"Jeffrey D. Kooistra - Dykstra's War" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kooistra Jeffrey D)

aliens out in the Oort cloud. They spook me, Chris. I was always taught that there probably weren't
many technological civilizations out in the Universe, maybe none besides us. If there were, we'd see
some kind of evidenceтАФDyson spheres, radio signals, something. But we never found anything like
that, not in more than a century of looking.

"And then just when the Universe looks empty they show up on Michaels's doorstep and blast their way
inside. They don't seem interested in communicating, they don'tтАФaw, hell, you'll just have to talk to
Michaels about it. He says they didn't do anything that made any sense."

After that Dykstra told the lieutenant about the old days: the Collapse, the excitement of the Moon Rush
days, the Belt War of Independence.

But not what it was like to be 126 years old. Dykstra didn't bring it up, and Nachtegall was tactful
enough not to ask.

***

"Luna City just off to the left, Chris."

"She's so much bigger now. Four more surface domes, dozens of connecting tunnelsтАФthe landing field
is three times bigger than the last time I was there. I've watched her grow through my telescope back
home." Dykstra smiled serenely. In some ways, this was "back home," too.

"We'll be grounding in ten minutes."


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 - Chapter 1


Smoothly the boat descended. They flew into the mouth of the artificial cave that was the berthing area
for the System Patrol small craft. Nachtegall set them down without a bump.

"All ashore that's going ashore," Nachtegall said.

They left the boat. Dykstra remembered to put his cane out first, using it to help him stand. "I see they
still keep System Patrol installations at one gee," he said.

"It keeps the troops in fighting form. You invented artificial gravity, too, right?" Nachtegall said.

"Yes. Paying for it now, though, aren't I?"

The man from the message was waiting. Dykstra recognized the major immediately.

"Professor Dykstra, greetings. I'm Major Moore. Welcome to the Moon."

"Thank you, Major. It's good to be here. But call me `Doctor.' "

Moore noticed the cane. "What's that?"