The Eternal Enemy by Michael Berlyn

Author:Michael Berlyn
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781497673021
Publisher: Open Road Distribution

16

The old Haber in the corner of the room started flashing colors at Markos. Straka watched the colors reflected off of Markos’s face and neck. She had to look away. She was too drained to follow much more. Her body was weak—weakened more by the short but emotionally charged confrontation. Markos remained standing before her and she could see into his freakish body, see the alien colors and horrors too closely for her taste.

She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. A headache had started after drinking that water and it wasn’t letting up. It started at the top of her scalp and extended down the sides of her head and into her neck. It felt as if some invisible hand rested there, squeezing tighter and tighter with incredible strength. Her stomach churned, and the gurgling sounds it made seemed overly loud in the quiet room. Her lips were sore and her mouth felt as if it were coated with cotton.

“We’ve reached a decision,” Markos said, looking down at Straka.

She looked into Markos’s face. “What is it?” Her voice was getting hoarse.

“We have a proposition for you and any crew member who doesn’t want to die in that compound.”

Straka knew better than to hope, and yet she couldn’t help feeling a little optimistic. Clearly whatever Markos offered had to be better than dying out there.

“What’s the proposition?” she asked warily.

“We’re at war, and we need fighters. We want to hire you and your crew as mercenaries.”

“You can’t be serious. Fight? Us? Have you any idea what the men are like now? Half of them can’t even get to their feet. Maxwell’s probably dead. Kominski’s little more than a gibbering idiot. McGowen’s too strange to really trust for long. And Jackson—God, Jackson! And you want to hire them as fighters?” She laughed once, a short exhalation through her nose. “You’re crazier than I thought.”

“Maybe I am,” Markos said, “but the proposition still stands. We want to hire all of you.”

Straka nodded. Sure, she thought. Hire us. Why not?

Whatever conditions were tacked on could be dealt with. Now that she saw that Markos needed them, there would be a chance to negotiate, to make a few demands of her own. All she had to do was hold out until just the right time and she’d probably get the two things that mattered most—her life and the ship.

“I’m interested, but only interested.”

“Good. That’s all I ask for now. If you agree to fight for us, we’ll give you back the Paladin. It will be yours to command. Any of the crew who qualifies can have one of our ships to command. I’ll supply any additional crew you may need.”

“To fight this war you’ve mentioned?”

“Yes. To fight the war.”

“Against who?”

“Not Earth, if that’s what you’re worried about. We can talk about the Hydrans later. If you agree.”

“Hydrans?”

Markos nodded.

“And you need us to fight them?”

“Yes. After what you did on Gandji, I think you should jump at the chance to set things right with the Habers.

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