"E. E. Doc Smith - Spacehounds Of IPC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

and other
assistants came to attention as the check-out went on.
"Lower lights and lookout plates!"
"All x," was the report, after each of the twelve ultralights of the
stern had swung
around in its supporting brackets, illuminating every recess of the dark
depths of the
bottom well of the berth and throwing the picture upon another screen in
brilliant violet
relief.
"Lateral and vertical detectors!"
"Laterals XP27ioтАФall x. Verticals AJ429OтАФall x."
"Receptors!"
"15,270 kilofranksтАФall x."
"Accumulators!"
"700,000 kilofrank-hoursтАФall x."
Having thus checked and tested every function of his department,
Breckenridge
plugged into "Captain," and when the green light went on:
"Chief pilot check-outтАФall x," he reported briefly.
"All x," acknowledged the speaker, and the chief pilot unplugged. Fifteen
minutes
remained, during which time one department head after another would report to
the
captain of the liner that everything in his charge was ready for the
stupendous flight.
"All x, Steve?" Breckenridge turned to the computer. "How do you check
acceleration and power with the observatory?"
"Not so good, old bean," the younger man frowned in thought. "They figure
like
astronomers, not navigators. They've made no allowances for anything, not even
the
reversalтАФand I figure four thousandths for that and for minor detours. Then
there's
check-station error . . ."
"Check-station errors! Why, they're always rightтАФ that's what they're
for!"
"Don't fool yourselfтАФthey've got troubles of their own, the same as
anybody else.
In fact, from a study of the charts of the last few weeks, I'm pretty sure
that E 2 is at
least four thousand kilometers this side of where he thinks he is, that W4i is
ten or
twelve thousand beyond his station, and that they've both got a lateral
displacement
that's simply fierce. I'm going to check up, and argue with them about it as
we pass.
Then there's another thingтАФthey figure to only two places, and we've got to
have the
third place almost solid if we expect to get a smooth curve. A hundredth of a