Звездный десант
Chapter 13
Weknewwhatthebraincastelookedlike;wehadseenthemdead(inphotographs)andweknewtheycouldnotrun--barelyfunctionallegs,bloatedbodiesthatweremostlynervoussystem.Queensnohumanhadeverseen,butBioWarCorpshadpreparedsketchesofwhattheyshouldlooklike—obscenemonsterslargerthanahorseandutterlyimmobile.
Besidesbrainsandqueenstheremightbeother"royalty"castes.Asmightbe—encouragetheirwarriorstocomeoutanddie,thencapturealiveanythingbutwarriorsandworkers.
Anecessaryplanandverypretty,onpaper.WhatitmeanttomewasthatIhadanarea17x40mileswhichmightberiddledwithunstoppedBugholes.Iwantedco-ordinatesoneachone.
Ifthereweretoomany...well,Imightaccidentallyplugafewandletmyboysconcentrateonwatchingtherest.Aprivateinamaraudersuitcancoveralotofterrain,buthecanlookatonlyonethingatatime;heisnotsuperhuman.
Ibouncedseveralmilesaheadofthefirstsquad,stillcallingtheCherubplatoonleader,varyingitbycallinganyCherubofficeranddescribingthepatternofmytransponderbeacon(dah-di-dah-dah).
Noanswer—
AtlastIgotareplyfrommyboss:"Johnnie!Knockoffthenoise.
Answermeonconferencecircuit."
SoIdid,andBlackietoldmecrisplytoquittryingtofindtheCherubleaderforSquareBlackOne;therewasn’tone.
