"Karen Traviss - Nanny Estate" - читать интересную книгу автора (Traviss Karen)

"Nano-tech," said Barton. "A project I've been working on with the
university.
You don't need huge teams to deliver it. I can give you estates that not
only
build themselves, but also cleanse the site of contaminants. It's not just
smart housing- it could be the whole future of construction. Just give me a
chance to show you."
"IтАЩve seen nanotech on the TV, I think, but itтАЩs pretty radical stuff for
us."
Barton knew the seductive nature of professional vanity. "WouldnтАЩt you like
to
be the first to demonstrate its potential?"
She hesitated. "IтАЩm all for innovation."
HeтАЩd hooked her. "Just trust me," he said. "This will change the
architectural
world."

#


A small, plot-sized square of soil on the campus lawn had been marked out
with
tape like a murder scene. It indicated where a cocktail of contaminants had
been mixed with the earth. Mrs. James arrived with a colleague from
Environmental Health, Andy Martin, who took a soil sample to confirm that
it
did indeed contain heavy metals and other detritus of an industrial past.
Then
technicians laid heaps of what looked like finely powdered minerals on the
square, and stepped back.
Barton had rehearsed his pitch to just the right degree of controlled
enthusiasm. Now was his moment.
"In an hour, the house will begin to emerge," he said. "I want you to watch
it
carefully, because youтАЩll actually see the building grow. You can come back
any time over the next few days while it develops and check on it.
"We've developed classes of nanites, some handling organic material, some
handling inorganics, that can exchange information and co-operate to build
anything we programme them to. Not only will the structure build itself
from
the ground up, it'll also put down foundationsтАФroots, if you likeтАФthat'll
process the contaminants from the soil and render them harmless."
"Well, there are plants that can do that," Martin said. "And we don't have
to
do any development deals with them."
"Yes, " said Barton. "But will they also create a structure that people can
live in comfortably? Can they make a reactive, intelligent system that
protects the environment?"
"And this can?" The health officer was eyeing the square of soil as if he
were