"James Patrick Kelly - St. Theresa of the Aliens" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kelly James Patrick)

the vaporized fuel is exhausted in one direction, the ship moves in the other.
Supposed to be very efficient. The takeoffs are not so spectacular as those of
our clumsy old chemical propellant rockets. Which is why I am alive today.
As it was I suffered second and some third degree burns from the blast.
I was bloodied by flying grit. I was deafened and I was very nearly
suffocated. Still I was not so stunned that I did not struggle up as soon as
the ship's roar faded to see what had happened to Nicole. Although I knew
nothing could have survived the direct force of the blast. Although I knew
...
I was wrong. Something stirred amidst the broken chunks of glazed
concrete. A pale something shook itself in that charred black circle. It
stood and staggered in my direction.
For a moment I thought it was Nicole.
Terry was naked. Every hair on her body had been scorched down to the
follicle. Her skin was so white that it seemed to glow. Yes, even on the
telelink tapes -- you can see it for yourself. I doubt she could see me. Her
eyes were covered with a milky film. I do not know how she could walk. As
she came closer I tried to stand but could not. So I dragged myself. Away
from her, do you understand? The fire truck had been reduced to slag.
She should have been dead.
She was less than than ten yards away when she stumbled and dropped to
her knees. She raised her ruined eyes to heaven and cried out. I was there.
I heard her -- just barely. I saw her face. It was not a cry of triumph, as
most will tell you. It was a cry of horror. "I have seen the face of God,"
she said. "The terrible face of the Lord."
She collapsed onto the runway. By the time the soldiers got to her,
she was dead. I believe she died knowing that she was damned for the sin of
pride. If there is a God, He choses His martyrs; they may not choose
themselves.
Dead. If this were just a memoir, I would end it here. But the story
must go on even though the main characters are dead. Even though those that
are left do not much care to continue. Although the Purgers intended to win
the debate and use it as propaganda, it was primarily a way for them to
capture a jump ship. Once their ruse was discovered, they were prepared to
act instantly. They now claim that the break-in was intended to be
non-violent, although I do not know how they could have entered the aliens'
environment without doing some harm to someone. They wanted to unmask the
aliens' true form in the hope that it would prove to be monstrously grotesque,
and that world opinion would then rally in horror to the Purge. They also
wanted to capture and dismantle one of the aliens' artificial bodies. It is
less clear whether they planned their martyrdom. Obviously they were prepared
for it; I think that Terry wanted it.
When the tape of that afternoon was released, as it had to be, Terry
had her victory. It is a moot point now, but even if we could convince the
aliens to trust us again, the Purgers probably have the votes to expel them.
America has got religion again. Anyone with any brains has already started to
learn Russian. Is that bad? The aliens say there are no such things as good
and bad. The goddamned aliens who incinerated Nicole and my life.
I know I must tell all this to the priests from Rome. I know it will
probably make no difference. Dear God, hear my prayer! Do we really deserve