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

as ours,тАЭ Colvin said.
тАЬEven match?тАЭ -
тАЬNot exactly,тАЭ Colvin said. тАЬHeтАЩll be carrying interstellar engines. ThatтАЩll take up
room we use for hydrogen. HeтАЩll have more mass for his engines to move, and weтАЩll
have more fuel. He wonтАЩt have a lot better armament than we do, either.тАЭ He studied
the probability curves and nodded. тАЬYeah, that looks about right. \~Jhat they call a
тАШPlanet ClassтАЩ cruiser.тАЭ
тАЬHow soon before we fight?тАЭ Gerry gasped. The acceleration made each word an
effort.
тАЬFew minutes to an hour. HeтАЩs just getting under way after coming out of
hyperdrive. Too damn bad heтАЩs so far away, weтАЩd have him right if we were a little
closer.тАЭ
тАЬWhy werenтАЩt we?тАЭ Gerry demandecL
тАЬBecause the tramline hasnтАЩt been plotted,тАЭ Colvin said. And IтАЩm speaking for
the record. Better get it right, and get the sarcasm out of my voice. тАЬI requested
survey equipment, but none was available. We were therefore required to plot the
Alderson entry point using optics alone. I would be much surprised if -anyone could
have made a better estimate using our equipment.тАЭ
тАЬI see,тАЭ Gerry said. With an effort he touched the switch that gave him a general
intcom circuit. тАЬSpacers of the Republic, your comrades salute you! Freedom!тАЭ
тАЬFreedom!тАЭ came the response. Colvin didn~t think more -than half the crew had
spoken, but it was difficult to tell.
тАЬYou all know the importance of this battle,тАЭ Gerry said. тАЬWe defend the back
door of the Republic, and we are alone. Many believed we need not be here, that the
Imperials would never find this path to our homes. That ship shows the wisdom
of the government.тАЭ
Had to get that in, didnтАЩt you? Colvin chuckled to himself. тАФGerry expected to
run for office, if he lived through the coming battles.
тАЬThe Imperials will never make us slaves! Our cause is just, for we seek only the
freedom to be left alone. The Empire will not permit this. They wish to rule the entire
universe, forever. Spacers, we fight for liberty!тАЭ
Colvin looked across the bridge to the watch officer and lifted an eyebrow. He
got a shrug for an answer. Herb nodded. It was hard to tell the effect of a speech.
Gerry was said to be good at speaking. HeтАЩd talked his way into a junior membership
on the Committee of Public Safety that governed the Republic.
A tiny buzz sounded in ColvinтАЩs ear. The Executive OfficerтАЩs station was aft, in
an auxiliary control room, where he could take over the ship if something happened to
the main bridge. - -
By Republic orders Gerry was to hear everything said by and to the captain
during combat, but Gerry didnтАЩt know much about ships. Commander Gregory
Halleck, ColvinтАЩs exe~, had modified the intercom system. Now his voice~c~├и
through; the flat nasal twang of New ChicagoтАЩs outback. тАЬSkipper, why donтАЩt he shut
up and let us fight?тАЭ
тАЬSpeech was recorded, Greg,тАЭ Colvin said. - --
тАЬAh. HeтАЩll play it for the cityworkers,тАЭ Halleck said. тАЬTell me, skipper, just what
chance have we got?тАЭ
тАЬIn this battle? Pretty good.тАЭ
тАЬYeah. Wish I was so sure about the war.тАЭ
- тАЬScared, Greg?тАЭ -тАЬA little. How can we win?тАЭ
тАЬWe canтАЩt beat the Empire,тАЭ Colvin said. тАЬNot if they bringтАФ their whole fleet in