Read Online The Great Betrayal by Michael G. Thomas - Free Book Online
Authors: Michael G. Thomas
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look. Jack took a spoonful, chewed, and then swallowed it down.
“Nice?” asked Wictred with a wide grin.
Jack took another mouthful and watched as the rest of his new squad sat down. At first it was just a handful, and then as quickly as the first sat down, the rest were there and making themselves comfortable. There were thirteen of them in total, and each acknowledged Corporal Wictred as they sat down. He looked about the canteen, recalling his time many months ago when the ship had been fresh and brand new. Although the exterior and systems of ANS Conqueror had been fully repaired and improved, the interior sections had seen far less time spent on them. The canteen showed signs of electrical scarring, and the patched bullet holes on one of the walls had been filled and painted in such a hurry, the marks were still visible.
“It could do with more salt,” he answered finally.
Wictred had been promoted following the Helios incident and was now the senior corporal in the squad. That meant he was responsible for the other twelve that made up the three fireteams, as well as liaising with their platoon commander.
“So,” started Wictred, “we screwed that one up, and Sergeant Stone wants improvement.”
Private Jana Jenkell, the squad’s medic spoke first. Her jet-black hair had been cut short, and her dark blue eyes almost matched the color. Her faced was grim, and as Jack glanced at her, he wondered if he’d ever seen her smile. As she spoke, he remembered she was the new one with the stutter.
“Well, they set off the bomb because they were able to activate a trigger. Why not eliminate that ability?”
Frewyn, the oldest of the group shook his head. He was stoutly built and spoke with a common accent that gave the impression he was far less intelligent than he actually was.
“How exactly would we do that?”
Jack swallowed another piece of lamb and then spoke.
“Gas or a stunner of some kind.”
Private Riku laughed at this idea. Of all those, seated she was the most unusual looking. Tall and attractive, she could easily have been a model if it hadn’t been for a hideous scar that ran down her face. There was something else that in Jack’s opinion made her probably the ugliest woman he’d met; it was her miserable fixed expression.
“You have one of those lying about, Private?”
“You’re such an asshat,” said Private Jenkell.
The young woman took another mouthful of her lunch and laughed at the taller and more attractive woman. Several of the others sniggered at her insult, and it was clear that Riku had few real friends in the unit.
Jack looked at Private Riku with the same kind of irritation Private Jenkell had and shook his head with a look of disinterest. Once more Private Riku displayed a look that bordered on contempt of him. Wictred had told him it was how he imagined a woman chewing a wasp would look like. Jack smiled as he thought of that, and then spotted her watching him. He lifted an eyebrow, and she scowled in return.
Would it kill her to smile? Maybe.
Jack recalled the last three conversations he’d had with her, and they'd always ended up the same. No matter the subject, it reverted to her, as if she always had an experience that trumped the rest. She loved complements and seemed to ask questions and make comments designed to make people feel obliged to add something nice about her. Amusingly, this never appeared to work. It seemed to encourage bitterness amongst the rest of the marines with almost every word that came out of her mouth, and that encouraged her to try even harder.
“Good attitude, Private Riku. What would you do then? Oh, I remember, you waited at the back.”
She scowled at him, and he nodded as if thanking her for some kind of concealed complement.
“You’re most welcome,” he added, much to her annoyance.
A tall, wide man, looking more like a wrestler than a marine, scratched at his nose before speaking. His face had been burned badly in the
“Nice?” asked Wictred with a wide grin.
Jack took another mouthful and watched as the rest of his new squad sat down. At first it was just a handful, and then as quickly as the first sat down, the rest were there and making themselves comfortable. There were thirteen of them in total, and each acknowledged Corporal Wictred as they sat down. He looked about the canteen, recalling his time many months ago when the ship had been fresh and brand new. Although the exterior and systems of ANS Conqueror had been fully repaired and improved, the interior sections had seen far less time spent on them. The canteen showed signs of electrical scarring, and the patched bullet holes on one of the walls had been filled and painted in such a hurry, the marks were still visible.
“It could do with more salt,” he answered finally.
Wictred had been promoted following the Helios incident and was now the senior corporal in the squad. That meant he was responsible for the other twelve that made up the three fireteams, as well as liaising with their platoon commander.
“So,” started Wictred, “we screwed that one up, and Sergeant Stone wants improvement.”
Private Jana Jenkell, the squad’s medic spoke first. Her jet-black hair had been cut short, and her dark blue eyes almost matched the color. Her faced was grim, and as Jack glanced at her, he wondered if he’d ever seen her smile. As she spoke, he remembered she was the new one with the stutter.
“Well, they set off the bomb because they were able to activate a trigger. Why not eliminate that ability?”
Frewyn, the oldest of the group shook his head. He was stoutly built and spoke with a common accent that gave the impression he was far less intelligent than he actually was.
“How exactly would we do that?”
Jack swallowed another piece of lamb and then spoke.
“Gas or a stunner of some kind.”
Private Riku laughed at this idea. Of all those, seated she was the most unusual looking. Tall and attractive, she could easily have been a model if it hadn’t been for a hideous scar that ran down her face. There was something else that in Jack’s opinion made her probably the ugliest woman he’d met; it was her miserable fixed expression.
“You have one of those lying about, Private?”
“You’re such an asshat,” said Private Jenkell.
The young woman took another mouthful of her lunch and laughed at the taller and more attractive woman. Several of the others sniggered at her insult, and it was clear that Riku had few real friends in the unit.
Jack looked at Private Riku with the same kind of irritation Private Jenkell had and shook his head with a look of disinterest. Once more Private Riku displayed a look that bordered on contempt of him. Wictred had told him it was how he imagined a woman chewing a wasp would look like. Jack smiled as he thought of that, and then spotted her watching him. He lifted an eyebrow, and she scowled in return.
Would it kill her to smile? Maybe.
Jack recalled the last three conversations he’d had with her, and they'd always ended up the same. No matter the subject, it reverted to her, as if she always had an experience that trumped the rest. She loved complements and seemed to ask questions and make comments designed to make people feel obliged to add something nice about her. Amusingly, this never appeared to work. It seemed to encourage bitterness amongst the rest of the marines with almost every word that came out of her mouth, and that encouraged her to try even harder.
“Good attitude, Private Riku. What would you do then? Oh, I remember, you waited at the back.”
She scowled at him, and he nodded as if thanking her for some kind of concealed complement.
“You’re most welcome,” he added, much to her annoyance.
A tall, wide man, looking more like a wrestler than a marine, scratched at his nose before speaking. His face had been burned badly in the
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