"Charles Stross - Rogue Farm" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stross Charles)

"Maddie's been talking to it?"

"Grrr yes-yes!"

"Oh shit. Do you remember when she did her last backup?"

The dog coughed fragrant blue smoke. "Tank thump-thump full cow moo beefclone."

"Yeah, I think so too. Better muck it out tomorrow. Just in case."

"Yurrrrrp." But while Joe was wondering whether this was agreement or just a canine
eructation a lean paw stole out of the kennel mouth and yanked the hookah back inside.
The resulting slobbering noises and clouds of aromatic blue smoke left Joe feeling a little
queasy: so he went inside.

###

The next morning, over breakfast, Maddie was even quieter than usual. Almost
meditative.

"Bob said you'd been talking to that farm," Joe commented over his eggs.

"Bob --" Maddie's expression was unreadable. "Bloody dog." She lifted the Rayburn's hot
plate lid and peered at the toast browning underneath. "Talks too much."

"Did you?"
"Ayup." She turned the toast and put the lid back down on it.

"Said much?"

"It's a farm." She looked out the window. "Not a fuckin' worry in the world 'cept making
its launch window for Jupiter."

"It --"

"Him. Her. They." Maddie sat down heavily in the other kitchen chair. "It's a collective.
Used ta be six people. Old, young, whatether, they's decided ter go to Jupiter. One of
'em was telling me how it happened. How she'd been living like an accountant in
Bradford, had a nervous breakdown. Wanted out. Self-sufficiency." For a moment her
expression turned bleak. "Felt herself growing older but not bigger,if you follow."

"So how's turning into a bioborg an improvement?" Joe grunted, forking up the last of
his scrambled eggs.

"They're still separate people: bodies are overrated, anyway. Think of the advantages:
not growing older, being able to go places and survive anything, never being on your
own, not bein' trapped --" Maddie sniffed. "Fuckin' toast's on fire!"

Smoke began to trickle out from under the hot plate lid. Maddie yanked the wire toasting