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

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Zahn, Timothy - Spinneret


into hyperspace.

"Damn rotten luck," Kyle growled as they reviewed the films of the aliens later.
"The place was absolutely perfect."

"We don't know that for sure," Radford reminded him. "Anyway, finding out man
isn't alone in the universe is at least as important as finding new planets to
colonize."

"If they're friendly, you mean."

"If they're not, at least they don't know where we came from." Radford touched
the rewind control. "Cheer up, KyleтАФ chances are good we'll find something else
before we head home. And even if we don't, either the Aurora or the Celeritas is
almost certain to."

"Maybe."

"Beautiful." Mario Civardi smiled at the planet centered in the telescope display.
"Simply beautiful."

Captain Curt Korczak suppressed his own smile at the Italian's exuberance, which
echoed his own, more private feelings. The European Space Agency had taken a
lot of knocks for the delays that had enabled the Americans to launch their two
ships first; but the Celeritas had just paid back the skeptics, with interest. A brand-
new world, where mankind could start over again with a clean slate. No pollution,
no acid rain, no overpopulation, no nationalistic posturing. It was almost like
getting into Eden again.

"Captain!" the man at the radar shouted suddenly. "Something approaching from
asternтАФ"

The main vision screen flashed with light as something with a fiery tail shot over
the Celeritas and vanished far ahead. "What the hell!" First Officer Blake gasped.
"That was a bloody missile."


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Zahn, Timothy - Spinneret


"Backtrack it," Korczak snapped. "I want to know where it came from."

"Got it, sir. Bearing down on us fromтАФ"