Pegasus In Space
- Автор: Маккефри Энн
- Серия: Talents #3
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Pegasus In Space». Краткое содержание книги:
For an overpopulated Earth whose resources are strained to the breaking point, there is only one place to look for relief: straight up. With the successful completion of the Padrugoi Space Station, humanity has at last achieved its first large-scale permanent presence in space. But there are those who, for motives of their own, want Padrugoi to fail. Standing in their way are the Talented, men and women gifted with extraordinary mental powers that have made them as feared as they are respected--and utterly indispensable to the colonization effort. Now, as sabotage and attempted murder strike the Station, it's up to the Talented to save the day. Only who is going to save the Talented?
Pegasus in Space is the tale of Peter Reidinger, first Tower Prime!
"Tea's fine. Haven't had a proper cuppa since I left First Base." He settled into the chair and exclaimed again as he appreciated its contours, supporting his long frame. "How's Dorotea? Special sort of woman."
"She's fine," Johnny said. "They conclude that she had a pin stroke, T.I.A., and she's on medication to prevent a repeat."
"With Amariyah watching her like a hawk."
Lance chuckled. "Heard that little bit of nothing rousted everyone out of their skins. Talented, is she?"
Johnny held up both hands. "She has to find out for herself."
Peter wished that he could broadcast to the world that Amariyah's special Talent had worked a miracle on his body but he perfectly understood the necessity for silence on the subject. In that same instant, he realized not only that he wouldn't want Amariyah to be burdened with trying to heal all the sick of the world-she'd be killed trying and she would try-but also how Rhyssa and Johnny had protected him until he was mature enough to handle his potent abilities. Very few, even those who knew him well, would have noticed his physical changes. And even fewer knew how he had extended his telekinetic and telepathic range.
"What about," Lance paused, rethinking the adjectives he was about to use, "Shimaz and that lot?"
"Wal," Johnny drawled, sitting back and smiling with malice, "InterLEO has been busy tagging anyone and everyone once connected with either Shimaz or Flimflam, or the other suspected accomplices."
"Reprogrammed their ID bands?" Lance asked, idly twisting his own. "Thought they were having a good look at mine when I said I was heading up here."
Johnny nodded. "There are enough regular checks, even on an international basis, to complete the process."
"And the Henner estate is prickly with sensors-wall, tube, gardens, shrubs, trees, and helipads," Peter said. "Everyone's safe there."
Lance made a rueful noise. "Don't like to think that such precautions had to be taken for us psychics. We should be able to fend for ourselves."
Johnny flicked his fingers. "Sharpen our wits a bit, put us on the qui vive. No harm done, and no harm can be done."
"Did we ever find out who was cheating the Station on fuel?" Peter asked.
Johnny swiveled about to stare at him a moment. "Yes," he said, recalling a conclusion that had obviously slipped his mind during other crises. "Pota Chatham solved it. Every single one of the Station's suppliers was shorting tank refills." He gave his shark's grin. "She thinks that the bean counter at SpaceShifters started the scam. He's far worse than Taddesse as a CFO. The other suppliers got suspicious, saw a good thing working, and started pumping measures, too. The freighter captains were bribed, or scared, into not reporting the problem until Honeybald started noticing the fall-short dockings. Now all the tanks are filled while one of Dirk's finest watches and guarantees the tank full. The suppliers all had to pay stiff fines for short weights. Thanks." He took the fresh cup of coffee Peter handed him.
"Now…" Johnny rubbed his hands together. "What have we got for today? You get a special demonstration, Lance. We got some heavy stuff," and he asked for the list on one of the programmable screens. "And number one is heavy. Pete, you take that."
"Hey, they're both on First Base," Lance said, sitting up straight.
"Yeah, ain't they?" Johnny replied, grinning at him.
"You," and Lance pointed at the general, "can make First Base?"
"Yup, with a little help from my friend here."
"Remember that bollard on the parking field?" Peter asked, thinking that this was an appropriate time to mention the Gadriel circuits.
No. Not yet, said Johnny very tightly. He went on out loud. "It was 'South America' in the astronomy office for me," Johnny said, enjoying Lance's look of awe. "Pete conned me into sending ten kilos to the astronomy office at First Base. South America," he added in voice command and Peter's carefully detailed image came up on the screen.
"Well, I never!" Lance began. "How much can you shift?" he asked, professionally intrigued.
"I don't want to make him run before he can walk," Peter replied, mimicking Johnny's drawl.
"Wish I could get the hang of the gestalt," Lance said ruefully, shaking his head.
"You're not the only one," Johnny remarked, cocking his head significantly at Peter. "Still we won't hold that against you, will we, Pete?"
Abruptly the main screen lit up with the head and shoulders of a very worried Dirk Coetzer. His eyes took in the three men in the office.
"Good, you're all there." He took a deep breath as he turned to Peter. "I know this may be totally impossible, Pete, but we've just had a Mayday from Marspolar. They've had an equipment failure. The humidifier's conked out. Has been for days and now other sensitive equipment is showing the effects. So are their tempers. If we don't get replacement parts to them in the next two days, there'll be major system failures." He paused.
"You know, Dirk," Johnny drawled, "the three of us might just be able to make it that far. If the spares aren't heavy."
Are you out of your tree? Lance exclaimed.
No, just out on a limb.
"We'll need the clearest visuals of Marspolar you have, Dirk," Peter said. "Do you have replacement parts on hand up here?"
"In the priority cargo net, ready for the supply ship due to go next week. Next week'll arrive too late," he said grimly. He looked to one side. "Thanks, Nicola. Waybill AF 44MPS8276."
"I copy," Peter said.
"I fetch," Johnny said and the vacuum-sealed units appeared on the table in the lounge of the office suite, covering it.
Lance whistled.
I'm getting very good at this, Johnny said. "Doesn't mass much, Pete."
This time, General Greene, you do the 'port with me!
You bet!
"Where's my visual, Dirk?"
"There's not much space available, Pete. The dome is cramped."
"Surely they have a table to eat off of," Peter said testily. His mind was humming as he anticipated the demand on his abilities.
"Yes, but I don't have any visual of the catering area."
"A workstation?" Peter was getting anxious. It was inconceivable that there wasn't anything available to "see." "Surely there've been tapes of their accommodations, their work spaces, the hydroponics unit?"
"The Amazon craft they came in would be empty," Johnny suggested, and called up a visual of the interior of the Mars ship. "Enough space there. I got the VIP tour when it was up on the gantries."
"Might be a tight fit," Peter said.
"Plenty of floor space right now." Johnny added dimensions of the main cabin at the base of the visual.
"They went to Mars in that?" Lance was incredulous, his eyes flicking around the much larger office. "No wonder they don't have spares."
"Used parachute drones to land supplies. Tedious work." Johnny shot Peter a look.
"We'll give our best shot, Dirk," Peter said, physically and clumsily moving to the chair at the engineering station. He didn't want to waste an ounce of mental energy before this crucial long 'port. Thank God for Tomas Gadriel. The circuits would make the difference.
I'm with you all the way, Pete, Johnny said, skidding his chair over to Peter's and gripping his arm. Lance pushed in on the other side, taking Peter's free hand in a firm clasp.
The generators sang the most beautiful C major chord Peter had ever heard.
Peter got "hold" of the net.
Take the biggest breath you can, kid.
Out of the corner of his eye, Peter saw Johnny's chest rising. He inhaled, thinking firmly of the net and its lifesaving units sitting in the center of the Amazon's cabin space. As he 'ported, he felt Johnny's wide-open mind pushing with him, and a second reinforcement-nowhere near as strong but steady. Lance! He might not be able to initiate the gestalt but he could sure give it a shove, his grasp warm and firm on Peter's.