"Michael McCollum - Antares 01 - Antares Dawn" - читать интересную книгу автора (McCollum Michael)

devolved to calling it тАЬVal.тАЭ

The Altan colony grew apace, although more slowly than SandarsonтАЩs World in the Hellsgate system. By
AltaтАЩs bicentennial year (2506 AD), it was beginning to look with longing toward the surrounding stars.
However, the Valeria system was one of those unlucky enough to possess only a single foldpoint. Altan
starships were thus forced to traverse the Napier system to reach either the Antares hub or its sister
colony in the Hellsgate system. In 2510, negotiations were begun with the New Providential government
to allow Altan ships unimpeded access to the Napier system. Two years later, with both governments
largely in agreement as to terms, the question of access became suddenly moot.

For, at 17:32 hours, 3 August 2512 (Universal Calendar), the Altan spacelinerVagabondTraveler
reported that its instruments could no longer detect the Val/Napier foldpoint at its charted position.
Survey ships were immediately dispatched. In a matter of weeks, they had confirmed the extent of the
catastrophe. For reasons that no one could explain with certainty, the sole foldpoint in the Valeria system
had ceased to exist. Alta was cut off from the rest of human space.

#

The Admiralty building was a large, unsightly pile of steel and glass left over from the first years after the
founding of the Altan colony. Drake and Wilson exited the limousine in front of the AdmiraltyтАЩs main
entrance, acknowledged the salutes of the guards on duty, and stepped briskly through armor-glass
doors into the spacious lobby beyond. The building had originally been constructed by the central
government of Earth for use as an embassy and ambassadorтАЩs residence. The familiar continental outlines
of the Mother of Men were still visible in the marble tile work of the floor.

The guard at the interior desk was less ceremonial than those at the entrance. He sat within an
armor-glass cubicle and required both of them to insert their identity disks into a slot in the cubicle wall.
A computer in a sub-basement consulted its files, concluded that they were who they said, and flashed a
green light on the guardтАЩs control panel. The guard saluted them as they retrieved their identification.
Wilson led Drake to an old elevator-style lift and ordered the car to the topmost floor. They soon found
themselves marching down a quiet hall between portraits of previous first admirals. Wilson stopped in
front of a heavy door carved from a single slab ofonyxwood , knocked, and was rewarded with a
muffled order to enter.

Beyond the door was First Admiral DardanтАЩs private office. The First Admiral was seated at his oversize
desk. His attention was focused on a small, white haired man who stood before a lighted holoscreen. At
the sight of Commodore Wilson entering through the door, the first admiral rose from his desk and
moved to greet the newcomers. His sudden movement caused the white haired lecturerтАЩs voice to trail off
into exasperated silence.

тАЬAh, Richard, good of you to come so quickly. May I present Professor Mikhail Planovich, Chairman of
the Astronomy Department at Homeport University.тАЭ Dardan guided Drake by the arm to where the
lecturer stood. тАЬThe professor was just starting to review what is known of the Antares Supernova for
us.тАЭ

тАЬPleased to meet you, Professor Planovich,тАЭ Drake said, shaking hands.

тАЬLikewise, Captain.тАЭ

Dardan pulled Drake toward a man who was slouched on the couch opposite the AdmiralтАЩs desk. He