"Timothy Zahn - Spinneret" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zahn Timothy)

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Zahn, Timothy - Spinneret


levels is on the last page. For that we would get a hundred-year lease with renewal
option." He paused. "Which brings us to the reason I've asked you here tonight.
The rental fee would only be the tip of the iceberg if we intend to actually do
anything with this world. Homes would have to be built, crops planted, industries
started, colonists screened and trainedтАФit would be a tremendous project."

"And so you've come to us for money," British Prime Minister Smythe-Walker
put in dryly.

"Yes," Saleh nodded without shame. "The UN budget can't support something like
this, let alone organize everythingтАФwe simply haven't the funds or manpower.
We would have to contract out parts of the operation, which would take even
more money. So before I even bring this up to the Security Council and General
Assembly, I need to know whether or not the money will be forthcoming from
those who can afford it."

"Why bother?" Liadov shrugged. "You ask a great deal for the privilege of Eying
the UN flag on a world with less economic value even than Venus. You would do
better to fund expeditions to the Jovian moons."

"You overstate the case somewhat," Sing said, "but you are essentially correct.
This world does not seem worth its cost."

"Crops won't grow without traces of metal in the soil, for starters," Nagata put in.
"All food would need to be imported. And what could they export in exchange?"

"Other minerals," Allerton said, still skimming the report. "One of the continents
appears to be ringed with underwater mineral deposits."

"What, silicates and such?" Smythe-Walker shook his head. "Sorry, John, but it's
hard to imagine any rock formations worth carting up a gravity well and across
forty light-years of space And there's still the thing with food, unless you want to
add a few tons of iron and manganese silicates to the soil before you plant."

"Why not?" Allerton countered. "It's not as impractical as you make it sound."



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Zahn, Timothy - Spinneret


"NoтАФbut it is expensive." Smythe-Walker looked at Saleh. "I'm sorry, but I don't
believe His Majesty's government will be able to guarantee any support for such a
project."