"John E. Stith - Redshift Rendezvous" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stith John E)

two.And your terminal velocity will be greater than a fall in one gee by only a factor of the square root of
that increase.

Do you think hitting the floor at one point four times faster than normal will guarantee results?"

I hoped the overly clinical techtalk might jog her out of the rut she was in.Another way of looking at the
numbers was that she would hit the floor from her current perch as though she had fallen from a point
twice as high in one gee,but there was no point in giving her that encouragement.

While she appeared to think about what I'd said, I considered running toward her.With light traveling so
slowly in this layer of hyperspace,I could run almost as fast as the speed of light.I could certainly run
faster than the speed of sound.If I were to run as fast as possible,I probably could reach her before she
had time to react.I hesitated,thinking a better plan would be to talk her out of it,or to keep her talking
long enough for the mood to pass.

"Have you felt this way long?" I asked,changing the subject.

After a long silence she said,"What way?"

"I don't know what way you feel.I've never contemplated suicide.I've felt the urge to kill someone else,
but I imagine that's not quite the same thing.Why are you up there?" "I don't want to live."

I wasn't sure it was progress for her to say that out loud or not."Whydon't you want to live?" "...none of
your business."

Feeling less sure I was approaching this correctly,I went ahead anyway and said,"None of my business?
How can you say that? Have you any idea how many forms I'll have to fill out if you do this on our ship?
And with me as a witness?"

She sobbed again.She was still awhile and then drew a deep breath.She said clearly,"I understand what
you're doing.But I have to do this."

"Ms.Sonders,when I came down the corridor this door was open.I don't know if you consciously
wanted to talk with someone, or whether the thought was just at the back of your mind.But somewhere
in that brain of yours there's a voice saying you want to talk.I'm here.This may be your last opportunity.
How about if you tell me about it?"

She was silent for a disturbing length of time,but finally she said,"It's everything.One thing after another.
This was supposed to be my honeymoon trip." Her voice caught.Then she swallowed hard and went on.
"Two days before we were supposed to leave,he told me he thought this was all a mistake.He had
changed his mind.He's always changing his mind.He's still on Megorath." She drew a deep breath."At
first I thought going away and deliberately having a good time without him would help,but it was a
mistake."

Being spurned had caused all her pain? I felt a guilty sting of comfort that I would never be hurt that way.
"So you're in such pain that you don't want to live?" I asked at last, trying hard to understand."Or you
want to get back at him?"

Her head jerked around when my words reached her."How can you say that I'd be doing this toтАФ" She
broke off,staring at me for a long moment before she looked down.She clenched her fists and said,"This