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!
Peter would have laughed if he hadn't been mulling over something in Barchenka's mind that upset him when her arm had made contact with his chest.
Her speech was very important, he gasped. She wanted to impress the World Leaders so much that they would relent and make her Station Manager in spite of appointing the admiral. She's furious she couldn't finish it because… Peter faltered, ducking his head, frowning, his expression puzzled.
"What?" Rhyssa said aloud, shocked by the very notion of Barchenka in control of the Space Station.
"Admiral Coetzer's already on his way up to the hub," Johnny Greene said by way of reassurance.
You could read her? Rhyssa exclaimed. How could you? She's wearing a metal skullcap.
"If she is, it isn't very good," Peter said in a low voice, glancing nervously in the direction Barchenka had gone. She's going to take over the Station again. She's the only one she will allow to manage it. She's going to make us pay! Peter added. You most of all, Johnny.
"What isn't very good?" asked Dave, noting the tension in Peter's slender body.
Rhyssa quietly explained the gist of the exchanges. Dave's eyes widened in alarm and he, too, looked around the crowd to spot Barchenka's current position.
"How could she do that?" Dave asked Johnny.
"She hasn't got enough clout left with those necessary to confirm such an assignment, even if the Space Authority was insane enough to let her," Havers said, troubled.
What else did you sense, Peter? Johnny Greene asked, rocking back and forth on his heels, his jaw muscles tightening in dismay.
No one else has ever read her, Rhyssa repeated.
I think it was her whacking me like that. Peter lifted one arm to his ribs. He hadn't felt the blow, only reacted to the momentum of her thrust. The physical connection and she's so angry, she isn't holding anything back. I think she's after Admiral Coetzer, too. That's what she's gone to do now. He turned his upper body around, looking in the direction Barchenka had gone.
Oh, there you are! All three telepaths winced as Madlyn Luvaro's powerful voice assaulted their minds. Ooops. Sorry.
The telepaths glanced around, not immediately spotting Madlyn. Then the pretty, dark brunette in an elegant red dress suit stepped out of the throng. She was smiling, nodding politely to those she passed but there was a definite, noticeable tension to her body and a tightness to her smile.
"Hello, there, Rhyssa, Peter, General Johnny. How great to see you here," she said aloud. There's one goddawful rumor just starting the rounds in the workers' leveclass="underline" that Barchenka's going to be made Manager again. As she bowed politely to everyone in the cluster, she continued. The rumor is that she'd end up her speech by telling you all that she's taking over the Station. Her smile was fixed. She had modulated her extremely strong telepathic voice to a mere whisper, a scared mental whisper. Now her eyes begged Rhyssa to reassure her. How can she? When she came storming in here from the ceremony, and Madlyn gestured around the refreshment area, she was jerking her hands around at her white-coats and telling them that the plan would proceed. They moved out on the double. With that skullcap of hers, I couldn't read anything from her and those muscle men can't think with the front of their brains so she has been planning something all along. "Can I bum a ride back down with you, General?" she said aloud, tilting her head coquettishly at Johnny, but her eyes were clouded with anxiety.
Rhyssa said in a conversational tone, "Are you all packed, Madlyn?"
"Yessum," and the telepath nodded, more like a teenager than the confident executive she had become during her stint on the Station.
"I think I'll just see how Grushkov is doing," Johnny Greene said with a wickedly raised eyebrow. Stay here.
He wended his way into the crowd.
You don't think there's any chance she could get her way? Madlyn asked warily, pretending to admire Peter's smartly tailored outfit. "I almost didn't recognize you, you're so smart."
"Tirla took me shopping."
"She's got excellent taste." How does she think she can oust Admiral Coetzer? The World Council officially appointed him. He's such a nice guy. So calm. He impressed me when he toured the grunt levels and talked to all of them. Even descended to the offie levels. Never even wrinkled his nose at the pong down there, Madlyn said. Neither did Igor Koryakin, who's the new Maintenance Supervisor. How can they possibly turn the Station back over to her?
It just has to be wishful thinking on Barchenka's part, Rhyssa said.
Peter was very uncertain now. Could he have imagined the vivid sequences he'd seen in Barchenka's mind… like very fast-forward scenes… almost as if she were going over the plans in her mind? They couldn't have been precogs because Barchenka hadn't a vestige of psychic ability! He looked around warily. There weren't that many of her white-coated muscles in this area. He reviewed the brief glimpse of the very satisfied expression on her face, echoing her mental attitude. Then there was a sudden stir as the rank of doors beyond the refreshment area burst open, like one of the glimpses he'd had, and platoons of white-coated men and women strode purposefully in, spreading out.
Peter carefully levitated himself enough to see over nearby heads. I don't like the feel of this.
At the exact same moment, Johnny Greene broadcast, The admiral's run into a bad snag. His telepathic aide, Shandin Ross, is with him. They can't get the lift to work to the Control Intelligence Center level.
Ground yourself, Peter, Rhyssa said, pulling him back down to the floor.
She's locked Coetzer out! Johnny said angrily. Coetzer's supposed to have the command codes. She's locked him out.
Johnny, can't we do something? Peter replied anxiously.
"What?" Madlyn Luvaro demanded, and put her hand to her lips.
The lifts aren't responding, even to his emergency codes, Johnny said, his mental tone both angry and anxious. I'm reading Admiral Coetzer's mind. He's so furious right now he's dead easy to read. He's coming back here.
I've got to get closer to Barchenka, Peter announced.
Before Rhyssa could protest or caution him, Peter was gone from her side.
"No one will notice," Dave said, leaning down to whisper in her ear.
"You did."
"I was watching him. Everyone else is watching Barchenka's guards," Dave said. "Can't we do something? Anything? Are there enough strong Talents to just inactivate her?"
"Not with her metal skullcap," Johnny Greene replied telepathically as well as out loud. Although, Peter? Peter, where's he got to? he added, his tone agitated. Madlyn, have you any idea how many goons she has? Where has she positioned them? Oh! Johnny's voice was silent for three beats. Really? Pete, how'd you do that?
Johnny's astonishment was so intense that all the 'paths caught it.
My God, he's great, Madlyn Luvaro's voice was so strong, Rhyssa thought she had spoken out loud.
Yes, that's what I saw in her mind, Peter answered, and shot Johnny, as well as the other psychics, the visuals he had seen passing through her public mind. Her strategy.