"Evan Innes - America 2040 02 - Golden World" - читать интересную книгу автора (Innes Evan)

Grace was standing by at a computer terminal. After a bad start, when GraceтАЩs menagerie of robotic
entities had thoroughly annoyed the chief engineer, heтАЩd come to respect her more than any other person
heтАЩd ever known. There were times when he wondered which he liked most about her: her intuitive
intelligence or her mature beauty.

тАЬYou look like you could use a drink,тАЭ he growled, as the clock counted off the seconds, and around
him, the engine-room servomechanisms clicked and hummed in readiness.

тАЬI feel as if I need a drink,тАЭ Grace said.

Rosen was a tall, thin, dark, strong-nosed, wiry-haired Jew. His heavy beard gave him a five-oтАЩclock
shadow all day long, and his black hair was just beginning to be peppered with gray. On him it looked
almost distinguished. HeтАЩd worked with Harry Shaw from the beginning in the development of the Shaw
Drive, which propelled the starship through time and space.

In contrast to MaxтАЩs disheveled state, Grace Monroe looked as if sheтАЩd spent the past few hours with a
makeup, hair care, and fashion expert instead of at MaxтАЩs side as they checked the computations again
and again.

Grace was in her mid fifties. Her mature, full-bodied beauty was set off by her mauve suit, accented at
the throat by a paisley scarf. Once, when sheтАЩd entered RosenтАЩs engineering sector dressed impeccably,
he had growled, тАЬDonтАЩt you have any work clothes?тАЭ

тАЬThese are my work clothes,тАЭ sheтАЩd told him. Max sighed, wished for that drink, then looked down as
something rubbed at his shin. The thing was catlike in appearance. In fact, Cat, one of GraceтАЩs robotic
creations, had been experimenting of late in growing hair, and the attempt had not been totally successful.
Cat looked to Max like a blue Tinkertoy feline with hog bristles protruding from its odd, elastic body,
composed of material that Dr. Monroe had developed when she was head of Research and
Development at Transworld Robotics, Inc. back on Earth.

тАЬDamned Cat,тАЭ Max growled, but there was no fury there, as there once had been. True to GraceтАЩs
design objective, Cat had pulled the ship out of the fire for them, almost literally, by altering its shape to
allow for close-quarters repairs of the rocket-firing system when theSpirit of America was falling rapidly
into a sun.

The digital clock now showed less than one minute to go when Captain RodrickтАЩs voice came over the
communicator. тАЬChief, any problem if we go on hold for thirty minutes?тАЭ

Rosen looked at Grace, agony on his features, wondering what had gone wrong.

тАЬItтАЩs just that the light isnтАЩt right down below,тАЭ Chief Rodrick said.

Rosen snarled and rolled his eyes helplessly. He knew that a filming crew was on the planetтАЩs surface,
waiting to record theSpirit of America тАШs landing for posterity.

тАЬNo problem,тАЭ he said, but his face showed disagreement. Putting off the landing to wait for better light
for recording the event didnтАЩt rate a very high priority with him.

Grace laughed and began punching buttons. Rosen put the retro-firing on hold, then took GraceтАЩs arm
and said, тАЬI offered you a drink.тАЭ