"Lee Edgar - The Andromeda Seed" - читать интересную книгу автора (Edgar Lee)

‘Yeah, but you had little to do during the launch anyway.’ He slammed his
fist down on the table. ‘Damn it all, she’s just a kid.’
Peter Spencer grinned. ‘And you’re a man, right?’
‘I thought so. One day, I’m gonna get her alone on Beta deck and wipe that
cheeky smile right off her face.’
‘I think Marshal Hardy might have something to say about that.’
‘That pathetic husband of her’s? He’s useless since he got shot up last
year. Nowadays, he couldn’t fight a teddy bear and win.’
‘He still carries a lot of weight around Europoort thanks to his uncle’s
influence. He might have proved himself to everyone else by climbing the
ladder of success unaided, but his sort always run to family when in real
trouble. I’d be very careful if I were you.’
‘One day, I’ll get her somewhere where she’s light years beyond the reach of
her friends and family. Two minutes in an empty airlock can play havoc with
her so-perfect complexion.’
Pete shivered at thought of someone so lovely being spread all over the
walls of a decompression chamber by her own internal forces.
‘What are you going to do?’ he asked to take his mind off the terrible
mental picture.
 The Europa Corporation’s youngest cruiser Commander grinned wickedly. ‘I
don’t know yet, but I’ll think of something.’

MIKE Hardy looked up and smiled as the door opened. He got up from his chair
and kissed his wife warmly. ‘Hello, gorgeous. Good day?’
Cassi shrugged. ‘So-so. I don’t know if we’re going to be ready for Friday’s
launch.’
‘Problems?’
She sat down at the round kitchen table, frustration clearly etched into her
face. ‘It’s just that the men are not coming up to scratch. I show them a
dozen times but they still get it wrong.’
‘You are pushing them rather hard. They are only human, you know.’
‘You’d think at least one of them would have a little gumption, wouldn’t
you?’ She looked down at her hands. ‘I’ve asked Alan to take two of them off
the team.’
Mike looked concerned and sat down opposite her. ‘Who, in particular?’
‘Commander Carter, for one.’
‘Steve won’t like that. He’s a proud man with a lot to prove and he won’t
take too kindly to you going over his head to the Directorate. Not only that,
he’s headstrong and can become very upset at someone getting the better of
him, especially if it’s a woman.’
‘I’m sorry, Mike. I hold nothing against him personally - in some ways, I
quite like him. However, lives are at risk on this mission.’
Mike laughed. ‘Cassi, my love. Lives are at risk on every space mission.
Even taking a ride on the shuttle to Orion Base is still constituted
dangerous.’
Cassi reached out and took his hands in hers. ‘This is different, Mike. We
are not launching a mere shuttle, we are lifting a space cruiser into orbit.
We cannot use the Proton Drive within the lower atmosphere for fear of
radioactive contamination. The reactor itself must be shut down prior to
launch in case of an accident.’