Звездный десант
Chapter 10
Onlywedidn’t.
Ourownsectionwasdoingallright.Itwasinthewrongpewandoutof
touchwiththeothersection—theplatoonleaderandsergeantweredeadandweneverre-formed.Butwehadstakedoutaclaim,ourspecial-weaponssquadhadsetupastrongpoint,andwewerereadytoturnourrealestateovertofreshtroopsassoonastheyshowedup.
Onlytheydidn’t.Theydroppedinwhereweshouldhavedropped,foundunfriendlynativesandhadtheirowntroubles.Weneversawthem.Sowestayedwherewewere,soakingupcasualtiesfromtimetotimeandpassingthemoutourselvesasopportunityoffered—whileweranlowonammoandjumpjuiceandevenpowertokeepthesuitsmoving.Thisseemedtogoonforacoupleofthousandyears.
DutchandIwerezippingalongclosetoawall,headedforourspecial-weaponssquadinanswertoayellforhelp,whenthegroundsuddenlyopenedinfrontofDutch,aBugpoppedout,andDutchwentdown.
IflamedtheBugandtossedagrenadeandtheholeclosedup,thenturnedtoseewhathadhappenedtoDutch.Hewasdownbuthedidn’tlookhurt.Aplatoonsergeantcanmonitorthephysicalsoneverymaninhisplatoon,sortoutthedeadfromthosewhomerelycan’tmakeitunassistedandmustbepickedup.Butyoucandothesamethingmanuallyfromswitchesrightonthebeltofaman’ssuit.
Dutchdidn’tanswerwhenIcalledtohim.
