"Mark S. Geston - The Allies" - читать интересную книгу автора (Geston Mark S)

"Kill them," the chorused voice whispered from the woods around the Amalienburg
pavilion. "They will not let themselves be put back to sleep, and if they are,
their lives will only be threatened again within another subjective year."

"All but eight thousand?" Terribly, I found equally repellent the idea that I
would still have to share the rest of my subjective life with the eight thousand
living if we did not find a world for ourselves.

"Such a measure would assure that the voyage could continue almost indefinitely
and still preserve a semblance of genetic diversity once...."

"If," I suggested.

"... if," the Minds unexpectedly agreed, "a suitable place is found. The other
choice is to go home as they ask. As we believe you wish to do." I prepared
myself for a reprimand. Instead they continued. "We believe that this is all
that can be asked of any of you." The Ship wanted to go home too.

There were no real celebrations when I told the people of my decision. Only some
messages of thanks delivered through my com-mail or self-consciously spoken to
me as I shouldered my way along the teeming galleries. No one, not even the
Minds, asked me what we should do when we arrived, probably assuming we would
simply be blown to pieces the instant we arrived.

The geometry of the space the Sixth Ship then occupied was such that we were
close to Earth. Only two subjective months were needed for the trip back.

I disassembled all but three of the dimensions so we could peer into objective
reality from relative safety. The system Sunward of Mars had been as warm with
enemy convoys and there had always been a few of our own missiles hunting in and
out of the dust clouds in the years before we left. Everything was quiet now.
All the satellites, both theirs and ours, planetary and solar, had been swept
away, although considering how long we had been gone, many of them could have
been lost to normal orbital decay. It was as if mankind had never left the world
and as if the enemy had never thrust themselves across the void to meet us. "How
long have we been gone? Truly gone?" I asked the Minds and was shocked by their
answer.

"Is anyone left?"
The Minds' voices were sympathetic. "No. There are no people left, and the enemy
is gone too. It is safe."

It would not have made a difference if it had not been. We had ended the voyage
arid come home. We would land no matter what awaited us.

I awakened the remaining sleepers and told everyone. This time there were some
anxious celebrations. Parents retold the old, stale stories to their objectively
ancient children, but this time as if they believed them. I refolded the final
quantum dimensions and restored them to their containment Strings.