"Robert L. Forward - Rocheworld 02 - Return to Rocheworld" - читать интересную книгу автора (Forward Robert L)

residual air in the plane. George clambered out on the nose and jumped to the
surface, then turned to catch Arielle. Together they hurried toward the
distant lander. Jill, her voice turned into that of a martinet, drove them
with verbal whiplashes broadcast through their personal imps.
SHIRLEY, RICHARD, KATRINA, DAVID -- TO THE WINCH.
GEORGE, ARIELLE -- UP THE LADDER.
RED, START THE WINCH AND GET THEM UP AND IN!
MOVE IT GEORGE!
ARIELLE IS WAY AHEAD OF YOU!
MOVE IT, YOU FAT OLD MAN!"
George found another source of adrenaline in his anger and he sprinted
harder for the ladder. Arielle ran lightly up the rungs on the landing legs
without using her hands, then when she reached the main body of the lander,
crouched and leaped up the side of the rocket in the low gravity, then
continued on, hand-over-hand, her legs dangling. George knew he couldn't do
that, and scrambled after her. He got up the landing leg and paused to look up
at Arielle.
NO SIGHTSEEING! MOVE IT! MOVE IT!!! MOVE IT!!!
Jill's voice took on a harsh tone that sent George back to his first
week in ROTC summer camp under the tender ministrations of a drill instructor.
Fear and hatred drove him up the ladder. He could see the wall of water coming
over the horizon to his left, its foaming top colored blood-red in the setting
sunlight. The water was swallowing the kilometers long shadow of the lander as
George clambered into the airlock filled with Red Vengeance and the five
others from the airplane.
"I've got the winch stored," said Red. "Shut the outer door."
George was nearest the door and started to close it. He stopped. With
him in the lock, there was no room for the door to close, and no time left to
cycle the lock. He stepped back out onto the top rung of the ladder.
"George!!!" shouted Red, as George pulled the door shut behind him.
"Nooooo..." she wailed as he pushed the door lever over and locked himself
outside.
"Take off, Thomas!!! That's an order!" said George through his imp.
The ten-meter-high wall of water hit the base of the rocket and it
started to tip.
"Got to go!" said Thomas.
The atmosphere around George was ablaze with flame as the ascent module
stage lifted from the top of the falling rocket and boosted into the sky.
George's feet slipped from the rung and he was left hanging by the inadequate
grasp of his sausage-fingered gloves. As the acceleration built up he found




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his left hand slipping from the vertical handhold. He grabbed for the
horizontal ladder rung and got it, but that cost him his right handhold on the
door lever. Dangling by one hand from the bottom of the accelerating
spacecraft, he was blinded, deafened, and burned by the exhaust from the
powerful rocket engine. He felt the suit cooling shift to maximum power to