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John Ringo: The Road to Damascus

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John Ringo The Road to Damascus

The Road to Damascus: краткое содержание, описание и аннотация

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In the midst of an ongoing interplanetary war between human-colonized worlds and the hostile alien species known as the Deng, one planet chooses to rebel against the sentient BOLO war machines that serve as the primary line of defense against the Deng. Ringo and Evans contribute another tale of military sf to the series of novels featuring the BOLOs originated by sf author Keith Laumer. Despite the general hawkish politics lacing the plot’s subtext, the authors provide a wealth of military action along with a cast of well-developed characters, including a sympathetic BOLO named Sonny. A good choice for series fans and readers of military SF.

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A glow is born in Simon’s shadowed eyes. “Indeed it is, Mr. President.”

I am startled that President Lendan has made it his business to learn my official designation, as well as my Commander’s name. Most politicians I have encountered simply refer to me as “the Bolo” and don’t bother to include me directly in conversations.

“How should I address him, Major?” the president asks uncertainly. “Surely his full designation is too long to use all the time?”

“He’ll answer to Sonny.”

Surprise rearranges the worry lines in Abe Lendan’s long face. Then he nods, as the oblique reference to humanity’s home star registers in an expression even I can read. He clears his throat and addresses me directly, peering toward the nearest of my external visual sensors.

“Sonny, welcome to Jefferson.”

“It is my pleasure to be here, Mr. President.”

Several of the onlookers start at the sound of my voice, although I am always careful to use a volume setting low enough not to damage delicate human hearing. Jefferson’s president, however, merely smiles, suggesting a rock-solid core of inner strength that he — and all Jeffersonians — will need. I also note deep lines and dark, bruised-looking hollows around his eyes, which suggest worry and sleeplessness, a state confirmed by President Lendan’s next words.

“You can’t know how glad we are that you’re here, both of you. We’ve been worried the Deng would get here ahead of your transport. Sector Command’s been sending messages meant to reassure, but we’ve dealt with the Deng before. And we’ve had refugee ships coming through, a lot of them. It takes a desperate captain and crew to try crossing the Silurian Void, especially in some of the ships we’ve had limping through our star system. Private yachts that weren’t designed for hyper-L hops that long and dangerous. Merchant ships shot to pieces before they made the jump out. Big ore freighters crammed full of terrified people and damned little food or medical supplies. All of ’em hoping the Deng fleet wouldn’t follow if they ran this way, across the Void, not with richer worlds to tempt them along the main trade route.”

Simon blanches at such news. “Good God! There are Concordiat naval captains who’d think twice about crossing the Void.”

A look of deep stress brings moisture to Abe Lendan’s dark eyes. “A lot of those ships had wounded aboard, some of them so critical, they’re still in our hospitals. God only knows how many of the ships that tried the crossing didn’t make it. From what the refugees are saying, there may be upwards of a hundred ships unaccounted for, this side of the Void. They also told us the Deng hit them hard, much harder than they did during the last war.”

I remember the last Deng war, in which I fought as a rookie straight off the assembly line. Captured human populations were routinely kept alive as slave labor to run mining equipment and manufacturing plants, since that is far less expensive than refitting high-tech equipment to Deng-capable specs. This time, the Deng are simply killing everything in their path. Simon and I have been briefed on this. Clearly, Jefferson’s president also knows it.

“We’re not afraid of a hard fight, Major,” Abe Lendan says quietly, “but we don’t have much here that would slow down a modern Heavy-class Yavac. We have several in-system naval cutters that could slow down an orbital bombardment, but nothing to match a Deng battle cruiser.”

Simon nods understanding as the wind rattles past, heralding the imminent arrival of the storm front. “Yes, we’ve been briefed on it. Bad as the Deng are, Mr. President, we’re fortunate to be facing them, instead of the Melconians. And the Silurian Void is one of the best defenses Jefferson has. Sector Command doesn’t expect a large force to be sent against this world, precisely because it’s so dangerous, crossing the Void. If the Deng do send a detatchment this way, it probably won’t be their first-rate equipment, which they won’t want to risk losing on such a gamble. Sonny should be more than enough to handle whatever they throw our way. He’s had a lot of combat experience.”

Heads swivel upwards as the entire group peers toward the battle honors welded to my turret. General Hightower actually steps forward for a closer look. “That’s mighty impressive, Sonny,” the general says as rain begins to splash into the muddy ground. “Seventeen campaign medals, three rhodium stars, and good Lord, is that four galaxy-level clusters? Very impressive.”

“Thank you, General Hightower. I look forward to coordinating defense plans with you. My mission-briefing files don’t mention it, but are you the Dwight Hightower who turned back the Quern advance on Herndon III?”

The general’s eyes widen in startlement. “How the devil did you know about that?”

“My Commander during the Herndon liberation campaign was Major Alison Sanhurst. She spoke highly of you, General.”

A strange, bittersweet expression touches Dwight Hightower’s rugged, battle-scarred face. “Good God, that was nearly sixty years ago. Your commander was a fine woman, Sonny. A fine woman. We wouldn’t have held the Quern back on Herndon III without her. She died bravely. And she’s still missed, very much so.” General Hightower’s eyes have misted with water that is not from the increasingly chilly rainfall.

“Thank you, General,” I say quietly, but his words have triggered unhappy memories. Alison Sanhurst did, indeed, die bravely, evacuating children under heavy enemy fire while I was out of commission, awaiting emergency battlefield repairs. I have never forgotten her. Or forgiven myself for failing her.

President Lendan clears his throat and points toward the four-meter-long slice melted across my prow. “What in the world hit you there?”

I do not like remembering the battle in which I sustained that damage and do not wish to hurt Simon, but I have been asked a direct question from the man who will be issuing orders to my Commander and myself. It would be impolitic to refuse an answer.

“I sustained injury under concentrated fire from the plasma lances of a Yavac Heavy, which I destroyed at Etaine.”

As the politicians and even the press murmur to one another, my Commander says harshly, “Sonny destroyed the other fourteen Yavac Heavies shooting at him, too. Even after they blew his treads and most of his gun systems to dust and turned half his armor to slag. That’s where the fourth galaxy-level cluster came from. The gold one. Every other Bolo on that battlefield died. We’re so short on Bolos, they rebuilt Sonny and sent him out here. With me.”

The pain in Simon’s voice is raw. So raw that no one speaks for eight point three seconds. President Lendan’s voice finally breaks the desperate silence, and betrays emotional stress of his own. “Sonny, Major Khrustinov, it is a genuine honor to have you here. I only hope we can acquit ourselves as bravely as you have.” His unstated hope — that Jefferson does not become a second Etaine — is clearly written in the deepened stress lines in his long, tired face. The responsibility of high office is always exhausting, and never more so than when war looms large on the horizon.

“I hope it won’t offend Sonny,” President Lendan turns to my Commander, “but you ought to come into town, Major Khrustinov. We can go over everything in my office. The bottom’s about to drop out of that storm,” he indicates the rain, which is now gusting in drifts ahead of the main squall line.

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