Read Exodus: Empires at War: Book 7: Counter Strike for Free Online Page B

central cable bomb.  Theoretically,
we should be able to survive those two bombs, if they are in the predicted
range.  If they’re much more powerful, or our theories of how much stress this
thing can take are wrong, then we’re still screwed.
    “We have Marines and other troops trying to get
to that outer bomb, but they’re running into stiff resistance.  As far as the
other central bomb goes, I really don’t think we’re going to be able to get it
before they set it off.”
    And Jimmy’s with the group trying to get to the
outer one he’s talking about , she thought, her anxiety spiking at the
thought of her lover in danger.  And if that bomb isn’t disarmed, there’s no
way he’s going to survive if it goes off, no matter what happens to the
station.   “Try your best, General,” was all she could think to say, as
inane as it sounded.  Of course they’re going to try their best, up to
giving their lives.
    *    
*     *
    Damn, but this place is cold , thought Cornelius as
he crawled on his hands and knees through the duct.  There was a reason for the
frigid temperatures, one that he approved of, as the very cold outer skin of
the duct was helping to mask their own body heat from any sensors that might
try to locate them through multiple walls.  He was tempted to contact
Satrusalya on the com, and ask how much further they had to crawl along this
hard surface.  A little taller and they could have walked, but as it was they
had the choice of crawling or crouching.  And we’ll get there when we do. 
No use bothering the PO with useless questions.
    “We’re here,” whispered the PO into the com,
and the group of men came to a stop behind the Fleet NCO.  The Commando opened
the hatch to the maintenance room just a bit and sent a small swarm of
microbots out of the duct.
    The Lieutenant watched the take on the bots,
relieved to see that the room was empty.  Not that it was unexpected.  The
enemy had limited manpower, and could only cover so much.  More of the bots
moved up and down the duct, then into side ducts that were too small for a
human to navigate, much less anything but the small repair robots that worked
the ventilation system.  There was one in each side duct, and the microbots
landed and linked with the machines, bringing them under the control of
Cornelius’ implants.  The repairbots moved to the end of the ducts and inserted
groups of thin fiber optics into the grills.  Soon the Ranger was looking at
several hundred meters of corridor, and the enemy that was set up in multiple
defensive positions along that hall.
    “It’s your plan, PO,” said Cornelius, coming to
the floor and walking soft footed to the side of the Commando.  “Execute, and
we’ll follow your lead.”
    Satrusalya nodded.  Cornelius noted that the
man had patches of skin missing on hands and neck, as well as holes in his
clothing, the effects of the spreading cloud of negative matter he had barely
outrun.  He realized, seeing one hole that extended into the bicep muscle, that
the man had to be in pain, but was fully engaged with the mission, just like
the rest of them.
    The Commando took a grenade out of his side
bag, one marked with the dragon head’s symbol for antimatter, a warning that
this was not ordinary explosive.  Only a small amount, less than a gram, it
would still do a job on the Cacas in the hall.  He handed the weapon to a
Ranger, then pulled out another one.  Both men armed the weapons, then looked
at each other for a moment.
    Satrusalya hit the door switch, and the heavy
alloy portal slid into its recess without a sound.  There was no one in the
hall, something they had been sure of based on the feeds from the repairbots,
but still a great relief to see with their own eyes.  Satrusalya leaned out,
looking to the left and throwing his grenade with all of his considerable
strength, while the Ranger did the same to the right.  They leaned back into
the room just before shouts