Грань будущего
Chapter 8
"I’dgivemypensiontothemanwhoinventsawaytofastenyour-shit,it’sstarted!Don’tgetyourballsblownoff,gents!"
Isprangintobattle,Dopplercranked,theusualbuzzinginmyhelmet.Justliketheothermoments.
There.Atarget.
Ifired.Iducked.Ajavelinwhizzedpastmyhead.
"Who’supthere?You’retoofarforward!Youwannagetyourselfkilled?"
Ipretendedtofollowtheplatoonleader’sorders.Idon’tcarehowmanylivesyouhave,ifyoufollowedtheordersofeveryofficerfreshfromtheacademy,you’dendupgettingboredofdying.
Thundereruptedfromtheshellscrisscrossingthesky.Iwipedsandfrommyhelmet.IglancedatFerrellandnodded.ItonlytookaninstantforhimtorealizethesuppressingfireI’djustlaiddownhadthwartedanenemyambush.SomewheredeepinFerrell’sgut,hisinstinctsweretellinghimthatthisrecruitnamedKeijiKiriya,who’dneversetfootinbattleinhislife,wasasoldierhecoulduse.HewasabletoseepasttherecklessnessofwhatI’djustdone.Itwasthatsortofadaptabilitythathadkepthimalivefortwentyyears.
Tobehonest,FerrellwastheonlymanintheplatoonIcoulduse.Theothersoldiershadonlyseentwoorthreebattlesatmost.Eventheoneswho’dsurvivedinthepasthadn’tevergottenkilled.Youcan’tlearnfromyourmistakeswhentheykillyou.Thesegreenhornsdidn’tknowwhatitwastowalktherazor’sedgebetweenlifeanddeath.
