"Drake, David - Redliners" - читать интересную книгу автора (Drake David)

PROLOGUE

When I entered Category 4 of the Unity civil service thirty-seven
years ago, I gave up my former name and life to become a servant
dedicated to all mankind. There are those who say I ceased to be
human when as part of the process a computer was embedded in
my central nervous system.

I am called John Smith, though my name might as easily have
been Xiang Quo or Krishna Singh or Ali Nasr. I am now Chief of
Administration, the highest permanent official of the Unity. There
are those who say I have the powers of a god and the ruthlessness
of an avalanche.

Since I entered Category 4, my only desire has been the long-term
good of mankind. Since I became Chief of Administration, my will
has been the only will of mankind.

There are those who say I have no more mercy than a surgeon
treating cancer.

There are those who say my planning has been mankind's only
salvation during these seven years of war with the Kalendru, who
understand the concepts of "master" and "slave" but not of
"equals."

There are those who say that even such as I must retire, as a blade
is retired when grinding use wears it to a sliver—be that sliver ever
so sharp.

They say, they say . . .

And they are all of them correct.

Operation Active Cloak

—1—

Major Arthur Farrell's bones vibrated to the howls of the
generators braking the captured Kalendru starship to a soft
landing in the main military port of the world Unity planners had
labeled Maxus 377. The engineers hadn't bothered to jury-rig
displays after they gutted the ship's hold for the assault force. If
the strikers of Company C41 wanted, they could tap visuals from
the flight deck onto their helmet visors and look at the warped-
looking Spook structures they would attack in the next few
seconds.

Farrell didn't bother to watch. Instead he rechecked his stinger. He
wore crossed bandoliers of ammo packs and dangling blast