The Chronicles of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

Author:Anne McCaffrey [McCaffrey, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-345-45399-0
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2013-05-29T16:00:00+00:00

Rescue Run

“Ma’am?” Ross Vaclav Benden said in a surprised tone. “There’s an orange flag on the Rukbat system.” He swiveled around toward the Amherst’s command chair and the battle cruiser’s captain, Anise Fargoe.

The Amherst had been assigned to conduct a determined search of the Sagittarian Sector for any evidence of new incursions by the Nasties. The punitive war of six decades earlier had proved insufficient to dissuade those intruders from continuing to annex remote elements of the Federation. A massive seek-and-destroy operation was now five years in progress; mercifully, only minor infiltrations had been discovered—a few outposts and two space stations, which had been obliterated. But not until all adjoining space and every peripheral system had been investigated and warning devices strategically strewn would the Federation enjoy any sense of security. A second prolonged Nasties Campaign would ruin the already depleted Federation. Quick sharp thrusts now, the Combined Joint Staffs had wisely decided, should suffice.

As the Amherst had so far had a very boring swing through their sector, Lieutenant Benden’s unexpected comment roused everyone on the bridge.

“Orange? This far out?” Captain Fargoe asked, her eyes widening in a flare of excitement. “Didn’t know we had colonies in this sector.”

“Orange” signified that an investigation should be initiated by any vessel close enough to the flagged system to do so.

“I’m accessing files, ma’am.” And Benden, suddenly remembering family history, breathlessly awaited the entry. He tapped his thumbs restlessly on the edge of the keyboard and got a quick repressive glance from old Rezmar Dooley Zane, the duty navigator. “Oh,” he added, his eagerness deflated as the file header informed him that a distress message had been received from the colony on Pern, Rukbat’s only inhabitable planet.

“Well, let’s see the message,” Captain Fargoe said. Anything to relieve the tedium of the fruitless search through this deserted—almost deserted—sphere of space. “Screen it.”

Benden transferred the message to the main screen.

MAYDAY! PERN COLONY IN DESPERATE CONDITION FOLLOWING REPEATED ATTACKS OF AN UNCONTACTED ENEMY INVASION FORCE EMPLOYING UNKNOWN ORGANISM …

“Nasties don’t need germ warfare,” muttered brash Ensign Cahill Bralin Nev. Someone else snickered.

… WHICH CONSUMES ALL ORGANIC MATTER, MUST HAVE TECHNICAL AND NAVAL SUPPORT OR COLONY FACES TOTAL ANNIHILATION, THERE IS WEALTH HERE, SAVE OUR SOULS, THEODORE TUBBERMAN, COLONY BOTANIST.

There was an almost embarrassed silence.

“Hardly the Nasties then,” the captain said dryly. “Probably some old weapon system has been triggered. Perhaps one of the Sifty units we ran into in the Red Sector. I thought only survivor types were chosen to be colonists. Mister Benden, what does Library say about this Pern expedition?”

Ross didn’t need to search for the official documentation on the Expedition—he knew most of the tale by heart. But he keyed up the file anyway.

“Captain, a low-tech, agrarian colony was chartered for the third planet of the Rukbat system, under the joint leadership of Admiral Paul Benden and—”

“Your uncle, I believe.”

“Yes, Captain,” Ross replied, keeping his tone level. Proud though his entire family was of Paul Benden’s most honorable service record, Ross had taken

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