"Robin Wilson - To the Vector Belong..." - читать интересную книгу автора (Wilson Robin)

disappears, leaving no trace other than what we suppose are metabolic by-products
which I understand are now under analysis here along with other manifestations of
these тАФ uh тАФ visitations.тАЭ

There are mutterings of discontent. тАЬCut the crap,тАЭ says someone. тАЬWe know
all this stuff,тАЭ says another. The team leader stands dressed in a white lab coat at the
front of the room to the side of LindstromтАЩs podium. She is a slim woman in her
early thirties with gray-streaked hair and the grim, no-nonsense face of the
experienced clinician. She frowns at her staff and holds a hand in front of her to
wave them into silence.

Lindstrom continues: тАЬOur newest alien,тАЭ he waves his pointer at the screen,
тАЬis the first one to make a successful тАФ uhтАФ visit. I have personally debriefed him
at length, and although I have formed some opinions about him and am impressed
by the quality of his preparation for survival here, I have not been able to elicit any
information bearing on his mission or intentions. Some four hours of tapes of that
debriefing are now available to you for further analysis.

тАЬPending a determination by the court, we have the alien in custody and will
convey him to the State Medical Facility in Vacaville, where he will be held on a
warrant issued pursuant to the Alien and Immigration Act of 1957.тАЭ There is a
chorus of expletives. The frown and the hand again.

Lindstrom continues: тАЬI know you had hoped that he be turned over to you
today for further study, but that does not now appear possible until the judge has
acted on one of nearly two dozen petitions of habeas corpus. Accordingly, I have
been asked to provide the Extraterrestrial Task Force with this statement.тАЭ

The room buzzes with anger. тАЬWhat do you mean Vacaville?тАЭ says one
bearded man. тАЬHowтАЩd they get to the front of the line?тАЭ

тАЬWhat do you mean not possible?тАЭ says another.

тАЬWhat kind of cooperation ?тАЭ asks the team leader in the white lab coat.

Lindstrom ignores the questions. He has been instructed to limit his
comments. He clicks the switch in his left hand and the lights go up as the image on
the screen disappears. He refers to a clipboard and says: тАЬThis concludes my formal
report to you as ordered by Judge Matsuko pending the habeas corpus hearing on
Monday next.тАЭ

It is 10:30 on a sparkling Thursday morning. Lindstrom and Janet McCatters,
who is Chief of the Criminal Division in the West Coast headquarters of the
Immigration and Naturalization Service and LindstromтАЩs boss, walk the mile and a
half across town from their offices on Sansome to the San Francisco Federal
Building on Turk Street. Worried as usual about her weight, McCatters has
persuaded Lindstrom to walk. тАЬBesides, itтАЩll give us a chance to discuss the Al
case.тАЭ

Lindstrom understands. Although INS has nominal responsibility for Al, the