"Williamson-DarkStarOne" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williamson Jack)

"Sir, we've no choice," Cruzet told him now.

"Except to get back into quantum drive," he said. "And fly on the way we were."

"Impossible, sir," Andersen said. "Quantum craft don't control themselves. The
launch from White Sands transformed us from a virtual particle into a virtual
wave, firing us out of the pit like a bullet from a gun. We didn't bring the
gun."

With no choice, they came down to a rocky headland at the rim of the continent
of ice that covered half the planet. High cliffs rose north and west toward the
ice. The frozen ocean lay south and east, beyond the ancient beach where la
rubia and her team of engineers wished to begin excavations for the first
habitat.

"No habitat," the captain told her. "If we excavate for anything, it will be for
a launch facility. For whatever we need to get us off this damned snowball
before we're attacked by God knows what."

"Sir," El Senor Glengarth protested, "I can't imagine anything that could attack
us."

He was the first officer and the true master of the ship. Another Anglo, he was
yet a fair man who had released Mondragon from security and allowed him to prove
his habilidad with computers.

"Just look around us." Glengarth had gathered los expertos in the control dome
to plan for survival. He gestured at the holoscreens that showed white-frosted
rocks below and the flat white desert that had been an ocean. "I'm not much
concerned about anything more hostile than the temperature."

He paused, with a small bow of respect for the captain.

"However, sir, it's true that nobody seems able to explain that peculiar flash.
Before we undertake anything else, I want to assemble a vehicle and send out a
party to look for the source."

He turned to smile at la rubia, and Mondragon flinched from a stab of jealousy
for these fortunate Anglos, men whom los santos had favored with the culture and
learning that made them her equals, privileged to know her, perhaps to win her
love.

"With luck, Rima," he made a small chiste, "we'll be meeting a native engineer
able to help you do your terraforming. You're going to need any help you can
get."

When the scout maquina was ready, Mondragon volunteered to join Andersen and
Cruzet on the search expedition. He wanted to earn his right among these people
of science and courage, and perhaps, con buena suerte --