"Sarah Zettel - Kingdom of Cages" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zettel Sarah)

mortal defects increasing, and nature and disease were still taking their
tolls. All of the Called, even the space dwellers of the Authority, needed
fresh genetic input for every aspect of lifeтАФlivestock, crops, humans,
everything.
Earth, although grown so far apart from her daughter worlds, had been
willing to help. But it was soon realized that the delegation from the
Called had brought more with them than their pleas. The plague they
carried killed two million inside one Terran month. No one knew where it
came from. Some said the delegates had carried it with them and it had
somehow survived sterilization and quarantine. Some said it had bred on
Earth itself, a hybrid of Terran and proto-Terran viruses created by
something innately harmless the delegation had exhaled the first day they
walked free.
Some said the delegates had released it deliberately, to wipe out the
native Terrans and reclaim Earth for themselves.
From this turmoil, only one agreement was reached. The horrified
Terrans sent the delegates back with a single message for the Authority
and all the Called: Never return. Never even try.
But the crisis among the Called would not relent and the Authority found
itself pushed into making a fresh decision: to come to the one colonized
world where it was known the Diversity Crisis had not reached and beg
for help.
Although, Tam noticed, Commander Poulos had stopped using words
like тАЬbeggingтАЭ and тАЬat your mercyтАЭ and even тАЬpleaseтАЭ twenty minutes
ago.
The images of disaster continued. A mass grave, a ruined field, a quartet
of children bearing the ancient signs of DownтАЩs syndrome. Still, Father
MihranтАЩs gaze did not flicker. Tam wasnтАЩt even sure he blinked.
тАЬSo much tragedy,тАЭ he finally murmured, and Commander PoulosтАЩs
guard dropped far enough for Tam to see hope light her face. тАЬBut also
so much ignorance.тАЭ The commanderтАЩs hopeful expression faded as
Father Mihran gestured toward the screen. тАЬNone of this would have
happened if any of them had taken the time to truly understand the
conditions they were living in. To understand that, however beautiful,
their new worlds were not Earth.тАЭ His gaze narrowed as he watched a
family opening a silo door to see what had once been grain blow away in
a cloud of red dust. тАЬIf they do not understand the problems inflicted on
them by their own worlds, how can we hope to?тАЭ Father Mihran spread
his hands toward the window and the world outside. тАЬWe have been on
Pandora for two thousand years and we do not truly understand even
this one biosphere yet.тАЭ
тАЬYou can help them.тАЭ Commander Poulos spoke the words more as if
they were a command than a plea. тАЬNo one else has the analysis
facilities, or the experience, that you have here. You can draw out a
diagram for a single genetic base pair or an entire planet. You have all the
techniques and understanding of the long generations that have studied
Pandora.тАЭ Commander Poulos leaned forward, eager, believing she was
at the point of reaching her goal. Tam saw a man cradling a dead child
on the screen and secretly hoped she was.
тАЬYou can teach them how their worlds work,тАЭ said Commander Poulos