"Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle - Reflex" - читать интересную книгу автора (Niven Larry)

Colvin leaned back in his comfortable chair and looked around his cabin. It was
too comfortable. Even the captainтАФespecially the c├бptain!тАФhad little to do but putter
with his personal surroundings, and Colvin had done all he could think of.
It was worse for the crew. They fought, distilled liquor in hidden places, gambled
for stakes they couldnтАЩt afford, and were bored. It showed in their discipline. There
wasnтАЩt any punishment duty either, nothing like cleaning heads or scrubbing pots, the
duties an Imperial skipper might assign his crewmen. Aboard Defiant it would be
make-work, and everyone would know it.
He was thinking about another drink when an alarm trilled.
тАЬCaptain here,тАЭ Colvin said.
The face on the viewscreen was flushed. тАЬA ship, sir,тАЭ
the Communications officer said. тАЬCanтАЩt tell the size yet, but definitely a ship
from the red star.тАЭ
ColvinтАЩs tongue dried up in an instant. HeтАЩd been right all along, through all
these months of waiting,-and the flavor of.being right was not pleasant. тАЬRight. Sound
battle stations. WeтАЩll intercept.тАЭ He paused a moment as Lieutenant Susack motioned
to other crew on the bridge. Alarms sounded through Defiant. тАЬMake a signal to the
fleet, Lieutenant.тАЭ
тАЬAye aye, sir.тАЭ
Horns were still blaring through the ship as Colvin left his cabin. Crewmen dove
along the steel corridors, past grotesque shapes in combat armor. The ship was
already losing her spin and orienting herself to give chase to the intruder. Gravity was
peculiar and shifting. Colvin crawled along the handholds like a monkey.
The crew were waiting. тАЬCaptainтАЩs on the bridge,тАЭ the duty NCO announced.
Others helped himinto armor and dogged down his helmet. He had only just strapped
himself into his command seat when the shipтАЩs speakers sounded.
тАЬALL SECURE FOR ACCELERATION. STAND BY FOR AC├зEi~ERATION.тАЭ
тАЬIntercept,тАЭ Colvin ordered. The computer recognized his voice and obeyed. The
joitmeter swung hard over and acceleration crushed him to his chair. The joltmeter
swung back to zero, leaving a steady three gravities.
The bridge was crowded. ColvinтАЩs comfortable acceleration couch dominated the
spacious compartment. In front of him three helmsmen sat at inactive controls, ready
to steer the ship if her main battle computer failed. ~They were flanked by two watch
officers. Behind him were runners and talkers, ready to do the CaptainтАЩs will when he
had orders for them.
There was. one other. -
Beside him was a man who wasnтАЩt precisely under ColyinтАЩs command. Defiant
belonged to Captain Colvin. So did the crewтАФbut he shared that territory with
Political Officer Gerry. The Political OfficerтАЩs presence implied distrust in ColvinтАЩs
loyalty to- the Republic. Gerry had denied this, and so had the Committee of Public
Safety; but they hadnтАЩt convinced Herb Colvin.
тАЬAre we prepared to engage the enemy, Captain?тАЭ
Gerry asked. His thin and usually smiling features were distorted by acceleration.
тАЬYes. We are doing so now.тАЭ Colvin said.What the hell else could they be doing?
But of course Gerry was asking for the recorders.
тАЬWhat is the enemy ship?тАЭ
тАЬThe hyperspace wakeтАЩs just coming into detection range now, Mister Gerry.тАЭ
Colvin studied the screens. Instead of space with the enemy ship black and invisible
against the stars, they showed a series of curves and figures, probability estimates,
tables whose entries changed even as he watched. тАЬI believe itтАЩs a cruiser, same class