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

actual battle, firing actual
weapons at actual people?”
    “Yeah? 
Well,” said Bobby, “they were trying to kill me, and they had volunteered to be
there just like I had.  They knew the risks; so did I.  I guess it
felt good.”
    Mike
laughed.  At first a nervous giggle, but then a full-throated belly
laugh.  “You hard-hearted son of a bitch,” he said.  “You’re a
cold-blooded killer!”  He laughed again.  Bobby laughed a
little too.  It wasn’t quite true, what he had said, but it sounded good
to the fans and the war buffs, and it put them off the scent of how he really
felt.
    “I guess so,”
Bobby said, “I guess that’s what made me an effective soldier.”
    “I guess it
did,” Mike replied.
    Bobby downed
his remaining whisky.  “I’m turning in now, Mike.  It was good to
meet you.”
    “Well,” Mike
said, “before you go I’d like to make a toast to the returning hero.”  He
raised his glass.  “ To .  . .” 
He paused blankly.  “I’m so sorry, what was your name again?”
    “Karjalainen. 
Bobby Karjalainen.”
    “Yes! 
Yes, I knew I knew your face.  Goddamn!  Great book.  Great book.” 
Mike grabbed Bobby’s hand, shaking it vigorously as he continued.  “To
Bobby Karjalainen, and all those like him, to whom we owe our freedom, and
because of whom we can sleep safely in our beds at night.  Chin chin !”  Bobby clinked glasses with him, though his own
was empty.  Bobby slipped from his stool and made to leave but Mike
grabbed his shoulder.  Bleary-eyed, Mike looked straight at Bobby
and said, with all the sincerity he could muster, “Welcome home, Bobby. 
Welcome back to Mars.”
     
     
    The port was
sparsely populated.  Flights from Earth arrived only every two
years.  For most of the time the space was used for warehousing and the
staff on duty today were security personnel from the main USAN base at
Marineris.  They knew exactly who was coming and they knew exactly what
they were bringing with them.  Every milligram had to be accounted for on
the flight and, in addition to the exorbitant cost, a thorough medical and
psych exam was necessary before anyone could be cleared for interplanetary
flight.  The cost would have made the trip off-limits to Bobby but
the army picked up the tab both ways; as a volunteer for the military on the
way out and as a war-hero on the way back.
    On finishing
his final tour Bobby had been paraded as something of a poster boy back in the
USAN.  His easy smile looked as good on the bulletins as it did on the
posters, and he maintained enough gravity to make his flip and scripted answers
to the tougher questions (tougher, but not tough.  No one in the media would
be dumb enough to ask an actual tough question) seem weighty and
considered.  He had consented to a ghost-written book, Return of
the Warrior , about his experience in the Commander Program.  The only
part people were interested in was the Battle of Lahore.  Bobby signed off
on the book, even though it bore scant relation to the events it
depicted.  It had been jazzed up into an adventure story with just enough
true horror and grit left in to make it seem serious and worthy.  In
reality it was a trashy and jingoistic thriller to be chosen above others
because of the words ‘true story’ (in fact, ‘ The Explosive True Story !)
and the picture of Bobby looking suitably determined and heroic on the cover.
    Bobby had
ridden his fifteen minutes expertly and had enjoyed every moment.  He’d
been on seven different chat shows across four countries and had spoken at two
prestigious universities.  The rock star life had been great, but the
travelling and the easy availability of admiring women had eventually come
between him and Askel.
    After initial
training Bobby had served two outstanding virtual tours out of the famed
‘Kentucky Sheds’.  It appeared he was preternaturally gifted at remotely
piloting attack mechs and drones, and he had an unusually