"Paul Preuss - Venus Prime 1 - Breaking Strain" - читать интересную книгу автора (Preuss Paul)

The image stuttered momentarily, then steadied at a slightly different angle, as a new satellite took over
the tracking task.

тАЬMr. Laird,тАЭ said the tracking operator, тАЬI donтАЩt know if this is significant. . . .тАЭ

тАЬLetтАЩs have it,тАЭ said the gray man.

тАЬThe target has been gradually turning counter-clockwise for the past two minutes. It is now on a
southeasterly heading.тАЭ

тАЬSheтАЩs lost,тАЭ someoneтАУan enthusiastic aideтАУvolunteered. тАЬSheтАЩs flying blind and she doesnтАЩt know
which way sheтАЩs going.тАЭ

The gray man ignored him. тАЬGive me the whole sector.тАЭ

The image on the screen immediately widened to show the Great Plains surging like a frozen ocean
against the Front Range, the cities beached there like flotsam: Cheyenne, Denver, Colorado Springs,
fused by their suburbs into a single threadlike agglomeration. The helicopter was microscopic, invisible
at this scale, although its position was still clearly marked by the centered crosshairs.

тАЬThe target appears to be holding steady on course,тАЭ said the operator.

тАЬDammit, sheтАЩs heading straight for Space Command,тАЭ said the gray man. He stared bitterly at the gray
woman.

тАЬSeeking sanctuary?тАЭ she said mildly.

тАЬWeтАЩve got to shoot it down,тАЭ blurted the same enthusiastic aide, whose enthusiasm had been converted
to panic.



file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry/Bureaub...0-%20Venus%20Prime%201%20-%20Breaking%20Strain.html (18 of 182)23-12-2006 18:54:42
 ARTHUR C. CLARKE'S VENUS PRIME: VOLUME I

тАЬWith what?тАЭ the gray man inquired. тАЬThe only armed vehicle we own within five hundred miles of her
position is the one sheтАЩs flying.тАЭ He turned to the woman, hissing the words but hardly bothering to keep
them inaudible. тАЬIf only IтАЩd never listened to your clever explanations . . .тАЭ He bit off the sentence,
snapping his teeth in his fury, and bent over the console. тАЬSheтАЩs not using evasion protocols. WhatтАЩs the
chance of jamming her?тАЭ

тАЬWe canтАЩt jam the targetтАЩs navigation and control circuits, sir. TheyтАЩre shielded against everything.тАЭ

тАЬOutgoing transmissions?тАЭ

тАЬWeтАЩd have a good chance there.тАЭ

тАЬDo it right away.тАЭ

тАЬSir, thatтАЩs not exactly a surgically precise operation. Air Defense Command will pop a gasket.тАЭ