"Antares - 02 - Antares Passage" - читать интересную книгу автора (McCollum Michael)

When Antares exploded on 3 August 2512, the immediate effects were felt far
beyond the confines of the Antares system. The release of so concentrated a
burst of energy jolted the very fabric of space-time; and with it, the structure
of foldspace for hundreds of light-years in every direction. In some systems,
foldpoints underwent radical changes of position, while in others; foldpoints
appeared where none had previously existed. In still other star systems,
preexisting foldpoints disappeared without a trace.
The F8 dwarf star known as Valeria had been doubly unlucky. Situated 125
light-years from Antares, the Val system was what foldspace astronomers called a
cul-de-sac, a star with but a single foldpoint. When Antares exploded, Valeria's
foldpoint had simply disappeared. Thus, it was that the human colony on Valeria
IV (Alta to its inhabitants) had found itself isolated from the rest of human
space for a century and a quarter. Then, early in the year 2637 (Universal
Calendar), Antares had burned bright in the Altan sky, signaling the arrival of
the leading edge of the nova shockwave. Simultaneous with the passage of the
nova shockwave, Valeria's foldpoint had reappeared high in the system's northern
hemisphere.
#
"What's this?" Drake asked Bethany, gesturing toward the display.
"Part of the government's 'Know Thy Enemy' campaign," she replied. "They've got
them in most public places. Push the button and it will spew out all manner of
interesting facts. Here, listen.Ф As she spoke, she stepped forward and pressed
a stud that jutted from the base of the holocube. The image came to life and
seemed to peer down at them. At the same time, a sonorous voice began to speak.
"The creature you see before you, sir or madam, is a Ryall, and the mortal enemy
of all humanity..."
The image in the holocube was that of a creature designed along the lines of a
six-legged centaur. The legs were short, less than half-a-meter in length, and
culminated in wide pad like feet. Their shortness was amply compensated for by
the creature's forebody Ц a vertical torso topped by a long, flexible neck that
carried the alien's head to the height of a man's. The head was wide at the
back, showing considerable cranial bulge, and narrow at the front where a toothy
snout jutted forward some fifteen centimeters. The eyes were set wide apart,
such that the creature had trouble looking straight ahead. In the hologram, its
head was cocked to one side, as though scanning the faces of passersby. The
mouth was partially open, showing two rows of conical teeth and a triply forked
tongue. On top of the head were two flaps of skin stretched taut by rigid, spike
like projections. Of nostrils or any equivalent, there was no sign.
Two heavily muscled arms attached to the forebody at the same point as the neck.
The creature's hands consisted of four slender fingers flanked by two opposable
thumbs. At the opposite end of the main body, a meter-long tail dragged the
ground. The Ryall's hide was scaled, the scales shading from gray-green on top
to light beige beneath.
The lecturing voice continued. "... Although the Ryall bear a passing
resemblance to both terrestrial and Altan reptiles, they are neither. Indeed,
they do not fit particularly well into any of our normal taxonomic categories.
They are warm-blooded and the females suckle the young Ц although on a mixture
of blood and nutrients rather than milk. In spite of these mammal-like traits,
they also lay eggs. Note the vestigial webs between the fingers of each hand,
and again between the short digits on the feet. The Ryall evolved as aquatic