Ephialtes (Ephialtes Trilogy Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

dramatically as the bottle was
placed back on the shelf.  The arm returned.  “This first drink today
is complementary as part of your trip.  Subsequent drinks will be charged
to your account.  A maximum of five drinks is allowed in any twenty-four
hour period.  Enjoy yourself, and drink responsibly.”
    “Screw you,
pal.”
    “Have a nice
day.”
    He took a sip
of the drink and winced a little.  At the other end of the bar a solitary
older guy was lost in his comdev, prodding the screen and issuing the
occasional whispered voice command.  He looked up and, after a pause, put
the comdev in his pocket.  Grabbing the beer in front of him he stood up,
half falling from his chair.  He sauntered up the bar.  “Hey,
friend,” he said.
    Bobby
Karjalainen half-turned to him and offered a forced, thin smile. 
“Hey,” he said.  The man sat himself down next to Karjalainen and stuck
out his hand expectantly.
    “Name’s Mike,
how’re you doin ’?” 
    Karjalainen
took the hand and shook it.  “I’m doin ’ good,”
he said.
    “ Ain’t seen you down here before.  Thought I knew just
about everybody on board.”
    Bobby
shrugged.  “Been in my room mostly, or the gym.”
    “That would
explain it!” Mike said, too loudly.  “You won’t be catchin ’
me in no gym!”  He grinned at his remark and, from politeness, Bobby
smiled back.  “So you’ve been holed up in your room, eh?  That’d
drive me crazy.  I have to get out and talk to people.  I’m just
about stir crazy already.  I’m lookin ’ forward
to pullin ’ in tomorrow.  I hate these trips, I
really do.”  Bobby took a sip of his drink.  Mike continued. 
“What can you get up to in your room all day?  Beats me how you could do
that.”
    Bobby placed
his glass on the bar.  “Well, you know.  You’ve got the VR, music,
enhanced sleep.  Kills the time,” said Bobby.
    Mike gave him
a sidelong look.  “Beats me.  I have to get out and talk to
people.  Can’t stay cooped up.  I hate these trips.”
    “You travel a
lot?”
    “Yes, sir,
business.  This is the third time I’ve made this trip in twenty-five
years.  Imagine that!  I’ve pissed three years of my life away,
floating through space.”  For a second he looked genuinely saddened by the
thought, but soon picked up.  “At least they pay me well for it!  I
guess it put the kids through school, anyhow.”
    “That’s a way
to look at it.”
    “How about
you?  First time out?”
    Bobby drew a
breath.  “I’ve been out once before, going the other way.  But I’m on
my way home now.”
    “Way
home?  You’re a Martian?”
    “I’d have to
say I am.  And I’m going home, if you want to drink to that.”
    “To home,”
said Mike, raising his glass.
    “To home,”
Bobby echoed.
    Mike took a deep
gulp of his beer.  “So what you been up to on the old home planet?”
    Bobby looked
Mike in the eye.  “I’ve been serving my country.”
    Mike took a
second to process the information.  “The Army?  Let me tell you right
off, I got nothing but respect for you guys.  Nothing but respect. 
Some of these protesters, well, it makes me sick.  The only reason they
can parade around with their fancy- dan nonsense
is because of guys like you.  Where’d you serve?  London? 
LA?  I did a year myself, as a reservist.  Mainly from home, you
understand, but I get it.  The discipline, service, honour.”
    “Lahore.”
    Mike fell
silent for the first time and glanced around the bar as if a script boy would
be there to whisper his next line to him.  “Lahore?” he said,
cautiously.  “That had to be pretty rough, right?”
    Bobby
frowned.  “Yeah, it was rough alright.  But we’d trained for
it.  We knew the risks going in.”
    “Well, I take
my hat off to you, sir.  I do really.”  Mike searched for something else
to say.  “Can I get you another drink?”
    Bobby looked
at Mike.  “Sure.”
    Mike called
out to the robot arm, “Bar