"Rajnar Vajra - Afterburn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vajra Rajnar)

and outlandish. I can't tell from here because it is sheathed in mist. But I
don't like the looks of it.
My boat accelerates as it approaches the island and I think, for one
naive instant, that there won't be any trouble until I set foot on dry land.
But a new kind of enemy appears. There are two of them high in the air, both
behind me. They look like inflated wasps or grotesquely painted, segmented
balloons. They lack wings but fly effortlessly. They have thin, insect arms
ending in huge lobster claws. One opens its mouth and something darts out.
I am frozen with terror because it seems to be spitting fire at me.
That, I can't have! But, no. It isn't fire headed my way, only a knife,
spinning, catching the relentless torchlight.
Fine. My current weapon is a rocket-launcher. I aim it at one enemy and
quickly release two rockets. Then I dodge the knife by moving a step to the
left, being careful to avoid falling out of the boat. I have learned to
distrust these waters.
My rockets are swift, but the first enemy avoids them both and spits
forth three more knives. The second enemy belches forth two daggers of its
own. I am in serious trouble. Again.
****
Sue Williams and Troy Dane
Troy strode into the room quickly for such a heavy man, studied the
readouts, and then visibly relaxed before turning toward Sue. "Doctor
Williams? I'm Troy Dane."
Sue tried to look professional and intelligent, but was certain it was
a lost cause. She'd recognized the familiar sequence of surprise, recognition,




Page 2
and then swift judgment on Troy's broad face. Once again, she'd been weighed
on the scales of her notoriety and found wanting. This time, at least, the
typical signs of sexual curiosity were absent. Perhaps the man was in love ...
or gay.
She took a breath, determined to at least _sound_ competent. "Sorry to
call you down, Doctor, but there was some sudden heavy brain activity and his
adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine rose sharply. Neuropeptides are still
miles above his baseline."
"And?"
The noncommittal response flustered Sue a bit. "I wouldn't have
bothered you, but Doctor Carroll, who's been training me on this equipment,
isn't answering her beeper."
Troy smiled reassuringly and instinctively lifted a massive arm to pat
Sue on the shoulder, then reconsidered when he saw her start to flinch. He
lowered the arm awkwardly. "Carla's probably sleeping like a baby; she hasn't
had much rest since your, ah, predecessor quit. I'm sure she explained to you
the pain-reduction system we're using here." He didn't sound sure.
"More or less." Sue interpreted this as a test and resolved grimly to
pass with honors. "As I understand it, the electromagnetic fields that provide
alignment and stimulation to his new cell-scaffolds are also being applied to