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

time cut out the starting power by means of another set of automatically-timed
relays.
When only the regular driving power was left, and the acceleration had been
checked
and found to be exactly the designated value of 981.286 centimeters, he stood
up,
stretched, and heaved a profound sigh of relief.
"Well, Steve, that's over withтАФwe're on our way. I'm always glad when
this part
of it is done."
"It's a ticklish job, no foolingтАФeven for an expert," the mathematician
agreed. "No
wonder the astronomers think you birds are the ones who are gumming up their
dope.
Well, it's about time to plug in on E2. Here's where the fireworks start!" He
closed the
connections which transferred the central portion of the upper lookout screen
to a small
micrometer screen at Breckenridge's desk and plugged it into the first check-
station.
Instantly a point of red light, surrounded by a vivid orange circle, appeared
upon the
screen, low down and to the left of center, and the timing galvanometer showed
a wide
negative deflection.
"Hashed again!" growled Breckenridge. "I must be losing my grip, I guess.
I put
everything I had on that sight, and missed it ten divisions. I think I'll turn
in my
badgeтАФI've cocked our perfect curve already, before we got to the first check-
station!"
His hands moved toward the controls, to correct their course and acceleration.
"As you wereтАФhold everything! Lay off those controls!" snapped the
computer.
"There's something screwy, just as I thoughtтАФand it isn't you, either. I'm no
pilot, of
course, but I do know good compensation when I see it, and if you weren't
compensating that point I never saw it done. Besides, with your skill and my
figures I
know damn well that we aren't off more than a tenth of one division. He's
cuckoo! Don't
call him тАФ let him start it, and refer him to me."
"All xтАФI'll be only too glad to pass the buck. But I still think, Steve,
that you're
playing with dynamite. Who ever heard of an astronomer being wrong?"
"You'd be surprised," grinned the physicist. "Since this fuss has just
started,
nobody's tried to find out whether they were wrong or not . . ."
"IPV Arc turns, attention!" came from the speaker curtly.
"IPV Arcturus, Breckenridge," acknowledged the chief pilot.