Read Tales From the Clarke for Free Online

occasionally do work for us when someone being green would be overly conspicuous. They know there’s a chance of death involved.”
    “We didn’t,” Coloma said.
    “We needed to know if someone was going to try to sabotage that mission,” Rigney said. “Now we know and now we know more than we ever have before about how these people work. I won’t apologize for the actions we took, Captain. I can say I regret that the actions were necessary. And I can say that I’m very glad you didn’t die.”
    Coloma stewed on this for a moment. “What happens now?” she asked, finally.
    “What do you mean?” Egan asked.
    “I have no command,” Coloma said. “I have no ship. I and my crew are in limbo.” She motioned at Egan. “I don’t know what your final inquiry has decided about my future.” She looked back at Rigney. “You told me that if I completed this mission successfully, I could write my own ticket. I can’t tell if this was a successful mission, or even if it was, whether your promise is any more true than anything else you’ve said to me.”
    Rigney and Egan looked at each other; Egan nodded. “From our point of view, Captain Coloma, it was a successful mission,” Rigney said.
    “As for the final inquiry, it’s been decided that your actions at Danavar were consistent with the best traditions of command and of diplomacy,” Egan said. “You’ve been awarded a commendation, which has already been placed in your file. Congratulations.”
    “Thank you,” Coloma said, a little numbly.
    “As for your ship,” Rigney said. “It seems to me you have one. It’s a little old, and being stationed on it has been seen as a hardship post. But on the other hand, a hardship posting is better than no posting at all.”
    “Your crew is already used to the ship by now,” Egan said. “And we do need another diplomatic ship in the fleet. Ambassador Abumwe and her staff have a list of assignments and no way to get to them. If you want the ship, it’s yours. If you don’t want the ship, it’s still yours. Congratulations.”
    “Thank you,” Coloma said again, this time completely numbly.
    “You’re welcome,” Egan said. “And you’re dismissed, Captain.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” Coloma said.
    “And, Captain Coloma,” Rigney said.
    “Yes, sir,” Coloma said.
    “Give her a good name.” He turned back to Egan, and the two of them fell into a conversation. Coloma walked herself out of the door.
    Balla and Wilson were waiting for her outside Rigney’s office. “Well?” Balla said.
    “I’ve gotten a commendation,” Coloma said. “I’ve been given a ship. The crew stays together. Abumwe’s team is back on board.”
    “Which ship are we getting?” Wilson asked.
    “The one we’ve been on,” Coloma said.
    “ That old hunk of junk,” Wilson said.
    “Watch it, Lieutenant,” Coloma said. “That’s my ship. And she has a name. She’s the Clarke .”

Also by John Scalzi
    Old Man’s War
    The Ghost Brigades
    The Android’s Dream
    The Last Colony
    Zoe’s Tale
    Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded
    Fuzzy Nation
    Redshirts
    Edited by John Scalzi
    Metatropolis

About the Author

    JOHN SCALZI is the author of several SF novels including the bestselling Old Man’s War and its sequels, and the New York Times bestsellers Fuzzy Nation and Redshirts. He is a winner of science fiction’s John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and he won the Hugo Award for Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded, a collection of essays from his wildly popular blog Whatever ( whatever.scalzi.com ). He lives in Ohio with his wife and daughter.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
    HUMAN DIVISION #5: TALES FROM THE CLARKE
    Copyright © 2013 by John Scalzi
    All rights reserved.
    Cover art by John Harris
    A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York,