The Extinction Switch: Book three of the Kato's War series Read Online Free PDF

terminal is now closed. Move along.” A blue-uniformed gendarme stood over the three friends.
    “Uhh…” Kassandra stirred.
    “You have to move along,” he said.
    Kassandra sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What time is it?”
    “6:50 AM. This terminal is now off limits, and sleeping is not permitted anywhere in the airport. You must leave.”
    Kassandra sighed. “Okay.” She roused the others. They got up, grumbled, and shuffled back towards the moving walkway that had conveyed them there.
    “Now what?” Annabelle said.
    “I don’t know.”
    ----
    Kato lay in his spacious cabin aboard Revenant. He had not been able to sleep at all. His display, which had been showing the news for a long time, was now switched off. Kato had changed the wall to display an underwater scene, instead of a view of Earth. His eyes followed a manta ray as it swam through the blue above him, momentarily blocking the dappled sunlight. “Call from Peter Phillips,” was heard in his ear.
    “Answer.”
    “Kato! Since when was the entire human race a bunch of complete pussies?”
    “What?”
    “Turn on the news. The FSE has just announced they’re surrendering!”
    “Surely not!”
    “See it for yourself!” Kato switched on the news.
    A press conference was shown, with the leader of the Federated States of Earth, Akachi Afolayan, at the podium. The camera flashes were so frequent that the scene looked like a flickery old time movie. “It has been decided that the greatest good of the greatest number must be placed first. The planet Mars will be ceded to Seung Yi and his followers.”
    Kato jumped up from his bed, and swayed unsteadily on the spot. He rewound the broadcast and watched it over again. “It can’t be…” he said slowly.
    “Oh yes it can!” General Phillips roared. “I always knew the FSE was a liability. Now they’ve failed us in our moment of greatest need! You guys better put a ‘do not disturb’ sign on my door for a while. I gotta cool down, else I won’t be held responsible for my actions…”
    Kato sighed. “God damn… so we’re just going to roll over and submit to this tyrant?”
    “Yep. Just like that! Unbelievable!” the general said.
    “How in the heck are we even going to get thirty-nine million people off the planet in six months?”
    “I don’t think they’ve thought through the logistics yet.”
    “They’ll be calling ISI, wanting my entire fleet to move them,” Kato said. “They’ll need every ship they can get.”
    “They ain’t gettin’ your entire fleet. I’ve already talked to the Secretary of Defense. America’s gonna fight back, and we’ll need warp ships to do it. Some of your biggest and best.”
    “I’m in it to fight too, General. You have whatever ships you need.”
    “Good. Obviously, the war effort is top secret, since it’s only being launched by one country so far, but I’ll keep you apprised on a need-to-know basis.”
    “Okay. I’m also going to convene a meeting of ISI’s chief scientists, and see what help we can be, especially in the nanotech area. We have a sizable contingent on Mars, so I may end up moving the ship there so I can telepresence in,” Kato said.
    “Very well. Just means I’d have to converse with a few minutes’ delay—unless they’ll let me get back to Earth.”
    ----
    Akio and Zara watched the broadcast on one entire wall of their large cabin. “This is Earth News Network, with continuing coverage of the unfolding situation of what is being dubbed the Vesta Crisis, due to the transmission for the ransom demand having been traced to that location. Twenty-four hours have now passed since Seung Yi’s continued existence became apparent, and he demanded an entire planet be ceded to him. The knowledge that somebody has already used the so-called Extinction Switch to terrible effect, and can end the life of every person on Earth, has caused complete panic in every country. The US stock market reopened just over an hour ago, after