"Richard Hatch - Battlestar Galactica 01 - Armageddon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hatch Richard)

"I see it," Apollo replied. "Less than four centari until we reach orbit.
It's too late to make a less conspicuous approach. If there's somebody
down there, and we've got to assume there is, they've already got us
locked."
 "Yeah, but we've no way of knowing if they're hostile. They could be
jamming us for defense. They probably think we're going to attack them.
Let's not be hasty, here," Starbuck warned.

Blip.

Apollo scanned the laser readout on his helm's face shield. Even as he
read, the Viper's holo-system generated a more detailed map of Ochoa's
surface. The planet was rich with mineral deposits. It was practically
overrun with vegetation—though whether it was edible or not was a
question the computer couldn't resolve. Ochoa had veins of tylium that the
scanners indicated were nearly pure, far more stable than the diluted
element they'd been using for decades to power the fleet.

There were also massive clusters of lifeforms in hundreds of locations,
as well as one enormous technological or industrial center. Just as
Starbuck had predicted, there was no stellar interference. Their
instruments had been blinded, albeit temporarily, by quite specific design.
The jamming signal was being beamed from a techno center near the
farther of Ochoa's rotational axes.

"Starbuck?" Apollo asked over the commlink.

"I've got it," Starbuck responded, all Warrior now with no time for
sharp comments about the efficiency of his archaic Viper.

"Yes, but what is it?" Apollo wondered aloud. "We've got to assume
they're hostile. Computer, scan for other starships within the Binary 13
system. Then broaden scan to include as much of this sector of the
galactic quadrant as your instruments will allow."

Letters and numbers flashed by Apollo's eyes. He ignored his helm and
stared anxiously out at the starfield, glancing down at the Viper's
flatscreen every few heartbeats.

"What are we waiting for?" Starbuck urged. "Let's take a closer look."

Apollo knew he was right. They weren't under attack. By every rule of
conduct, everything they learned at Academy, they ought to do a flyby as
planned, get an idea what exactly was down on the surface of that planet.
But it just felt…wrong.
 "I don't like it," Apollo said.

"I don't like it either, Apollo, but it's our job," Starbuck teased.

"That's not what I mean, Starbuck. It's something more. I sense danger,