"Gordon R. Dickson - The Far Call 2" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

of it now, by offending national pride. BILL cites a time when Kennedy workers were offered the
choice of taking ruinous cuts in salary or resigning their jobs; and says the first duty of the
workers is to keep the program alive for the sake of future launches, even if it means endangering
this one.
Frustrated, JEN sees the shuttle launched, with no change in the work load.
Meanwhile, aboard the shuttle itself, TAD is considering what he must do, now that he has
been unable to get help to reduce the work load. He is still turning the matter over in his mind as
the shuttle delivers him, ANOSHI, and BAP to Phoenix One, the first of the two ships making the
trip, and then goes on to deliver FEDYA, DIRK and BERN to Phoenix Two.
He and his crew activate Phoenix One. FEDYA and the others do likewise aboard Phoenix
Two. They are ready to make their space launch from Earth orbit, into the long coasting orbit
around the sun that will bring them into Mars orbit, nine months hence.
Both ships are flanked by two nuclear boosters, each with its own pilot. At the given signal,
the boosters fire, and Phoenix One and Two are lifted toward Mars. . . .

Part 2

V

Twenty-eight minutes later, the pressure of acceleration ceased; and Tad floated lightly in the absence
of gravity upon his acceleration couch. On either side of him, Anoshi and Bap would be gravityless as
well. A lightness that was from something more than just the lack of gravity seemed to touch Tad. He felt
free and in command, at last.
"Phoenix One to booster shuttle pilots," Tad said into his helmet phone. "Is firing completed?"
"Booster Shuttle One," said a voice tinged with the accents of the western plains. "Firing completed."
The free feeling still lifted inside Tad. He pushed it aside. There was no time for that, now.
"Booster Shuttle Two," added another voice. "Firing completed."
"Thank you, gentlemen," said Tad. He reached out a gloved hand and changed channels. "Mission
Control. This is Phoenix One. Both booster shuttles have ceased firing."
"Roger, Phoenix One." The voice of Mission Control came drawling back at him almost before his
last words were uttered. "You're in injection orbit, right on the button. Phoenix Two's right there with
you. If you want to take a look to starboard there, about ten kilometers out, you ought to be able to
catch the sun on her."
Tad turned his helmet with some little effort to stare out the glass port to his right. For a second he
saw nothing but stars against the blackness of airless space. Then there came a slow, bright flash that
seemed to burn for about half a second before vanishing. A moment later it was repeated.
"Looks like they're yawing just a bit, there," said Tad.
"Nothing to trouble about, Phoenix One," Mission Control said. "Phoenix Two advised they're
smoothing it out with steering jets. You all ready to say good-bye to your booster shuttles?"
"All ready," said Tad.
"You have the go-ahead, then, Phoenix One," said Mission. "Effect separation from booster
shuttles."
"Roger," said Tad. He returned to the frequency on which he had been talking with the pilots of the
two nuclear booster shuttles, strapped one on each side of Phoenix One.
"This is Phoenix One again," he said. "All ready to separate. Shuttle One and Two, also ready?"
"Shuttle One ready."
"Shuttle Two ready."
The answers were immediate.
"Firing release charges," said Tad. "Three, two, one . . . fire!" With the last word his gloved finger
came down on the button setting off the explosive charges which released the heavy bonds banding