"Charles Stross - Missile Gap" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stross Charles)

ship of its class, on an historic five-year cruise. You will boldly go where no Soviet man has gone before,
explore new worlds and look for new peoples, and to establish fraternal socialist relations with them. But your
primary objective is to discover who built this giant mousetrap of a world, and why they brought us to it, and
to report back to usтАУbefore the Americans find out.




Chapter Four: Committee Process
The cherry trees are in bloom in Washington DC, and Gregor perspires in the summer heat. He has grown
used to the relative cool of London and this unaccustomed change of climate has disoriented him. Jet lag is a
thing of the pastтАУa small mercyтАУbut there are still adjustments to make. Because the disk is flat, the daylight
sourceтАУpolar flares from an accretion disk inside the axial hole, the scientists call it, which signifies nothing
to most peopleтАУgrows and shrinks the same wherever you stand.
ThereтАЩs a concrete sixties-vintage office block with a conference suite furnished in burnt umber and orange,
chromed chairs and Kandinsky prints on the walls: all very seventies. Gregor waits outside the suite until the
buzzer sounds and the receptionist looks up from behind her IBM typewriter and says, тАЬYou can go in now,
theyтАЩre expecting you.тАЭ
Gregor goes in. ItтАЩs an occupational hazard, but by no means the worst, in his line of work.
тАЬHave a seat.тАЭ ItтАЩs Seth Brundle, GregorтАЩs divisional headтАУa grey-looking functionary, more adept at office
back-stabbing than field-expedient assassinations. His cover, like GregorтАЩs, is an innocuous-sounding post in
the Office of Technology Assessment. In fact, both he and Gregor work for a different government agency,
although the notional task is the same: identify technological threats and stamp on them before they emerge.

Brundle is not alone in the room. He proceeds with the introductions: тАЬGreg Samsa is our London station
chief and specialist in scientific intelligence. Greg, this is Marcus.тАЭ The bald, thin-faced German in the smart
suit bobs his head and smiles behind his horn-rimmed glasses. тАЬCivilian consultant.тАЭ Gregor mistrusts him on
sight. Marcus is a defectorтАУa former Stasi spook, from back before the Brezhnev purges of the mid-sixties.
Which puts an interesting complexion on this meeting.
тАЬMurray Fox, from Langley.тАЭ
тАЬHi,тАЭ says Gregor, wondering just what kind of insane political critical mass Stone is trying to assemble:
Langley and BrundleтАЩs parent outfit arenтАЩt even on speaking terms, to say the least.
тАЬAnd another civilian specialist, Dr. Sagan.тАЭ Greg nods at the doctor, a thin guy with sparkling brown eyes
and hippyish long hair. тАЬGregтАЩs got something to tell us in person,тАЭ says Brundle. тАЬSomething very interesting
he picked up in London. No sources please, Greg.тАЭ
тАЬNo sources,тАЭ Gregor echoes. He pulls out a chair and sits down. Now heтАЩs here he supposes heтАЩll just have
to play the role Brundle assigned to him in the confidential briefing he read on the long flight home. тАЬWe have
word from an unimpeachable HUMINT resource that the Russians haveтАУтАЭ he coughs into his fist. тАЬExcuse
me.тАЭ He glances at Brundle. тАЬOkay to talk about COLLECTION RUBY?тАЭ
тАЬTheyтАЩre all cleared,тАЭ Brundle says dryly. тАЬThatтАЩs why it says тАШjoint committeeтАЩ on the letterhead.тАЭ
тАЬI see. My invitation was somewhat terse.тАЭ Gregor stifles a sigh that seems to say, all I get is a most urgent
recall; how am I meant to know whatтАЩs going on and who knows what? тАЬSo why are we here?тАЭ
тАЬThink of it as another collective analysis board,тАЭ says Fox, the man from the CIA. He doesnтАЩt look enthused.
тАЬWeтАЩre here to find out whatтАЩs going on, with the benefit of some intelligence resources from the other side of
the curtain.тАЭ
Doctor Sagan, who has been listening silently with his head cocked to one side like a very intelligent
blackbird, raises an eyebrow.
тАЬYes?тАЭ asks Brundle.
тАЬI, uh, would you mind explaining that to me? I havenтАЩt been on one of these committees before.тАЭ
No indeed, thinks Gregor. ItтАЩs a miracle Sagan ever passed his political vetting: heтАЩs too friendly by far with