Off Armageddon Reef PDF
Preview Off Armageddon Reef
Table of Contents SAFEHOLD MAY, YEAR OF GOD 890 I II III AUGUST, YEAR OF GOD 890 I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI SEPTEMBER, YEAR OF GOD 890 I II III OCTOBER, YEAR OF GOD 890 I II NOVEMBER, YEAR OF GOD 890 I II III IV V FEBRUARY, YEAR OF GOD 891 I II III APRIL, YEAR OF GOD 891 I II III JUNE, YEAR OF GOD 891 I JULY, YEAR OF GOD 891 I II III AUGUST, YEAR OF GOD 891 I II III SEPTEMBER, YEAR OF GOD 891 I II III OCTOBER, YEAR OF GOD 891 I II III IV V NOVEMBER, YEAR OF GOD 891 I II III IV V FEBRUARY, YEAR OF GOD 892 I II III IV V VI VII III MARCH, YEAR OF GOD 892 I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X APRIL, YEAR OF GOD 892 I II III CHARACTERS GLOSSARY Off Armageddon Reef David Weber This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, places, and events portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. OFF ARMAGEDDON REEF : Copyright © 2007 by David Weber All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. Edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden Book design by Ellen Cipriano Maps by Ellisa Mitchell A Tor Book Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC 175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10010 www.tor.com Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Weber, David, 1952– Off Armageddon Reef / David Weber. p. cm. ISBN-13: 978-0-765-31500-7 ISBN-10: 0-765-31500-9 1. Space warfare—Fiction. I. Title. PS3573.E217O35 2007 813'.54—dc22 2006025838 First Edition: January 2007 Printed in the United States of America For Fred Saberhagen, whose work has brought me—and so many others— so much pleasure. It's always nice when someone whose work you like so much turns out to be even more likable as a person. And— For Sharon, who loves me, puts up with my insaneschedule, helpsme remember which day of the month itis, knows just about everything there is about swimming, and has been known to suggest a three-hanky scene or two to me along the way. Not that I'm saying she did it this time. Oh, my, no! I love you. SAFEHOLD July 2, 2378 Crestwell's Star, HD 63077A Terran Federation "Captain to the bridge! Captain to the bridge!" Captain Mateus Fofão rolled out of bed as the urgent voice of the officer of the watch blared over the intercom, counterpointed by the high-pitched wail of the emergency General Quarters signal. The captain's bare feet were on the decksole and he was already reaching for the bedside com before his eyes were fully open, and he jabbed the red priority key purely by feel. "Bridge." The response came almost instantly, in a voice flat with the panic-resisting armor of training. "It's the Captain, Chief Kuznetzov," Fofão said crisply. "Give me Lieutenant Henderson." "Aye, Sir." There was a brief instant of silence, then another voice. "Officer of the deck," it said. "Talk to me, Gabby," Fofão said crisply. "Skipper," Lieutenant Gabriela Henderson, the heavy cruiser's tactical officer, had the watch, and her normally calm contralto was strained and harsh, "we've got bogies. Lots of bogies. They just dropped out of hyper twelve light- minutes out, and they're headed in-system at over four hundred gravities." Fofão's jaw clenched. Four hundred gravities was twenty percent higher than the best Federation compensators could manage. Which pretty conclusively demonstrated that whoever these people were, they weren't Federation units. "Strength estimate?" he asked. "Still coming in, Sir," Henderson replied flatly. "So far, we've confirmed over seventy." Fofão winced. "All right." He was astounded by how calm his own voice sounded. "Implement first-contact protocols, and also Spyglass and Watchman. Then take us to Condition Four. Make sure the Governor's fully informed, and tell her I'm declaring a Code Alpha." "Aye, aye, Sir." "I'll be on the bridge in five minutes," Fofão continued as his sleeping
The list of books you might like
