"C. Sanford Lowe & G. David Nordley - The Small Pond" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lowe C Sanford)

тАЬGood morning, Liz. WhatтАЩs happened?тАЭ
Liz unloaded. тАЬI donтАЩt know what to do next,тАЭ she concluded.
Hilda appeared thoughtful. тАЬLook, Dr. Sarah Levine has changed her mind
about going to Lacaille 9352 to work on the fabrication and the launch of its
impactor for the BHP. YouтАЩre used to command and an expert in space resources.
Interested?тАЭ
Liz caught her breath in the thrill of the offer. Eleven light years away, at a
start-up interstellar colony, she would likely have a major role. Then she hesitated.
тАЬHilda, I donтАЩt work for people very well. IтАЩm, well, kind of bullheaded.тАЭ
Her older sister smiled knowingly, but instead replied, тАЬYouтАЩve led four
expeditions since you got into EarthтАЩs Solar System, all successful.тАЭ
тАЬWell, yes, but when I do an expedition, itтАЩs my show.тАЭ
Hilda looked pointedly into the camera. тАЬThatтАЩs what IтАЩm going to
recommend.тАЭ
Liz opened her mouth and couldnтАЩt close it. In charge of the whole show? No
boss, no politics? Eleven light years from Earth with nothing to do but make it
happen? She looked at her sister, excited, almost breathless. тАЬYouтАЩre kidding ...
YouтАЩre not kidding. You think IтАЩd have a shot?тАЭ
Hilda laughed. тАЬThat bullheadedness, along with your ability to improvise, is
probably just what we need. ThereтАЩs a man out there named Gunheim, former PM of
Queensland, given to grandiose schemes. HeтАЩll probably be in local politics out
there, and if he starts interfering, it will take a strong will to stand up to him. WeтАЩve
got a planning meeting in a few minutes, so IтАЩve got to go. Should I ask Tse Wen?тАЭ
Liz caught her breath. The responsibility would be huge; a monstrous
projectile of precisely the right mass would have to leave Lacaille 9352 at just the
right time and reach just the right velocity to meet the three other projectiles with
nanosecond precision at the experiment vertex. A small pond, yes. But she would be
the big fish in it. That excited her. And making the Black Hole Project happen would
be an exquisite revenge on that arrogant, disingenuous bastard, Dr. DeRoot. But...
тАЬHilda, we havenтАЩt had much time together.тАЭ
тАЬI know. But I may be heading out myself. DadтАЩs headed back to New
Antarctica; he and I have some issues to put behind us. The project needs a local
lead. There are other political problems, though. Sis, we have all eternity ahead of us.
LetтАЩs get together at New Antarctica when itтАЩs done. Maybe mom will come.тАЭ
Liz grinned. тАЬNow that would be interesting. Okay, IтАЩm in. If Tse Wen wants
me, IтАЩm ready.тАЭ
She signed off and touched the net. Any starships headed for Lacaille 9352
in the next year?
The C.E. Singer, Peter DeRoot commanding. It would leave Venus
Equilateral in eight months.
DeRoot? Any relation to the Director?
Brothers.
Probably irrelevant, Liz thought, but just bad luck if not. The Singer was her
only choice. She stored the information and turned to her apartment window. Gold
and pink clouds floated in the sky beyond the Ploshchad Ostrovskovo. She looked
to the northwest, toward the lands of the Vikings and of Nansen and Amundsen.
There was so much she hadnтАЩt taken time to see.
****
Chapter 2
 Between Sol and Lacaille 9352,