Fifteen Hours(科幻战争)-第15章
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uncaring sky。
This is Broucheroc； Larn reminded himself。 That is what they said the city was called。
“There；” one of the Guardsmen said beside him。 “I see green。 The bastards are moving。”
Turning to gaze once more into no…man’s land with the others； for a moment Larn found himself
vainly struggling to see anything among the wearying grey of the world about them。 Then； suddenly；
at ground level； perhaps a kilometre away； he saw a brief glimpse of green flesh as its owner stood
upright for a split second before abruptly disappearing once more。
“I see it；” Larn said； the words jumping breathless from him； unbidden。 “Holy Emperor！ Is that
an ork？”
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“Hhh。 I only wish orks were as small as that； new fish；” Repzik said； spitting over the parapet
into no…man’s land again。 “That’s a gretch。 A gretchin。 Keep looking and you should be able to see
some more。”
He was right。 Ahead； Larn saw the creature stand upright once more。 This time it stood where it
was unmoving； its green flesh plainly visible against the contrast of the grey backdrop of the
landscape behind it。 Then； after a moment； Larn saw another dozen creatures appear beside it； all of
them standing still and motionless as though trying to smell something on the wind。 Each of them
perhaps a metre tall at most； their stunted green bodies appearing curiously hunched and misshapen
inside their rough grey garments。 Watching them； Larn felt himself recoil in instinctive horror at his
first sight of an alien species。 Until； before he even knew what he was doing； his finger was on the
trigger of las…gun at his shoulder as he sighted in on the Xenos。
“Don’t bother； new fish；” Repzik said； laying a hand across his barrel。 “Even if you did manage
to hit one of the gretch at this range； you would be wasting your ammo。 Save it “til later。 Save it for
the orks。”
“I don’t like it；” one of the other Guardsmen said。 “If the orks are sending their gretch out like
that it means they’re planning on hitting us with a frontal assault。 Another one。 What is that now？
Something like the third one today？”
“Third time is right； Kell；” the Guardsman called Vidmir said； his face grim as he pressed a
finger to his ear to listen to something on his comm bead。 “You’ll have to remember to remonstrate
with the orks about their lack of originality when they get here。 From the reports I’m hearing over
the tactical net； you should soon be getting the opportunity to do so。”
“What is it？” the other Guardsman — Kell — asked； while the rest of the men in the trench
turned to look at Vidmir。 “What have you heard？”
“Sector Command says auspex is reading a lot of movement in the ork lines；” Vidmir replied。
“Sounds like Repzik was right。 They’re going to be hitting us hard； and in numbers。 Though； from
the sound of it； I think there’s more to this than just a matter of the orks getting excited over killing
the new fish’s friends。 Could be they were already getting ready to launch an offensive。 Which
would be bad enough； except it sounds like our own side is trying to get us killed as well。 Battery
Command are refusing to give us artillery support until they are sure this is really a full…blown
assault and not just a feint。”
“A feint； my arse；” Kell grunted。 “When have you ever known an ork to do anything by halves？”
“Agreed；” Vidmir said。 “But； irrespective； it looks like we’re going to have to repel the orks on
our own。 Emperor help us。” Then； turning towards Larn； Vidmir gave him the cold flash of a
graveyard smile。
“Congratulations； new fish；” he said。 “Looks like not only did you manage to get yourself
dropped right into the middle of hell but you picked a bad day in hell besides。”
Repzik； Vidmir； Donn； Ralvs and Kell。 These were the names of the five men who shared the trench
with him。 Larn had learned that much about them at least in the quiet time as they waited for the
battle to begin。 They were from a planet called Vardan； they told him。 They and their regiment； a
group of hardened veterans known as the 902nd Vardan Rifles； had come to the city of Broucheroc
more than ten years ago and had been here even since。 Ten years！ He could hardly believe it。 Nor
where those the only things that Larn had learned from the Vardans。
“I don’t understand it；” he said； looking out at the group of gretchin on the other side of noman’s
land。 “What are they waiting for？”
Ten minutes had passed since the first alien appeared。 Though the numbers of those waiting with
it had now increased to perhaps a couple of hundred； still the ranks of gretchin stood exposed and
out in the open on the other side of no…man’s land。 Occasionally a squabble would break out； two or
three of the aliens suddenly breaking away from the main group to fight a bloody battle with tooth
and claw while their fellows watched with lazy interest。 For the most part the aliens simply stood
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there unmoving； their feral faces turned to stare unblinkingly towards the human lines。 It was an
unnerving spectacle。 Not for the first time； Larn found himself fighting the urge to take his lasgun
and fire at them。 To shoot over and over again until every one of the ugly inhuman faces he could
see before him had been obliterated。
“It’s an old trick； new fish；” Repzik said。 “They’re waiting for us to shoot at them and give away
our positions。”
“But that’s suicide；” Larn said。 “Why would they be willing to sacrifice themselves like that？”
“Hhh。 They’re gretch； new fish；” Repzik replied。 “Willing doesn’t come into it。 If their Warboss
tells ’em to go stand out in no…man’s land and wait to get killed； it’s not like they get much say over
it。 Of course； even the fact that their boss is smart enough to think of using his gretch that way tells
us something。 It means the green…skin leading the assault is likely to be one crafty son of a bitch；
relatively speaking。 And that’s likely to be bad news for us； believe me。 There’s not much worse
than a crafty ork。 Now quiet down； new fish。 There will be plenty of time for questions later； after
the attack。 Assuming； of course； we survive it。”
At that Repzik fell silent once more； his eyes staring into no…man’s land with the rest of the
Vardans。 Denied the distraction of further conversation； Larn began to realise just how tense the
atmosphere was in the trench。 An attack is coming； he thought。 Although these men have faced
dozens； perhaps even hundreds of such attacks in the past； still the tension is plain on every line of
their faces for anyone to see。 Briefly； he tried to find comfort in that thought。 He tried to tell himself
that if hardened veterans like these felt queasy in the face of the impending assault； there was no
shame in the churning of his own stomach but he remained unconvinced。 Am I a coward； he
thought。 I am afraid； but will my nerve hold so I can do my duty？ Or will it fail？ Will I fight when
the attack comes or will I break and run？ But as forcefully as those questions rebounded around
inside his head； he could find no answer。
The waiting was the worst of it。 Abruptly； as he stood there on the firing step； Larn realised that
until now he had been inoculated against fear by the sheer breathless pace of events since the lander
had been hit。 Now； in the silence of the lull before battle； there was no hiding place from his fears。
He felt alone。 Far from home。 Terrified that he was about to die on a strange world under a cold and
distant sun。
“Ready your weapons；” Vidmir said； as more gretchin began to appear on the other side of noman’s
land。 “This is it。 Looks like they got tired of waiting。”
“We hold our fire until they’re three hundred metres away；” Repzik said to Larn。 “See that flat
grey…black rock over there？ That’s your mark。 We wait “til the first rank of gretch reach that before
we fire。” Then； seeing Larn looking in confusion into no…man’s land as he tried to distinguish which
of the thousands of grey…black rocks was the mark； Repzik sighed in exasperation。 “Never mind；
new fish。 You shoot when we do。 You follow orders。 You do what we tell you to do； when we tell
you to do it； and you don’t ask any questions。 Trust me； that�
