"Lee Edgar - Andromeda Time" - читать интересную книгу автора (Edgar Lee)

Cassi frowned. тАШWhat do you know that I donтАЩt?тАЩ
He opened the top drawer in his desk and took out a buff envelope. He
handed it to her. She stared at it for some time. It was addressed to
тАЬ Mission Commander Cassiopeia HardyтАЭ .
She opened it carefully while her husband watched her. He let her
read for a while and then said; тАШWell?тАЩ
тАШWeтАЩre not going to take Wayfarer One.тАЩ She looked up. тАШWeтАЩre taking
Wayfarer Three.тАЩ
тАШIs that good?тАЩ
тАШShe has never been flown. ItтАЩll be her maiden voyage.тАЩ
тАШI hear sheтАЩs an improvement on the others.тАЩ
Cassi nodded. тАШSame shell, of course, but with smaller food storage
bays because of the reduced time-scales. There are better observation
areas, and the shuttle can be launched from within the loading bay
instead of having to ride piggy-back.тАЩ
тАШFaster?тАЩ
тАШNot much. There is, after all, a limit to how fast a ship can
accelerate.тАЩ
тАШBecause of the drive?тАЩ
тАШNo. Because of molecular degradation.тАЩ
тАШWhatтАЩs that when itтАЩs at home?тАЩ
тАШEverything is made up of electrons in one form or another. Confuse
them by going too fast and matter can become unsteady in state. The
ship, and everything in it, could be transformed into a kind of
plasmatic jelly.тАЩ
тАШWhat flavour?тАЩ
Cassi laughed. тАШSomething which tastes pretty disgusting, I expect.тАЩ
тАШDid you say you were short of a couple of crew?тАЩ
тАШYou canтАЩt come, youтАЩre needed here.тАЩ
тАШI donтАЩt want to come, thank you very much. I was thinking of Debbie
and Sarah.тАЩ
тАШDebbie, I can understand. She trained as a paramedic. But why Sarah?
The last thing I need on this trip is a marine commando.тАЩ
Mike laughed. тАШSarahтАЩs not that bad. She breeds cats.тАЩ
тАШThose тАЬ catsтАЭ you refer to are fully-grown black panthers. I donтАЩt
know why her parents let her get away with it.тАЩ
тАШUncle Roger and Aunt Liz fought the Consortium in France. My cousin
was brought up in a war zone. She could drive by the time she was six
and shoot a semi-automatic before she was eight. ItтАЩs not surprising
that she grew up a bit on the tough side.тАЩ
тАШA bit on the tough side? Miss Rambo might have the prettiest face in
Europoort, but her innocent exterior doesnтАЩt fool me. Your cousin is as
tough as old boots.тАЩ She paused. тАШBesides, what does she know about
engineering?тАЩ
тАШShe can fix almost anything and make it work. SheтАЩs had to many
times over the years.тАЩ
тАШHow about a leaky Proton Drive?тАЩ
тАШIf you had one, what would you do with it?тАЩ
тАШRun like hell. Antimatter plays havoc with my complexion.тАЩ
тАШSo, in reality, if anything went seriously wrong, thereтАЩs nothing