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!
"You may recall, Admiral," Johnny said, "that I have mentioned the mass differentiation."
"Mass differentiation?" Georg Fraga asked, surprised.
"Yes, didn't you know? A telekinetic is very much aware of how much mass he or she shifts."
"How?" Fraga asked.
On the First Base screen, Lance sat up again, grinning.
"We keep records of how much thrust is needed for each item logged in for transport," Johnny said with a casual wave of his hand. "And how many calories the telekinetic burns in each lift. That's how we figure cost, you know."
"No, I didn't," said Alicia Taddesse, her expression grim.
Johnny gave a negligent shrug of his shoulder. "I'd be happy to show you our costing equation."
Taddesse looked from Johnny to Fraga and her eyes slid over Peter.
Are they cheating the Station, Johnny? Peter asked.
Someone is. Or at least trying to charge Padrugoi full dollar for sixty cents' worth of fuel. We don't know who. Sometimes only fifty cents gets to us. Welcome to big business and politics, Pete. Easy, lad, don't let them know how this upsets you, and Johnny sent soothing thoughts. This has to be sorted out, now. Especially since we can prove our allegations. Ignore the negative vibes.
"I'd be very interested in how you arrive at your figures, General."
Johnny extracted a pencil file from his breast pocket and kinetically wafted it to the table in front of Taddesse. "No charge for special delivery."
Show-off, Peter said, imaging himself grinning, though he was careful not to let the smile show on his face.
Coetzer and Abubakar had no such reservations.
Just then, a wave of increased mental stress reached Peter. One of the most constant fears of the nonpsychic was that telepaths could read their minds all the time. Why a telepath would want to was rarely considered. Mai Leitao was broadcasting her fear that the general and that awful boy knew "all" about her. Peter promptly turned her off in his head.
Taddesse inserted the file in her notepad and studied it.
"Even after," and the Secretary emphasized the word, "we have put a stop to such shortages, there will not be a significant savings in fuel costs. My office is committed to enlarging First Base as the jump point for the Mars project. We can't have one without the other." Abubakar leaned back in his chair, politely inclining his head to the admiral.
"Padrugoi Station is also committed to both projects. That's why General Greene and Mr. Reidinger are here."
"General Greene is known for his assistance," Abubakar said, and lifted his eyebrows inquiringly.
"Mr. Reidinger taught me all I know," Johnny said.
"The-'Kid' " was what Alicia Taddesse did not say out loud but it hung in the pause that followed. "I find that hard to believe, General."
"Don't," said the admiral. "We have never made public the role Peter Reidinger played in foiling Ludmilla Barchenka's White-Coat Mutiny. Without his timely assistance, you might have had to deal with her on this subject."
Abubakar cleared his throat noisily. "I didn't know."
Alicia Taddesse was surprised, Georg Fraga was dumbfounded, Colonel Watari incredulous, Cyberal curious, and Lance Baden's smile was broad. Peter did not look in Mai Leitao's direction. Some part of him was very pleased with the reactions. But that was not professional and he was going to need all his professionalism to cope with whatever came next.
You're right there, lad, Johnny said.
But he's a kid! Alicia's public mind shouted in denial.
"Mr. Secretary, the security was 'need-to-know.' You need to know that Peter Reidinger was the most important factor in quelling the Mutiny. He was not of an age to be added to the roster of the Parapsychic Center then, but he has been with us now for several years."
"He's the one who, ah,'' and Georg Fraga paused.
"The one who untangled the freighter and put it where it belonged, yes," the admiral said. He gave Peter a grateful nod.
"The general and I worked together," Peter said firmly, deepening his voice to sound older. He noticed that Johnny raised one eyebrow as everyone regarded him.
"Actually, to be truthful, Peter shifted the freighter. I was too busy rounding up containers before they got too far away."
Why did you say that? Peter demanded, trying to keep his face from registering his dismay.
You'll see.
That's what I'm afraid of.
You'll let these mundanes misjudge you?
"He's the strongest telekinetic on Earth," Johnny went on, oblivious to Peter's serious attempt to shut him up. "Right, Lance?"
"Right, General."
"And he's your solution to the fuel cost rise?" Alicia Taddesse demanded simultaneously with the Secretary's excited "He can kinetically reach the Moon from Padrugoi?"
"He already has," Lance put in. "If the colonel will oblige?"
"Oblige? Oblige in what way?" and Watari was suspicious.
"You will remember that we were in urgent need of certain chips, Colonel, on the tenth of May last year?"
"Yes, I do. How did you manage-?" The colonel broke off, goggling first at Lance and then in Peter's direction.
"Would you access that proof of delivery, Cyberal?" Lance asked the major, who bent to an unseen notepad.
"Yes," and the blond officer frowned as the record came up. "Sergeant Gendro collected a bag from the vehicle parking field."
"The third bollard from the right?" asked Johnny.
Peter seethed, felt Johnny raise his shield against him for the first time in their long association.
"Yes, you're correct. How did you know that detail, General?" Cyberal asked.
"That's where I told Peter Reidinger to put it." Johnny waited a moment to allow that information to be absorbed. "You have a time registered for the delivery?"
Cyberal nodded, spoke a few commands, and a window opened up on the conference screen and showed a replica of the May 10 date and early morning hour.
"Very interesting," and Secretary Abubakar gave Peter an approving smile.
That the admiral had not known was obvious to Peter but Coetzer concealed that behind his broad smile.
"The bag only weighed three kilos," Peter said, hoping to forestall what must be inevitable.
"Well," Alicia said with a condescending little smile and twist of her elegantly clad shoulders, "three kilos is scarcely something to brag about."
Peter felt a surge of anger for such belittling.
Hold that thought, Pete, Johnny said so sharply that Peter blinked. While the general's public manner was relaxed and slightly amused, Peter sensed Johnny Greene felt the same way about Taddesse's dismissal as he did.
"Three kilos?" Colonel Watari asked eagerly.
"In point of fact," Lance said in a languid drawl, "we very badly need that shipment from Chipsink." He consulted his wrist pad. "Waybill number 51161708 that cleared Jerhattan terminal at 0845 today. Brought up to Padrugoi with the Secretary's party, I believe."
Commander Chatham was already tapping in the designation. "Yes, we have it on board."
"It weighs five kilos, Peter."
Every eye was on him, and he felt trapped.