"Kelly,_James_Patrick_-_St._Theresa_of_the_Aliens" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kelly James Patrick)

"Come," Nicole said to me as Terry steered her toward the door. I sagged into a folding chair.
"Wake up, Crimmins, God damn it! Sam!" Laszlo's voice had been buzzing in my ear for some time.
"Yeah?"
"What the hell is going on?"
Instincts took over. "The aliens have bolted for the ship. Get a camera on it. I'm on my way."
I ran out of the building but did not stop at the truck. I could see two knots of people near the aliens' ship. The larger stood off about fifty yards, the smaller directly underneath the ship's exhaust port. They gathered around a fire truck with a raised hydraulic ladder. In the bucket a soldier with a laser torch was attacking the jump ship's hatch. As I approached Twisted Logic's amplified voice boomed across the field.
"WE REGRET YOUR PROBLEMS. NOW WE ASK THAT YOU CLEAR THE AREA SO THAT WE MAY REMOVE OURSELVES. PLEASE CLEAR THE AREA."
Those beneath the jump ship took the announcement as a cue to sit down. I was stunned to see that their number included not only Terry and the Purgers but also the three liason men from State, both of InfoLine's lawyers and even one of the scientists.
And Nicole.
I went first to the soldiers standing off to one side who were guarding the rest of my audience. "Listen," I said to a bemused captain, "you've got to move those people out of there. If that ship lifts off, they'll be incinerated."
His eyes glittered in the shadow of his helmet. "Orders are to leave 'em alone."
"That's my wife under there! Whose orders?"
"Orders."
"SCANNING SHOWS SIXTEEN HUMANS BENEATH THIS SHIP. WE WARN YOU TO MOVE IMMEDIATELY. CLEAR THE AREA TO A DISTANCE OF THIRTY METERS. MOVE IMMEDIATELY."
I broke away from the Guardsmen and sprinted to the ship. Two soldiers pursued me at a dogtrot. "Following you with the zoom, Sam," said Laszlo. "Is that what you want? General says his Defense Force boys are on the way. Should be great footage."
The Purgers seemed as calm as if they were on picnic. Maybe they thought the aliens were bluffing but I know at least one was perfectly prepared for martyrdom. "Get out." I could hardly breathe. "You think they'll just sit here while you cut your way in? Get out of here! Nicole!"
The soldiers grabbed me. "Let go, God damn it. She's my wife. Nicole!"
"Wait," she said and the soldiers obeyed. "Do you believe, Sam? If you believe you can stay." Terry glared at her.
"I believe in you. But you can't stay here, Nicole."
"It's not enough." She smiled but shook her head. "I love you."
"Sam," said Laszlo as the soldiers dragged me away, "get your ass out of there. The General has given the aliens permission to lift ..."
The two soldiers and I were flattened by the ignition of the jump ship's drive.
In the aliens' lightweight jump ships, lasers heat liquid hydrogen. As 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 Blessed Theresa of the Aliens?

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