"Centauri, Arrival" - читать интересную книгу автора (Meier Sid)

"It is him!" said her Second. She nodded Ц the features were unmistakable. Somewhere in his domain, Executive Officer Yang, now Chairman Yang, stared unknowingly into one of their probe links. "The boss will want to know."
"A moment," she said. "Information is power, my datajack. And so we should ask ourselvesЕis this power we want to give?"
УTo simply bury it lacks subtlety,Ф her Second said with mild reproach.
She nodded. УVery true. They do not know our power, yet. But soonЕФ She looked up at him, her face bathed in the soft glow of her touchscreen. УI will flag it and pass it along the chain. But we will send it to the Underground as well. We may need it someday.Ф
Her Second nodded.


Episode 5, part 3

At the first shot, a tongue of flame ran from the sea up the side of the enemy ship, and as Snowfire watched more shots arced into the dark blot of the target. Now the whole ship burned, the red flames mirrored in the black waters. Snowfire lowered his weapon for a closer look.
УWe got it, S.F.!Ф exulted Hefferan, firing multiple pyro canisters with great accuracy.
УI know,Ф said Snowfire. УStillЕФ He lifted his farspecs and scanned the enemy carefully.
УStill what?Ф
УThe shape of the flamesЕitТs too boxy. And there have been no explosions from engines or fuel.Ф
УPerhaps it runs on shielded fuel cells. Or perhaps itТs aЕФ
УDecoy,Ф Snowfire said in a broken voice, then turned.
When the real ship emerged from the sea behind them, it came as a great shadow, outlined only by tiny pinpricks of silver-blue light. The ship was huge, far larger than SnowfireТs escort ship, and along its gunwales waited a mass of shadowy forms, bristling with weapons.
УWhy didnТt the pilot warn us?Ф shouted Snowfire. But Hefferan just stood mute, looking at the few remaining pyro canisters at his feet.
УSurrender your cargo!Ф shouted a voice from the ship, young and cocksure.
УPilot, run!Ф shouted Snowfire, and he took aim with his rifle as the larger ship drew closer. He shot, not at a person but at the railing they leaned against. His rifle shot exploded against a support and the whole railing pulled outward, the metal groaning, and several of the enemy fell outward and splashed into the darkened sea. Snowfire grinned in spite of himself.
УForward!Ф came a shout, the same voice as before, and Snowfire saw a wiry man lift one hand and fire a shot into the air. A flare arced up overhead, the trail of fire sputtering high and then bursting into white fire over their heads. For a moment all of the ships were illuminated, and Snowfire saw his attackers Ц men and women, in thrown-together outfits rather than uniforms, their faces hard and eager to kill. And at their front stood a man with long blonde hair tied back in a long ponytail and a scarred face.
That man led the charge, leaping down onto the escort ship. A burst of fire issued from the enemy ship and Snowfire braced, only to see a tongue of fire burn into the cargo ship, crippling it. Then the attackers were upon him, swarming across the deck of the escort, strong sea legs holding them steady.
This was a mistake, Snowfire had time to think. We never should have come by sea. This is their element.
Snowfire began firing but the attackers outnumbered them. He saw Hefferan raise his pyro cannon and aim it, but then their leader was in front of him. Snowfire saw the man take a massive swipe with his own heavy rifle, smashing into HefferanТs weapon and denting the barrel. The pyro canister misfired and exploded in HefferanТs hands, sending a burst of liquid fire back up his arms and into his face. Hefferan fell back, pools of fire running across his legs and then across the deck, burning the fallen.
Snowfire pulled a shredder pistol from his belt and fired at a scruffy brunette woman who tore ferociously into one of his people. He turned and ran around the cabin, trying to see how the cargo ship fared. Behind him he heard two more screams, both his own crew.
УSurrender,Ф came the calm, hard voice behind him. Snowfire whirled and lifted his pistol, only to find the wiry figure of the enemy leader against him, pressing his weapon hand aside. Then he felt cold metal in his ribcage.
УDonТt,Ф said Snowfire. One of the manТs eyes was gone, but the other stared at him with great intensity.
УWhy not?Ф
УI have to knowЕthe secrets of that.Ф He motioned to the cargo ship. УAnd youЕwho are you?Ф
The man smiled tightly. УI am Ulrik Svensgaard, a man who loves the sea.Ф
УYou mean a pirate,Ф said Snowfire, and tensed to make a lunge away from him.
Svensgaard nodded. УYes, a pirate,Ф he said, and Snowfire heard a bust of sound. An icy finger jabbed him in the ribs, followed by a warm fire and darkness.


Centauri: Arrival, Episode 6

Prokhor Zakharov felt the blood leave his face. He looked down at his hands, hands growing older with every passing day, and studied them for a moment.
They had lost the East Panel of the Alien Temple.
"I'm sorry, Provost," said Bortniansky, his concerned face coming over the quicklink. "I can not help but thinkЕwe should not have desecratedЕ"
"Desecration?" Zakharov felt the heat of anger return the blood to his face.
"No, not in a religious sense, of course, Provost. I meant that pulling apartЕ"
"We were careful," said Zakharov. "But not careful enough. The others obviously want the information in the alien structure more than I knew, and they have resources dedicated to getting them." He let out a deep breath.
"Provost, if I may. We can bring in better imaging equipment, and create near perfect replicas back at the University. I know you wanted the real thing, butЕ"
Zakharov cut him off. "Of course, of course. You will image the temple and transmit the data along a secure channel, to be changed daily. But I will do more. We must protect the structure." He looked at his hands again. "We need an ally in this. We need to guard the structure, and guard it with force."
"Yes, of course," said Bortniansky, and feared for the fate of his temple.

Episode 6, part 2

"The man is burning us again." Jellico's eyes burned as she watched dataclouds form and disperse on her touchscreen. Where other datatechs liked to surf the clouds and zoom into the smallest details, she liked the long view, the faraway view, where data moved like weather patterns and one could see the butterfly wing that became the hurricane. "He thinks he leads us."
"There are advantages to that, Jellico." Her Second stood behind her. She turned to look at his solid face, set now into a heavy frown.