Datasets:
BlinAI
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Testo

Dataset card Data Studio Files
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"Well, I was actually taken into an old apartment building a block away and then along an underground tunnel to get here. But I got a glimpse through an unbl...
The Tyler Mansion. The name was familiar from Ama Nunki's local history/geography seminars: a large house with a sort of pseudo-Reginine-millionaire style, h...
But more interesting than the mansion's recent history were the possibilities inherent in being locked inside such a residence. Unlike a factory, a millionai...
But she was frowning again, a hard look in her eyes. "Who the hell are you, anyway, that you never heard of Old Tyler? He's been written up more than every o...
Jonny sighed; but she did have a right to know on whom her life was probably going to depend. And it certainly wouldn't be giving away any secrets to the Tro...
Her eyes widened, then narrowed again as they swept his frame. "A Cobra, huh? You sure don't look like anything special."
"We're not supposed to," Jonny told her patiently. "Undercover guerrilla fighters-remember?"
"Oh, I know. But I've seen men masquerade as Cobras before to impress or threaten people."
"You want some proof?" He'd been looking for an excuse to do this, anyway. Hopping off the table, he stepped closer to the rear wall and extended his right a...
A discerning eye might have noticed that there were actually two components to the flash that lit up the room an instant later: the fingertip laser beam, whi...
Staring at him with wide eyes, she bobbed her head quickly. "Oh, yes. Yes indeed. What in heaven's name was that?"
"Arcthrower. Designed to fry electronic gear. Works pretty well, usually." In fact, it worked quite well, and Jonny didn't expect to have to worry about that...
"I don't doubt it." She exhaled once, and with that action seemed to get her mind working as well. "A real Cobra. So how come you haven't broken out of here ...
For a long moment he stared at her, wondering what to say. If the Trofts knew he was on to their scheme . . . but surely her presence here proved they'd alre...
He chose the easier, if temporary, solution of changing the subject. "You were going to tell me about the tunnel," he reminded her.
"Oh. Right. No, it looked like it'd been there a lot longer than three years. There also looked to be spots where gates and defensive equipment had been take...
In other words, it looked like Tyler's hoped-for escape hatch. And already in alien hands. "How well were the Trofts guarding it?"
"The place was full of them." She was giving him a wary look. "You're not planning to try and leave that way, are you?"
"What if I am?"
"It'd be suicide-and since I plan to be right behind you it'd leave me in a bad spot, too."
He frowned at her, only then realizing that she'd apparently figured out more about what was going on than he'd given her credit for. In her own less than su...
If only it were that simple, he thought bitterly. Would she understand as well if he stayed passively in the cell and thereby sentenced her automatically to ...
Or was that option even open to him anymore? Already, despite his earlier resolve, he realized he could no longer see her as simply a faceless statistic in t...
You'll be proud of me, Jame, if you ever find out, he thought toward the distant stars. My Horizon ethics have survived exposure to even war with all their s...
On the other hand . . . he was now locked up with a professional burglar inside what had to be the most enticing potential target Cranach had to offer. In th...
"Ilona Linder."
He nodded, knowing full well that with an exchange of names he was now committed. "Well, Ilona, if you think the tunnel's a poor choice of exits, let's see w...
* * *
"This is hopeless," Cally Halloran sighed, gazing across the urban landscape from the vantage point of an eighth-floor window. "We could sneak in and out of ...
"You can quit whenever you want to," was Deutsch's predictable answer. Sitting on the floor, the other Cobra was poring over a prewar aerial map of southern ...
"Uh-huh. Well, as long as you're being so grateful for all that we're doing to help, I guess I'll stick around awhile longer."
It was Deutsch's turn to sigh. "All right, all right. If it'll ease your smoldering indignation any, I'll admit I went a little overwrought in selling this t...
"I can drop them any time. But eventually you're going to have to face what you're doing to those people, not to mention what you're doing to yourself."
Deutsch snorted. "You mean undermining morale, while driving myself too hard with unrealistic goals and standards?"
"Well, now that you mention it-"
"I'm not pushing myself any harder than I can handle-you know that. As to the underground-" He shrugged, the movement rustling his map. "You just don't under...
"Yes, I know that's the theory you're working under," Halloran nodded. "My question is whether or not that's the achievement people will remember most."
Again Deutsch snorted. "What else is there in a war?"
"Spirit, for one thing. And Adirondack is showing one hell of a fine spirit." He held up a hand and began ticking off fingers. "One: you haven't got a single...
Almost unwillingly, Deutsch smiled. "Multiple conflicting orders, incompatible equipment, and well-hidden deficiencies in materials. Took them twice as long ...
"And every one of the people responsible for that fiasco risked their lives to pull it off," Halloran reminded him. "And those are just the things that plain...
Deutsch pursed his lips, his eyes on the map now folded over his knees. "All right," he said at last. "I'll concede that maybe we're not doing too badly. But...
"Perhaps," Halloran nodded. "But perhaps not. Have you ever heard of Masada?"
"I don't think so. Was it a battle?"
"A siege. Took place in the first century on Earth. The Roman Empire had invaded some country-Israel, I think it's called now. A group of the local defenders...
Deutsch's dark eyes were steady on his. "And eventually did?"
"Yes. But the defenders had sworn not to be taken alive . . . and so when the Romans marched into the camp all they found were dead bodies. They'd chosen sui...
Deutsch licked his lips. "I would have tried to take a few more Romans with me."
Halloran shrugged. "So would I. But that's not the point. They lost, but they weren't conquered, if you see the difference; and even though the Romans wound ...
"Um." Deutsch stared off into space for another moment, then abruptly picked up his map again. "Well, I'd still like to come up with a better ending than tha...