"Timothy Zahn - Manta's Gift" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zahn Timothy)

"Maybe we can poke a hole with something," Chippawa went on. "We've got a couple of sampling
probes we haven't extended, though they probably aren't strong enough. The pulse transmitter laser
might do the job."

"Except that it's nowhere near the oxygen valve," Faraday pointed out. "Unless we can inflate the
starboard float enough to push the skin backтАФ"

He broke off as a muffled thud came from somewhere above them. "What was that?" he demanded,
trying to penetrate the haze on the emscan display. "Another of those little guys?"

"Looks like it," Chippawa said. "Don't they ever watch where they're going?"

An instant later they were thrown against their restraints as the Skydiver was rocked violently by a
quick one-two-three set of jolts. "Incoming!" Chippawa snapped. "Three of the big torpedoes."

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Manta's Gift


The probe was slammed again to the side. "Depth gauge just twitched," Faraday called as the sudden
change of reading caught his eye. "Settling down..."

"They've broken through the skin," Chippawa said. "They're tearing through the skin around us."

There was another thud, and this time Faraday could hear a distinct tearing noise along with it.
"Tearing, nothing," he said. "They're eating their way through!"

"So what were you expecting, a can opener?" Chippawa retorted. "This is going to work, Jake."

"Like hell it is," Faraday bit out, grabbing for the lever he'd rigged up for the oxygen release. "Let's
give 'em a hotfoot."

"No, wait," Chippawa said. "Don't you understand? They're eating the skin right off us. All we have
to do is wait and we'll be free."

"Until they try taking a bite out of the Skydiver," Faraday shot back. "We're open to the hydrogen. I
say we go for it."

"And I say we wait," Chippawa said firmly. "Come onтАФthey can't bite through the hull."

"The mantas left tooth marks on it," Faraday countered. "These things are four times bigger. You
think they'll have any trouble biting straight through?"

"We have to risk it," Chippawa insisted. "Just calm downтАФ"

"Like hell," Faraday snarled. Setting his teeth together, he pushed the lever.

A wave of blue-green fire rolled across the window. The Skydiver shuddered violently, and a bone-
chilling roar seemed to fill the cabin. "Jake!" Chippawa shouted. "What the hellтАФ?"