Books > End Game > Excerpts

Calhoun looked neither right nor left, did not look at any of his people. Instead he kept his gaze leveled on the screen. When Laheera spoke it was with grim defiance -- and yet that annoying voice of hers, with its musicality, made her life-and-death terms seem almost charming to hear. "Now then, Captain... your stubborn nature might be slightly more reasonable when the depths of your situation become appar ent. You have said that you will open fire on us if we slay the hostages. My question to you is: Do you really have the nerve to stand there and let us kill them? You have said that the Excalibur is on a humanitarian mission. What sort of humanitarian would you be if you followed the course that you have set out for yourself, hmm? So, Captain . . . what will it be?"Calhoun seemed to contemplate her with about as much passion as he would if he were peering through a microscope and watching an amoeba flutter around And then, very quietly, he said, "Very well, Laheera You are correct. This is a pointless exercise.""I'm pleased you are listening to reason."But Calhoun had now turned his back to Laheera Instead he was facing Boyajian, who was standing at the tactical station, filling in for the absent Zak Kebron. "Mr. Boyajian," he said, and his tone was flat and unwavering. "Arm photon torpedoes one and two."If Boyajian was surprised at the order, he was pro enough not to let it show. "Arming photon torpedoes sir. Target?""Torpedo one should be locked on to the origin point of this transmission. Torpedo two..." He hesitated a moment, considering. "Run a quick sensor sweep on Selinium. Find a densely populated section of town.""Populated?" Shelby spoke up, unable to keep the astonishment from her voice. "Sir, perhaps a technological target might be preferable? Some area of high energy discharge, indicating a power plant or--""Power plants can be rebuilt," Calhoun said reasonably. "People can't. Mr. Boyajian, have you got those targets locked in yet?""Yes, sir." Boyajian didn't sound happy about it."Projected casualty count from both torpedoes?"Boyajian felt his mouth go very dry. He licked his lips, checked the estimates, and then said, "App . . ." His throat also felt like dust. "Approximately five . . . hundred thousand, sir."All eyes were now on Calhoun. From her science station, Soleta's face was stoic and unreadable. At con, Mark Mchenry actually looked amused, as if he was certain that Calhoun would not do what he was preparing to do. Only Robin Lefler at ops was allowing her concern to show. She was biting her lower lip, a nervous habit that she'd been trying to break herself of for ten years. She wasn't having much success, and moments like this weren't making it easier on her.And Shelby . . .. . . Shelby was looking at him, not with anger, as he would have guessed, but with a vague sort of disappointment.

Copyright ® 1997 by Peter David