Zeus (Alien War Trilogy Book 2) by Isaac Hooke

Author:Isaac Hooke [Hooke, Isaac]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2016-10-18T04:00:00+00:00

AFTER FORTY-EIGHT hours the decon warden told Rade he was cleared for duty once again.

“Great,” Rade replied, waiting for the man in the lab coat to open the glass container.

The warden didn’t move. “Before I allow you to check out, there is one little thing that has been bothering me.”

“Oh?”

“You activated the noise canceler in your aReal twice over a six hour period on your first day. You also covered your mouth to prevent any lip reading by the AI. Why is that?”

“I’m an LPO,” Rade said. “Of a navy special forces team. I deal in classified subjects. Stuff way beyond the clearance level of you and your Marine AI. Feel free to take up the issue with my lieutenant commander.”

The warden regarded him suspiciously, then shrugged. A small panel in the glass container clicked inward, then slid aside.

Rade walked through.

The decon warden handed him a box containing a fresh cooling undergarment and jumpsuit combination. “Your friends dropped this off earlier.”

“Kind of them,” Rade said. “What happened to the old one?”

“Everything previously on your person has been burned,” the warden said.

When Rade finished donning the jumpsuit he entered the airlock and proceeded out onto the base proper.

Chief Facehopper tapped in a moment later.

“I see you’re on the move,” Facehopper said. “They’ve let you out of the dollhouse then.”

“They certainly have,” Rade replied.

“Good, come see me.”

As mentioned, Rade had already debriefed the chief fully, so he guessed Facehopper wanted to personally update him on the changed battle space.

Rade reached the chief’s containerized housing unit shortly thereafter.

After passing through the airlock, Rade removed his helmet respectfully. The chief sat in front of a tiny worktable, where he was preparing tea of some kind. He was partially suited—his helmet rested on the counter right beside the heating element.

Other than the table, the only other furniture were the four bunks and their associated lockers—Facehopper shared the unit with Chief Ryerson of Bravo platoon, and two sergeants, none of whom were present at the moment. Like Rade’s own housing unit, a drain in the linoleum floor provided a spot to take a sponge and water bottle shower—or emergency piss.

“So you made it out of the dollhouse,” Facehopper said after Rade removed his helmet. “How does it feel?”

“At least I’ll have more space for PT,” Rade said.

The chief smiled. “That’s the spirit.” His expression grew serious. “So, I was reviewing your written report of your capture. I think we’ve found the woman you mentioned.”

The mugshot of Corporal Juliette McPherson appeared on Rade’s vision. Her name was highlighted in bold underneath the photo.

“That’s her,” Rade said. “Though she told me her name was Anne Adara.”

“Yes, I saw that in your report,” Facehopper said. “It’s her middle name.”

“Oh.” So she wasn’t lying after all.

“She’s still MIA.”

“That’s too bad.” Rade said it as casually as he could, not wanting to betray any interest. He felt bad for having TJ and Bender break into the system; if he had waited a few days, the chief would have told him everything he wanted to know anyway.

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