"Edmond Hamilton - Captain Future 26 - Earthmen No More" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hamilton Edmond)

he said. "Not all that time, all those
generations. No, it's not true."
"It is."
"But it can't be ..." His voice trailed off.
The numbers on the pad, the awful sum of
years blurred and darkened before him.
Once more he began to tremble and this
time it was for fear of life, not of death.
"Why did you bring me back?" he
whispered. "I have no place here. I'm still
a dead man."
BRUPTLY, from beyond the closed
bulkhead door, there came the sound
of footsteps. Strange steps, ponderous and
clanking, as though someone enormously
heavy walked in metal boots. Curt Newton
turned his head sharply.
"Grag!" he called. "Hold on there.
Wait!"
The footsteps hesitated and a voice from
beyond the door said mockingly, "I told
you so. What do you want to do, frighten
the poor chap out of his wits?" The voice
had a peculiar soft sibilance of tone.
It was answered by a rumbling metallic
growl, an utterly unhuman sound, that
seemed to have words in it. Carey got up.
He clung to the edge of the surgeon's table,
fighting the weakness that was on him, his
eyes fixed on the bulkhead door.
"Carey," said Curt Newton, "things
have changed and science has come a long
way. There are three others aboard this
ship besides myself. They're not--well, not
quite human, as men of your day
understood the term. Even now, in our
time, they're unique, created by techniques
far beyond the general knowledge. But you
must not be afraid of them. They're my
friends and will be yours."
A chill came over Carey, creeping into
his bones. He continued to stare at the
door. What waited behind it, what
monstrous things--not quite human, not
quite human. The words repeated
themselves in his brain, scuttling across it
like spiders spinning icy webs, tightening
until he could barely hear Newton's voice
talking on.
"Robot..." Faintly the voice came and