Battleship by Peter David

Author:Peter David
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780345535382
Publisher: Random House, Inc.
Published: 2012-04-24T04:00:00+00:00

USS JOHN PAUL JONES

Hopper had managed to pick up some of the damage he’d inflicted on his quarters. Now he lay on his bunk, staring at a photograph of himself and his brother. The picture was intact, but there was a crack in the glass. The crack ran lengthwise and divided the two brothers from each other. Not too damned symbolic.

There was a knock at the door and it swung open before Hopper even had the chance to signal that whoever it was could enter. Beast loomed in the entranceway, and Hopper could tell from the all-business expression on his face that he wasn’t there to inquire after Hopper’s health.

“Sir, we need you.”

Hopper didn’t respond at first. Then, his voice low and heavy, he spoke—not to Beast, but to his brother’s image in the picture. “I can’t do this.”

“We need you, sir,” Beast repeated, as if Hopper hadn’t spoken, or even heard him.

This time he looked straight at Beast. “I. Can’t.”

“If you can’t, who can, sir?”

Hopper propped himself up on his elbows. “What the hell’s so important? What do you need me for?”

“We’ve pulled one out of the water. During the Myoko rescue—”

“What are you talking about? I thought we pulled all of them out of—” He stopped as he realized what Beast was talking about. His hands started to tremble. Immediately he sat fully upright. “One of … them?” Beast nodded. “But … how—?”

“Judging by the bullet holes in its armor, I’m pretty sure it’s the one that Raikes shot to hell.”

“But if that’s the case, why isn’t it just lying at the bottom of the ocean?”

“Best guess: some sort of internal buoyancy device in the armor.”

“And how would that work?”

“I don’t know. But I thought you’d want to be there when we dissect the bastard and find out.”

Damned right I want to be there. This is the one small triumph we have over those creatures, and I want to be there for every second of it.

“Where is it?”

“Helicopter bay.”

Hopper gave one more determined look at the picture of Stone and him. “We killed one of them,” he said grimly. “And if we did that, we can kill all of them. Let’s go.”

Minutes later Hopper entered the helicopter bay. Raikes, Ord, and various crewmen from both ships were gathered around a table upon which a dead alien warrior was lying. Nearest to it was Nagata, who was staring down at it with cold fury. He looked ready to rip the thing apart with his bare hands. All eyes went to Hopper as he entered.

They were waiting for me. Of course they waited for me. I’m the commanding officer. He was still having trouble thinking of himself in that capacity. “Let’s have a look at it,” he said briskly.

Ord said nervously, “You’re gonna touch it? Maybe it’s radioactive or something …”

“Running a Geiger counter over it was the first thing we did when we brought it on board,” said Beast.

“Okay, but maybe it’s got some kind of alien virus or something.

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