Ten Little Aliens: 50th Anniversary Edition Read Online Free Page A

before the off tomorrow.’
    ‘Pulling a few strings on Earth to get the best cabin?’
    Shade closed his eyes. He wished there were something warm in the way she mocked him. ‘You know that’s bull.’
    ‘Whatever.’
    ‘Every time…’ He looked at her. ‘Why does my coming from Earth have to make a difference?’
    She became mock-pensive. ‘Because our glorious seat of Empire is outmoded and obsolete? Because Earthers stay rich by taxing to death the populations they chucked out into space in the first place? Because…’
    Shade felt tired. It was an old argument. ‘I’m running from Earth, Denni. I hate it as much as you do.’
    ‘Maybe you’ll prove that to me, one day,’ she said as she straightened up and stretched, a cat ready to slink off somewhere new. No loyalties to anyone dumb enough to stroke it.
    ‘Oh, I’ll prove it,’ Shade promised her as she walked away. ‘To all of you.’
    Big words.
    He hit red, let the door swish shut. Looked down at the vidphone.
I got things to do
, he’d said. A single call and he could turn all this around.
    Shade sighed, and called up the e-rag. The text played over his wall but he barely took it in, hardly heard the cheesy voiceover making a joke out of everything. He stood unmoving, kept staring at the phone as the minutes slid by.
----
    A-T E—ZINE
    23.5.90
    supple+mental
    POSTINGS ALERT SPECIAL ISH! ++
    welcome adam shade . your training group posting is E87 . shortcut yes? no?
    yes ++
    Breaking the news first as always – then stamping on it, shooting it full of holes and nuking it – your ever-lovin’ E-RAG proudly presents your live-ammo training team, adam shade ++
ROBA , Dax
ATE126673
    Age: 28
    Visual: Black male
    The big bruiser with the baby face, Roba’s had a good semester, scoring highest KD kill-rate over five simulations . Just hope he don’t give you the evil-eye – Roba was top marksman with the Volunteers out in Hunan and the Commonwealth and he’s been itching for the live ammo. Shoot to kill now, big guy, y’hear?
    In his own words:
    THE ONLY GOOD SCHIRR IS
++ ‘crawling in its coffin right now to save us the effort’
NARDA , Mel (aka FROG)
ATE 125735
    Age: 27
    Visual: White female
    The lovely Frog never got the breaks in life (’ceptin’ the one that broke her face ). Still she’s proved herself a super-soldier this semester, building on that scary reputation she got fighting in the Second-Wave Argentine skirmishes and through the Buenos Aries Pacification Programs of ’87–88. She gonna croak some Schirr for sure. Mercy !
    In her own words:
    THE ONLY GOOD SCHIRR IS
++ ‘a dead Schirr. Or have you had that already? Hey, can I change that?’
JOIKS , Dav
ATE 169556
    Age: 32
    Visual: White male
    Joining A-TE following a two-year stint with the notorious SMC Incendiary Division (African Frontier), Joiks sure must like it when the heat is on. After singeing his fingers over his third and final Academy caution for misconduct he’s gained a blistering five merits in the last three simulations. Way to go, Joiks – but don’t burn up now, y’hear?
    In his own words:
    THE ONLY GOOD SCHIRR IS
+ + ‘under my boot’
TOVEL , Raiph
ATE 126267
    Age: 30
    Visual: White male
    Highest-ranking hero of the Dawn Bridge simulation with fifteen merits, about Tovel they say there ain’t a ship in the sky he can’t fix and fly . Come a long way from his days stretcher-bearing with the Volunteers out in the Commonwealth Belt. It’s Schirr stretchers he’s gonna be filling up come graduation day. Go Tovel!
    In his own words:
    THE ONLY GOOD SCHIRR IS
++ ‘pacified, kissing Earth’s ass’
CREBEN , Joseph
ATE 200101
    Age: 23
    Visual :
White male
    Creben’s not your average Joe. Acing the braincases in Intelligence, he’s been put on fast-flight to join the Big Guns in Pent Central. If he can get through Elite without that big head getting blown off , that is!
    In his own words:
    THE ONLY GOOD SCHIRR IS
++ ‘More important than blind hatred