"James E. Gunn - Station In Space" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gunn James E)

"Pilot, sir."

"Watch, then. Maybe you'll learn something. Know any radio?"
"Yes, sir."

"Then this is an order: Keep your clammy hands off the instruments! Any communication that's necessary,
I'll take care of. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Plug in your earphones or not as you choose, but don't put on throat mikes. I don't want you fouling up
the circuits."

Amos's face was burning, but he clenched his teeth and said, "Yes, sir."

The captain reached into an elasticized pocket beside his chair and pulled out a plastic bag. He dropped
it to Amos. "Put it on."

"I've had free fall, sir," Amos protested. "I won't need, this."

"You have, eh? How much?"

"Almost seven minutes."

"Eighty seconds at a time in a Keplerian orbit! Nuts! This time you'll get four hours just as a starter. Put it
on! That's an order."

Slowly Amos slipped the elastic behind his helmet and fitted the plastic ring over his mouth. It wasn't
enough to come through the Academy. He had to prove himself all over again.

"Engineer?"

"Engineer check-off complete."

"Navigator?"

"Navigator check-off complete."

"Co-pilot?"

"Co-pilot check-off complete."

"Radio op and captain's check-off complete. Thirty seconds to blast-off."

"You were a little rough on the kid, Skipper,"

"He can't learn any younger. Or much older, either. Twenty-five seconds."

Amos twisted his head and looked out the unshielded windows of the canopy.Forget it, he told himself.
There is always a Queeg. The services lured them, fed them, made them strong. Nowhere else