"Williamson,.Michael.Z.-.Freehold.02.-.The.Weapon.v1.1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williamson Michael Z)

know how badly we beat up Earth during the war. However, virtually
no one knows what actually goes on within our ranks. This narrative
is of course, not complete, since there's far too much that you as
the reader have no need to know, especially about me. I'm the man
who destroyed most of Earth.

* * *

I went into the military to get away from home. I suppose, looking
back now, that my home life wasn't that bad. At the time, however,
it seemed interminable, oppressive and objectionable. So I went
into the military. The inconsistency in that should be obvious to all
readers.

The recruiter I spoke to was honest, but did have a quota. He tried
to get me into a slot in missile control. I didn't want missile control.
It had few civilian applications and little activity or travel. I chose
combat communications, which had some technical transference
to the civilian world and lots of travel. A tentative date was set for
me to depart and I took the battery of standard tests.

Less than a week after that, I got a phone call. "Is Kenneth Chinran
there?" the caller asked. He was military, in uniform and looked
sharp. In fact, he was huge. He'd make a good recruiting vid actor.

"That's me," I replied.

"Mister Chinran, you recently enlisted in combat comm. I'd be
interested in offering you a different slot, with a bonus," he said.
"Can we meet?"

"Sure," I said. I didn't figure I'd be interested in switching, but I'd
give him a fair listen.

He flew in, dropped and landed on our apron a short while later. I
walked outside into the glaring summer Iolight and met him as he
left the vehicle. I really didn't want him to meet my parents. They'd
be polite, hospitable and a bit condescending. They like to think
they've done it all, but they come across as insecure.

"I'm Sergeant Washington," he said. He was as tall as I, had fairly
obvious African ancestry with some of the local influx of Hispanic,
Indonesian and American. His muscle tone was incredible and he
was obviously very competent, deadly and self-secure. I knew I'd
never look like that, skinny, gawky kid that I was.

We left as soon as I strapped down and we chatted as he flew.
"You blew the tests off the scale, Ken. May I call you Ken?" he
said.