"Steven Gould - Rory" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gould Stephen Jay)

more than adequate grasp of American slang. "It's all right, Rory.
Sometimes it is a good thing to be a hunk. What else did they say?"
"Well, Kim said you certainly weren't her type." He looked sideways at
Anton. "Dr. Stan says that Kim likes girls and she really likes Dr. Ruth but
Dr. Ruth doesn't like girls that way."
 Anton shook his head in amazement.
"Then I left. I was too mad to listen anymore."
"That's okay, Rory. Can we keep what you just told me a secret?"
"Secrets are for friends to keep," agreed Rory.
Just then, Dr. McMillian came into the lounge. She was wearing shorts
and a tee-shirt, and was flushed from working out in the two-g centrifuge.
"Hello, Rory," she said warmly, adding, "Anton," somewhat cooler.
Anton nodded. "Dr. McMillan." She looked at him suspiciously. " What
are you smiling at?"
"Nothing," he said. "Nothing at all."



The accident occured right before dinner. Anton was watching the
docking of the weekly shuttle from Ceres from his cabin window, so he saw
most of it.
The shuttle, a spherical pressurized cabin with rocket motors and fuel
tanks on struts, had completed most of its braking and was drifting
toward the station's docking pod. The station's own two smaller shuttles
were docked at two of the six available locks. A station hand floated in his
suit, waiting to jump across with a line and warp the shuttle in. The
shuttle fired braking thrusters one more time.
And then blew up.
Anton blinked.
Saw a glowing sphere of burning gasses expand from the far side of
the shuttle.
Blinked.
Saw the shuttle break apart like an egg shattering or a water balloon
exploding.
Blinked.
Saw major segments of the shuttle smash into the docking pod.
Blinked.
Saw the docking pod crumple in two places.
Blinked.
Saw an even larger explosion erupt from the docking pod.
 Blinked.
Saw pieces of the pod smash into the station's shuttles.
Blinked.
Saw one of the shuttles fly off into space, with a caved-in, fractured
look, and saw the other shuttle heading straight for C-pod.
Winced.
He drew a gasp of air to shout, but before he finished, the small shuttle
passed out of view to his left, toward the station proper, and a shock
jarred the entire room. There was a sudden draft and his ears popped as
pressure suddenly dropped. The lights went out. Then there was a