"Michael A. Stackpole - Battletech - Mechwarrior - Dark Age 12 - Hunters Of The Deep" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stackpole Michael A)

Moving through the corridors of the scientistsтАЩ berths, he could feel the wash of babbling voices eddying
around him as he drew near the main conference room. Grasping the handhold at the entryway, he
tucked his knees up, spun himself through the opening and performed a half twist to plant his legs against
the bulkhead on the inside; he paused a moment to make sure his path lay clear, then pushed, shooting
toward the central dais at the top of the inverted half-sphere.

With practiced ease, he grasped the pole set into the armrest of the ovKhanтАЩs chair (only used for such
occasions), spun around once to slough off extra inertia and expertly settled himself into the seat; nodules
across the surface felt his presence and turned on their static charge, lightly but insistently pulling at his
suit, keeping him stationary.

The half-bowl held a panoply of scientists, all adhered to their seats by static charges, each wearing the
single-suit of a Sea Fox Clansman. The shoulders of their suits were colored to match their subcastes:
yellow for teachers, green for doctors, red for the eugenics specialists and so onтАФa flowering bed of the
ClanтАЩs brightest minds, filled with equal parts genius, their own kind of arrogance and naivet├й.

That last quality, of course, was the reason Petr found himself here.

At times Petr thought perhaps all castes should undergo the same rigorous training the warriors endured.
Naivet├й did not last long under the grueling physical and mental exercises begun at the age of seven, or
the ruthless pummeling of a shiv-trainer molding a new warrior to suit his ultimate calling.

Jesup flowed into the room. The man arrowed toward him, grabbed the same pole Petr used, then spun
around to the back of the chair, coming to rest with his magnetic slips adhering to the deck.

тАЬAre you evernot early, oh precipitous one?тАЭ Jesup mocked.

Petr smiled. тАЬSomeday I might be late, but hopefully you will not see it.тАЭ They both chuckled, then grew
somber as scientist Kif entered. The man appeared to have aged a decade in the fourteen days since the
disastrous results of his experiment.

тАЬI do believe he is ready for a solahma unit,тАЭ Jesup said, his own tone warring between humor and
horror.

тАЬI have never heard of a scientific solahma unit. Age does not inhibit them as it does us. After all, unlike a
warrior, they cannot die in one last attempt at glory and honor for the Clan they failed.тАЭ

тАЬOh, but they could. For example, Kif could have been on the ship he destroyed,тАЭ Jesup responded,
deadpan.

Petr turned so quickly that he nearly broke the static charge and floated free. He saw humor dancing in
the other manтАЩs eyes, though a slight crease in JesupтАЩs forehead made Petr think his aide believed Kif (or
any person, perhapsтАФanother dig?) should be put directly in the path of his choices, to suffer the
consequences immediately and not allow them to be ignored or to affect others.

Petr slowly shook his head and fought a smile (it was ironic to think of the man going down with his
ship). тАЬOne of these days you will reach too far, Jesup.тАЭ

He swept a flourishing bow. тАЬAs you say, oh mighty one.тАЭ