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!
Silversmith was acutely aware that the general remained for the duration of the EVA, observing Reidinger and limiting his remarks. He kept himself tethered to the net rim, which suggested to the chief that the general was not as happy in space as the kid was. He wondered if he should mention Bert Ponce to the general. Of course, he had nothing but a gut feeling that the offie wanted to get back at the kid. And how could he get to Reidinger when he was wearing an offie's double wristband?
Silversmith had to spend a full six days space-dogging Reidinger as he worked in and outside the Arrakis hull. On the second day of this purgatory, Silversmith noticed that the construction crews must have been detailed to keep their eyes open, too. There were always at least five nearby, just in case the kid tumbled himself or some of the expensive units he was handling. It aggravated the chief no end that the kid moved expertly among the components moored by tethers around the hull. It was like watching a quarterhorse-the chief had spent the first eighteen years of his life on a cattle ranch outside Austin-work a calf out of the herd. Reidinger would home in on the required item, give it just the right spin or push to send it out of the net and to the exact place it would spend the rest of its working life in the hull.
Reidinger seemed to know an awful lot about the internal design features of the Arrakis, too. He didn't argue, but at times, even the on-site naval architect and the construction boss, even the general, deferred to him. That galled Silversmith even more. To cap it all, the admiral gave Silversmith a commendation for his "expert training and guidance of one Peter Reidinger to the level of space-safe required by the Authority." Silversmith was torn between hoping the kid never did tumble off into space, thus keeping the chief's record untarnished, and hoping the kid disappeared without trace, a victim of the black. Perversely, the chief put one of his own secret security locks on the rack where the kid's suit hung. No grunt, blackmailed by that Ponce scuz, was going to sabotage it. The chief had a reputation to maintain.
When Silversmith was given another assignment, he removed his security lock, never realizing that several attempts had been made to open that rack; none, of course, successful.
Then he heard that Reidinger had conned one of the Limo pilots into training him on the Station's simulators. He supposed that the admiral would check the kid out on them, too, and decided that the navy had gone to hell in a handbasket if it would certify the spacemad on a self-destruction course.
On the few subsequent times when the chief happened to pass Reidinger in the corridors, he didn't look quite so much like a kid anymore.
6
Rhyssa invited Peter, Dorotea, and Amariyah to dinner with her family on his second night downside. Dorotea discreetly informed her that the first thing Peter had done was to ask Amariyah to help him pin up a digital print of the Arrakis over his treasured diagram of the Andre Norton. The second thing was to take a stroll though the grounds with Amariyah hanging on to his hand, so that she could show him what she'd been doing while he'd been away and question him about anything new in the Station hydroponics unit.
When he walked into Rhyssa's house the next night, she was instantly conscious of his air of competence and assurance. She embraced him gladly, allowing him to feel her delight in seeing him and her pride in his latest accomplishment.
I'm not at risk in space anymore, Rhys.
As Johnny would have it, you've been 'in space' since I sprang you from that awful hospital bed, she responded. "Oops, the thundering herd knows you're back!"
She stepped aside as her three-year-old son Eoin stampeded into the living room, yelling "Petey, Petey, Petey." Instantly Peter folded himself down to the child's level, smiling warmly, holding out one hand.
"Hey, there, Eoin, how's the man?"
In his brother's wake, Chester toddled as fast as he could pump his legs to clasp the other hand, squealing with delight.
They ignored Dorotea and Amariyah, dancing about until their mother settled their good friend on the couch where they could climb up on him.
"I guess I know who counts," Dorotea said with a disdainful sniff. "Evening, Dave, " she added when Lehardt arrived with a tray of drinks and handed her the dry sherry she preferred.
"They don't see Peter every day like they do us," Amariyah remarked imperturbably, sitting on the velvet footstool beside Dorotea's chair and smoothing the dress she and Tirla had bought for the occasion. It was the one Peter had liked best when they were shopping that afternoon. Going shopping-and to the Old-Fashioned Parlor of Gastronomical Delights-was almost a ritual for the three of them. "Thank you, Dave," she said, accepting the fruit juice Dave served her.
"Didn't know what you'd be drinking now that you're a certified space-walker, Pete."
"Same thing I drank when I wasn't," Peter replied, draping his arms about each of the two limpetlike boys as they snuggled into him.
Rhyssa sat close enough to remove either or both of her sons if they squirmed too much. Peter did slip free of one clinging paw so he could "hold" the glass of ice water Dave offered. The boys, who were close to their bedtime, were being very good so they could stay up longer. Rhyssa was grateful that Peter hadn't lost his calming effect on them. Rachelle would shortly come to take them for their bath.
"How d'you get on in space, Pete?" Dave asked as he gave his wife her cocktail and settled himself with his drink in the leather conformable chair.
"Well, book was made on whether or not I could hack the black."
"No kidding. They had a wager going?" Dave was amused. Rhyssa was not.
"Standard operating procedures, Rhys"' Peter said, sensing her annoyance. "They're always betting up there. On anything, like who'll be the next one to take a tumble or how big the fine'll be for losing work-hours."
"And I'll bet," Dorotea said proudly, "you were far too deft to incur a fine."
"I had to prove to Chief Silversmith that I wouldn't, you know."
"Oh?" asked Rhyssa, catching a flash of suppressed hubris. "The chief didn't like you?"
"Well," and Peter demurred, "I think I irritated him…" he shot a quick look at Rhyssa over Chester's head. Honest, I didn't peek. The guy radiated such waves of hostility I'd have to have been deaf not to be aware. Aloud he said, "I don't quite know why I ticked him off. I did everything he told me to."
Dorotea gave a polite chortle, tapping her lips with her knuckles, her eyes dancing.
"That might have had something to do with it," Rhyssa remarked.
"Probably he's never met anyone quite like you before," Dave said in a dry voice.
"There isn't anyone else like Peter," Amariyah said primly, eyeing Dave in dignified reproof.
Dave was accustomed to her blunt remarks and grinned. "You're quite right, of course, Amariyah, but petty officers in the navy are often a law to themselves."
"Chief Silversmith had to keep his reputation as an instructor," Peter told Amariyah. "I certainly didn't want him to fail with me." He made eye contact with Rhyssa. "He didn't have a bet on me, either way. I had the sense he didn't know which he wanted most-for me to fail or succeed."
"You had a choice?" Dave asked lightly.
"What do you think, Dave?" Rhyssa replied, wishing not for the first time that her husband had some empathy. He winked at her and she knew she'd taken his bait. She made a face at him. "Of course you had to succeed. Johnny was sure you would."
"Is that why he personally bird-dogged me and had extra grunts assigned to wherever I was working? I know for a fact he's not keen on EVA. And don't think I didn't feel Madlyn's touch every minute I was outside."