"Robert Reed - The Caldera of Good Fortune" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reed Robert)

entire history, the Luckies have built only a handful of starships. Elaborate
ships and very reliable, but exceptionally difficult to piece together.тАЭ Then
he held up his hand, squeezing two fingers close together. тАЬA single Lucky
is only this big.тАЭ

The size of a dust mite, in essence.

тАЬBut of course, theyтАЩre never found as individuals. Autochemotrophic
metabolisms. Low energy, minimal complexity. Not only arenтАЩt they
particularly bright creatures, when taken alone, but theyтАЩre pretty much
helpless, too.тАЭ

Was he interesting his client, or boring it? Either way, Crockett was
enjoying his impromptu lecture.

тАЬA few million Luckies are about as sharp as one average human
brain,тАЭ he mentioned. тАЬBut they arenтАЩt happy until they number in the
hundreds of trillions. ThatтАЩs what lives on the other side of this mountain. A
nation of tiny entities all tied together. Together, they build giant eyes that
float on their lake home, catching every wandering photon. And when
enough of the Luckies think hard on one subject, they can dream up the
greatest thoughts imaginable.тАЭ He shrugged, adding, тАЬSo what if it took
millions of years to accrete a workable starship out of hot ores and salty,
acidic water? They had time, and the patience. Really, if you want my
opinion, theyтАЩre incredible, wonderful organisms.тАЭ

Several more cable cars passed by, looking like gaudy balloons
quickly losing altitude. Without exception, the faces inside the balloons
were happy, either glad for their adventure or glad to be returning home
again.

тАЬWonderful creatures,тАЭ he repeated.

Doom was certainly alien, but Crockett sensed emotion. The eyes
were jumping inside their sockets now, and the mouth was cocked in a way
that didnтАЩt look comfortable. It was nervous. He was nervous. Plenty of
species lacked a sense of gender, but Crockett had spent most of his life
riding inside these cars with aliens, and that gave him a healthy respect for
his own intuitions.

тАЬLuckies have a weird, interesting model of reality,тАЭ Crockett
continued. тАЬIтАЩm sure you know this. But the idea enjoys repetition.тАЭ
 A tight little breath was audible over the cold hum of the wind.

тАЬOur universe is nothing more, or less, than a very pretty and intensely
busy picture. An image that happens to exist on the wall of someone elseтАЩs
living room.тАЭ With a sweeping gesture, Crockett explained, тАЬIf we had some
eye that could reach out far enoughтАФinto those realms hidden by the
Grand InflationтАФthen the stars would cease to be. The galaxies and
quasars and dark-matter masses ... all those magnificent illusions would