"Lee Edgar - The Andromeda Burn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Edgar Lee)

belt. This time, instead of one big reverse thrust, we will take it in stages
as we approach.тАЩ
тАШEnlarge,тАЩ Cassi said to the monitor and the white pinpoint grew a little
larger. The left screen clarified.
IDENTITY - Terra
DIAMETER - 12.76Mm
SIDEREAL AXIAL ROTATION - 23h 56m 4.091s
INCLINATION - 23o 27тАЩ
DENSITY - 5.517
ESCAPE VELOCITY - 11. 18km/s-1
SURFACE GRAVITY - 1.0
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE - 1.07kg/cm2
NATURAL SATELLITES -1
DISTANCE - 8.6AU >
James Duncan shook his head. тАШWhatever would we do without Iris?тАЩ
тАШThe Interactive Radar Identification System,тАЩ corrected Beta in his usual
manner.
Cassi laughed. The Commander grinned. The screen bleeped. All chairs and
eyes swivelled towards it as a large, dark object blotted out the stars by its
bulk.
тАШGood grief,тАЩ cried Cassi. тАШWhat on earth is that? Identify!тАЩ she screamed
at the monitor.
тАШItтАЩs Saturn,тАЩ muttered the Commander without waiting for the computer to
respond. He turned to Gamma who was seated at the red control console. тАШFull
reverse thrust, right retro. WeтАЩll tuck in behind her.тАЩ
тАШNo!тАЩ cried Cassi as she watched the readout. All eyes looked at her as she
stared at the lettering gradually filling IrisтАЩ screen. Without looking at
Gamma, she instructed: тАШEmergency full ahead. Full left retro.тАЩ
тАШBut...тАЩ began the uncertain pilot officer.
тАШDo it!тАЩ she said evenly without taking her eyes off the screen. тАШAnd please
do it now.тАЩ
This time, the ship did shudder as the anti-matter reactor went critical and
the main retros strained to push the tail of the ship to one side. Gradually,
the great planet swung across their bows as Wayfarer accelerated rapidly,
plunging straight for the surface. No-one said a thing - it was already too
late to change course as the cloud belt rushed up at them. All eyes were on
the forward screen as the figures whirled crazily and the thrust bit hard,
pushing now on the outer atmosphere of mainly Ammonia and Methane, as the
nose-cone temperature rose rapidly. Suddenly, the tail flicked round as they
burst into the upper atmosphere.
тАШShe wonтАЩt take much more,тАЩ cried Gamma as the ship fought for survival.
тАШPut it into the red,тАЩ instructed Cassi calmly. тАШGo in under the rings.тАЩ
тАШI hope you know what the hell youтАЩre doing,тАЩ called Commander Duncan above
the noise.
тАШTrust me,тАЩ she said with no more than a sidelong glance.
The whole bodywork seemed to flex and strain as the massive gravity pull of
Saturn fought against the shipтАЩs reactor. For a long time, it seemed as though
gravity had won until, suddenly, the cloud layer cleared and the Cassini
Division between the main rings of Saturn was ahead.
Cassi glanced at the screen once more and then spoke to the pilot. тАШYouтАЩve