Read Online Grendel Unit 2: Ignition Sequence by Bernard Schaffer - Free Book Online
Authors: Bernard Schaffer
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could work up a response. "Don't mind Bob," Hill said. "He's a techno-wizard but he grew up on one of the backwater planets where people still marry their cousins and think aliens are subspecies. Come on, I'll show you sick bay and your quarters."
" He sounds a little Sapienist to me," Frank said, looking back at the cockpit.
Hill waved his hand dismissively, "He just talks tough. Don't worry about it. I mean, I'm a Unificationist as much as the next guy, but I don't necessarily want any sludgesuckers coming around my sisters if you know what I'm saying. Right?"
Hill had stopped and was looking back at Frank, waiting for an answer. "Right," Frank finally said. It was the only thing he could think to say.
Hill leaned closer to Frank and whispered, "Actually, one of my cousins got involved with some slick-talking Ligtorp, the ones with the long, skinny arms and sloped-ears? He got her pregnant somehow. She's carrying this half-breed, slope-eared, long-armed demon baby right now. Can you believe that? My own gene pool fouled by this little Liglet bastard. It's a disgrace."
" Sounds rough," Frank said. "I wonder why she didn't stop to think about your feelings before she went and did that."
" It's not my feelings, per se, but the rest of the families. It's selfish, is what it is," Hill said.
Frank nodded slowly, trying his best to play it cool. "Listen, not for nothing, but I always thought Grendel was at the tip of the spear in the fight against terrorists like the Sapienists who want to stop Unification."
"That's what we are ," Hill said.
"No offense , but don't you find it a little strange to be out here putting your lives on the line for a cause you don't believe in?"
Hill 's eyes widened, "Who said I don't believe in it? Are you accusing me of harboring anti-Unification feelings, soldier?"
"No , Lieutenant," Frank said quickly. He was going to have to do some quick thinking. "I was asking how you reconcile the work we are asked to do…given the reality of the situation."
"Oh ," Hill said, nodding. The ship lurched forward into motion, shifting Hill sideways enough that he instinctively stuck his hand against the wall to brace himself until he got his bearings. Frank was used to the movement and rocked back and forth to compensate, using what the old soldiers had called their 'sea legs.' Apparently, Hill had skipped that part of training, or he simply wasn't accustomed to space flight, because he kept his hand pressed against the wall as he made his way down the corridor. "The general doesn't expect us to go win the war single-handedly, Frank. We take on specialized assignments that involve enemies of the State."
"Terrorists , you mean," Frank said.
Hill shrugged and said, "Yeah. Mostly."
Before Frank could ask what that meant , the intercom buzzed with the pilot's voice, saying, "Lieutenant, we're on course for Iscariot-Four. We should arrive within the hour."
"Excellent , Bob. We'll be up after I show the F.N.G. around."
F.N.G.? Frank thought, looking at the way Hill wobbled as he walked. Instead, he said, "What's on Iscariot-Four?"
"The jackhole hotshot," Hill said. "He smooth-talked the General into letting him run some ridiculous surveillance operation in a bar down there. I say it's all some big excuse to spend Unification money on booze and women. Since we're in the area I figured I'd pay him a little visit and prove once and for all that Victor Cojo is nothing but a glorified mercenary."
"Cojo?" Frank said, thinking about the Unification investigator he'd met all those years ago.
"Yeah ," Hill said, looking back at Frank. "Why? Do you know him?"
Frank studied the nervous look in Hill's eyes and said, "Nope. His name sounds like something I read in the archives awhile back. Some horror book about a mad dog, I think."
"Mad dog," Hill sniffed. "That sounds about right."
The engines groaned as they downshifted from interstellar drive to an approach speed for the Iscariot system. The ship lurched
" He sounds a little Sapienist to me," Frank said, looking back at the cockpit.
Hill waved his hand dismissively, "He just talks tough. Don't worry about it. I mean, I'm a Unificationist as much as the next guy, but I don't necessarily want any sludgesuckers coming around my sisters if you know what I'm saying. Right?"
Hill had stopped and was looking back at Frank, waiting for an answer. "Right," Frank finally said. It was the only thing he could think to say.
Hill leaned closer to Frank and whispered, "Actually, one of my cousins got involved with some slick-talking Ligtorp, the ones with the long, skinny arms and sloped-ears? He got her pregnant somehow. She's carrying this half-breed, slope-eared, long-armed demon baby right now. Can you believe that? My own gene pool fouled by this little Liglet bastard. It's a disgrace."
" Sounds rough," Frank said. "I wonder why she didn't stop to think about your feelings before she went and did that."
" It's not my feelings, per se, but the rest of the families. It's selfish, is what it is," Hill said.
Frank nodded slowly, trying his best to play it cool. "Listen, not for nothing, but I always thought Grendel was at the tip of the spear in the fight against terrorists like the Sapienists who want to stop Unification."
"That's what we are ," Hill said.
"No offense , but don't you find it a little strange to be out here putting your lives on the line for a cause you don't believe in?"
Hill 's eyes widened, "Who said I don't believe in it? Are you accusing me of harboring anti-Unification feelings, soldier?"
"No , Lieutenant," Frank said quickly. He was going to have to do some quick thinking. "I was asking how you reconcile the work we are asked to do…given the reality of the situation."
"Oh ," Hill said, nodding. The ship lurched forward into motion, shifting Hill sideways enough that he instinctively stuck his hand against the wall to brace himself until he got his bearings. Frank was used to the movement and rocked back and forth to compensate, using what the old soldiers had called their 'sea legs.' Apparently, Hill had skipped that part of training, or he simply wasn't accustomed to space flight, because he kept his hand pressed against the wall as he made his way down the corridor. "The general doesn't expect us to go win the war single-handedly, Frank. We take on specialized assignments that involve enemies of the State."
"Terrorists , you mean," Frank said.
Hill shrugged and said, "Yeah. Mostly."
Before Frank could ask what that meant , the intercom buzzed with the pilot's voice, saying, "Lieutenant, we're on course for Iscariot-Four. We should arrive within the hour."
"Excellent , Bob. We'll be up after I show the F.N.G. around."
F.N.G.? Frank thought, looking at the way Hill wobbled as he walked. Instead, he said, "What's on Iscariot-Four?"
"The jackhole hotshot," Hill said. "He smooth-talked the General into letting him run some ridiculous surveillance operation in a bar down there. I say it's all some big excuse to spend Unification money on booze and women. Since we're in the area I figured I'd pay him a little visit and prove once and for all that Victor Cojo is nothing but a glorified mercenary."
"Cojo?" Frank said, thinking about the Unification investigator he'd met all those years ago.
"Yeah ," Hill said, looking back at Frank. "Why? Do you know him?"
Frank studied the nervous look in Hill's eyes and said, "Nope. His name sounds like something I read in the archives awhile back. Some horror book about a mad dog, I think."
"Mad dog," Hill sniffed. "That sounds about right."
The engines groaned as they downshifted from interstellar drive to an approach speed for the Iscariot system. The ship lurched
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