Angles of Attack (2015) by Marko Kloos

Author:Marko Kloos [Kloos, Marko]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Sci-Fi, War & Military
ISBN: 9781477828311
Amazon: 1501234307
Publisher: 47North
Published: 2015-04-20T12:00:00+00:00

Corpsman Randall is in the passageway in front of the sick-bay berth when I get down to her deck. She’s securing the hatch when she sees me coming down the passageway, and she pauses with her hand on the locking lever.

“Back so soon? Meds not doing the job?”

“Meds are fine,” I say. Then I notice that she has a small pack slung across her shoulder. “Are you going over to Luna?”

She frowns and shakes her head curtly. “That’s a negative. I’m the only medical specialist on this ship. If I leave, nobody’s going to get any care that doesn’t come out of a bottle.”

“Don’t you have family on Earth? You don’t sound like a colony brat.”

“Yeah, I have family.” Her eyes narrow a little. “I have a little girl who’s seven and a husband who’s a civil servant. Down there, in Virginia.” She nods at the nearby bulkhead. “I haven’t seen them in eleven months. And right now I am making my peace with the idea of never seeing them again. So if you wouldn’t mind making your business quick, I would be much obliged.”

“Sorry,” I say. “Didn’t mean to rub it in.”

She looks down at the arti-grav tiles on the deck. “It’s not like you don’t have people on Earth,” she says after a moment. “We all do, right?”

“My mom,” I say. “Down in Boston, in the ritzy part of PRC-7. And my fiancée, over on Luna.”

“What did you want to see me about just now?”

“The skipper says I should take the ride to Luna. If I don’t get this hand treated for another month maybe—”

“You should go,” she says immediately. “I’m no neurosurgeon, but I know that a day or even a week is much better than a month when it comes to cybernetic implants. You want to use those fingers for more than cosmetic purposes.”

“Thanks for the advice,” I say.

“Luna, huh?” Corpsman Randall says when I turn to leave.

“Yeah. Stone’s throw away. Told her I’d be back in time for our wedding.”

“You should keep your promise,” she says. “Marriage is great. Make your own joy. God knows the universe doesn’t throw much our way right now.”

She gives me a curt smile and finishes securing the sick-bay hatch.

“Whatever you decide to do, best of luck, Andrew.”

“You, too, Nancy,” I say. I watch as she walks down the passageway and disappears at the next intersection.

I check my chrono. Five minutes to report to the NCO mess for a ride to Luna.

I could see Halley again today. We could get married tomorrow. And if we all die, at least we’ll die together. The world is about to end. What does it all matter in the end?

There’s Halley, and Mom. Then there’s Sergeant Fallon, Constable Guest, Dr. Stewart, Corpsman Randall. If I go, I get to—maybe—spend some more time with Halley before it all goes to shit. Is it going to make a difference if I stay on Indy and make the trip back to Fomalhaut, risk getting stranded in space

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