"Edward M. Lerner - Part I of IV - A New Order of Things" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lerner Edward M)

This was going to be an energy guzzling, powered-all-the-way flight. Art had been promised they would
hold the acceleration to one gee for a day to give his broken arm a fighting chance at healing. After that
they would step up the pace.
Between interruptions, he established Eva was a theoretical physicist, investigating interstellar-drive
technology, and Keizo was a xenosociologist. Art queried for their publications and anything else the
ship's AI could find before their high-energy boost made infosphere retrieval an expensive interplanetary
transfer. They retreated to personal studies until the PA system stopped blaring.
****
Barnard's Star (local: K'rath): Earth's second closest interstellar neighbor, after Alpha Centauri. A dim
red dwarf, Barnard's Star went undiscovered despite its proximity until 1916. Its two planets somewhat
resemble Mars and a ringless Saturn.

While red dwarves are inhospitable to life due to their feeble energy output, Barnard's Star is a
recognized exception. The major satellite of its sole gas-giant planet sustains not only a viable ecosystem
but also intelligent life. This habitable body is called K'vith by its dominant species (see related entry,
Snakes).

K'vith benefits from the confluence of three factors. First, K'vith is a moon of a planet, K'far, that orbits
very near to its sun. Second, the K'vithian atmosphere provides a pronounced greenhouse effect. Third,
K'far induces tremendous tidal effects; the energy coupling manifests itself through strong oceanic
movements and active volcanism. Volcanic gases originated and continue to reinforce the greenhouse
effect.

K'rath is at least ten billion years old, more than twice the age of Sol. K'rath--and hence its planets--are
consequently poor by human standards in heavy elements. Compared to Earth, K'vith is also low on
solar-energy input for the vegetative base of its food chainand high on geological stresses. K'vith's
energy--and resource-constrained biosphere is, by terrestrial norms, undiverse and underpopulated.
These environmental limitations are generally thought reponsible for the comparatively slow evolution of
life and civilization in the K'rath system.

--Internetopedia
****
"Watch out for that truck!" Art said.

Head swiveling in confusion, Eva half stumbled off, half was propelled off, her treadmill. She landed,
totally without grace, on Art. They tumbled to the floor.

She'd probably been jogging on autopilot, her attention somewhere in the infosphere. The treadmill
monitor's scenic display had shown a truck approaching on an intersecting road. Had she even noticed?
"That wasn't nearly as amusing as I'd hoped."

Climbing back to her feet, Eva gave a wry grin. "Are you okay?"

He sat on the deck, rubbing the arm newly out of its cast. "Just embarrassed. Sorry."

She gave him a hand up. "Don't do that again."

"No chance of that."