Звездный десант
Chapter 13
Sometimesateamonthegroundhaditsshiporshipsknockedoutofthesky.Whathappenstosuchateam?Possiblyitdiestothelastman.Moreprobablyitfightsuntilpowerandammoaregone,thensurvivorsarecapturedaseasilyassomanybeetlesontheirbacks.
FromourcobelligerentstheSkinniesweknewthatmanymissingtrooperswerealiveasprisoners--thousandswehoped,hundredsweweresure.IntelligencebelievedthatprisonerswerealwaystakentoKlendathu;theBugsareascuriousaboutusasweareaboutthem--araceofindividualsabletobuildcities,starships,armies,maybeevenmoremysterioustoahiveentitythanahiveentityistous.
Asmaybe,wewantedthoseprisonersback!
Inthegrimlogicoftheuniversethismaybeaweakness.Perhapssomeracethatneverbotherstorescueanindividualmayexploitthishumantraittowipeusout.TheSkinnieshavesuchatraitonlyslightlyandtheBugsdon’tseemtohaveitatall--nobodyeversawaBugcometotheaidofanotherbecausehewaswounded;theycooperateperfectlyinfightingbutunitsareabandonedtheinstanttheyarenolongeruseful.
Ourbehaviorisdifferent.Howoftenhaveyouseenaheadlinelikethis?--TWODIEATTEMPTINGRESCUEOFDROWNINGCHILD.Ifamangetslostinthemountains,hundredswillsearchandoftentwoorthreesearchersarekilled.Butthenexttimesomebodygetslostjustasmanyvolunteersturnout.
Poorarithmetic...butveryhuman.
