"Harry Harrison - SSR 09 - The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to He" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

balance, liver function, hair-follicle growth and anything else that could be measured or assessed
was there.
"Speak! Tell!" I commanded and there was a rustle of electronic activity as the various
expert programs shuffled and sorted their input, compared and interacted and agreed on the results
in a speedy microsecond.
"The patient is concussed and contused." The computer-generated voice was deep, male and
reassuring. "The bruises are superficial and have been cleansed and sealed," there was a scurry of
flashing apparatus, "and the appropriate antibiotics injected."
"Bring her to!" I snapped
"If you mean, sir, that you wish the patient restored to consciousness that is now being
done." If a computer can sound miffed-this one was miffed.
"Whasha?" she muttered, blinking lovely purple eyes that were blurrily Out of focus.
"You've got to do better than that with her," I said. "Stimulants, something. I must talk


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to her."
"The patient has been traumatized.."
"But not badly-you told me that. Now get her to talk, you overpriced collection of memory
chips or I'll short-circuit your ROM, PROM and EPROM!"
This seemed to do the job. Her eyes blinked again and looked at me.
"Jim..."
"In the flesh, Rowena my sweet. You're going to be fine. Now tell me about Angelina."
"Gone.", she said. And fluttered her luxurious eyelashes.
I felt my teeth grating together and forced a smile.
"You said that before. Gone where? Gone why? Gone when-" I shut up since I was getting
into a rut.
"The Temple of Eternal Truth...", was all that she said as her eyes closed again. It was
enough.
I shouted to the housebot as I bolted out the door.
"Cure her. Guard her. Call an ambulance."
I did not mention the police since I didn't want their flatfooted presence interfering
with my investigation.
"Switch on!" I shouted to the atomcycle as I jumped into the garage. "Door open!"
I landed in the saddle, hit full power and tore off the bottom half of the garage door, it
wasn't opening fast enough, as we burst through it. I managed to miss a strolling couple on the
pavement, shot between two vehicles and roared down the road, Shouting into the atomcycle's phone
since it would be nice to know where I was going.
"Adlufo. Emergency access. The Temple of Eternal Truth- coordinates."
A street map was projected onto the now-cracked windscreen and I screeched tires around
the first corner. As I straightened out I saw that the com light was blinking. It could only be an
answer to my emergency call since only Angelina, James or Bolivar could access this number after
that call went out.
"Angelina is that you?!" I shouted. "Bolivar here. What's up, Dad?"
I explained briefly and curtly, then repeated myself when James signed on. I had no idea
where they were-I would find out later-but it was enough to know that they were informed and on
the way. This was the first time we had used the 666 call. Major emergency. Drop everything and
assemble. I had set it up when they had left home and both gone their individual ways. To help