"Michael McCollum - Gibraltar earth" - читать интересную книгу автора (McCollum Michael)

atmospheric drag.

Like everyone else, Lisabeth Arden paused at the viewport in the non-rotating station hub as she exited
the transfer tube. Arden was petite blonde with a permanent tan and green eyes. Beyond the armor glass,
the Earth slid quickly beneath them, a vast blue circle too large to encompass in a single glance. The
station was just passing over the eastern coast of Ecuador. The South Atlantic stretched clear to the limb
of the planet, with the Ivory Coast of Africa still fifteen minutes away over the curving horizon. The usual
bands of clouds were dominated by a large spiral formation that was the beginning of a tropical storm.
Directly beneath them, the thin white contrails of aircraft marked the air route between Lima and
Kinshasa.

Lisa was a professor of linguistics at the Multiversity of London. She had arrived at her office half an hour
late that morning, not having gotten to sleep until the early morning hours before dawn. The first thing she
noticed when she powered up her work screen was a summons to the chancellorтАЩs office. The muttered
oath that accompanied the discovery was one that had come down unchanged from Anglo-Saxon times.

As she hurried down the hall toward the lift, she ran over in her mind all of the possible infractions that
might have earned her a visit to the chancellorтАЩs office. There had been that expense report she had
turned in for the seminar in Mombassa. Or possibly, she was over her budgeted allotment of time on the
universityтАЩs library net. Still, neither matter should be important enough to be called before Chancellor
Seaton.

тАЬCome in, Lisa,тАЭ Seaton said when she entered his office. тАЬHave a seat.тАЭ

тАЬThank you, sir.тАЭ

After sitting, she was surprised to note that Seaton appeared nervous. If so, she realized with a start, it
was the first time she had seen him that way. тАЬBefore we go any farther, Lisa, I need your word that what
I am about to say wonтАЩt go beyond this room.тАЭ

тАЬYou have it.тАЭ

тАЬThe Stellar Survey has asked me to recommend a linguist for a project they have going on in orbit.
Would you be interested?тАЭ

тАЬMe? In orbit? Whatever for?тАЭ

тАЬThey didnтАЩt give me the details. I can tell you that the World Coordinator has endorsed the request.
Whatever it is, you can expect that it will look good on your resume once you finish the job. It will also
reflect well on the university.тАЭ

тАЬWhy me?тАЭ she asked.

тАЬBecause tolerance for microgravity degrades with age and you are the youngest person in the
department. In addition, you are one of the best linguists I know. And, if you must have a third reason,
they said they preferred someone who is not married.тАЭ

тАЬWhat could they possibly want with a linguist?тАЭ Lisa mused, almost to herself. Then, when the comment
about her marital status sank in, тАЬJust how long will I be gone?тАЭ