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

УThe problem is political. Pierce demanded that he be allowed to choose a member
of the crew other than Miss Bronson. That was his price for allowing us to take
over theStarhopper .Ф
УIТm surprised he didnТt demand to go himself.Ф
Sadibayan smiled, as though he had just thought of a joke. УPlease, Captain,
donТt give him any ideas.Ф
УWhat about the fourth crewman?Ф
УThat would be the linguist. We are searching for a qualified individual right
now. Any suggestions?Ф
УIТd like the opportunity to review the candidates before any offers are made.Ф
УOf course, Captain.Ф
УWhat about someone to negotiate with the aliens once we get there?Ф
УUnless weТre allocated another berth, IТm afraid that job will fall to you,
Captain Van Zandt. Think you can handle it?Ф
УI can try. What other modifications are they making to the corvette?Ф
Sadibayan listed several systems that were being upgraded for the long journey.
Among these wereStarhopper Тs twin computers that were being installed in the
corvetteТs Number One hold. A large microwave communications antenna was being
anchored to the shipТs hull.
УWhy microwave?Ф Van Zandt asked. УA comm laser is a lot more efficient across
that sort of distance.Ф
УA comm laser looks too much like a weapon. One powerful enough to punch a
message from beyond Pluto also would be good at carving on the alien ship.Ф
УIt doesnТt really matter, I suppose,Ф Van Zandt mused. УWeТll be too far out
for two way communications anyway.Ф
УIt isnТt for conversations. We want a continuous broadcast of your approach to
the alien.Ф
УIn case they destroy us, you mean.Ф
Sadibayan nodded. УThat would be most unfortunate.Ф
УI would call it a major tragedy.Ф
The subminister was unsmiling as he shook his head. УIt will only be a major
tragedy, Captain, if they destroy you and we donТt learn how it was done.Ф

CHAPTER 5

Moscow has its St. BasilТs Cathedral; Paris, the Eiffel Tower; and San
Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge. Every great city possesses its signature
monument or architectural masterpiece, a symbol by which it is known. Olympus,
Mars, was no exception. The structure that symbolized the Martian capital rose
two full kilometers above the northernmost rim of the volcanoТs caldera. Its
builders had dubbed it the Adverse Weather Communications Facility. Everyone
else called itThe Aerie .
Communications between the surface and the orbital relay satellites were via
comm laser. No other transmission medium had the bandwidth to handle the
necessary volume of information. In the early days of the colony, dust storms
had blotted out the visible light lasers for weeks and even months at a time.
The colony had been forced to fall back on radio circuits, which were themselves
none too reliable in the spring and fall when the Martian dust was blowing.
Because the rim of Olympus Mons was already some 25 kilometers above the
arbitrary Уzero elevationФ line that substituted for sea level on Mars, the