OMEGA Conscript Read Online Free PDF Page B

to the case, my heart sank.
    Kerba gestured. "This is fabulous! A full quarter of the back of the helmet was blown away by a blast. See the scorch marks! There is trace evidence of Human tissue inside. Whomever was wearing this was assuredly killed by that blast."
    I sighed. "It's a wonderful piece, Mr. Skol. Would you happen to know where it originated from?"
    Kerba smiled. "I have been attempting to trace all of my artifacts to their origin. It's possible the planet that hosted the War of Wars was in this sector. I've narrowed my search to eight planets. I believe Megiddo to be one of those eight. Once I have the funds available I will make an expedition of it."
    I replied, "What if the funds were available today?"
    Kerba thought for a moment. "I suppose I would make arrangements and leave as soon as possible. Finding Megiddo has been a life-long dream of mine."
    I held out my credit store. "It looks like this is your lucky day, Kerba. The funds are now available. Make whatever arrangements you need. We would like to leave here as soon as possible.
    Kerba Skol was an Ankor of modest wealth. Years of owning successful businesses had afforded him the luxury of a personal ship almost the size of the Jess . We would need a larger ship. After an hour on the comm, a vessel was leased and was ready for pickup within hours.
    Balma Druitt said, "I wish you luck on your adventure. I have other business to attend to. If you should need anything further from me, you have my comm."
    After Balma left we took a trip to the local shipyard to pick up our lease. There were guest quarters for four, as well as a luxury living space, and a sizable cargo hold. Garrett declined to ride along and instead followed us in the Jess . The Pockna almost matched the Jess in speed, but far outdid her in comfort. I enjoyed the increased leg and head room.
    We arrived at the first of eight planets after two days of travel. Deep scans were performed. It was determined that the planet didn't have the large extent of flatlands that were so often described as the Plains of Megiddo. The second world, although located in the temperate zone, had little atmosphere and an absence of liquid water. Our third stop showed promise.
    Kerba pointed at the visual data from our latest scan. "There! That area fits the descriptions perfectly!"
    I replied, "Why was this planet never settled? It doesn't seem to be that far from other colonies. It has oceans, mountains, rivers. There is greenery, so it supports life. The oxygen levels, although on the low side, would support a number of the Alliance species."
    Garrett joined the conversation over his comm. "I'm showing an unusually high level of gamma radiation. From the looks of it, that would be toxic to most species over time. Nothing like having your insides slow-cooked."
    Kerba piloted the Pockna down to a position that was a kilometer above the center of the plains. Deep scans of the terrain and the sub-terrain were run repeatedly.
    Garrett said, "I'm picking up some unusual materials down there. Anyone else see the reflections on the beta scans? I'm heading down there to have a look."
    Kerba replied, "We'll continue our scans for anything else that looks unusual. Let us know what you find."
    I turned toward Kerba. "Could you put me down there with Garrett as well?"
    Kerba nodded. "I can do that. The texts I have studied mentioned a central fort. I will be looking for evidence of a wall."
    After a quick set-down, I stepped out through the hatch onto the grassy plains of Megiddo. As the Pockna moved away, I was pleasantly surprised by the quiet, gentle breeze that blew across the fields. The smell of fresh air filled my large nostrils. I walked around the Jess to where Garrett was standing.
    "What is it?" I said.
    Garrett was holding up a piece of what appeared to be a dark metal alloy. "This field is covered with this stuff. It looks to be lying in a plain about forty centimeters under the surface. It isn't a natural metal