[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

about the T'swa.
-Lecture by Barden Ostrak to the Philosophical Society.
During the 25 remaining days to Kettle, Varlik, enclosed in a fireman's suit,
worked out every morning in a cycle of varied and almost nonstop strenuous
exercises, mostly steady-paced but occasionally sprinted. Sweat ran down his
body and squidged in his socks. He'd complained to Voker, his self-appointed
and unwanted overseer, that it was better for the body to have alternate days
off. But
Voker had scorned the notion, said they weren't trying to build bigger
muscles, just toughness, and bullied and browbeat a grim Varlik through it,
skirting collapse.
In fact, every day during the first week, Varlik had truthfully expected to
collapse from heat prostration. And there'd have been some satisfaction to it;
it would have made Voker wrong.
The colonel worked out too, mostly on gymnastics and hand-to-hand combat
drills. He exercised strenuously enough, but without a fireman's suit and with
numerous breaks to supervise Varlik. When Varlik pointed out the difference,
Voker, leaner and harder than any colonel Varlik had ever imagined, pointed
out that he wasn't going off to follow the T'swa.
Varlik's first two workouts had been an hour each, and left him utterly
exhausted.
By the fifteenth day, the workouts went on for three hours with a pair of five
minute breaks, the soreness forgotten, and Varlik was pleased with his sinewy
new physique.
After lunch and a short nap, he studied Tyspi till supper. His progress with
the language cube was less satisfying than the physical training, partly
because there was no one on board to test him. The colonel had never gotten
around to learning it. Varlik could follow the conversation exercises on the
recordings well enough, but that wasn't. the kind of barracks talk he expected
to hear. He couldn't imagine mercenaries speaking with the precise and
deliberate diction of the lesson recordings.
After supper he studied Tyspi again, to crowd in as much competence as
possible.
Relaxation consisted of a drink and idle conversation with Mike Brusin before
bedtime, sometimes with Voker sitting in. Occasionally Konni Wenter joined
them, twice with a torpid, almost unspeaking Bertol Bakkis, his eyes opaque
with seeming disinterest. When they appeared, Varlik kept his mouth shut,
excusing himself as soon as he gracefully could.
Following his very first workout, Varlik had asked Colonel Voker if he would
record for him a summary of the war to date, to go with his description of its
start.
Voker had answered that he might if he found time for it. Varlik hadn't
pressed
Page 26
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
the matter. The colonel had already been more than generous with his help and
confidences.
Occasionally Varlik had misgivings about attaching himself to the T'swa, and
not just because of the Hasniker novel and other fiction depicting the T'swa
as ruthless and cruel. Voker had said they began their military life at age
five or six!
What would men be like who'd spent their childhood in barracks, preparing for
life as mercenary killers?
They weren't even Homo sapiens; they were Homo tyssiensis.
At last Varlik finished his final workout. Tomorrow before lunch they would
arrive on Kettle. As he sat freshly showered, putting on his shoes, Voker
turned to him. "Lormagen," he said, "I've got something for you in my
quarters. I wrote it last night. It's handier than having it on a cube: You
won't need a player when you want to refer to it."
Varlik followed him to his cabin, where the colonel gave him an envelope, not
thick at all. When he got to his own cabin, he opened it to find a summary of
the war indexed by year and dek.
Yr 710.1--Rebels capture mines, as already described.
710.3--Romblit reinforcements arrive Kettle-one division with support units.
Brigade assault landing at Beregesh, mine and refinery area retaken and
secured"
with no resistance or enemy presence. Found refinery demolished, ditto other
structures and mine shafts. Then Kelikut retaken with no resistance; similar
destruction found. Troops begin to construct temporary camp and defenses.
710.4--Construction crews arrive from Rombil, begin reconstruction of mines,
refineries, etc. Guerrillas infiltrate both areas at night, in force, massacre
Romblit construction crews, destroy equipment, pin down garrison remnants.
Reserve regiments flown in, land under heavy small-arms fire. Eventually,
troops and remaining civilian personnel evacuated under fire, as they cannot
reconstruct and maintain air-cooled mines, refineries, camps, in combat
situation. Enemy well trained, very effective. Enemy casualties believed
substantial due to floater gunnery.
710.6--Rombil lands two additional divisions up north at Aromanis base, along
with 1,000+ construction workers and heavy equipment, to establish major
military base of operations. Also prefabricated cool-huts, etc., for transfer
south to
Beregesh. On Rombil, government calls up reserves, begins training. Iryalan
government sends military "observer" team to Kettle, headed by General Lamons.
710.8--Full Romblit division lands at Beregesh with strong floater support,
under heavy fire from log-and-earth bunkers, including lobbers and blast hoses
not evidenced before. Casualties heavy, particularly due to destruction of
unarmored troop landers in flight by M-3L rockets, also not used before. Area
taken and secured.
710.8.10--Beregesh area fortified under frequent harassment. Casualties
moderate, chiefly to patrols.
711.1--Construction crews begin 'round-the-clock work to rebuild refinery and
reopen mines. Progress rapid. Considerable pressure from gov't. for
technetium.
711.3--Refinery rebuilt to 0.4 of old capacity. First cars of ore from new
shafts, using imported contract workers. Enemy floaters, previously unknown,
make
surprise attack. They bomb and demolish refinery, mine head, worker [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

  • zanotowane.pl
  • doc.pisz.pl
  • pdf.pisz.pl
  • moje-waterloo.xlx.pl

    •