"James E. Gunn - Breaking Point" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gunn James E)

Johnny's wide white grin flashed and he strode to the control chair. "Gentlemen, be seated."
"I'll take mine lying down," said Ives, and spread his bulk out on the acceleration couch. The others went
to their take-off posts.

"On automatics," said the Captain, "Fire away!"

"Fire away!" said Johnny cheerfully. He reached forward and pressed the central control.

Nothing happened.

Johnny put his hand toward the control again. It moved as if there were a repellor field around the button.
The hand moved more and more slowly the closer it got, until it hovered just over the control and began
to tremble.

"On manual," barked the Captain. "Fire!"

"Manual, sir," said Johnny reflexively. His trembling hand darted up to an overhead switch, pulled it. He
grasped the control bars and dropped the heels of his hands heavily on the firing studs. From somewhere
came a muted roar, a whispering; a subjective suggestion of the thunder of reaction motors.

A frown crossed Paresi's face. The rocket noise was gone as the mind reached for it, like an occluded
thought. The motors were silent; there wasn't a tremor of vibration. Yet somewhere a ghost engine was
warming up, preparing a ghost ship for an intangible take-off into nothingness.

He snapped off the catch of his safety belt and crossed swiftly and silently to the console. Johnny sat
raptly. A slow smile of satisfaction began to spread over his face. His gaze flicked to dials and gauges; he
nodded very slightly, and brought both hands down like an organist playing a mighty chord. He watched
the gauges. The needles were still, lying on their zero pins, and where lights should have flickered and
flashed there was nothing. Paresi glanced at Anderson and met a worried look. Hoskins had his head
cocked to one side, listening, puzzled. Ives rose from the couch and came forward to stand beside
Paresi.

Johnny was manipulating the keys firmly. His fingers began to play a rapid, skillful, silent concerto. His
face had a look of intense concentration and of complete self-confidence.

"Well," said Ives heavily. "That's a bust, too."

Paresi spun to him. "Shh!" It was done with such intensity that Ives recoiled. With a warning look at him,
Paresi walked [Pg 22] to the Captain, whispered in his ear.

"My God," said Anderson. "All right, Doctor." He came forward to the pilot's chair. Johnny was still
concentratedly, uselessly at work. Anderson glanced inquiringly at Paresi, who nodded.

"That does it," said the Captain, loudly. "Nice work, Johnny. We're smack in orbit. The automatics
couldn't have done it better. For once it feels good to be out in space again. Cut your jets now. You can
check for correction later."
"Aye, sir," said Johnny. He made two delicate adjustments, threw a master switch and swung around.
"Whew! That's work!"

Facing the four silent men, Johnny thumbed out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, touched his lighter to it,