Ghostworld (Deathstalker Prelude) Read Online Free Page B

“Nevertheless, I must insist that there were no life forms present in the storm. If there were, my instruments would have detected them.”
    “I saw them with my esp,” said Diana. “I felt their rage.”
    “Hallucinations, perhaps,” said the AI. “Possibly brought about by the stress of the descent. I can supply tranquillizers if required.”
    “Not just now,” said Silence. “All right, people, get ready to disembark. Full field kit for everyone, and that includes you, esper. Move it!”
    The pinnace crew rose quickly to their feet and gathered around the Investigator as she broke open the arms locker and passed out the equipment. The two marines looked at each other thoughtfully. Full field kit meant a steelmesh tunic, concussion and incendiary grenades, swords and energy guns, and a personal force shield. That kind of kit was normally reserved for open firefights and full-scale riot control. Stasiak took his armful of equipment and moved as far away from the Captain and the Investigator as the cramped space would allow. Ripper followed him, and the two marines put their heads together as they ostensibly busied themselves in sorting out their kits.
    “I hate this,” said Stasiak quietly. “I hate this planet, and I hate this mission. Full field kit for what’s supposed to be a dead planet? A Captain who talks about ghosts and super-weapons? The man is seriously disturbed, Ripper. Dammit to hell, only five more months and my time was up. Five short months, and I’d have been out of the Service and my own man again. But of course nothing ever goes right for me, so I end up being volunteered for this bloody mess. A crazy Captain and an insane mission. Hallucinations, my ass. I don’t care if this is a scorched world; something’s still alive here, and it isn’t friendly.”
    “Then why couldn’t we find any targets for our guns?” murmured Ripper, pulling on his baldric with practiced ease. “There’s no doubt this is a scorched world. I checked the ship’s computers before the drop. Ten years ago, six starcruisers hit Unseeli with everything they had. Wiped the planet clean, pole to pole.”
    “Six ships?” said Stasiak. “Standard procedure for a scorching is two starcruisers, three if you’re in a hurry. What did they have down here that they thought they needed six ships to deal with it?”
    “There’s more,” said Ripper. “Guess who was in charge of scorching Unseeli?”
    Stasiak stopped struggling with the buckles on his baldric. “Silence?”
    “Got it in one. He was in charge of putting down the Ashrai rebellion. When that got out of hand, he was the one who called for a scorch.”
    Stasiak shook his head slowly. “This just gets better and better. This is going to be a bad one, Rip. I can feel it in my water.”
    “Don’t worry; trust the old Ripper. He’ll see you through.”
    Stasiak just looked at him.
    The esper Diana Vertue struggled to pull on her steelmesh tunic. The label said it was her size, but the label was a liar. She finally pulled it into place by brute force, and emerged from the neck red-faced and gasping. The long vest was heavy and awkward, and she hated to think what it was going to feel like after she’d been wearing it for a few hours. She looked at the sword and hand disrupter she’d been issued, hesitated, and then moved back to the arms locker to put them away.
    “I wouldn’t,” said Investigator Frost. “The odds are you’re going to need them.”
    “I don’t use weapons,” said the esper firmly. “I’m not a killer. I’ll keep the force shield, but that’s all.”
    The Investigator shrugged. “It’s your neck.” She settled her holstered disrupter comfortably on her right hip, and drew a sword in a scabbard from the arms locker. It was a long sword, definitely not regulation issue, and the Investigator slung it over her left shoulder and buckled it into place so that it hung down her back. The tip of the scabbard almost touched the