"The Sails Of Tau Ceti" - читать интересную книгу автора (McCollum Michael)

can we learn from it?Ф
УWeТll learn how aliens build light sails, for one thing. If an anthropologist
can reconstruct the whole history of a prehistoric people from a few pottery
shards, just think what they will be able to do with a light sail to study. You
people are going to make it happen! There is not a ship in the system with
one-tenth ofStarhopper Тs speed. Without it, weТd have to watch in frustration
as the sail zipped right past us.Ф
УThen what you are saying, my ex-love, is that I made the right decision when I
went for that interview?Ф
She had meant the comment as a jibe. To her surprise, the expected witty
rejoinder did not materialize. Both of them sat without speaking for a long
time.
For her part, Tory tried to analyze why she had reacted the way she had. Ben was
right. Normally shewould have been ecstatic at the prospect of examining an
alien artifact. Her negative reaction had possibly been an unconscious response
to the unfairness of it all.
What a cruel joke for God to play on those poor unknowns who had died with their
exploding sun. They must have known that another intelligent race inhabited Sol,
a mere 12 light years off. Yet, with both species on the verge of a technology
that would have made contact a certainty, Tau Ceti had exploded, snuffing out
billions of intelligent minds in a single instant. What if it had been the sun
that had gone nova rather than Tau Ceti? Would some alien be sitting in a bar on
his distant world at this very moment, contemplating the lost bipeds of Sol III?
Whatwere the chances of two races at nearly equal technology levels springing up
so close together, and at the same moment in history? For a long moment, Tory
toyed with the idea of overriding her implantТs safety interlocks and posing the
question to the Olympus city computer. She resisted the urge. Compared with
operating an implant, driving a groundcar under the influence of alcohol was an
exercise in caution.
УThere you are!Ф
Tory and Ben Stalling both turned around at the shouted accusation. Dardan
Pierce was striding purposefully in their direction. If anything, his look was
even stranger than the one he had worn in his office earlier in the evening.
УHello, Dard. Drink?Ф
УWeТve been looking all over for you two. Why arenТt you on the net? Never mind,
I see why.Ф
УBen and I wanted to talk. WeТve a lot of catching up before I head back to
Phobos tomorrow.Ф
УNot tomorrow and probably not for the rest of the week.Ф
УWhatТs happened?Ф
УSadibayan received an emergency flash from Earth. Two hours ago the light sail
lit up like a Christmas tree.Ф
УLit up?Ф
УBegan emitting blue-white light with a black body radiation curve equivalent to
5000░K. It is also emitting charged protons at relativistic velocity.Ф
УHuh?Ф
УSo far as we can tell,Ф Pierce continued, Уsomeone is ionizing hydrogen atoms
and then using a very strong electrical charge to repel them away from the
sail.Ф
УWhy would they want to do that?Ф