Rebellion Ebook Full by B. V. Larson Read Free Book Online Page B

to ask the question. I had set up a sensor array in the skin of the invasion ship weeks ago, but it was passive in design. It didn’t transmit radio signals. All it did was feed data down a nanite wire to us in the hold.
    We heard the S. O. S message again. The marine giving it sounded tired, but determined. Maybe he could see the Macro ships flying by. I wasn’t surprised none of the Macros had stopped to pick them up or even to send them an acknowledgement. My marines were broken equipment. Useless and beneath notice. There was no compassion in the Macros. They probably didn’t even comprehend the concept.
    “You have to do something, Kyle,” Sandra said.
    Right then, for the first time, I thought I had made a mistake promoting her and putting her on the command brick. She was too familiar with me, and made constant breaches of protocol under stress. I figured I’d have to come up with a way to get her into another job description soon. Without pissing her off too badly, of course.
    I put up my hand for quiet. “I’m trying to think of something.”
    “We could try a focused radio beam, it might penetrate the hull,” Gorski suggested.
    “Just call up the Macros and tell them to pick them up,” Sandra suggested.
    Major Sarin didn’t say anything. She watched me and the board, flicking her eyes between both.
    “We’ll try the Macros first,” I said. “Connect me with Macro Command.”
    “Channel open,” Sandra said immediately.
    “Macro Command. We require reinforcements for maximum combat effectiveness.”
    “No reinforcements are available.”
    “Negative, Macro Command. We have detected a group of our marines in very close proximity. They are stranded. We could bring them back to this ship and increase our combat numbers significantly.”
    “Permission granted.”
    Everyone cheered. I grinned at my audience. It felt good to win one once in a while. “Excellent, Macro Command. If you would slow down the invasion ship and turn around, we’ll pick them up now.”
    There was a momentary delay. “Request denied.”
    I felt as if someone had kicked me in the gut. I fought to keep my temper under control. “Macro Command, we demand that you retrieve our lost forces.”
    “This task force will not alter its schedule. It will not decelerate. It will not alter course. Mission parameters will be met.”
    “How the hell do they expect us to pick them up, then?” I demanded.
    “Colonel?” Major Sarin said. “Sir?”
    “What is it?”
    “The doors sir, they—”
    But she didn’t get any further. Alarms went off all over the base.
    Doors? I thought, then I figured it out, and I screamed for the crash-straps to be re-engaged. This time, Sandra didn’t waste any time. She relayed the command, and all over the base little nano arms sprouted and grabbed Marines, securing them. It was a good thing too, as the four triangular doors of the hold had cracked open and begun to fold outward. Escaping atmosphere boiled out into space. We felt the command brick shift with the explosive force of its passage. The magnetic clamps held, however, and none of the bricks floated out with it.
    A few of my men were not so lucky. They were lifted as if by a tornado. I ordered the internal cameras in the hold to be displayed. Marines and equipment spiraled out of the flowering jaws of the invasion ship into space. They all appeared to have their helmets on, at least.
    “Man the assault ships!” I shouted over the roaring din. “I want every pilot aboard their ships, with a complement of two, including one medic. Get out there and rescue every marine you find!”
    The next few minutes were a frenzy of activity. The doors had opened and sucked out dozens of my men into space before the crash-straps could grab them. I figured they were getting their null-gravity training hands-on today. I ordered one of my eight assault ships to pick up local men, those who had been sucked out by the released pressure in the hold. The other