"R. Garcia Y Robertson - Oxygen Rising" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robertson R Garcia Y)

"Got it off a SuperCat." As soon as he'd seen it, Derek had thought of Mia, since it matched her skin,
and because pricey talking jewelry was the sort of toy Greenies would enjoy, but not think to make
themselves.

"Sounds dangerous." Mia took him back into her arms, forgetting the expensive microelectronics on her
wrist, happy just to have him safe. Being a mammalogist, she knew all about SuperCats, another flashy
toy Greenies would never have made themselves.

"And then some." Derek felt a touch of panic at the thought of how he had faced suicidal gunners,
walking straight toward that grim bunker. Mia relaxed into him, feeling solid and fragile at the same time,
soothing his fears, reminding Derek that he had survived. He told her, "I talked to Big Bill Pender."

'Tender himself?" Mia shivered, shocked at how close he had come to a mass murderer.

"Yep, but he's dead now." Strange that the comfortable, jovial fellow who spared his life in the bunker
was now dead, blasted to photons.

"I know," Mia whispered, "I heard it on the Net." Mia could barely imagine killing another thinking being
on purpose, much less blowing up a whole bunker full.
"I got a bunch of kids out, adults too," Derek reminded himself, showing that you could do good by
taking stupid risks.

Burying her blonde head in his shoulder, she sighed softly, "You are so sweet and brave, and you
deserve a reward." Mia kissed him again, making it plain what that reward would be.

Derek did not complain. Since Mia had moved in, his personal life had gotten happier and livelier,
without any apparent downsides. Mia had supreme self-confidence, always showed her feelings, and
never feared to speak the truth, taking complete charge of his life by giving Derek whatever he wanted,
coping easily with each situation that arose. With three advanced degrees and nothing much to do, Mia
found it a snap to fix his meals and manage his affairs, deftly setting out dinner, rice balls and vat-grown
sushi, accompanied by a warm bottle of saki. Greenies got off on "authentic"

Earth cuisine, though Mia refused to eat vertebrate flesh unless it was vat-cultured. Derek relaxed, finally
feeling like the conquering heroтАФtoo bad he had to go back down in a couple of dozen hours and do it
all again.

After dinner, Mia disposed of the dishes and settled into his lap, so they could both drink saki from the
same cup. Derek told her, "I talked to a woman too."

"A human woman?" Mia asked, playfully starting to undo his sweaty tunic, knowing full well what he
meant.

"From Old Earth." Derek smelled lilac perfume wafting out of the jade hollow between Mia's breasts.

Mia arched a blonde eyebrow. "I never met someone from Earth."

"Straight from Portland, Oregon, but she was born in Eugene."

"Really?" These were mythical places to Mia, ancient homes of her creatorsтАФjust talking about them