[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"No, sir."
"Good man. I'll explain it. The central computer was briefly taken over by the
enemy, Captain. God knows what it told your people to do. We have shut it
down."
"Oh "
"Right. So the one thing we do know is, they're inside the perimeter in the
north sector, possibly stations 10 through 14 as well."
"Yes, sir?"
"So you've got to do something about it. First thing, get the word to all unit
commanders. Two items. Item one, the mine fields are active again. Chase the
212 jerry Pourwtte irSM Stirling bastards into the mines. Item two, all unit
commanders are on their own. Act as they think best. You got that?"
Captain Trent sounded scared, but he said, "Sir.
Instruct all units, disregard previous orders, act on their own judgment. And
the mine fields are active again."
"That's it, son. Now take a deep breath, think about what you're going to do,
and do it. You'll be fine."
"Yes, sir."
"Are any Legion people there?"
There's a sergeant "
"Get moving on your instructions, then put him on.
file:///F|/rah/Jerry%20Pournelle/Pournelle,%2...0M.%20-%20The%20Prince%20of%20
Sparta%20UC.txt (156 of 286) [5/21/03 11:09:03 PM]
file:///F|/rah/Jerry%20Pournelle/Pournelle,%20Jerry%20%20+%20Stirling,%20S.%20
M.%20-%20The%20Prince%20of%20Sparta%20UC.txt
And leave a communications squad to man this line at all times."
Page 122
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Sir." Trent left the mike activated when he put it down. Ace Barton could
hear him shouting orders in the background.
Scared as hell, but he's making sense.
"Major Olafson, weak signal," Klingstauffer said.
"Barton here. Olafson, the mine is under attack, the perimeters penetrated,
north side for certain, possibly other areas. Your vehicles may have been
sabotaged-
Check for bombs. Then cancel your present mission and defend the mine. I say
again, the mine's under attack, your vehicles may have been sabotaged. Your
instructions are to abandon your present position and return to defend the
mine Did you get all that?"
Hissing and buzzing. " penetrated. under attack "
Nothing about checking vehicles Damn. Ace repeated his instructions.
"Nothing," Klingstauffer said.
"Did we get through?"
"God knows."
"Repeat those orders, and ^r^y" Jesus, I could go broke buying candles and
altar flowers.
PMNCE OF SPARTA 213
The direct line squawked. "Sergeant Bielstds, sir."
"What happened down there, Andy?"
"Turncoat, sabotaged Ae trucks. Blackbird smelled a rat. We've got him.
Captain Trent's scared but he's steadying down."
"What I needed to hear. Andy, about that traitor.
Keep him. I want him alive, Andy. That's really impor-
tant."
"Yes, sir. He's scared, keeps talking about how they'll kill his family, wife
and little girl "
"Name?"
"Edward L. Bishop. Wife is Mary Margaret Ryan
Bishop. Son Patrick James Bishop, age 2 months."
"Can you get his family into protective custody?"
"No, sir, they're with the other noncombatants in the main bunker."
file:///F|/rah/Jerry%20Pournelle/Pournelle,%2...0M.%20-%20The%20Prince%20of%20
Sparta%20UC.txt (157 of 286) [5/21/03 11:09:03 PM]
file:///F|/rah/Jerry%20Pournelle/Pournelle,%20Jerry%20%20+%20Stirling,%20S.%20
M.%20-%20The%20Prince%20of%20Sparta%20UC.txt
"Best place for them. OK, Andy, you're on your own. I got other problems."
"Record this, sir. Bishop was recruited by one
Leontin Sverdropov, a shop steward. I'd guess Sver-
dropov has biofeedback conditioning."
"Cot it. Have your MFs pick him up if he can be found. Anything else, Andy?"
"No, sir. Blackbird and I'll help get The Word out to the other units."
"Do that. Command Central out." Barton took a deep breath. "Olafson, any
progress?"
"There's some sort of viral bit floating around in the system RAM, every time
I power down it drags in a trickle current and reboots from the infected
config when we come back on line, instead of from the ROM
backup."
"Right. Turn it off. Just shut it down, then go through and fix it right. For
now we'll rely on manual and what the Legion installed."
"Yes, sir."
214 Jerry Poumelle if S.M. Stirling
"Klingstauffer, can you get Mace?"
"Standby one. Here, sir."
"Jamey, what's your status?"
"I've just got to my command, sir. From what I can see, they didn't expect the
mine field to activate."
Page 123
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Mace's words were punctuated by distant explosions.
"They've got troops still out there in the mines, both rings."
"Serve them bloody right," Barton said. "Okay, Jamey, make me the best
esitmate of the situation you can and report back."
"Roger."
"Sir." Klingstauffer said from the plotting table.
"Incoming, multiples, bombardment rockets, heavy mortars too from the
trajectories. Target zones follow."
Unes swam over the plotting table, and red circles marked the impacts. Lot of
those are empty space, he thought. Then: Of course. Air-sown mines. They're
trying to wtsnobUize us. The sky howled outside, but the bop sounds of the
bursting charges were not followed by the surf-roar ofbomblets or the
crunching detonations of HE warheads. Instead there was a multiple fluttering
whirr, as the rockets split and scattered hundreds, thousands of butterfly
mines.
Over the blimp haven where the men of the Fifth were
file:///F|/rah/Jerry%20Pournelle/Pournelle,%2...0M.%20-%20The%20Prince%20of%20
Sparta%20UC.txt (158 of 286) [5/21/03 11:09:03 PM]
file:///F|/rah/Jerry%20Pournelle/Pournelle,%20Jerry%20%20+%20Stirling,%20S.%20
M.%20-%20The%20Prince%20of%20Sparta%20UC.txt moving out, over the wrecked
vehicles of the reaction force, around the perimeter garrisons, down the main
streets.
"Incoming, bombardment rockets and mortars, multiple," the sergeant said
tonelessly.
"Rather a lot, isn't it?" Barton said. He whistled softly. "Rather a lot
indeed. Where'd they get it all?
Uke they're going for broke. Klingstauffer, can you get me General Owensford?"
"Ms. Schramm's working on the antenna now, sir.
Five minutes."
PRINCE OF SPARTA 215
"Right" Stop. Breathe deep. Now go to the window and look out Secondary
explosions in the mine-
fields. Someone was taking some real punishment So are our people, with aU
that artillery pouring in, but the Helots have to be losing more, they're in
the open.
"Legion Headquarters, Fort Plataia sir."
"Owensford here."
"Barton. Uploading situation report." There was a warble of data. 'Teed
complete."
"Received." A long pause. "Jesus, Ace, what's going on up there?"
"This one's it, sir. I'd say they've committed damned near everything they
have. Not just troops, look at how much ordnance they're expending."
"So why are you talking to me?"
"If you'll look close at the situation report, General
Owensford, you will discover that you are God damned near the only person I
can talk to."
"Oh. Lahr! Andy, get Jesus and Catherine in here on the double, then start
looking into what direct com-
munications we have with any unit in General Barton's
Command. Move! OK, Ace, what you got from where you sit?"
"One hell of a mess. Boss. I got a bad feeling on this one. No command, no
control, no communications, and no bloody intelligence."
'They any better off?"
"Some," Ace said. He took another deep breath.
"Actually, things can't be going so good for them, either. They penetrated the
computer system here, good move, everything was tied to it. Used the computer
to disable the mines and security systems. Had some inside help, too,
saboteurs, God knows what else. But we turned the mine fields
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]