Idle Debates.
AMALGAMA FFX75 Terminal.
Beaverdale took a flat can containing meat and garnish from an opened box and placed it on the burner - there were no microwaves with their radiation at the facility. In a couple of hours of high alert and information isolation, he visited everyone's favorite warehouse not for the first or second time.
As he walked along the corridor back to the post, holding a can of cola and a hot tin in his hands, he heard Ramhurst's excited cry.
- What's going on there? - Beaverdale asked, already entering the room, concerned all the time with holding the hot tin with the tips of his outstretched fingers.
- Some new shuttle is flying over Antarctica now. It looks like it's the one that took off from here. It is currently being tracked by the defense of the positional area in South America.
- Then everything is clear. They are simply testing the shuttle, - Beaverdale immediately concluded. - That's good. I had a sneaking thought that COMM_HALT was somehow connected with this business around the SSSF. After all, this Lebedev pulled an entire army here. And it's all about the experimental shuttle. I hope the Russians will deal with these thugs soon, - he added and fell silent, waiting for Ramhurst's completely predictable reaction.
During the year and a half of service here in Siberia, on this GBA AMALGAMA FFX-75 terminal, the two officers, if not best friends, then very good buddies. Nevertheless, a rare day went by without squabbles that were already going well. Partly, this was because it made the time on duty easier. The second reason that Beaverdale was the first to start such conversations was a certain desire to pose in front of young Jennifer. - They won't do anything, - Ramhurst, who had already said more than once that he would vote for Harlington, answered as expected.
- And if Lebedev beats only RBSF, will you support him? - Beaverdale asked with hidden sarcasm behind his calm speech.
- The Right Bankers have exactly the same rights to their position. Isn't it clear, - Ramhurst, who had already said something similar more than once, answered quite sincerely. - Unlike you, I was not too lazy to visit there, so I know what I'm talking about.
- It doesn't mean anything. We still won't understand anything about the local affairs if we just look into one of the cities.
- When will you understand that this is something like a feud between two neighborhoods, only a little larger. It doesn't follow that we need to arrange a rout here. Isn't it clear? And Lebedev wants exactly that. And he wants it only for the sake of self-affirmation. Or do you respect those who need to assert themselves? Especially like that. And your Oppenheimer indulges him in this.
- Harlington talks about restoring order in the rear, and Lebedev wants to do it in practice. If Oppenheimer is behind him, then even better.
- In that case, I don't understand Oppenheimer, - Ramhurst began to get heated up. - Does he think that if Lebedev destroys everything here, then someone will look and say: "Well, finally. This guy, Oppenheimer, is worth voting for." Is that how you think? I don't know why Oppenheimer needs this Lebedev. Lebedev is a trifle against the backdrop of big things like a long war. I'm talking about conversion.
- Conversion has already taken place, just not completely, - Beaverdale answered triumphantly.
- Well, so be it. The only difference is that I think conversion is bad and you think it's good.
- Conversion has some advantages, Jennifer stood up for Beaverdale, - if it takes place completely, then coffins will stop coming from the front. They will stop altogether. It's almost peace.
- Mr. Ramhurst, unfortunately, still can't understand this, - Beaverdale declared triumphantly.
- Firstly, Oppenheimer's conversion does not guarantee this, and secondly, there was a time when peace was not implied by the word "Conversion", but was implied by the word "settlement", - Ramhurst objected.
The argument was interrupted by a sharp trill and the voice of the senior firing officer, who ordered the preparation of support for virtual launches of medium-echelon missiles.
- Well, now it is finally clear that this is an exercise, - Jennifer said enthusiastically. "And most likely the shuttle is also involved in them… Damn it, look how it maneuvers," she exclaimed, faltering and changing her tone to one of admiration, apparently after she moved her map to the sector where the object was flying.