"Feintuch,.David.-.Seafort.06.-.Patriarchs.Hope.Txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feintuch David)

"Sir..." His eyes beseeched mine. "Other cadets were
flailing ill. It's not their fault they're young, they don't know to
double-check the seals. I was trying to watch them all, and Santini had her
helmet off. I knew she'd be all right Except .. .** He shuddered. "When I looked
down she was in convulsions. There was nothing I could do. Nothing!" His voice
broke.

Awkwardly, I let my hand brush his shoulder.

He began to walk again, this time more slowly. "In the chamber, Ford pitched
flat on his face. Then Eiken went down. I realized something was terribly wrong
and yelled at Anselm to purge the room, but he didn't hear me, or didn't
understand."

The middy stirred.

I raised a hand. "In a moment Mr., ah, Anselm. Go on, Sarge."

"By the time I ran round to the other door and triggered the emergency oxygen
flush, two more were down. I ordered Anselm to pull them out—he was suited, I
wasn't— and ran back to Santini. She was staring at the sky.** Gregori's mouth
worked. "By the time we got the others out, three more were dying. I called
sickbay, and rang for Lieutenant LeBow.**

At last, the suiting chamber, a low, windowless, gunmetal gray building behind
the nav training center. I recalled the suit room, with its rows of lockers
where the cadets would enter. The airlock to the main chamber, the waiting lock
at the far exit

A covey of cadets milled about I said, unbelieving, "You left your squad there?"

"Lieutenant LeBow told me to report to you, flank." And the sergeant would, of
course. In the Navy, orders were obeyed.

My knee ached abominably. I bit back a foul imprecation as we neared the dazed
cadets. Some were weeping. A few slumped on the grass. Among them were five
motionless Forms in gray. Three med techs worked over them, from scramble carts.
A lieutenant watched, arms folded.

A cadet corporal saw us coming. "Attention!" His voice was ragged.

"As you were," I rasped. Then I had a glimpse of one of the casualties. "Oh,
Lord." Blood had flowed, from her mouth and eyes. "You, there, any survivors?"

The med tech looked up, his eyes grim. He shook his head.

"What caused it?"

"I don't know." Wearily, he knelt on the grass. "We couldn't have been three
minutes responding to the call. They were gone. We never had a chance."