Звездный десант
Chapter 1
waitedforthecountinmymindandordered,"Advance!"
Anddidsomyself,hoppingoverthenextrowofbuildings,and,whileIwasintheair,fanningthefirstrowbytheriverfrontwithahandflamer.Theyseemedtobewoodconstructionanditlookedliketimetostartagoodfire—withluck,someofthosewarehouseswouldhouseoilproducts,orevenexplosives.AsIhit,theY-rackonmyshoulderslaunchedtwosmallH.E.bombsacoupleofhundredyardseachwaytomyrightandleftflanksbutIneversawwhattheydidasjustthenmyfirstrockethit—thatunmistakable(ifyou’veeverseenone)brillianceofanatomicexplosion.Itwasjustapeewee,ofcourse,lessthantwokilotonsnominalyield,withtamperandimplosionsqueezetoproduceresultsfromaless-than-criticalmass—butthenwhowantstobebunkmateswithacosmiccatastrophe?Itwasenoughtocleanoffthathilltopandmakeeverybodyinthecitytakeshelteragainstfallout.Betterstill,anyofthelocalyokelswhohappenedtobeoutdoorsandlookingthatwaywouldn’tbeseeinganythingelseforacoupleofhours—meaningme.Thedashhadn’tdazzledme,norwoulditdazzleanyofus;ourfacebowlsareheavilyleaded,wewearsnoopersoveroureyes—andwe’retrainedtoduckandtakeitonthearmorifwedohappentobelookingthewrongway.
SoImerelyblinkedhard—openedmyeyesandstaredstraightatalocalcitizenjustcomingoutofanopeninginthebuildingaheadofme.
