"Alastair Reynolds - Century Rain" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Alastair)

тАЬMy job,тАЭ she said tersely.

тАЬThe kid hurt?тАЭ

тАЬHis suit took a hit.тАЭ On her own faceplate monitor she could still see the diagnostic summary for
SebastianтАЩs suit, hatched with pulsing red hazard indicators near the right elbow joint. тАЬBut itтАЩs nothing
serious. I told him to lie down and keep still until rescue arrived.тАЭ

The lead crawler was already disgorging two members of the rescue squad, clad in the faintly comical
suits of the extreme-hazards section. They moved like sumo warriors, in squatting strides.

Auger moved to Sebastian, kneeling down next to him. тАЬTheyтАЩre here. All you have to do is keep still
and youтАЩll be safe and sound.тАЭ

Sebastian made an unintelligible gurgle in reply. Auger raised a hand, signalling the nearer of the two
suits to approach her. тАЬThis is the boy, Mancuso. I think you should deal with him first.тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs already the plan,тАЭ another voice squawked in her helmet. тАЬStand back, Auger.тАЭ

тАЬCareful with him,тАЭ she warned. тАЬHeтАЩs got a bad rip near the rightтАФтАЭ

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 CenturyRain



MancusoтАЩs suit towered over the little boy. тАЬEasy, son,тАЭ she heard. тАЬGonna have you fixed up in no time.
You all right in there?тАЭ

тАЬHurt,тАЭ she heard Sebastian gasp.

тАЬThink we need to move fast on this one,тАЭ Mancuso said, beckoning the second rescuer to him with a
flick of one overmuscled arm. тАЬCanтАЩt risk moving him, not with the particle density as high as it is.тАЭ

тАЬRecover in situ?тАЭ the second rescuer asked.

тАЬLetтАЩs do it.тАЭ

Mancuso pointed his left arm at the boy. A hatch slid open in the armour and a spray nozzle popped out.
Silvery-white matter gushed from the nozzle, solidifying instantly on impact. In a matter of seconds,
Sebastian became a human-shaped cocoon wrapped in hard spittlelike strands.

тАЬCareful with him,тАЭ Auger repeated.

A second team then set to work, cutting into the block of ice immediately underneath Sebastian with
lasers. Steam blasted into the air from the cutting point. They paused now and again, signalling each
other with tiny hand gestures before resuming. The first team returned with a wheeled, stretcherlike
harness, pushing it between them. Thin metal claws lowered from the cradle, slipping into the ice around
Sebastian. The cradle slowly hoisted the entire cocooned massтАФincluding its foundation of iceтАФaway