"Lee Edgar - Return to Andromeda" - читать интересную книгу автора (Edgar Lee)

THE dark tenth planet came and went without them even seeing its vast bulk. So far from the sun and with a
surface of dusty rock covered only with a shroud of heavy carbon mist, it could only be seen by
instrumentation. Iris alone recognised its passing by giving the signal to fire the Proton Drive once more.
The manoeuvre complete, Lyn stretched and yawned. ‘Permission to go and find the boss?’
‘Help yourself,’ Mike replied. ‘Ask him what he wants us to do about rest schedules, would you? It’s
something we never got chance to arrange with leaving Orion in such a hurry.’
Lyniera nodded and left the flight deck. Mike and Cassi were alone for the first time in days.
 ‘I feel as if I haven’t slept for a very long time,’ said Cassi.
‘You haven’t,’ said Mike. ‘Chasing about all round Titan and Luna, playing cat and mouse with the General’s
men, you’ve been hard at it for several days; virtually without rest. Even Andromedans like you and Lyn
cannot keep that pace up forever, you know.’
Cassi got to her feet and wandered around, checking the data, while Mike watched her. Eventually, she sat
down. ‘Be a darling and make me a cup of tea.’
Mike stood up. ‘Your wish is my command, my love. Don’t go away.’
‘Fat chance of that. Go on, I’ll hold the fort.’
Mike smiled, kissed her briefly and went towards the galley. As soon as the door closed, Cassi whirled
round and faced Iris.
‘REQUEST DIRECT CLEARANCE TO MAINFRAME UTILITIES,’ she typed quickly.
‘INPUT PASSWORD >’
‘UTILITY SECURITY CODE CAS1.’
There was a short delay and then, ‘READY >’
Cassi pressed CTRL-V and spoke. ‘Hello, Iris.’
‘GOOD DAY, OFFICER HARDY >’ wrote the amber letters upon the screen.
Cassi smiled and then slid over to the red console and placed her fingers upon the keys. She typed,
‘ENGAGE INTERFACE WITH I.R.I.S.’
‘DRIVES INTERFACED. ALL FUTURE COMMANDS BY VOICE CONTROL VIA I.R.I.S. >’
‘EMERGENCY SECURITY OVERRIDE CODE CAS1,’ she typed. ‘UPON INPUT COMMAND CHARLIE
ALPHA SIERRA UNO, COMMIT ALL DRIVE CONTROL AND LIFE SUPPORT FUNCTIONS TO I.R.I.S.’
‘CONFIRMED >’
Now, she could control the ship single-handed. She slid back to Iris. ‘RELAY TO DRIVE CONSOLE. ALL
INPUT BY KEYBOARD UNTIL SECURITY OVERRIDE CHARLIE ALPHA SIERRA UNO.’
‘CONFIRMED >’
She slid back to the drive console. ‘DISENGAGE INTERFACE WITH I.R.I.S.’
‘CONFIRMED >’
Back to Iris. CTRL-K to return to keyboard input. Cassi smiled again. Now she was ready.


CLEAR of Xen, Wayfarer One was switched to automatic pilot for the three-week haul across open space
towards the faint, orange-red dot on the screen known to Earth’s Astronomers as Ross 248. Flight Engineer
Robert Walker made his final calculation through the televisor before turning to join the group who had joined
him in the laboratory. Juanita Carrero sat down beside him and smiled as she took his hand in her own.
Steve Carter stood up and coughed to gain attention. When the pleasant murmuring had died down, he
began. ‘Well, ladies and gentlemen. We are almost at the point of no return. If we were to make a course
adjustment at Ross, we could, I believe, swing around and return via Pluto. Otherwise, we are committed.’
‘There is no turning back after Ross?’ asked the big engineer.
Steve glanced briefly at Cassi who shook her head. ‘Iris has calculated that the velocity will be too great by
then. We will be travelling at over three hundred times the speed of light. If we try to make a major adjustment
to our course at that speed, who knows where we might end up.’