"Greg Egan - Glory" - читать интересную книгу автора (Egan Greg)

her skin in an expression of cautious op-timism. тАЬWeтАЩll see.тАЭ She tipped her head to the left, a gesture
preceding a friendly departure.
Joan tipped her own head in response, as if sheтАЩd been doing so all her life. тАЬBe careful, my friend,тАЭ she
said.

тАЬYou too.тАЭ

AnneтАЩs ship ascended so high on its chemical thrusters that it shrank to a speck before igniting its fusion
engine and streaking away in a blaze of light. Joan felt a pang of loneliness; there was no predicting when
they would be reunited.

Her shipтАЩs software was primitive; the whole machine had been scru-pulously matched to the NoudahтАЩs
level of technology. Joan knew how to fly it herself if necessary, and on a whim she switched off the
autopilot and manually activated the ascent thrusters. The control panel was crowded, but having six
hands helped.

****

2

The world the Noudah called home was the closest of the systemтАЩs five planets to their sun. The average
temperature was one hundred and twenty degrees Celsius, but the high atmospheric pressure allowed
liquid water to exist across the entire surface. The chemistry and dynamics of the plan-etтАЩs crust had led
to a relatively flat terrain, with a patchwork of dozens of disconnected seas but no globe-spanning ocean.
From space, these seas appeared as silvery mirrors, bordered by a violet and brown tarnish of
veg-etation.

The Noudah were already leaving their most electromagnetically pro-miscuous phase of communications
behind, but the short-lived oasis of Amalgam-level technology on Baneth, the gas giantтАЩs moon, had had
no trouble eavesdropping on their chatter and preparing an updated cultural briefing which had been
spliced into JoanтАЩs brain.

The planet was still divided into the same eleven political units as it had been fourteen years before, the
time of the last broadcasts that had reached the node before JoanтАЩs departure. Tira and Ghahar, the two
dominant na-tions in terms of territory, economic activity, and military power, also oc-cupied the vast
majority of significant Niah archaeological sites.

Joan had expected that theyтАЩd be noticed as soon as they left BanethтАФthe exhaust from their fusion
engines glowed like the sunтАФbut their departure had triggered no obvious response, and now that they
were coasting theyтАЩd be far harder to spot. As Anne drew closer to the homeworld, she sent a message
to TiraтАЩs traffic control center. Joan tuned in to the exchange.

тАЬI come in peace from another star,тАЭ Anne said. тАЬI seek permission to land.тАЭ

There was a delay of several seconds more than the light-speed lag, then a terse response. тАЬPlease
identify yourself and state your location.тАЭ

Anne transmitted her coordinates and flight plan.

тАЬWe confirm your location, please identify yourself.тАЭ