"Andrew J. Offutt - Spaceways 17 - The Carnadyne Horde" - читать интересную книгу автора (Offutt Andrew J)

the port side of Sunmother was drawing them toward its ravenous event horizon
at an increasing angle every instant. He threw the chipboard aside. "This
one's fried, Quin. And it caused a power spike to hit the quanta oscillation
damper. The TDP couldn't handle the glitch and shut down the whole dam'
drive." "Uh-huh. I read only attitude rockets as functional. And there's sure
no SPOSE near these mass-suckers." "We could go Forty Percent City." Quindy
tried to grin and looked as if it hurt. "The odds aren't that bad yet. Check
the MVRD unit." He poked a circuit analyzer at the board requested. "Green. No
fobs." 45 The spacer lurched. Trafalgar looked up at Quindy. "Tidal effects
already?" "Can't be. I think the drive's starting to spark." "Theba's
thighs-not until I get the replacement board in!" He scrambled for the new
chipboard. "Well, I don't have any control over-" She was interrupted by
another tremble of the ship. Red telits flashed their warnings. "What's
wrong?" she asked the con. The calm voice of the computer and guidance system
installed by ship's owner Janjaglaya Wye, who had experienced a vocally
interactive computer on Jorinne and just had to have one, explained: "The
double-P engines are experiencing intermittent venting. The seals are in
danger of damage unless the venting can be arrested." "Got to reprogram that
damned thing not to say 'arrested,'" Trafalgar Cuw muttered. Quindy brushed
back a strand of canary-yellow hair. "Can your cybers stop the
venting?" "Neg." She toed the Outie gently with her boot. "It's down to the
engine room for us. We've got to shut the vents manually. And fast." He nodded
and stood, brushing dust off his gold-and-ruby keemo. He picked up his
broad-brimmed Wayne and slapped at its edges before clapping it on his
head. "Why don't we do just that, Captain Quindy ma'am. Without a quanta
oscillation damper or a TDP, it's going to take a few hours to rig up
something to get us going again." She made an unpleasant face. "By then we'll
be Stardust." He hummed a sub-ancient melody and smiled. "Maybe ole Cag has
some sort of suggestion." "You might be able to request your necessary
items," 46 the CAGSVIC IV unit stated in its sickeningly courteous voice,
"from the spacer approaching off the stern at one-eight-one." "What?!" Both of
them looked at the CAGSVIC's TP "eye" out of reflex action. "It masses out as
an ultralight freighter. Should I initiate contact?" "Pos!" "Firm! Send a C!
message and make it a double-C! for more than urgent! Traf-get down to the
drive chamber!" She bent over the con and switched on the aft receptors and
the inship comm. "Cinnabar: relieve me at the con. We've got company."
Watching the computer simulation of the other spacer, she muttered, "All
right, little jacko, where are you going in such a hurry?" Trafalgar Cuw
 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html



paused in his departure to look back at her and smile. Not only at the way her
upturned stern assembly tightened those loose royal blue pants. Fine, he
thought with pleasure. She's starting to behave like the captain she's
supposed to be. A captain that can and will get us out of this. He raised his
gaze to the computer simulation of Skylla and their diminishing distance from
that ever-ravenous black mouth. That is, if we live long enough. 5 Man can
survive in an inclement universe only through the use of his mind. His thumbs,
his nails, his muscles and his mysticism will not be enough to keep him alive