"L. E. Modesitt - Timedivers -Timegods - 03 - Timegods' World" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

pale blue of a scientist. The severity of her hair and clothing hinted at the age she might
have been. The smoothness of her complexion and the pale fairness of her skin indicated
an age far younger than the expression in her eyes or the position which she held in the
scientific hierarchy.
She sighed so softly that the expression was nearly soundless as she pressed the stud
which put the computer system on standby. Just as soundlessly, she rose and stood
before the darkened console, her eyes sweeping over the equipment for a last time, as if
such a search could uncover the key she continued to seek.

Her steps were light, but slow, as they whispered her departure from the small modest
office on an afternoon when most others had celebrated the holiday proclaimed by the
emperor.
 VI
ALL THE ANOMALIES centre here." The technician pointed to a circled area on the
screen. "The general direction of movement is toward the planetary southwest--right
along that line."

The officer frowned and gestured toward a series of triangles farther along in the direction
outlined by the technician. "I assume those represent our planetary stocks."

"Just what we have there, sir."

"How much metal and support gear there?"

"About six months' worth. That's an estimate."

"And if whatever these things are freeze that, we lose six months of production
equipment?"

"More than that. Don't forget we had to soft-land all of that, and we lost two of the landers
doing it."

"Verlyt!" For a time, the slender man studied the screen and the gradual motions, and the
abrupt temperature drops. Then he pointed again. "What's here, if anything?"

"That's the break between the two networks."

"Could we direct the equatorial laser and the microwave collector to focus on that point
when the sensors indicate that's where these . . . these . . ."

"Frost Giants is what the recon types call them."

". . . things . . . these things are centred?"

"You want to fry them when they hit that point?"

"That's the idea. We can get plenty of energy from the orbital stations. What we don't have
is more equipment, and for some reason that's exactly what your Frost Giants are
interested in freezing."