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

"I mean before. Off-planet," Derek nodded toward the heavens, hidden by layers of steel and concrete.

Withdrawing her head from the hooded sight, the woman stared suspiciously at him. She had a frank,
natural face, with no trace of biosculpt, just wide intelligent green eyes and brown freckles sprinkled
across her nose. "Portland, Oregon," she replied evenly. "But I was born in Eugene."

"Really?" Derek was impressed. "That's on Earth?"

"Yes," she stared at him like he was crazy. "Pacific coast of North America, in what used to be the
United States."

"Amazing." He shook his head at the incredible distance she had comeтАФsome two hundred light
yearsтАФjust to end up next to him. "What is it like? In Oregon?"

"Nice, real nice," she looked past him at the wet blank wall of the bunker, as if remembering something
far away. Her Universal had a charming other-worldly quality, so quaint and old-fashioned that you could
tell with your eyes closed that she wasn't a Greenie. "Tall trees, lots of people, sweet breathable airтАФa
lot nicer than here. Have you ever been to Earth?"

Derek shook his head. "I don't even know anyone who has been to Earth. You are my first." Struck by
the immense distance between them, though only centimeters apart, all he could think to say was,
"You've come a long way, good luck."

"You too." She stuck her head back in the sighting hood, leaving him looking at the back of her brown
uniform, which had a dark sweat-stain along the spine, but was tailored to curve neatly over her rear. It
felt strange to stand next to a young womanтАФa heavily armed one at thatтАФwho you had absolutely
nothing in common with, except that she was human. Had she killed those two Greenies in the squashed
Bug? Possibly, but there was no polite way to ask. He noted that the niche next to hers was vacant,
blown to smithereens by a direct hit on the gun port. Greenies got lucky with that one. So did she.

Another pressure door dilated, and a big balding middle-aged man stepped out, with small alert eyes on
either side of a long sharp nose. He wore the same brown militia uniform as the girl gunner from Eugene,
only his had general's stars on the shouldersтАФtotally unneeded, since the fellow exuded authority. His
voice was the one that had come over the corn-link. "General William D. Pender, but you can call me
Bill, everyone does."

Everyone insystem knew Big Bill PenderтАФthe Greenies had already condemned him in absentia, and he
headed Leo's humans-to-shoot-on-sight list. Taking the offered hand, he admitted, "Derek's all the name
I got."

"It will do." General Pender eyed him carefully, asking, "Where are you from, Derek?"

"Just about anywhere," Derek shrugged. "I was born in transit, Archernar to Alpha Crucis, on the survey
ship Ibn Batuta. And I guess I've been outbound ever sinceтАФyou're only the second person I have ever
met from Earth."

"Proud to represent the planet," Pender beamed. "So what do you have to say?"

Derek took a deep breath. "I wish I were Peace Corps, but I'm not. I'm just here to save lives, human