"Zach Hughes - Pressure Man" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hughes Zach)

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Zach Hughes
being allowed to pass. The base was near. He could see, off to his right, the
profile of a,low building. He inched forward to be in position to use the
auto's feeble acceleration when he was given the go-ahead to pass, bringing
the hood of his vehicle under the overhanging boom of the crane.
The operator of the transport seemed to be deaf. He leaned out the window and
yelled, blowing his'horn. He checked the shoulder, to see if he could pull off
and pass on the right. He caught a flash of motion out of the comer of his
eye.
On a scale of ten his reaction time was a ten plus. It wag one of his
best-known abilities, his quickness. More than once lightning reflexes, had
served him well, and they served him again as he slammed on the brakes,
rocking the old vehicle on its worn shocks. At the. same time, foot still
pressed'on the brake, he threw himself to his right and hit the floorboard
just as the falling boom of the crane crushed the flimsy roof. The auto was
being dragged forward as the crane transport continued to move. There was a
grinding sound as metal folded and tore. Smoke came from the locked tires of
the auto. It went on for perhaps thirty seconds before the boom pulled off the
crushed roof to bend the hood. The cooling fan clanked against metal. The
engine sputtered and died. The tar was motionless.
He sighed and relaxed. Then 'he was jolted as the drone earthmover behind
him rammed the car, contin- ,ued pushing until the car slewed sideways to the
blade of the earthmover. He could hear the car falling to pieces. There was a
scrape of protesting metal and another jolt as the forward motion stopped, the
auto rammed up under the boom against the rear of the crane transport,
crushed, heldtightly.
Once again he relaxed. He was alive. He was lying in a constricted space,
the.roof of the car pushed down
PRESSURE MAN 5
bottom, the sides pushed in toward him. He escaping methane and felt a
tighteningof every in his body, but when seconds passed without
he tried to peek through a tiny slit which once been a window. He heard
movement outside.
ass shards on his face and he was afraid to eyes lest he cause glass splinters
to,fall from d eyebrows into them.
all right?" a voice asked, from outside the" hed vehicle.
gas is leaking," he yelled. "Get some foam on. crate.
teps moved away, not fast. He had a piece of "P, Jagged metal punching into
his back. He tried i move
ease it. He was not badly hurt. He could move legs, carms his back, his neck.
Part of the seat back was on
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f him, He pushed on it until he could see out of. slit of crushed window. He
heard footsteps co 9
"Get some foam on this wreck before it blows," he
He could see legs in blue work pants and service oes. The man was standing
quite near.
"Yeah, just take it easy," the voice said. He heard a clank, a loud hiss. He
froze. Gas was now escaping rapidly from the tank at the rear. And there