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

тАЬYou are ignorant and the daughter of ignorance,тАЭ Father Mihran said
flatly. тАЬAnd you will leave us. Now.тАЭ
Commander Poulos bowed her head and gestured with two fingers to
the man on her left. He, in turn, typed a command into the comptroller
on his wrist while the commander touched the ring control for her video
screen again. The disasters faded away to become a desertтАФ row upon
row of red-gold dunes stretching out under an endless sky. тАЬThis is a
live feed,тАЭ said Commander Poulos quietly. тАЬI believe you call this place
the Vastness.тАЭ
тАЬNoтАФтАЭ began Father Mihran.
Light flashed, filling the screen, making Tam flinch. A boiling cloud of
dust and ash filled the entire screen, rippling, growing, cascading
upward, lifted by the long, low roar of thunder. Father Mihran cried out
in sheer pain and all the council babbled at once, some to the father,
some to each other, and some to their implants.
Tam could only stand there, jaw hanging, heart pounding. He couldnтАЩt
believe it. A bomb. On Pandora, in the wilderness, the beautiful
wilderness, which must be protected, must be studied and understood.
тАЬItтАЩs a clean bomb.тАЭ Commander PoulosтАЩs voice was almost gentle.
тАЬThis time.тАЭ
тАЬYou bloody-minded, ignorantтАжтАЭ shouted Father Mihran, but words
failed him. He just stared at the boiling cloud of ash, hearing the endless
rolling thunder, and Tam saw tears streaming from his eyes.
тАЬYouтАЩve kept Pandora pristine, to study and preserve, just like your
ancestors did,тАЭ went on Commander Poulos. тАЬIf you do not agree to
help find I cure for (he Diversity Crisis, the Authority will start bombing
this planet until thereтАЩs nothing left living outside your domes.тАЭ
Father MihranтАЩs hand curled into a fist and he pressed it against his
forehead. Around him, the council fell silent, except for Administrator
Has. тАЬItтАЩs real,тАЭ Has whispered, choking on the words. тАЬI have
confirmation from Athena Station. ItтАЩs real.тАЭ
On the screen, the dust and ash finally began to settle, and Tam
glimpsed the burned black crater. It was so big. Bigger than any of the
dunesтАФwhat was left of the dunes. The whole shape of the world had
been changed to accommodate that huge black smoking hole.
тАЬHow could you?тАЭ gasped Father Mihran.
тАЬDo you think we want to do this?тАЭ Commander Poulos stared at him
incredulously. тАЬDo you think IтАЩm having fun here? IтАЩm threatening to
destroy an entire world. IтАЩm acting like a damned dictator or crazy
general out of the legends.тАЭ Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the
table edge. тАЬIтАЩm going to say this one more time, Father Mihran. The
Called are going to die unless we do something.тАЭ
тАЬAnd if the Called dieтАЭтАФFather MihranтАЩs hand shook as he lowered
itтАФтАЬthe Authority and its cities die.тАЭ
тАЬYes, and our way of life with them.тАЭ Her smile was tight and grim. тАЬI
never said we were being selfless. The Diversity Crisis is in the corridors
of the Authority cities too, Father. We are just as desperate as the rest.тАЭ
тАЬWhy do you come here?тАЭ Father MihranтАЩs words came out as a sob.
тАЬHave we ever asked anything of the Authority or the rest of the Called?
What right have you to force your problems on us?тАЭ