"James P. Hogan - Leapfrog" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hogan James P)

bounding the smoother volcanic plain of Chryse Planitia. Although he
knew where to look, he could see no indication of the main base down
there. He picked out the channels emerging from the escarpment, where
volcanic heating had melted some of the underground ice that had
existed in an earlier age, causing torrential floods to pour out across
the expanse of Chryse, which lay about a kilometer lower.
An announcement from the overhead speakers broke his mood of
reverie. тАЬAttention please. The shuttle to MARSMOS is now ready for
boarding. Arrivals holding disembarkation cards ninety-three through
one hundred twenty should proceed through to the docking area. Ninety-
three through one hundred twenty, to the docking port now.,,
Halloran rose and picked up his briefcase and a bag containing
other items that he wanted to keep with him until the personal baggage
caught up with them later. As he shuffled forward to join the flow of
people converging toward the door, a voice spoke close behind him. тАЬIt
looks as if weтАЩre on the same trip across, Ed.тАЭ He looked
around. Ibrahim and Anna, a young Egyptian couple, were next in line.
тАЬI guess so,тАЭ Halloran grunted. Ibrahim was an electronics
technician, his wife a plant geneticist. They were both impatient to
begin their new lives. Why two young people like these should be so
eager and excited about coming to a four-thousand-mile ball of frozen
deserts, Halloran couldnтАЩt imagine. Or maybe he couldnтАЩt remember.
тАЬWeтАЩll be going straight down from the station.тАЭ Ibrahim gestured
toward Anna; she smiled a little shyly. тАЬThe doctors want her to adapt
to surface conditions as soon as possible.тАЭ
AnnaтАЩs pregnancy had been confirmed early in the voyage. Although
the baby wouldnтАЩt be the first to be born on Mars, it would be one of a
very select few. The knowledge added considerably to IbrahimтАЩs already
exuberant pride of first fatherhood.
тАЬIt may be a while before I see you again, then, eh?тАЭ Halloran
said. тАЬBut I wouldnтАЩt worry about not bumping into each other again.
ItтАЩs not as if there are that many places to get lost in down there
yet.тАЭ
тАЬI hope it wonтАЩt be too long,тАЭ Ibrahim said. тАЬIt was good getting
to know you. I enjoyed listening to your stories. Good luck with your
job here.тАЭ
тАЬYou too. And take good care of Anna there, dтАЩyou hear.тАЭ
They moved out through the mess doorway, into a gray-walled
corridor of doors separated by stretches of metal ribbing. Byacheslav,
one of the Russian construction engineers, moved over to walk beside
Halloran as they came to the stairway leading up to the next deck,
where the antechamber to the docking port was located. He was one of
the relatively few older members of the groupтАФaround HalloranтАЩs age.
тАЬWell, Ed . . . it would be two years at least before you saw
Earth again, even if you changed your mind today.тАЭ
тАЬI wasnтАЩt planning on changing my mind.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs a big slice out of whatтАЩs left of life when you get to our
end of it. No second thoughts?тАЭ
тАЬOh, things get easier once youтАЩre over the hump. What happens
when you get over the top of any hill and start going down the other