THE OUTLAND

3

Frost was right. With our own hands we handed over the keys to victory to Conquista. They lay on their belly and spread their legs. Although it didn’t happen before that Conquista caught us immediately at the exit point, but I suppose this is not the last such case, because ...

I angrily squeezed, crushed the ill-fated cube between my fingers. Idiots, what idiots we are. We run, puff, try something, and then a well-wisher comes with rationalization proposals!

I didn’t even want to think about the fact that it could be a targeted sabotage, sponsored by someone - it became completely sickening. But - and-people capable of solving just such problems - and only I guessed?

I wonder at what rate these thirty pieces of silver were paid?

“Fey, after returning to the base, you will hand over your weapons and official equipment. I was surprised to hear my cracked voice. “You are withdrawing from operations.

- There is. the Vietnamese woman said coldly.

“Do you have anything else we should know about?”

— Not at all.

- Think properly. Any equipment based on Conquista technologies, souvenirs, trophies. If there is anything...

Fey shook her head, and Frost, startled, pulled a huge cleaver from its scabbard and, swinging it as it should, hurled it into the thick fog surrounding us.

Silently, several Fey-owned knives and a chest tag sank into the net. We got rid of everything that could only lead the Conquista to us. It is unlikely that they have equipped each of their devices with bugs, but, as practice has shown, we know too little both about Conquista and about their technologies. They call it magic, magic, but I don't just carry the title of commander of a special group. Intuition screamed out loud that each such object was an extra step for the Conquista along the path to us. Perhaps they somehow flickered in space. Perhaps they did give some kind of echo, making it easy to find the source. I did not know. Yes, I didn't get paid for it. Let the eggheads think they have a higher salary.

“Fey, how long has the lasso installation been dismantled at the base?”

- Half a year ago.

Logically.

- Let's get out of the way.

— Commander, but there is a swamp here. Fros yelped.

“I said: everyone shut up and get out of the way. We will go according to the instruments, as usual, as after the transfer. Any questions?

- Not.

- Fey?

“Yes, Commander.

- We're moving out. Froze, rearguard, Fey, forward. I'm sorry, but I won't trust you with my back anymore.

The Vietnamese woman drooped, nodded obediently and, shouldering her backpack, checked whether the bolt was moving well in the bolt-action. In theory, the weapons should have been taken from her, but my internal calculating machine did not give out any unfavorable forecasts on this score.

The famous swamp world, discovered by the same ubiquitous Hyde. There is nothing here but moss, low trees and a bog that has captured the entire planet. And, of course, a gray translucent damp fog.

Are we idiots, Rob? Frost asked softly from behind.

No, Frost. We just had too much faith in those who shouldn't.

I will not destroy the remnants of your illusions, good-natured giant. I will not tell you that Lucky Hyde, most likely, also guessed everything right away - and yet volunteered for a suicidal campaign. If the Conquista doesn't get us all here, I want you to have at least something bright in life. At least the image of the old commander.

I didn't know Fey and Froza's real names, they didn't know my name. Only combat calls, short enough to be effective in combat, only training and mutual assistance. We had advanced equipment, computerized suits with smart armor, a whole bunch of gadgets and the crowning achievement of engineering - an arc puncher capable of breaking through obstacles between worlds. Almost eternal machine, almost indestructible, requiring only some time to recharge.

In return, we lost names and past. That's why I don't know why Fey ran away from Hanoi, why Froz left his office in Krasnoyarsk and instead of treating patients chose to patch up teammates. And I didn't care. The anonymous brotherhood was fine with me.

And the more painful it was from the feeling of betrayal. And it definitely was, the computer in the head does not make mistakes. But why only now?

Thoughtfulness did not prevent me from leading the detachment and coordinating its actions, avoiding bogs, bogs and false banks. Thoughtfulness did not prevent me from thinking and comparing.

Only one thing did not give thoughtfulness - the answer to the question, what to do with it now? How to return to the service with such knowledge?

Top secret.

Black box III link Ogre DP.

16.VI.30

Commander Rob A. entry 3/6

Walking was easy. Actually, we were not in a hurry and did not try to get anywhere. All that was required was to buy the time it takes for the sun to rise, then we can recharge and get out of here. Nothing complicated, the eggheads thought it all out quite clearly! Is it true, is it?

The sun is everywhere. This is an obligatory part of all the worlds where our intelligence managed to get. There might not be oxygen in the right proportion - then we put on masks. There might not have been humans or sufficiently complex multicellular organisms… But the sun has always been there.

So it seemed to us for the time being. Until one day, the same unfortunate Hyde ran into a world marked in all reference books with the icon of a crossed-out light bulb. A swamp world, a world without sun.

No, nonsense, of course! The sun was here too, but because of greenhouse gases, because of the extremely dense clouds, it simply did not reach the ground. So it turned out such a strange, unusual swamp world. Of course, even the radiation penetrating the clouds would be enough for the puncher, little by little, to start charging. Let not a few hours, even a day - if only there was sun.

We got worried only a few hours later, when even according to the most optimistic calculations, it should have already begun to get light. But it didn't get light!

“Fey, is this the same Swamp World?” I puffed, avoiding a suspicious patch of overly bright moss.

- There can be no mistake. - The girl replied in the same even voice. - Such a composition of the atmosphere ...

- Quiet! I think I heard something.

- Seems?

Of course, Froz was not intuitive, he did not understand much. But ten years of combat experience should not be so easily written off.

- Something has changed. Something is wrong.

Yes, it would be much easier to simply blame everything on the fighter's suspiciousness, his nervousness - the last 24 hours were extremely difficult for us. Again, a swamp is not the friendliest thing in the world. I didn’t even want to think about what sounds and smells reigned there, outside the armored suit.

- Halt. I commanded. - Froze - up a tree, scout the area.

Fey sat down with her back to me, portraying offended innocence with her whole appearance, Froze obediently nodded and, having expanded the rifle complex into a bolter, climbed onto the nearest tree.

By my calculations, the day should have come. Even if we consider that we arrived here at the very beginning of the night, it should be around five in the local time zone now. Should get brighter! It didn't.

I didn’t even want to think that it was quite possible, a local day.

“Fey, was it that dark on your first outing?”

- Not.

- Charge level?

- Five percent.

For five hours. I automatically checked my provisions. A hundred hours back to back, but should be enough. And if the spatial lasso had not been dismantled, then we would have been automatically pulled home. Grrr.

Only one thing was pleasing - during this time we had gone far enough from things by which Conquista could figure us out. If I remember correctly the school geometry course, the search area for the Conquista is now a little less than two thousand square kilometers. Let them search. Now the main thing is to continue the journey, to wait until our ticket returns to service. The absence of a result is also a result, and at the base I will properly ask those who came up with the idea to substitute our guys like this.

The first requirement, of course, will be to restore the return installation. Without it, I definitely won’t go to other worlds. Further…