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pulled up next to Nevan. Blood ran down his face from a cut in his forehead,
making him blink. He was breathing hard.
 Glad I found you, sir! Though all Core members were on a first name basis
with one another, it was important to maintain appearances in case others
might be watching or listening. As such, it would not do in a combat situation
for a noncom to address a superior in too familiar a fashion.
 We re losing it.
Nevan glanced around the corner, drew back. The corridor ahead was still
deserted.  What s the word on reinforcements?
 Mostly unprintable, sir. Not much likelihood. The bugs got to communications
fast. Several of us sent out a quick report over field units, but chances are
they don t have sufficient range to reach our people upriver. Even if they did
there s not going to be enough time for them to get back here. The sergeant
paused, wheezing.  I m open to suggestions, sir.
Nevan considered.  If they ve taken communications, they ll go for engineering
next. Let s keep moving in the opposite direction.
Once they nearly stumbled into a pair of Crigolit skittering down a corridor.
Milky eyes gazed back into their own, followed by a startled exchange of oaths
and fire. Nevan found himself dropping and rolling to avoid the neural beams
which sought his spine. One struck nearby and his right foot went numb.
His own weapon was less sophisticated. The Crigolit s head exploded on contact
with the tiny expanding shell as Nevan s pistol flared. The other insectoid
carried a rifle, which took a small chunk out of the sergeant s shoulder.
Conner s return fire snapped his assailant in two.
Ignoring his tingling foot, Nevan struggled erect and examined his companion s
wound. It was messy but superficial. They resumed their desperate odyssey.
It was clear that the Crigolit were in complete control and there was little
chance of driving them off. Their unprecedented assault had been a complete
success. With any reinforcements or relief questionable at best, there was no
thought of organizing any kind of counterattack.
 This way, sir. Conner was leading him toward the emergency lifeboat bay. The
corridor heading toward it was depressingly deserted.
The lifeboats had been included to provide a means of escape in the event that
the delta region was struck by a severe storm. They contained no weapons or
armor, but neither Straat-ien or Conner much cared. Right now they constituted
a possible way out; maybe the only way out.
Unfortunately, the same idea had also occurred to the Crigolit.
There were half a dozen of them assembled near the entrance to the bay. It
looked as if they d only recently arrived. Several were in the process of
removing their bulky underwater rebreathers. Behind a makeshift barrier of
jumbled furniture and equipment, the others were trying to calibrate a large
and nasty-looking automated weapon for close-quarter work.
Whoever had planned this assault knew what he was doing, Nevan thought in
frustration.
They crouched behind the last bend in the corridor.  I don t think they saw
us, he whispered.  They re too busy setting up their position. I think I saw
five.
 Six. Conner continued to bleed from the shoulder, but the gash in his
forehead was clotting reassuringly.  Maybe more, but I don t think so. He was
about twenty-five, Nevan guessed. Already an experienced soldier, scared and
hardened all at once.  If we wait till they get that big gun on auto, we ll
never get past them.
 Too many to rush. Nevan considered, eyeing his young companion.  You know
how to suggest. It was not a question.
Conner gazed back at him uncertainly.  I ve only done it a couple of times,
sir. Each time it involved an allied individual I was close to. Never an
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enemy, and never in numbers.
 Time you tried. Nevan loosened the grip on his sidearm s trigger.  I want
you to pretend that you re a Crigolit officer. A High Unifer. Believe that
you re in command. We re going to order them to search the next corridor.
We re going to present the edict in such a way that they won t even think of
questioning its logic. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]