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!
A week off from telekinesis did not, however, mean a week off from intensive physiotherapy, because Martin McNulty made provisions for Peter to continue the relentless exercises.
Nevertheless, he and Johnny gratefully 'ported downside to the Jerhattan terminal. For the first time, Peter noticed the expanse of low land that had once been a nice urban area until a compulsory government acquisition had transferred the residents to other, quieter habitations. Jerhattan Transport Complex had grown but not outstripped the available area. The telepad was east and south of the main buildings and the grid of concrete takeoff and taxiing strips. Even the airbus hotels needed room to maneuver and make their vertical landings. Small craft used auxiliary fields.
Here, there would be space for a suitable headquarters, Peter decided, near enough Jerhattan proper for access-especially by telekinetics-and cargo space for the containers. Johnny had never referred to Peter's mention of a commercial amalgamation of telekinetics and long-distance telepaths. Peter was not going to rush the idea. Simply because Johnny hadn't taken him up on that casual reference didn't mean that the general had not heard it.
Nor had Peter had time to trick Johnny into sending to "South America." In between his physio sessions, there had been so many and unexpected developments. Especially more talks with Tomas Gadriel. The professor had also offered the new circuitry to Rhyssa. While she was dubious about how this would help other parapsychics, she and Sascha excitedly discussed how this would alter the training of the new kinetic. This could well be the most important breakthrough for parapsychic research since Henry Darrow had invented the Goosegg that could record the brainwaves and prove genuine incidents of psychic ability.
Maybe, Peter mused, when they got back to work, the Gadriel gestalt would make it easier to trick Johnny into sending to "South America." And then he'd also make time to stargaze… or rather, asteroid-gaze.
Now, he was just a step away from Amariyah.
Both Rhyssa and Dorotea told him frequently and in no uncertain terms not to mention Amariyah's part in his neoneurogenesis, that he wondered if they thought he'd lost his wits as he regained his limbs. He, of all people, knew he must be adroit. How he was going to also impress on Amariyah not to inhibit her Talent-which she didn't yet know she had-was another matter. He had read all he could about Dorotea's mother, Ruth Horvath, who had been able to manipulate cells, but could never consciously tap into her microkinetic Talent. He read how deftly Daffyd op Owen, Rhyssa's grandfather, had dealt with Ruth, subtly inspiring her innate maternal sympathies for persons he wished her to heal and alter. Sometimes this had been successful; it was not an easy Talent to have, use, or direct.
According to most parapsychic experts, a person did not come into his or her Talent until puberty or until a trauma forced them to use alternate skills, as had happened to him. Instinct had governed Amariyah's abilities-the instinct to heal, nourish, protect. Some latent Talents, like Ceara Scott's empathy, were not apparent even at puberty, emerging gradually, almost unnoticed.
Long after Johnny had taken himself on to his home in Virginia, Peter tarried at the Jerhattan telepad. Finally realizing that he was ridiculously postponing his reunion with Amariyah, he 'ported himself to the Henner estate, the trees around the perimeter beginning to leaf out. Why did that surprise him? Objectively, only four weeks had elapsed since he had said good-bye to Dorotea and Maree. Subjectively a very great deal had happened.
He would have given much to stride smartly down the path to Dorotea's neat house. That was in the future. He didn't yet have the physical strength to relinquish kinesis. Also, he wasn't sure how often he would. It was such an effort. Only the reward of removing the waste-bag was worth the struggle. And having a longer, healthier life. Markstein had been eloquent on that topic. Long-term paralysis had devastating effects on the body of the skeleteam. Peter grinned. While there was a trickle of people heading toward the transport tube and their day's work, they were in the distance.
Amariyah! Dorotea! Rhyssa! His mental tone was not quite a shout since all three were nearby.
PETER! Rhyssa's response was a second faster than Dorotea's. Both rang with joy!
I'll meet you at Dorotea's, Rhyssa said. You sound so good!
Amariyah doesn't 'hear,' Peter, but we're just having breakfast.
I ate above. Padrugoi's day is ahead of Earth's right now but I could certainly use another cup of tea.
He 'ported himself into the hallway outside the kitchen. He sensed Amariyah in her bedroom.
"Maree? I'm home," he called, and opened the door to the kitchen.
Quickly wiping her hands on her apron, Dorotea opened her arms to him. He couldn't step fast enough to get to her, but he could close his arms tightly around her body, and "feel" her frailty. Fortunately, he only had so much muscle in his arms so "tight" wasn't bone-crushing.
"Oh, Peter, you have improved," she cried, and he could feel the pressure of her arms about his waist as she hugged him enthusiastically. Then she pushed him away, to stare into his eyes, trying to assess the less obvious alterations in him. "In so many ways, my dear, dear boy!"
Amariyah charged into the kitchen, shouting with joy. If he hadn't instinctively braced himself, she would have propelled them against the sink unit.
"Peter, Peter, Peter, Peter, Peter!" she caroled in a litany of welcome, flinging her arms about his waist.
"Ama-ree-yah," Dorotea exclaimed in automatic protest. "Have some manners!"
Peter embraced her slender frame, so much more vibrant than Dorotea's, wriggling as if to bore inside him to display her joy at his homecoming. A swift, impetuous hug, and then she released him, grabbing his hand, not even noticing that he could close his fingers about hers.
"Come see, come see. I've so much to show you," and the wiry little girl tried to haul him after her.
"Amariyah Bantam," Dorotea said firmly, gripping a fold of her tunic top and pulling her back. "Breakfast is ready and the garden will not disappear." Though at times I wish it did, she added with an exasperated sigh. No, I take that back, and her face mirrored guilty dismay. "Peter, sit down at the table. The kettle is about to boil for your tea, and you will surely eat some of the Danish rolls I made for you." If you sit, she will.
Peter sat. Heaving the most dramatic of sighs and rolling her eyes in pique, Amariyah reluctantly settled to her place.
"Did Ping Yung tell you if those plants thrived?" was the first question she asked after a long drink of orange juice.
"Yes, he did, and they did, and he wants you to come more often."
Amariyah flung a see-I-told-you look at Dorotea, who smiled tolerantly.
"Does the hydroponics unit at First Base use Triticum, too?" Amariyah continued to fire questions at him throughout the meal. But only, Peter thought affectionately, because she wasn't guiding him around her gardens and explaining which plants had done the best this spring and what she'd accomplished during his absence. After all he had survived and been part of and victim to, her chatter was a relief, the restorative touch of a different kind of reality.
Rhyssa joined them for coffee and one of Dorotea's Danish pastries. The three Talents began one of those lightning mental exchanges of the details that Amariyah did not need to know. Both Rhyssa and Dorotea were eager to hear all about Peter's physical progress.