"George R. R. Martin - A Peripheral Affair" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

Some ships were transferred away to fight in newer wars. Others were
decommissioned and never replaced. Only a trickle of new ships were sent out to the
Periphery to aid the aging starspiders.

The Periphery became a backwater. It remained a turbulent border region where a
dozen species met and mingled and fleets of merchantmen plied their trade. But no
longer was it the front lines. The explorers and the adventurers had moved on to
greener planets and blacker skies.

And then one day a light flashed red at Alliance Sector Headquarters on New
Victory. Somewhere out between the stars one of the strands in the web had broken.

Or so it seemed.
****

The monitor room was large and circular, and the holomap in its center was a pit of
darkness. From the command catwalk built around the room the men on duty could
look down into a mock void where the stars of the Periphery glittered in miniature,
and smaller green pinpoints of light scuttled endlessly. The monitor panels
themselves lined the walls up on the catwalk; banks of gleaming duralloy and steady
green lights.

But now one light had gone red, and one of the pinpoints had blinked out down in the
holomap.

Fleet Admiral Jefferson Mandel, the sector commandant, was notified at once, and he
strode onto the catwalk almost eagerly. He was a short, bull-like man, with narrow
dark eyes and a shining bald head. A row of multicolored ribbons danced on the chest
of his dull black uniform while the silver galaxies of his rank spiraled on his
shoulders.

His mouth was set grimly when he located the lieutenant in charge of the monitor
room. тАЬWhat is it?тАЭ he snapped.

тАЬIt's a red light, sir,тАЭ the lieutenant replied. He pointed.

Admiral Mandel looked at him sternly. тАЬI realize that, Lieutenant. What does it
mean?тАЭ

The lieutenant shrugged. тАЬIt probably means the monitor computer is out of order.
We're checking that now.тАЭ

Mandel looked displeased at that. He glared at the red light, glared at the lieutenant,
and put his hands on his hips. тАЬLet's assume the computer is functioning properly. In
that case, what does this red light mean?тАЭ

тАЬIn that case, sir, one of our scouts has been destroyed,тАЭ the lieutenant answered
calmly. тАЬBut that's hardly very likely.тАЭ