Starship Desolation Read Free Page B

made a power grab. Not to mention, you are one of the more outspoken officers in the fleet.”
    “Those candy-ass politicians need someone to tell it like it is.”
    “That may be why most of those candy-asses find you abrasive.”
    “Fuck them. I know Amado is not a fan. The feeling is mutual. He’s done everything he could to dismantle our military. It makes you wonder who’s side he’s on?”
    “Well, the fact of the matter is, you disobeyed direct orders.”
    “If I hadn’t, none of us would be here right now.”
    “You know as well as I do, the military operates by a chain of command. If that gets broken, the whole system falls apart.”
    Slade’s face tightened. She had as much respect for the chain of command as anyone. There was no denying that she disobeyed direct orders.
    “Look. We know the Verge have mind control technology,” Slade said. “They were responsible for the terrorist attacks. How do we know they haven’t infiltrated higher levels of our government?”
    “Can you prove they have mind control technology?”
    “You were aboard the Scorpion . You know as well as I do, they have that capability.”
    “But can you prove it?”
    “Are you going to tell me the testimony of over 1500 sailors isn’t going to count for something?”
    “There is still no definitive proof of this technology. Anecdotal evidence is not going to be sufficient in this case. I’ll do my best to defend you. But powerful people are out to get you.”

5
    Walker
    W alker’s shuttle still had power. But it wasn’t going anywhere. With the front windows blown out, and the hull riddled with holes, no amount of repairs would make it space worthy again.
    Unlike the larger super-carriers and destroyers, smaller ships didn’t have their own reactor. They depended on power cells for fuel. A fully charge cell could last up to 20 years. At least Walker would be able to run the cooling system within the shuttle for the foreseeable future. He was going to need it, as the temperature was increasing by the second.
    But the heat was only one of his problems. If he didn’t find food and water, in a reasonable amount of time, he was going to die on this rock.
    He rummaged through the ship and was able to find a Saarkturian version of a first-aid kit, a few containers of water, and some prepared emergency meals. It was a start, but it would only last for a few days.
    Walker grabbed his weapon, opened the back hatch, and stepped out into the blistering heat. A few moments, and the searing sun was more than enough. It felt like only a few seconds could give you a serious sunburn.
    The terrain was harsh. Mostly flat, dry cracked ground with windswept dunes here and there. The occasional thorny tree dotted the desolate landscape. Withered and twisted, with foot long thorns like talons. It had to be a scrappy plant to survive in this wasteland. If it could think, and Walker had encountered plants that could, it was probably as angry as it looked. This was the kind of place that made hell seem like a vacation spot.
    Walker surveyed the terrain with a scowl on his face. This wasn’t looking promising. The mountain range that he clipped was maybe 40 or 50 miles away—a jagged line on the horizon. Not much could survive in the flatlands. But in the mountains, in the valleys and canyons, maybe there was cover? If there was cover, maybe there was food? It was doubtful that larger animals could survive in the desert flats. The only living things that seemed to exist out here were the thorny trees and smaller insects.
    Walker glanced down at his boot to see a bizarre scorpion-like creature crawl over his foot. He shook it off and smashed his heel onto the creature. It crunched under his foot. Greenish/yellow goo spurted out of its shattered shell. A shiver ran down Walker’s spine.
    For as tough as Walker was, bugs still gave him the willies. He shivered for an instant. He had seen enough of bugs on Delta Crucis 6 to last a lifetime. It