"Mike Resnick - Velvet Comet 1 - Eros Ascending" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

"Activate."

Whiskey glass in hand, Harry Redwine leaned back in his fur-covered contour chair and watched the
holographic screen flicker to life.

"Main memory bank, please."

The screen remained blank. Redwine sipped his drink, stared at it for a moment, then spoke again.

"Financial data bank, please."

There was no reaction, which didn't surprise him.

"This is Harry Redwine, Company Identification Number 00345, code name Fixer. Scan me, check out
my retina identification pattern, and bring up the main memory bank, please."

This time there was a reaction, and it did surprise him. Six life-sized nude bodies-three male and three
female-suddenly appeared in the holographic field and happily began enacting every sexual
combination and permutation that had yet been devised.

"Cancel."

The screen went blank, and Redwine poured himself another drink.

"Okay, we'll try again. Activate."

The screen came to life.

"This is Harry Redwine, I.D. 00345, code name Fixer. Please tell me what procedure is required to
bring up the financial data bank."

This time a single nude woman popped into existence, lips and legs both slightly parted. She ran her
left hand through her long, flowing hair, then down over her breasts and belly, and kept going.
"Cancel," said Redwine.

The woman vanished.

Three more attempts to bring up anything other than erotic images were unsuccessful, and finally he
awarded the first round to the machine.

"Intercom."

A young woman's face appeared almost instantly.

"Yes, Mr. Redwine? How may I help you?"

"I have been trying, without much success, to get something besides pornography on the screen for the
better part often minutes."

"If you will turn to Channel Z, you will find a complete listing of our holographic and video services,"