"Gordon R. Dickson - The Forever Man" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

Jim was conscious, as if through some extra sense, of the
many4ons weight of the collapsed magnesium alloy of the
ships' hulls bearing down on the specially reinforced concrete
of the takeoff area. "Ready to transmit."
"Acknowledged," said Jim.
"On the count of four, then," said Transmission Section's
calm, disembodied voice. "For Picket Nine, L Sector, Frontier
Area, transmission of Wander Section, five ships. Ready to
phase-shift. Counting now. ..... three ." The unimagin-
able tension that always preceded transmission from one es-
tablished point to another began to build, a gearing-up of
nerves that affected all the men on all the ships alike.
"Two The voice of Transmission Section seemed to
thunder at them along their overwrought nerves. "One..."
".....Transmit!"
Abruptly, a wave of disorientation and nausea broke
ough them, and was gone. They floated in dark and empty
interstellar space, with the stars of the Frontier area surround-
ing them, and a new voice spoke in their ear.
"Identify your'self," it said. "Identify yourself. This is For-
midable, command ship for Picket Nine Sector, requesting
identification."
"Wander Section. Five ships." Jim did not bother to look at

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his instruments to find the space-floating sphere that was For
midable. It was out there somewhere, with twenty ships scat
tered around, up to five and a half light-years away, but all
zeroed in on this reception point where he and the other four
ships had emerged. Had Jim been a Laagi Wing or Picket
Commander, he would not have transmitted into this area with
~twenty ships-no, nor with twice that many. "Confirm trans-
mission notice from Ear~? Five ship section for deep probe
Laagi ter'ritory. Wander Section Leader, speaking."
"Transmission notice confirmed, Wander Section leader,"
crackled back the voice from Picket Nine. "Mission con-
firmed. You will not deship. Repeat, not deship. local Fron-
tier area has been scouted for slipover, and data prepared for
flash transmission to you. You will accept data and leave im-
mediately. Please key to receive data."
'Major-" began the voice of Mary, behind him.
"Shut up," said Jim. He said it casually, without rancor, as
if he was speaking to his regular gunner, Leif Molloy. For a


moment he had forgotten that he was carrying a passenger
instead of a proper gunman. And there was no time to think
about it now. "Acknowledge," he said to Picket Nine. "1~ans-