"Alexander Jablokov - Deep Drive" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jablokov Alexander)

OPM 10 987654321

To Mary and Simon, one who aided, and one who, by his arrival, joyfully hindered, the completion of
this book.

Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Jim Kelly, for this succinct title, and for the inspiration for Elward's walk among the
stars; Richard Butner, whose lecture on the emotional economics of eight-track collecting inspired the
pass,-tech posse; and the members of the Cambridge Science Fiction Workshop: David Smith, Sarah
Smith, Steve Popkes, Kelly Link, Felicity Savage, Sari Boren, Pete Chvany, and, again, Jim Kelly, for
monstrous editorial work.

One
1
Success often depends on the screwups of the competition, Soph thought as she examined the dark bulk
of the spaceship Argent. The Argent had beaten Soph's team to Venus by more than a month but still
hung in orbit, silhouetted against the protective dust clouds, farther from its goal than ever.

"Her second atmospheric shuttle is gone. Just like you said." Kun took a moment from his contemplation
of the dust charts that floated around his head to examine the Argent. Soph wished he would leave that
to her. Getting them safely to the surface should have been his sole concern.

"Yes." Soph didn't bother to tell him that it had been her irritating ex-husband, Lightfoot, who had told
her that the Argent's second atmospheric shuttle would be down on the surface ahead of them, probably
at their intended destination. She hoped that didn't mean she'd have to reevaluate all the other things he
had told her.

"Shit!" Kun took her mind off the Argent.

"Ah, that's not the kind of thing you like to hear your pilot say." Soph loosened her grip on her crash
cocoon's webbing.
2 Alexander Jablokov

"Shit." Kun wiped his bald head. "This chart's a goddam liar!"

Venus's dust clouds swirled around his head. They blocked sunlight, keeping the Venusian surface
human-habitable, and also protected the planet from intrusion by unauthorized vessels. Aside from these
space reefs, Venus's orbital interception capability was limited, under treaties dating back to the first
human settlement of the planet, centuries before.

"Tell me again how much you and Kammer saved by buying the cheaper version of the bootleg chart,"
Soph said.

"Never mindтАФ"

The landing craft bucked. The cabin walls grew hot from dust friction. Soph heard the other team
members muttering and cursing behind her.

All three of Kammer and Kun's craft were surplus Jupiter system gear. Soph and seven other members