes indicated.
Chapter 14
John kept the blast shields on the windows down and footage from the video networks running day and night in an effort to mask the sounds and sensations of the ship. He tried to tell himself he was in a low-budget hotel at a conference to explain his cramped quarters. If it weren’t for his need to eat, and the damn emergency
“It’s fine,” he replied. Doubt flashed across her features so he added, “It’s more than I was expecting.”
Again, her eyes widened and John puzzled over her reaction. She was too old to be a recent graduate, but she surprised far too easily for an experienced officer. He wondered if she wasn’t a few stops short of a roundtrip.
Alarm coursed through his veins when he realized his own questions and reactions might be blowing his cover. He coughed and scrambled to find something he figured a civilian would ask about. He set his bag down on the bed and moved to the panel on the wall. “I assume I can control all my cabin’s functions from here?”
“Yes. You can adjust the ambient temperature, the lighting, and the window dressings.” She keyed in a few commands to illustrate. “You can also play music or access any of the video networks through here. The screen will descend in front of the bulkhead on your right,” she said, gesturing toward the far wall, “should you wish to watch anything.”
“Thank you.”
He hoped she wouldn’t linger. He hadn’t meant to ask any questions during the walk from the airlock to his cabin, but he’d never been good at curbing his curiosity. To his relief, his escort seemed somewhat preoccupied. Walking back toward the door, he said, “Thank you for your assistance. Please let Captain Forbes know I will join him for dinner.”
She smiled and appeared to take the hint. Santiago moved into the corridor.
“I’ll tell him.” She began walking away then paused to look back over her shoulder. “Welcome aboard, Professor.”
John nodded and closed the door. He dimmed the lights, lowered the window coverings, and sat heavily on the bed. Holding his head with trembling hands, he gulped in several deep breaths and prayed the trip would be over soon.
* * * *
“Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to take your station?” asked Cheng.
The question brought Rebeccah out of her reverie. She blushed slightly and took her place to the right of the captain’s command area.
“I assume you delivered the professor to his accommodations?” said Forbes, leaning back in his chair.
“Yes, sir,” Rebeccah said. “He asked me to tell you he will join you for dinner.”
Cheng rolled his eyes. “Wonderful, just what we need, a pathetic stuffed shirt asking inane questions all night, or trying to teach us about the finer uses of the English language.”
“He’s not an English professor, Commander.” Rebeccah kept her tone respectful--barely. “He’s one of the foremost experts on avian anthropology and sociology.”
“Right.” More eye rolling.
“So,” Forbes leaned forward to ask, “was he everything you thought he’d be?” He chuckled. “I got the impression he wasn’t quite what you expected.”
She smiled at the understatement. “Well he’s certainly less outgoing in person than he is in his seminars.”
“You watched his lectures?” Cheng asked. “Boy, you are nuts. All we’re doing is ferrying the guy into avian space. He’s not going to test us on our knowledge of alien social structures.”
“He didn’t seem introverted,” Forbes said. “He seemed downright terrified.” His tone became more serious. “I wonder what’s so important about this meeting with the avians that HQ would send someone so obviously unsuited to space travel.”
Rebeccah nodded. She’d wondered the same thing too--before he asked several questions no civilian would think of posing. Now she had other questions about John Thompson. She was positive he wasn’t the man their briefing notes indicated.
Chapter 14
John kept the blast shields on the windows down and footage from the video networks running day and night in an effort to mask the sounds and sensations of the ship. He tried to tell himself he was in a low-budget hotel at a conference to explain his cramped quarters. If it weren’t for his need to eat, and the damn emergency
Similar Books
