"Edward L. Ferman - Best From F&SF, 23rd Edition" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ferman Edward L)

and decrease heat loss."
 "And the water vapor collected on the underside of the dome when it hit the cold air. Right, Do you
get the picture?"
"I think so," Lang said. "It was so little water, though. You know we didn't want to waste it; we
condensed it out until the air we exhausted was dry as a bone."
"For Earth, maybe. Here it was a torrential rainfall. It reached seeds or spores in the ground and
triggered them to start growing. We're going to have to watch it when we use anything containing plastic.
What does that include?"
Lang groaned. "All the air-lock seals, for one thing." There were grimaces from all of them at the
thought of that. "For another, a good part of our suits. Song, watch it, don't step on that thing. We don't
know bow powerful it is or if it'll eat the-plastic in your boots, but we'd better play it safe. How about it,
Ralston? Think you can find out how bad it is?"
"You mean identify the solvent these things use? Probably, if we can get some sort of work space
and I can get to my equipment."
"Mary," McKillian said, "it occurs to me that I'd better start looking for airborne spores. If there are
some, it could mean that the airlock on the Podkayne is vulnerable. Even thirty meters off the ground."
"Right. Get on that. Since we're sleeping in it until we can find out what we can do on the ground,
we'd best be sure it's safe. Meantime, well all sleep in our suits." There were helpless groans at this, but
no protests. McKillian and Ralston headed for the pile of salvaged equipment, hoping to rescue enough
to get started on their analyses. Song knelt again and started digging around one of the ten-centimeter
spikes.
Crawford followed Lang back toward the Podkayne.
"Mary, I wanted. . . is it all right if I call you Mary?"
"I guess so. I don't think тАШCommander LongтАЩ would wear well over five years. But you'd better still
think commander."
He considered it. "All right, Commander Mary." She punched him playfully. She had barely known
him before the disaster. He had been a name on a roster and a sore spot in the estimation of the
Astronaut Corps. But she had borne him no personal malice, and now found herself beginning to like him.
"What's on your mind?"
"Ah, several things. But maybe it isn't my place to bring them up now. First, I want to say that if
you're ... ah, concerned, or doubtful of my support or loyalty because I took over command for a while. .
. earlier today, well. . ."
"Well?"
"I just wanted to tell you that I have no ambitions in that direction," he finished lamely.
She patted him on the back. "Sure, I know. You forget, I read your dossier. It mentioned several
interesting episodes that I'd like you to tell me about someday, from your 'soldier-of-fortuneтАЩ daysтАФ"
"Hell, those were grossly overblown. I just happened to get into some scrapes and managed to get
out of them."
"Still, it got you picked for this mission out of hundreds of applicants. The thinking was that you'd be
a wild card, a man of action with proven survivability. Maybe it worked out. But the other thing I
remember on your card was that you're not a leader. No, that you're a loner who'll cooperate with a
group and be no discipline problem, but you work better alone. Want to strike out on your own?"
He smiled at her. "No, thanks. But what you said is right I have no hankering to take charge of
anything. But I do have some knowledge that might prove useful."
"And well use it. You just speak up, IтАЩll be listening." She started to say something, then thought of
something else. "Say, what are your ideas on a woman bossing this project? I've had to fight that all the
way from my Air Force days. So if you have any objections you might as well tell me up front"
He was genuinely surprised. "You didn't take that crack seriously, did you? I might as well admit it. It
was intentional, like that cattle prod you mentioned. You looked like you needed a kick in the ass.тАЭ
"And thank you. But you didn't answer my question."